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Monday, March 31, 2008

The Cure - Why Can't I Be You 7"

Today's posting is a cheat. I'll admit it right up front. Instead of digitizing these from the 45 I pulled these from on of my "Join The Dots" CD's. That's a bonus for you because the quality will of course be great. Don't get too excited I don't plan on making a habit of it. It just seemed to work out this way for this post.

At this point in my life I have no real reason to be buying Cure singles. I have just about everything they've ever recorded on CD. So why did I buy this record a couple years ago when I came across it. Because I'm a geeky fan of The Cure. There is really no other reason. I think in the back of my mind I knew that one day I'd be doing something like this and I'd want to share the scan of the record sleeve and show the world that I love The Cure. So there it is plain and simple. I love The Cure and I like sharing that with the world. These two songs are great. Nothing much more really needs to be said at this point.

01 Why Can't I Be You_.m4a
02 A Japanese Dream.m4a

Sunday, March 30, 2008

Lesley Gore - It's My Party 7"

Since my first Lesley Gore post went so well I thought I'd post my one and only other record of hers that I own. This is the one everyone will know of course. There is good reason for that. The song is just straight up good.

Again there is the great Quincy Jones production that can't be overlooked or underestimated and then of course the fabulous Lesley Gore. You listen to her sing and you're like, "you're dam right she can cry if she wants to". You know you're not going to win in an argument with her.

"She's A Fool" while maybe not quite as well known is another perfect pop song. It has this great back up chorus where I swear the men are singing "Shag-a-doo-la". I don't know what that means or if that is really what they are sining, but it sure is fun and catchy. The song fits in with the any of the other Lesley Gore classics. She sings about some girl who has the boy she likes and the girl doesn't love him like she does. She says, "She has his love but treats him cruel". As the song goes on it becomes clear that she is happy the girl is a fool. She is happy that she is cheating on the guy because she knows one day he'll find out and turn to her.

I know there is gonna come a day he will tell her, "Girl, be on your way.". Maybe then he'll turn to me, Then how happy I will be that...
She's a fool.

That is kind of a funny message, that I think is actually an accurate reflection of the teenage mind. She doesn't care that the guy is going to get his heart broke or that he's going to be made a fool. All she cares about is that in the end he'll be hers. I'd like to add that I don't think that is gender specific. I think teenage boys' minds work on about the same level.

So give these a listen, once for their pure pop splendidness and then again to pick up on the interesting story telling or the lyrics.

01 It's My Party.mp3
02 She's A Fool.mp3

Saturday, March 29, 2008

Edmundo Ros - Hollywood Cha Cha Cha

Everything I read about Edmundo Ros declares him the king of Latin music in the UK for "The Greatest Generation". I don't know enough about what kind of competition he had to get that title, but after hearing the music it seems deserved. What do I know. I do know that before getting this record I had come across Edmundo on some of my lounge music CD collections. Just about every track here could fit onto some Latin lounge collection. The songs are wall pretty well known themes from Hollywood movies re-intepreted with Edmundo's Latin flare. There are interesting and odd percussion instruments peppered throughout the compositions. The album truly is a joy to listen to on a big stereo where you can hear how he and the producers took full advantage of the new stereo technology.

The opening song is great. It has a wide range of instruments and has a fun "cha cha cha" male chorus. Toward the end some funny little instrument comes in that sounds like some kind of little mouth organ or something. It makes the Moulin Rouge Theme sound like it is a Popeye the Sailor tune. if anyone knows what that is let me know.

"As Time Goes By" is another really good one in my book. It takes this nostalgic, sentimental song and has fun with it. Like many of the other songs there is some fun cowbell action going on. I just find it particularly entertaining to hear it in the context of this song which is so strongly related to "Casablanca".

The "Third Man Theme" is another one that I've been playing a lot recently. It has this fun organ thing happening that reminds me of the Adams Family. That to me is a nice flavoring to add to this already fun song. The "Third Man Theme" is one of those touch stone songs. I think it is a really fun song and when I see it on a record I get excited. it is one of those songs that is hard to mess up.

As a whole the record is nice to throw on for a quiet evening at home. It sets the mood quite nice. It truly is an "easy listening" record if there ever was one.

01 The Moulin Rouge Theme.m4a
02 It's Magic.m4a
03 Tammy.m4a
04 Theme From _Picnic__Moonglow.m4a
05 Third Man Theme (The Harry Lime Theme).m4a
06 Around The World.m4a
07 Love Is A Many Splendored Thing.m4a
08 As Time Goes By.m4a
09 High Noon.m4a
10 Fascination.m4a
11 Three Coins In The Fountain.m4a
12 True Love.m4a

The whole thing here.

Friday, March 28, 2008

The 5. 6. 7. 8's - Woo Hoo 7"

I almost feel dirty posting this one, because the the A-Side is so well known and overused these days being featured on TV commercials and of course "Kill Bill", but the record is sooooo tasty that I can overcome that unclean feeling. These two songs are the kinds of songs that when you hear them you first want to just dance around the room. The second thing you want to do is tell everyone you know about the songs.

For anyone that only knows The's from the references I mentioned above I highly recommend seeking them out. Their music is all cut from this same Japanese rock and roll cloth, fun, full over energy, and Japanese accents that make some of the lyrics almost impossible to understand. They always sound like they're having a great time playing these songs. There are a true celebration of the rave up garage rock genre.

So kick off your shoes, and get ready to dance to the rockin' and rollin' of The's.

01 Woo Hoo.mp3
02 Guitar Date.mp3

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Jack Guthrie - Oklahoma Hills/Oakie Boogie 7"

Here's another record from my now infamous country music find from a few years back. I also purchased the 78 of this same record at the same time.

This is good old country music and I mean that in the truest sense of the word. These songs are from the 40's. I don't know when this record was pressed, but I'm guessing that it was back in the 50's or 60's.

This is simple hillbilly type music, with some western swing thrown in for good measure. The first "Oklahoma Hills" swings well and good, but "Oakie Boogie" is the one that will cause you to burn up the rug. It's got a great pep to it. The fiddle work is great. The lyric delivery is awesome. This has got to be one of my favorite country records of all time and chances are pretty good that this one is going to be new to you.

Jack Guthrie was a cousin to Woody Guthrie, but from what I've read, Jack was far more successful commercially than Woody ever was. Judging by these couple songs I an see why. There's nothing controversial here, just plain old shoe shufflin' fun.

Jack grew up in the Texas/Oklahoma area which explains these songs. He's from the school of cowboy country music like Jimmie Rogers and Gene Autry. Some stories say that Gene taught Jack how to play guitar.

"Oklahoma Hills" was a hit for Jack. In fact it was his first hit. It was the song that got him a record contract with Capitol records. The song was originally penned by Woody. Jack made some changes to the song and recorded it. Jack's version is the one that became the most famous. Read more about Jack and "Oklahoma Hills" here.

So find a dance partner, clear out your living room and put on "Oakie Boogie" and enjoy 2 and a half minutes of dancing glee.

01 Oklahoma Hills.mp3
02 Oakie Boogie.mp3

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Sergio Franchi - Live At the Cocoanut Grove

This is hands down my favorite Sergio Franchi record. Yes i have others. I love this record so much because of it's live aspect. I love the chit chat between the songs. I love his stories and his accent. I think it really captures who Sergio was even better than any of his studio recordings. Now, his studio recordings aren't bad. Some are better than others, but the ones that are good really are good. They're just not as good as this record in my opinion.

My favorite bit on the record is the opening of side 2, "The Gypsies (Les Gitans)". Sergio tells a little story about what the song is about. He sounds like Father Guido Sarducci by the way here. He tells this quiet love story and then the song kicks in like gang busters. I mean it really catches you off guard the way this thing attacks you. Then he starts belting out these Italian lyrics and I'm saying to myself "Yeah. Yeah. Go Sergio". It's like the gun was sounded and the race has begun. The song works it's way back to a quiet intimate vibe in the middle and just when you are lulled into a state of calm that opening refrain comes back to smack you upside the head. The song is that visceral. If you listen to any song listen to that one.

There are plenty of other great tracks to sample here as well. One of the staples of these live club records of the time are the medleys. This one has a pretty good one to open the record. In general I love the idea of these kinds of medleys that appeared on these kinds of records. You get just a sample of each song. Usually the songs are all good, and that is why they are chosen. Many times there are interesting transitions and arrangements. The "Hootenanny Medley" is also very good. I love the way he pronounces Hootenanny. The medley is of some very recognizable Italian songs. Give it a try.

While Lou Monte is fun to listen to because he has a sense of humor to his songs, Sergio is completely different. He's a serious tenor. He sings with drama and emotion. His voice can send shivers down your back. I like that about him. When you listen to Lou Monte you feel like you are listening to an Italian American. Images of little Italy in New York or Chicago come to mind. When you listen to Sergio Franchi you hear an Italian, plain and simple. He's the genuine article and can really set the mood for an nice romantic evening with a home cooked Italian meal.

Another highlight for me is "Quando Quando Quando". Again it has the great spoken intro explaining the song and then the song itself is great. It's sung mostly in Italian and has a jazzy, but simple accompaniment. It really feels like your are in a little lounge or dinner club. An interesting side note is that when Jake and Elwood Blues go looking for Murph and the Magic Tones at the Hollyday Inn, they are playing this song and ole Murph is murdering the lyrics. True story.

Also Sergio sings a version of the old standard "Chicago", but in Italian which provides a nice twist. Let's face it Sinatra owns that song and anyone trying to sing it will pale in comparison to him, but singing it in Italian helps you get away from the comparison. The song becomes Sergio's and stands on its own.

He then follows up Frank's standard with Tony Bennett's standard "I Left My Heart In San Francisco". Again the Italian makes it something new and quite beautiful. It also has some tap dance interlude that is interesting if not a little weird. Actually I'm not sure if it is tap dancing or some other rhythmic thing, but whatever it is, it is different.

The rest of the album is also a great listen. Each song works great right into the next. This is definitely one you can put on and listen from start to finish and have a very enjoyable evening.

01 Opening Medley.mp3
02 Dicitencello vuie.mp3
03 A Woman In Love.mp3
04 Quando - Quando - Quando.mp3
05 Stella By Starlight.mp3
06 Hootenanny Medley.mp3
07 The Gypsies (Les Gitans).mp3
08 I Wish You Love.mp3
09 In The Still Of The Night.mp3
10 E Lucevan le Stell.mp3
11 Chicago.mp3
12 I Left My Heart In San Francisco.mp3
13 Core 'ngrato.mp3

The whole thing here. Sergio

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Supersucker/Zeke Split 7"

I can't say enough about the Supersuckers. They truly are the greatest rock and roll band recording and playing music today. I mean no one even comes close when it comes to straight ahead rock and roll.

I'm very excited that they are coming to Southern California this next month. I've got my tickets and I'm very excited to bring my son. A few years ago we saw Eddie Spaghetti do his acoustic show in front of Social Distortion, but since then he hasn't had a chance to see the full blown Supersuckers rock and roll show. Everytime they play it is a 21 and up show and I end up going with my wife. It is funny because just the day before the show was announced my son told me he was going to e-mail The Supersuckers to ask them to play an all ages show in LA. The very next day the show was announced and I told him he didn't need to write.

So if you live in southern California I suggest getting tickets to their House Of Blues show and treating yourself to an amazing night of rock and roll. Also if you ever have the chance to catch their country show, jump at the chance. I did while back and it was in my opinion even better than the rock show which was pretty stellar.

If you don't know the Supersuckers, this record is a good introduction to their power and writing prowess. I wouldn't say this is their best song, but it is strong still. So hopefully after you hear this you'll seek out the rest of their recordings. By the way this band falls into the category of bands that do great covers. If you get their "Devils Food" LP you'll find a great cover of Jerry Reed's "Eastbound and Down". I believe I've already written once on my love of that song and seeing that they covered the song was one of the early indicators to me that Eddie and company were great.

Zeke is also strong. I don't know as much about them. I do know that a lot of bands I like love them and respect them. I like what I've heard and this song is pretty decent.

01 Gato Negro.m4a
02 Chinatown.m4a

Monday, March 24, 2008

Frank Ifield - The Best Of Frank Ifield

I can't even remember where or when I got this record. I can say I got it within the last year and that it has been sitting in a stack of records to listen to for quite some time. I finally got around to the record and was soooooo happy that I had bought it whenever that was. I love this record. I love it because it is like nothing else I own or have ever heard. Without even reading the album liner notes or my subsequent research on the internet I knew Frank Ifield was different. What I came to learn is that differentness is because he is a British singer who loved country western music. So the songs are all country and cowboy songs, but they really aren't. They are filtered through a British artist which pretty much takes out any authenticity. Sure he keeps the yodeling voice, but he never really sounds like a cowboy on the trail. The closest thing I have to compare this too are some of the "country" songs Burt Bacharach did and I use that term "country" very loosely in that sentence.

A perfect example of what I'm talking about is on "Lovesick Blues" a classic country song. The lyrics are there, the melody is there, the voice yodeling effect is there, but it all seems just a little milk toasted out. There is also a funny orchestration behind it that is closer to some easy listening go-go music than it is too country. It kind of reminds me of some incidental music on "The Beverly Hillbillies" and I mean that not in any good sense when talking about it being country. On the other hand sounding like something from the "Beverly Hillbillies" is good if you are looking for something quirky and different. That is how I judge all this music by Frank Ifield.

So give it a listen and imagine yourself in sort of a country music twilight zone where things are the same, but different.

01 Hey Joe.m4a
02 I Remember You.m4a
03 Lovesick Blues.m4a
04 I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry.m4a
05 Hoebe Snow.m4a
06 When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold.m4a
07 Love Song Of The Waterfall.m4a
08 Cattle Call.m4a
09 Half As Much.m4a
10 On, Lonesome Me.m4a
11 Wolverton Mountain.m4a
12 Long Gone Lonesome Blues.m4a

Here's the whole thing.

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Stevie Wonder - Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours) 7" - 1970

This may seem to follow the previous Stevie post too soon, but I don't care. This one is far from some obscure Stevie Wonder song. Signed Sealed Delivered has to be in the top 5 of all time Stevie Wonder songs.

This record is crackly and poppy, but it doesn't matter. The music is so good, I can listen to this thing coming out or just about anything and in any condition.

Read more on the history of the song here. The article talks about the Stax Records sound Stevie got on this single and how it was a groundbreaking song for Motown and Stevie Wonder. Even without all that history and significance one listen will tell you that this song is special.

Side two sounds even worse as far as being a dirty noisy record. You have a problem with that, got buy the song properly. However, the song isn't exactly the greatest song, so you may want to sample it hear and see if you want to lay out your cash. It's not bad, but there are plenty of other songs I'd spend my money on if I were you.

01 Signed Sealed Delivered.mp3
02 I'm More Than Happy.mp3

Saturday, March 22, 2008

Tony Orlando And Dawn - Morning Beautiful 7"

I have vague recollections of watching the Tony Orlando and Dawn variety show as a kid. I don't remember much except that I did watch it. I knew they sang that yellow ribbon song. I don't know if I watched because I actually enjoyed the show or if it was just because it was on and my parents were watching. I was so young that it was probably the later.

So other than the couple hit songs I really don't know much about their music. This 45 adds my knowledge of their music to about 5 songs now I think.

"Morning Beautiful" is a pretty forgettable pop song. It sounds like the 70's, complete with some hippy type feel good message. Whatever, it does nothing for me. For me the reason to give this record a second look it "Dance Rosie Dance". I have no idea if this song got any radio play or not, but I like it. I may be kind of partial because my daughter's name is Rose, but I think the song stands on its own as well. I think the arrangement is beautiful and has enough variety to keep it interesting and fresh. The chorus is memorable. I think if you give this on a chance, you'll be humming it too.

01 Mornin' Beautiful.mp3
02 Dance Rosie Dance.mp3

Friday, March 21, 2008

Doris Day And Harry James - Young Man With A Horn - 1954

As any regular reader will gather by now, I grew up in the 70's and 80's so Doris Day is a little ahead of my time. I think before this record I all really knew from Doris Day was "Que Sera Sera" from the Hitchcock movie. I knew here more for her acting career, than for her singing. Oddly enough I think I knew more about Harry's James and his music than I did Doris Day when I picked this one up. I really have enjoyed the Harry James that I've heard.

This record is just tops from start to finish. You get two greats for one on this one. Doris couldn't sound more effortless on her track and Harry's horn is just intoxicating. Listen to him on "The Man I Love". Simply beautiful.

In my reading up on the record I've found that this record was re-recordings of songs from the soundtrack "Young Man With A Horn" from 1951. It seems like the songs were release on 78 in '51, but then on LP in 1954. The songs are all very jazzy and I mean that in the purest sense of the word. These aren't just some hit parade Jazz light pop songs. Again I can't stress enough how great Harry James and his orchestra are here. "The Man I Love", "Meloncholy Rhapsody", and "Limehouse Blues" as so so so so so gooooood. Play them at 11.

So lower the lights, get yourself a drink and cuddle up with someone you love and listen to this gem from the past.

01 I May Be Wrong.mp3
02 The Man I Love.mp3
03 The Very Thought Of You.mp3
04 Pretty Baby.mp3
05 Melancholy Rhapsody.mp3
06 Would I love You.mp3
07 Too Marvelous For Words.mp3
08 Get Happy.mp3
09 I Only have Eyes For You.mp3
10 Limehouse Blues.mp3
11 With A Song In My Heart.mp3
12 Lullaby Of Broadway.mp3

Here's the whole thing

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Happy When It Rains Mix 2008

I used to love making mix tapes and then I loved making mix CD's. Both of those terms are quickly becoming things of the past, because of great new digital technology. I love having an ipod full of thousands of songs that can all play randomly, but I do miss the discipline and art of coming up with 80 minutes of music on a theme that flows one song to the next. Those limitations made you really think what songs you wanted to commit to that mix. Well everyone once in a while I get the urge to put myself to the test to create a mix CD or mix playlist. This one here started out with the idea of doing a mix CD for the Spring. Anytime I came across a song that I thought would be good for a Spring mix I would add it to my list of ideas. After a while I realized that I had added a lot of songs about rain and so I decided to make a rain mix. By the way I am still working on the Spring mix, which I hope to unveil at some point in the near future.

Anyways this is a nice collection of songs about rain to play on a rainy day. There are all sorts of genres, but I think with this sequencing the songs flow into each other quite well. This is the kind of mix that really should be played in order, because going from the Winnie The Pooh song to something like The Cancer Bats may not really work. I like to work my way up to The Cancer Bats. I'd say most of these songs are going to be familiar to most music fans. Hopefully I've got a few surprises for you along the way. Maybe some songs you've never heard and maybe some deep album cuts you've heard, but had forgotten.

If you have any suggestions for things I missed please let me know. I really enjoyed putting this together and I think I'll make this an annual thing, which means I'll start working on the 2009 mix immediately.

01 The Rain Rain Rain Came Down Down Down [Winnie The Pooh] - Disney Chorus
02 Back Water Blues - Bessie Smith
03 Louisiana 1927 - Randy Newman
04 O Katrina! - The Black Lips
05 I'm In Pittsburgh And It's Rain - The Go-Devils
06 Rainy Day Dream Away - Jimi Hendrix
07 Rain - Petula Clark
08 Rain Down Rain - Holly Golightly
09 It's Raining On Prom Night - Cindy Bullens
10 Prayers For Rain - The Cure
11 No Rain - Blind Melon
12 Only Happy When It Rains - Garbage
13 Happy When It Rains - The Jesus And The Marychain
14 I Love The Rain - Lenny Kravitz
15 The Rain Song - Led Zeppelin
16 My Time - Jane's Addiction
17 Red Rain - The White Stripes
18 Naked In The Rain - Red Hot Chili Peppers
19 Rain Wizard (radio edit) - Black Stone Cherry
20 Let It Pour - Cancer Bats
21 Rain - Subhumans
22 Rain - The Cult

Here are all the songs in two Zip files. I suggest downloading them so you get the full mix effect.

Happy When It Rains Mix 2008 part
Happy When It Rains Mix 2008 part

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Thee Headcoatees - My Boyfriend's Learning Karate 7" - 75th music post

Instant classic. That is what I have to say about this record. From the great cover artwork to the song itself, this is one of my favorite singles of all time. Yes, all time. This was the record that introduced me to the greatness that was Thee Headcoatees. I first heard Holly Golightly on that White Stripes record a few years back and I wanted to know more about her. I did some research, read about Thee Headcoatees and Billy Childish and was ready to listen to whatever I could find. This was the first record I found and so I bought it. I have quite a few other releases by them, but by far this is my favorite. Okay, maybe not by far, because I also love "My Dear Watson" another crazy, goofy song of theirs.

I love the vintage sound of the song. I love the cheesy chopsocki sound effects. I love the lyrics. I love the politically incorrect faux accents. I love everything about it. I can't say it enough so I'll give up now and stop. You'll love it too, so you better get to listening.

01 My Boyfriend's Learning Karate.mp3
02 Mess Of Pottage.mp3

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Al Caiola - Percussion Espanol

I've had this one waiting in the wings for quite a few weeks now. I digitized the record a while ago, but I hadn't taken photos of the jacket, so I couldn't post the record. Yes, I am that concerned with making sure the posts are top quality. So when I had my recent free weekend I finally photographed the jacket and put this in the cue of things to post.

I'm not exactly where this record fits into the time line of "percussion" records that seemed to be so popular back in the day. Anyone who looks through the thrift store record bins knows that there are a boat load of records with names like Persuassive Percussion or Percussion Festival or some other variation on that idea. It seems like every label and band had to release some record on this theme. So I don't know that this record is special in any sort of ground breaking way, but it is quite good.

If you are a fan of the big band Latin music from the 50's and 60's you'll like this record. It also features some great stereo effects. The album takes full advantage of the new technology and makes sure you know that you have a right and left speaker. No center mixing here. This is something that has kind of been forgotten in recording today. Maybe it is for the better, maybe not, but I certainly enjoy it here. I enjoy the fun the engineers seem to be having playing and experimenting.

The music has one foot in the Latin tradition and one foot in the big polished lush I dare say "Hollywood" production style. The music is big and bold. It's not background music for a Spanish restaurant. It's more like music in a film set in Spain or sound of the border starring Elvis. I don't know if that makes sense, but maybe after listening to it it will.

Start to finish the album is strong. It is a great one to throw on in the evening when you're cooking or settling down for the evening. You don't have to really hit skip on any track. That isn't to say some tracks are better than others, but on a whole the album holds together as one piece.

If you listen to any track I recommend the first one "Macarenas". It's got a great guitar and what I think is dancing intro. It then kicks in with this really boisterous and bold music, that I think reminds me of something Tarantino would use if he had the chance. The song has that sort of Leone/Morricone epic quality to it that I love. This really shouldn't come as a surprise. One of Al Caiola's first hits was his recording of the theme to "The Magnificent Seven" which fits in perfectly with the sort of macho men movies Tarantino Leone and Morricone are identified with. So if you are down with any of those three entertainers I think you'll be down with "Macarenas" as well.

01 Macarenas.m4a
02 Noche De Ronda.m4a
03 Malaguena.m4a
04 Grenada.m4a
05 Cielito Lindo.m4a
06 Tico Tico.m4a
07 Espana Cani.m4a
08 La Spagnola.m4a
09 El Relicario.m4a
10 La Paloma.m4a
11 Andalucia.m4a
12 Lady Of Spain.m4a

The whole thing here.

Monday, March 17, 2008

Randy Alvey & The Green Fuz - Green Fuz 7"

This one's a true underground classic made famous by The Cramps cover. This is Garage Rock in it's purest sense. Production quality next to nothing. Musicianship, just competent enough to make it through the song. I don't even think the guitars are in tune. A DYI ethic that didn't stop these guys from writing their own theme song and recording it. Hats off.

"Green Fuz" as it turns out is a revved up little rocker. The singer gives his all, with no irony. He really believes in the song and that being the Green Fuz means something.

There is also a great drum solo thrown right in the middle of the song. No one told these guys about writing pop/rock songs and if they did, they just didn't care. The drum solo kind of just comes from out of nowhere, but the guy on those drums just really lays out some mean beats. I mean he just beats the crap out of those drums when it is his moment to shine. I love it.

The B-Side is a slower song. I can see these guys performing at high school dances and such needing some sort of slow number for the couples to dance to. This was that song for them. It's not really a romantic love song, but it is the closest they were going to get.

So take a trip into Texas history with the Green Fuz with these record.

01 Green Fuz.mp3
02 There Is A Land.mp3

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Zoot Fenster - The Man on Page 602/Vinegar In My Wine 7"

This record is what novelty is all about. From what I've gathered, this song was apparently inspired by a Sears catalog photo in 1975 where one of the male underwear models was showing a little more of his manhood than he should have. Read more here. So Zoot decided to capitalize on the news story of the day and write a song about it. The result was this little ditty "The Man On Page 602". I don't think I can really add much more to this that the lyrics can say for themselves. I think if you read them, you'll know everything you need to know to want to listen to this song.

Hey, have you heard the latest story that's bringing on the smiles?
It has caused some blushing laughter and some anger for a while.
For those who shop by mail for all their family clothes,
In the fall-and-winter catalog, more than fashion is exposed.
In the fall-and-winter catalog on page six-hundred-two,
I see this advertisement that makes me come unglued.
The picture's got me out of sorts 'cause I don't understand:
Are they advertising boxer shorts, or are they trying to sell the man?
(I don't know.)
I'd send them all my money if I could make a wish come true.
I just wish I was that man on page six-oh-two
(Look and see. You'll agree. He's got personality.)
You know, when these wish books are delivered, anxious people start to look,
And when they price them there boxer shorts, they suddenly get shook.
Some say it's all in error. Some say all in fun.
He could be tarred and feathered, or maybe even "hung."
In the fall and winter catalog, or the wish book, so it's called,
In my mind, there's no question of what I'd like most of all.
I'd send them all my money if it would make a wish come true.
I just wish I was that man on page six-oh-two.
Yeah, I just wish I was that man on page six-oh-two.

So now that you've read the lyrics treat yourself to some country comedy.

01 The Man On Page 602.mp3
02 Vinegar In My Wine.mp3

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Rick Springfield - Beginnings - 1972

Before seeing this record I really didn't know anything about pre-Jessie's Girl/Pre General Hospital Rick Springfield. I knew he had some sort of a singing career before 1980, but that was the extent of it.

This record is Rick's solo debut from 1972. I listened to this record before I did any research about the record or Rick's past. I'm glad I did because I like the record. I think there are some strong pop songs on the record. However most of the reviews of the record aren't very complimentary. It seems there is more focus on what was happening with Rick's career than on the music itself. I'm glad I didn't read any of that to taint my experience.

I did however learn some interesting things in researching the record. It seems that at the time the record company was pushing Rick as a teen heartthrob. He was doing Tiger beat photo shoots and such. He did have a hit with "Speak To The Sky", which I'm assuming is a bit of a forgotten hit, because I had never heard of it before. It reached something like 14 on the billboard charts I believe is what I read. While this was a hit, there was controversy surrounding the record. Radio DJ's boycotted the record because of the rumor that the record company was buying up the record to inflate sales. It turned out that the accusation was unfounded, but it caused enough problems that the label dropped Rick. Wikipedia has all the details here.

Another interesting tidbit of pop culture history I learned was that Rick starred in a cartoon based on him called "Mission Magic" that aired on ABC Saturday mornings. It ran for two years. I've got to see that some day. Read more here.

But what about the music? That's why you're reading right? Right? Is anyone actually reading? Well, if someone is, this is for you. The music is good. Not mindblowingly great, but definitely good. For a first record you can already see that he's got a knack for song craft. One review pointed out in a negative way that the record feels like an artist being forced into and trying to fit into the singer songwriter mold, which was so popular at the time. This may be true, but I don't think that is necessarily a bad thing. Sure, Rick's strength is writing pop tunes and 8 years later he help lay the blueprint for 80's power pop. So what does that mean for this record? It means that Rick is riffing off of a lot of influence of the time. You can hear The Beatles in some songs. McCartney especially is prevalent as an influence. I mean "What Would The Children Think" is just the Rick Springfield version of "A Day In The Life".

You can also hear T-Rex and Sweet in "Hooky Jo" which is just a straight up pop rock song.

One of the big highlights for me, though, on this record is Rick trying to fit into that serious singer songwriter mold. The song "The Unhappy Ending (Lean On Me)" is a song about a guy shooting himself in the head. This song sounds like a funeral march. it also goes into moment by moment detail of the suicide. It is so incredibly dark, that it makes me giddy. That alone made the song great to me, but then after reading about Rick's career and the history on the record, the song is really funny. It is funny because what was the record company thinking putting this song on a record that is being aimed at young teenage girls. It just seems like a bit of a disconnect as a formula for teen pop success. I wish I knew the rational here.

Another good song is "Come On Everybody" which points toward Rick's power pop strengths. Overall the album is upbeat and well written. The only real downer it the suicide song, but it is a good dramatic downer so I love it. So if you only know Rick from the 80's hits, I recommend listening to this record to hear a completely different side of Rick. I think you'll like what you hear.

01 Mother Can You Carry Me.m4a
02 Speak To The Sky.m4a
03 What Would The Children Think.m4a
04 1000 Years.m4a
05 The Unhappy Ending (Lead Me On).m4a
06 Hooky Jo.m4a
07 I Didn't Mean To Love You.m4a
08 Come On Everybody.m4a
09 Why_.m4a
10 The Ballad Of Annie Goodbody.m4a

Get the whole thing here Rick

Friday, March 14, 2008

Francisco Gabilondo Soler - Cri Cri MKE 4 7"

This is part 2 to a post from February 19th. I posted the "Cowboy Mouse" record by ole Franciso. I bought this record at the same time as the other record and I enjoy it almost as much as the other. To be honest it is really hard to beat that "El Raton Vaquero" song. On this record I really like "Negrito Bailarin". On this one I really don't know what it means. I assume Negrito has something to do with black, but Bailarin is a mystery to me. I'm sure there are people out there shaking their heads in utter disgust that I don't know what it means and that I haven't taken the time to look it up. To be honest I kind of like staying in the dark on this one.

Why do I like this song? Well the chorus is sweet and catchy. Also it has this bit near the end, where is sounds like tap dancing. I don't know if that is the intention, but that is what I hear.

"Jorobita" is pretty good, but my next favorite song on this record is "Marcha De Las Letras". I can make out just enough to get that the intro is setting up what the song is going to be about and then what proceeds is your basic kids song about letters marching by. At least that is what I think it is about. I could be wrong. The song has a great little marching thing going on, but not in the big military sense of the word. This is more like Christopher Robin and the wonderful characters of the 1000 acres woods having a parade. It is sweet and innocent.

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Boots Randolph - Boots With Brass - 1970

I've been excited as hell for the past few days in anticipation for today's post and for some one's I have coming up. This last weekend I actually had a day off. Work has been really crazy the last few months and so having a Saturday to myself was a welcome treat. So how did I spend my free time. I photo graphed about 52 LP jackets and ripped about 10 LP's. A couple of them I hadn't listened to for a long time and upon listening to them again I got giddy with excitement to share them with everyone. This record is the first of those records, which I'll spread out over the next few weeks.

For those who don't know Boots and as a refresher for those who do, Boots made his name with the hit song "Yakety Sax" which everyone today would recognize as the Benny Hill music. Boots cut his teeth playing with bands and as a studio musician before that breakout song. He was primarily a country musician recording out of Nashville.

The great thing, no no great, the wonderfully fantastic thing about this record is that it has no country on it at all. I'm not dissing Boots' country roots and will probably post some of his earlier work at some point. This record is a rock and funk record. Released in 1970 it feels of the time. The studio musicians backing Boots up deserve some real praise here. Now boots is great, but the bass player and the guitarist make this thing into one amazing listen.

The album kicks off with "C.C. Rider" and is simply a revelation of funk. I mean it is so strong, that you could turn off the record after that song and feel satisfied. In fact you may want to just put that song on repeat to fully digest everything that is going on in that song before moving on. There is a bit near the end of the song where Boots hits this sustained note and it sounds like the band on Saturday Night Live. I mean that as a compliment. It really reminds me of the old E.G. Smith days.

Another great number is "Hi Heel Sneakers". It has a bit of a go-go feel and it definitely has some roots in "Yakety Sax", but then beneath the Randolph riffs there is this driving funky band that pushes this thing into the stratosphere of insanity. Make sure you take a breath before listening to this one, because once it starts you are going to be dancing, toe tapping, shaking your head, doing what every you do when a song just gets you going and it doesn't let up for two and a half minutes. There is no rest. It feels like a sprint from the first note.

The other songs are all pretty good as well. Somewhat to my surprise the weakest songs are teh Carpenters covers. There are so slow and laid back, that they don't seem to fit in as well, and it doesn't feel like Boots is bringing that much new to the songs. I really thought I would like them more, because I love the Carpenters, but therein may lie the problem. I can't help compare his Sax to Karen's voice and I prefer Karen's melancholy tones to his instrument hands down.

So treat yourself to something new, by listening to this vintage music from 1970.

01 C.C. Rider.m4a
02 The Letter.m4a
03 Fire And Rain.m4a
04 Via Tirado.m4a
05 We've Only Just Begun.m4a
06 Light My Fire.m4a
07 Spinning Wheel.m4a
08 Hi Heel Sneakers.m4a
09 I'll Be There.m4a
10 (They Long To Be) Close To You.m4a
11 25 or 6 to 4.m4a
12 Take A Letter Maria.m4a

Here's the whole thing. Boots

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Tennessee Ernie Ford - Farther Down The Road 7"

"You've Still Got Love All Over You". Are you kidding me? Of course I'm going to buy a record with a title racy. I mean seriously this could be the most x-rated song I ever buy. Of course the song isn't and in reality I knew of the impossibility of Tennessee Ernie Ford recording some dirty song, but still.

The A-Side is "Farther Down The River" is catchy little number. I love the first line "Woman don't start preaching me about the things I should and shouldn't do." It sets the tone for the whole song. That "preaching" reference tells you a lot about the character singing. Obviously there is some religion in this guy's life, but the use of the word also reveals a poorer or more backwoods education. Then of course comparing finding a woman with fishing isn't exactly a knew idea (there are more fish in the sea), but this conjures up the image of Andy Taylor and Opie wandering along some river deep in hillbilly territory. It is a minor distinction, but one reference is comparing the game of finding a mate to fishing in the sea, or for seafood if you will and the other is like fishing in a river. The first image for some reason seems a little more classy and upscale, while the second one seems to be a step below. Anyways, I think it provides some nice color and so I like it.

"You've Still Got Love All Over You" as I mentioned before isn't the racey song the title promises and in fact is a little boring. Have a listen and see if you agree.

01 Farther Down The River.mp3
02 You've Still Got Love All Over You.mp3


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Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Forget Fluoridation! Add Anti-Paranoia Drugs (Zyprexa?) To The Water Supply!

On his nightstand, this blogger currently has The Wrecking Crew by Thomas Frank for bedtime reading. A little more than a year ago, Frank contributed a tribute to the Great Hofstadter in The Huffington Post and Frank's observations of "pseudo-conservatism" ring even louder today. If this is (fair & balanced) insight into the Dumbo/Teabagger mind, so be it.

PS: Note a new addition to the footer (below) for posts to this blog. Sic Semper Faux News!

[x HuffPo]
From John Birchers To Birthers
By Thomas Frank

Tag Cloud of the following article

created at TagCrowd.com

Next month [November 2009] will mark the 45th anniversary of the publication by Harper's magazine of Richard Hofstadter's famous essay, "The Paranoid Style in American Politics," a work that seems to grow more relevant by the day.

I was not always a fan. When I first read it two decades ago, I thought Hofstadter was being needlessly insulting by equating political views with mental illness — despite his insistence that he wasn't using the word that way. Besides, I thought, who really cared about the strange notions that occurred to members of marginal groups like the John Birch Society? Joe McCarthy's day was long over, and even in the age of high Reaganism, I thought, the type of person Hofstadter described was merely handing out flyers on street corners.

As the historian himself admitted, "In America it has been the preferred style only of minority movements." Why bother with it, then?

How times have changed! Hofstadter's beloved liberal consensus has been in the grave for decades now. Today it would appear that his mistake was underestimating the seductive power of the paranoid style.

The essential element of this mindset, Hofstadter explained, was its predilection for conspiracy theory — for understanding history as a theater in which sinister figures control the flow of events from behind the scenes, nudging us constantly and secretly in the direction of communism.

Back in Hofstadter's day this sort of thinking at least had something supremely rational going for it: The existence of the Soviet Union and its desire to bring the West to its knees.

But take that away and the theories become something far more remarkable. Consider, by contrast, the widespread belief that President Barack Obama's birth certificate was forged. What could have been his parents' motives for committing such a bizarre deed, or his home state's motive for colluding in it, or the courts' motives for overlooking it?

Or consider the widespread conservative conviction that we are being marched secretly into communism or fascism. Why would someone bother? It seems equally likely, given today's circumstances, that conspirators would trick us into becoming a colony of Belgium or the imperial seat of the Bonaparte family.

The paranoid pattern persists regardless. It is impervious to world events; a blurring of the American subconscious that has not changed since Hofstadter analyzed it 45 years ago. Consider the recent wave of fear that the hypnotic Mr. Obama was planning to indoctrinate schoolchildren. In "The Paranoid Style," Hofstadter wrote, "Very often the enemy is held to possess some especially effective source of power: he controls the press; ...he has a new secret for influencing the mind; ...he is gaining a stranglehold on the educational system."

Conspiracy-mindedness isn't just for fringe political groups anymore; it makes for riveting entertainment. And it is all around us today, a disorder with an entire industry to act as its enabler.

The source for much of the current epidemic of paranoia is no doubt the "Glenn Beck Show" on Fox News, which follows the Hofstadter script with remarkable faithfulness. One episode last month featured Mr. Beck and a panel of guests speculating darkly about indoctrination in the public schools, about the war on religion, about the Federal Reserve, about the student loan system, the United Nations, and the swine flu vaccine. As a bonus, Mr. Beck rattled off a short history of lobbying that was almost entirely incorrect — perhaps to illustrate his favorite plaint about Americans not learning history. And in the commercial break the real-life conspirator G. Gordon Liddy advised viewers to invest in gold.

What is most remarkable about the paranoid style, though, is the earnest self-pitying that always seems to follow each round of accusation. Case in point: a recent essay by syndicated columnist Michelle Malkin. After describing the murder of a controversial abortion doctor, a guard at Washington's Holocaust Museum, and a census bureau employee who was found with the word "Fed" written on his corpse, she insisted that "The criminalization of conservative dissent is well underway." How so? Because some of these acts caused media revulsion against certain branches of the conservative movement; surely the clampdown is not far behind.

Just a few years ago the right percolated with grand schemes to "defund the left," to win a "permanent majority," to destroy the Democrats with a "K Street Project," to outsource government itself and wreck the regulatory process — but now its liveliest leaders turn to us, fat glycerine tears running down their cheeks, and complain that the libs just don't play fair.

"Pseudo-conservative" was another term Hofstadter used to describe the far-right fringe: "pseudo" because they didn't embrace conservatism's "temperate and compromising spirit." It's a pity Hofstadter isn't here to see the fakes eclipse the real thing. Ω

[Thomas Frank is the author of four books, all of them having to do with the cultural inversions of our times: The Conquest of Cool (1997), about the advertising industry; One Market Under God (2000) about the myths of the New Economy; What's the Matter With Kansas? (2004) about the red-state mindset and The Wrecking Crew (2008) about conservative governance. He has received a Lannan Literary Fewllowship (2004). Frank graduated with a BA in history from the University of Virginia and received a PhD in history from the University of Chicago.]

Copyright © 2010 HuffingtonPost.com, Inc.

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Sapper's (Fair & Balanced) Rants & Raves by Neil Sapper is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. Based on a work at sapper.blogspot.com. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available here.

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Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Construction Zone

You know... I really hate to ramble about gas prices so often... Because they are what they are. But I'm kind of annoyed at this one: Our street is being torn up (or the side of the street, I guess) for whatever reason. New something. I'm not really sure. That's beside the point. Yesterday afternoon when I put my baby up for a nap, a dump truck was parked right below her bedroom window. No one was in it, but it was running. Two and a half hours later when she awoke from her nap that very same dump truck was still unoccupied, still running. Um? I'm no rocket scientist but it doesn't take me too long to figure out these are our tax dollars paying for these trucks to run for hours on end. Are they really that hard to turn off?

Not to mention, I'll be glad when they're done. They woke Lydia & I up this morning with their beeping and rumbling at quarter to 7. There isn't coffee strong enough to keep me functioning this morning as I went to sleep well after midnight. Such is life. On the bright side of it all, it did keep Jack occupied for quite awhile yesterday afternoon. He stood in the porch and watched every thing, taking it all in for reinactment in the sandbox. Holes being dug, sand being hauled- it's a little boy's dream. Front row seats at a construction site. My girl, on the other hand, has as about as much interest as me. I'm just hoping I can get out of my driveway this morning.

Okay. Off to pour myself another cup of coffee. I think I really just need a nap.

Tina H. said...

I like how you worded "for reinactment in the sandbox" :) so true. also sorry to hear about the disturbance---but I cannot feel too bad since my neighbors like to get in fights in the night and wake me up at 2 in the morning;) Just be glad the construction is (hopefully) only temporary!
About coffee...what kind do you drink, do you buy whole beans or ground, and what kind is your favorite?

Sarah said...

Tina- The darker the roast, the better. :) I got a grinder for Christmas this past year, but I haven't used it as much as I thought I would. Not because it's not better, but already ground is just too convenient for me. Most mornings it's just Folgers Columbian, but I like many flavored kinds too. As long as I have half-n-half. Also- not a real big fan of the flavored creamers anymore.

And that's my scoop on coffee.

Pete said...

Hello Sarah! It was nice to run into on Friday! I have to agree with you about half and half... It can make any coffee a treat!

Heidi L


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The Best Hairstyles To Suit Your Face Shape

A good hairstyle can change everything about your look. It allows you to reinvent yourself without scraping the bottom of your piggy bank, so you want to make sure you have the best possible hairstyle to suit your face shape. Everyone has different face shapes so just because you love your best friends hair doesn’t necessarily mean it is the best hairstyle to show off your features. Here are some tips for finding the best hairstyles to suit your face shape.

The first step is to figure out what face shape you have. This can sometimes be tricky so here are some pictures to help you out. These pictures of each face shape will help you figure out what your face shape is closest too. It’s good to have a mirror close to you now!

Round shaped face

For a round face, the best bet is to opt for soft layers that frame your face. Also, wearing your hair up in a high pony tail can sometimes help to elongate your face. All hair lengths can look fabulous but the key with round faces really is layering – soften the roundness of the face as well as elongating it.

Oval shaped face

The people with oval shaped faces are lucky in the sense that their face shape is the most versatile with hairstyles. Nothing really looks terrible! So, lucky you! Updos are a beautiful way to show off that lovely symmetrical face shape. Side swept bangs work as does a center part. Whatever you feel like doing with your hair will look great but be careful of adding weight to your face with heavy locks around your face. Congratulations on a great face shape!

Rectangle shaped face

Really long hair is not the most flattering look for this face shape as it makes your face look even longer. Sleek updos can make your jawline look very square which is great if that is the look you want to achieve. If not, try a wavier lower updo that frames your face. For bangs, try softer, more rounded bangs to the side instead of severe straight bangs which will make the face look boxier.

Heart shaped face

With heart shaped faces you want to avoid heavy bangs. Side swept bangs are great because they soften the face since it goes into more of a point near your chin. Braids look super cute because of the feminine shape of the face. Try not to make hair look too wide with updos since the chin is so pointed – it will only make it look more pointed. Layers are also a great way to frame the face!

cosmo uk

Diamond shaped face

With a lovely diamond shaped face, you don’t want it to appear more narrow by having all your hair close to your face so updos where all the hair is pulled back are extremely flattering. As are loose, flowing locks with one side pushed back from the face. Much like a rectangle shaped face, you want to avoid heavy, straight bangs and opt for a side swept style. Layers are a must have!

We hope this helps you find the best hairstyle to show off the beautiful face shape and features that you all have!  Do you have any tips that you use to find the best hairstyles to suit your face shape?

Picture credit:; usmagazine,com;;;

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Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Interesting New Study on Math

From the Chicago Tribune, a story on University of Chicago research that shows that elementary school girls do poorly in math if their teacher is female (and has math issues). From the story:

"The findings are the product of a year-long study of 17 first- and second-grade teachers and 65 girls and 52 boys who were their students. The researchers found that boys' math performance was not related to their teacher's math anxiety while girls' math achievement was affected."

"At the beginning of the year, the students' achievement was unrelated to their teachers' level of math anxiety. By the end of the year, however, the more anxious their female teachers were about math, the more likely girls--but not boys--were to endorse the view that boys are better at math. Girls who bought into the stereotype scored six points lower in math achievement than other students."

Why is this?

"We are not sure whether it's something overt, whether it's non-verbal behavior or perhaps (teachers are) not spending much time on the subject," said Susan Levine, a psychology and human development professor and co-author of the study "Female Teachers' Math Anxiety Affects Girls' Math Achievement," published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences this month."

"It's not just a teacher's knowledge of the subject, but there's something about their feeling about the discipline," Levine said."

Maureen said...

I don't know how meaningful this is: 117 kids, 17 teachers implies fewer than 7 kids per teacher? What does that mean? Were any of the teachers men? I can't tell if the study was bad or just the article. Skimming the actual article shows us that 117 of the teachers students "participated. I'm guessing that that was a biased subset--children of parents who are willing/able to sign them up for a study, about math. Maybe interesting in itself, maybe not. Maybe I will actually read the article (maybe I won't!).

Here is a different study with a similar-but positively worded result:
A Formula for Success.
Skip down to the third paragraph:

A recent National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper on gender and academic achievement at the U.S. Air Force Academy....finds that replacing a male instructor with a female one has such a strong effect on female achievement as to erase the gender gap entirely.

This study sounds like it was well done:
The trio of economists examined the undergraduate careers of 9,481 cadets taught by nearly 250 different science and math instructors at the USAFA during the years 2000-08.

(I can't link to this study because I don't belong to NBER.)

dan dempsey said...

I wonder how much of this can be linked to the instructional materials used?

Since it is Chicago, it was likely the students used Everyday Math.

That could well be the source of the girls' problem. Anxious female teacher + poor math materials = disaster.

Would this be the case with better instructional materials?

SPSMom said...

Is a one year study really enough to draw any conclusions?

wseadawg said...

Is a one year study really enough to draw any conclusions?

Yes. Absolutely. One week of backsliding in math is enough to be concerned about. One year is devastating.


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Thursday, December 09, 2010

Charlie Should Get the School Board Job

So I attended this Community Center for Education Results' The Road Map for Education Results kickoff today (I'm tired just typing all that). More on that later but they had breakout sessions that, like most conferences, were a lot better than the speeches. One was about Seattle Schools and Data (the word transparency was used). It figured out favorite manipulator of data, Brad Bernatek and a couple of other SPS women (a data coach and a data steward).

They went through the creation of the School Reports and how they used MAP and how they could put together data as a "trigger" to help students. Fine, I'm sure other districts are interested. Now Dorothy had been in the first session of this information and told me Brad apologized for the 17% stat.

Indeed he did. He called it a "good lesson for all of you". He explained how it came about and that last year they had changed it to "TBD" (first I heard of this) and they were not "proactive" about telling people this.

Now Dr. Goodloe-Johnson, in her first explanation letter, said this:

.."we publicly announced it was under review"

Her second report said this:

For this year’s District Scorecard we published a revised measure that focused on the minimum requirements necessary to apply to a 4‐year college. This yielded a very different number from the original measure (46% vs. 17%).While we did review this at the board workshop, this was clearly not sufficient in terms of communicating to our community what had changed and why it had changed.

Weird. So Brad said was changed to TBD and she said it was 46%. Maybe it was two different times. But I'd be willing to bet that change was not called out either time.

So Brad said what Dr. Goodloe-Johnson has said: they are redacting that data from the website and they are doing their "key stakeholders" apologies by phone (20 so far).

And, he said on her behalf and his, he apologizes.

Here's what else she said:

I would like to publicly apologize to our community for the confusion that this has created and let you know that we take ownership for this mistake. We are also making changes to ensure that this does not happen again.

Great but I don't think confusion is what was created. It is a credibility gap whereby you allowed many people - elected officials, School Board members, parents - to use a stat, over and over, that you knew was wrong. I guess you could use the word "confusion" but we were not confused. We had been misled for two long years.

Ensure it doesn't happen again? Well, how quickly that's not true. Because Charlie found the 66% problem in the School Reports.

Guess who referenced that in his presentation?

We are responding to community feedback and sharing what we learn together about how to improve the way we measure and report on our progress.

Examples include:
- Adjusting the language for the student gains measure to be clear that this
is a measure of gains relative to students’ academic peers

-Preparing our community for changes in how we report on advanced
learning, based in part on their feedback with suggestions for

This is ALL information that Charlie daylighted. (I'm sure others may have notice/puzzled over the Advanced Learning issues in the School Reports but he let the Board know.)

The analysis that Charlie did brought this to light and the district is going to change the School Reports (now? in the future?) to reflect it.

Charlie's work is EXACTLY what the Board needs to do its job well, maintain oversight and make sure that the data the public receives is accurate.

Charlie should get the job at the School Board.

At the bottom of both Dr. Goodloe-Johnson's Dec. 8th update and at the bottom of Brad's presentation was this:

We are committed to setting clear goals and reporting on our progress as a district. This is
important and complex work, and the District has taken huge steps forward by publishing
comprehensive information on our schools’ performance. We pledge to continue to learn from
these and inevitable future bumps in the road as we fulfill our commitment to transparency
with our families and community.

I like that "bumps in the road". How about quit manipulating data/being lazy with data?

Make an honest mistake and it looks like an honest mistake. Fine, it happens.

But the idea that no one is going to notice the CSIPs, no one is going to question their figures, no one is going to cross-check on a School Report that there are allegedly no highly capable students at a school and yet then they are referenced elsewhere. (Brad claims they left out the ALO students.)

Seattle Schools, the days of putting out any kind of data and believing you can make it so by saying it is so...those - days - are- over.

Because you now know, as Director Smith-Blum stated at a Board Committee meeting last week, that there are people searching in the weeds now. We're not playing gotcha. But you have now weakened your credibility and because you did it to everyone (not just your usual target, parents), I doubt if any elected official will take anything you say at face value.

Trust but verify. (I just quoted Ronald Reagan and somewhere a corner of hell just froze over.)

seattle said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
seattle said...

I totally agree with you Melissa.

In fact I offered to start a letter writing campaign!

I'd be willing, and I bet others would too, to write letters to SPS in support of Charlie being considered for the position.

seattle said...

TAF Academy is hiring a P/T Communications Coordinator too.

dan dempsey said...

WOW!!! How can the Board NOT fire MGJ immediately?

The piece in the Times.... goes right to the heart of what M. DeBell said should not be happening ... but MGJ is doing it again.

The Superintendent is quoted in the Seattle Times article “Seattle schools chief apologizes for false figure”:

In the future, she said, the district will make sure that all definitions of the numbers in its reports are "crystal clear." To that end, she said, the district wanted to make it clear that, in its new school reports, it measured test-score gains based on students' performance compared with their academic peers, not their past performance.

This statement is completely absurd. It measured absolutely nothing. Because of the way that this “supposed measure” was designed the performance of the students was completely irrelevant. The students were measured against a cohort of the bottom third of the students …. And no surprise 2/3 of the students did better than the bottom 1/3. It will happen that way every time with 66% of students reported as making gains no matter how poorly or how well the students do.

So there you have it. The lying is continuing. The deception is continuing.

The Board needs to fire the Superintendent with cause immediately.

There is NO confidence in the Superintendent and not much in the School Board either.

Charlie Mas said...

It's funny that they should apologize for confusing people. They didn't confuse people - they lied to them.

SC Parent said...

Anyone know of any proof re: the 17% number that the district "...publicly announced it was under review"??

In my opinion, an "announcement" is more than just changing a number in a table to "TBD."

Maybe they could unearth the announcement if there were a public records request? Let's call MGJ's bluff and make her show proof of transparency/communication/engagement.

Charlie Mas said...

Changing the report from 17% to TBD was the public announcement that the statistic was under review. Also, in response to a question at a Board work session they mumbled something about it and promising to get that data.

Those were the public announcements that the figure was "under review".

Charlie Mas said...

The job is no longer posted.


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Categorized | Cookbooks

H-E-B’s ‘My Texas Table’ Lightens Up Your Family Favorites

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HEB My Texas Table coverLet’s face it, most of us could stand to lose an inch or two off our waist. We love our rich foods so much that we indulge in most anything that tickles our taste buds.

That’s where H-E-B’s latest cookbook, “My Texas Table: 100 Family Favorites Done Light” (H-E-B, $12.49), comes in handy. The cookbook features dozens of recipes, including French toast, Texas chili, a beefy Guisado and Ooey Gooey Red Velvet Butter Brownies, all remade by dietitians to have lower calories without featuring less flavor.

“Our goal with ‘My Texas Table’ is to inspire our customers to cook healthy at home by providing a guidebook tailored not just to our stores, but to their tastes. These are their recipes, their family favorites,” said Kate Rogers, vice president of communications and engagement at H-E-B. “As a culture, we have become too reliant on convenience food eaten outside the home. We need to get back to the basics of cooking and eating as a family, not just for our health but for our happiness.”

It’s a lofty goal, and one that the book addresses head on. The paperback volume begins with tips for cooking for healthfully, including oven baking and steaming instead of frying, before going to offer ideas on how to reduce sugar or increasing fiber in foods.

Asian Shrimp Stir-Fry

Asian Shrimp Stir-Fry

The recipes themselves are lighter versions of ideas submitted by both H-E-B employees and customers, each of whom is given credit, while a paragraph explains what was done to lighten it up or why it’s considered healthful. Consider this comment about the Pizza Margherita: “Pizza often gets relegated to the junk food category. Done right, however, it can be nutritious and tasty. Simply use whole wheat crust, low-fat cheese and lots of fresh basil to enjoy America’s favorite Italian pie guilt-free.”

But even the best intentions from the H-E-B dietitians, who compiled the book, can go somewhat awry, if you don’t pay close attention.

The recipe for the Asian Shrimp Stir-Fry suggests you should serve it over brown rice or buckwheat noodles. Yet the photo shows plenty of white pasta tossed with the shrimp, edamame and red peppers. Beware, that pasta is not included in the nutritional analysis and if you add it to the recipe, you could be adding 40 grams of carbohydrate to the dish, about double the daily allotment for many diabetics.

For the South Texas Oatmeal Cookies, margarine is used instead of butter, but there’s a continuing debate in the medical community over whether that’s a wise choice or not. The end result might mean fewer calories, but that’s not the only yardstick that a recipe’s healthfulness is measured by. Even Weight Watchers has changed its formula to include healthful fats from olive oil, nuts and avocado, among other items, and to restrict carb counts as much as watching calories.

Julie Meza's Guisado

Julie Meza’s Guisado

But that’s where you come into the picture. Recipes are only guidelines, after all. These will get you started, and the rest is up to you. When you’re making the Spicy Bean Burgers, you can wrap them in lettuce leaves instead of carb-heavy bread or leave out the pie crust on the Very Berry Pie with a Twist. Or you could cut the sugar in the Skinny Scones by using chopped nuts instead of dried cranberries, which are almost always coated in sugar.

Making such decisions will help you take greater control over your diet and will hopefully give you greater discipline about what you eat. “My Texas Table” is a good place to start.

“My Texas Table” is available at H-E-B stores. Customers can sign up for this year’s Ready, Set, Cook! challenge through May 26 to try a new healthful recipe each week and for a change to win prizes.

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Selling FAQs

There are a few things to consider when selling your property:

· Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)

You are legally required to provide an EPC when you market your property for sale. This outlines the energy efficiency rating of your property. sbliving can organise this for you.

· Conveyancing

Conveyancing is the legal transfer of your property to the buyer, and you will need to employ a solicitor to make this happen. sbliving can introduce you to a solicitor who can guide you through the process.

· Estate Agent Fees

Here at sbliving we listen to what your needs are and discuss a range of options that will work best for you.

You may also decide to pay for extras such as professional photography or advanced marketing and promotions. And don’t forget about removals. We can advise and assist you in all these matters.

It’s entirely up to you. We can conduct viewings for you or you can choose to manage these yourself.

This depends on a number of things, such as your approach to pricing your property and the position both you and your buyer are in. If your home has been realistically valued, you should expect to receive offers within the first four weeks. Then, assuming your buyer has to apply for their mortgage, the exchange of contracts normally takes between 4 and 6 weeks and then completion is between 2 and 4 weeks later. So in total you should expect 12-14 weeks to complete the sale.

In England, all sellers are required to purchase an EPC for a property before they sell it. Your estate agents must display the EPC rating whenever they market your property. We will be happy to discuss this with you.

Conveyancing’ is the legal process that happens when you transfer your home to the buyer. You will typically need a solicitor to assist you with this, to make it happen. We can introduce you to a solicitor who can guide you through the legal process when moving home.

No, the property buyer is responsible for paying stamp duty. You will have to pay it on any property you purchase.

Once the buyer has made an offer, it is likely they will arrange for a surveyor to visit you home. The five key things a surveyor will be looking for are problems with utilities, damp, cracking, problems with roofs, and timber defects. In addition, your buyer’s mortgage lender will typically  organise a mortgage valuation to confirm that the property is worth the money being lent.

Once the sale has been agreed, your solicitor will draft a contract. Your buyer’s solicitor will confirm the details of the property and perform searches. At the same time, the buyer’s mortgage lender will conduct a mortgage valuation and send a mortgage offer to the buyer. When all of this is complete, you will be ready to sign the contract and agree the completion date.

The seller or the buyer can pull out of the sale at any time and for any reason until the point that both solicitors have received signed contracts from both parties.

When both contracts have been signed, the buyer’s solicitor will request the mortgage from the buyer’s lender. Once these funds are released, then your solicitor and the buyer’s solicitor will consult both parties and agree a completion date.

Your title deeds give proof of ownership of the property and will need to be transferred to the buyer as part of the conveyancing process. These are usually held by your mortgage lender, and it will be your solicitor’s responsibility to obtain these.

This depends on what you have agreed with your buyer. You are not required to leave any furniture or furnishings in the property, but you may have agreed to include some as part of the negotiations of the sale.

The contract will specify the completion day, and usually the buyer will be asked to collect the keys to their new home from the estate agent. In most cases the seller is asked to vacate the property by 12pm.

Usually, you are only required to pay Capital Gains Tax if the property is not your main home.


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Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Word Du Jour: Shambolic

Maclean's makes exemplary use of it here:
Canada’s shambolic immigration and refugee system, with all its false boasts of orderly righteousness and its make-believe coherence, will continue to trundle along in its mostly unintelligible, sometimes brazenly corrupt and ordinarily nonsensical fashion.

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4 thoughts on “Long Walk

  1. I really enjoyed doing this walking i hope we can do it in high school too.
    This day represented how Michael Long walked all the way to Canberra to represent the aboriginals right.

  2. Well done to the Year 5/6s. It was great to see the level of support we received from our community. With the continuous honks from passing cars, vans, busses and TRUCKS.

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TÜBİTAK International Fellowships for Graduate Research in Turkey 2017

The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) grants fellowships for international students seeking to pursue a graduate degree in Turkey in scientific fields.

Application Deadline: 6th October, 2017

Offered annually? Yes

Eligible Countries: International

To be taken at (country): Recognized Universities in Turkey

Eligible Fields of Study: Natural Sciences, Engineering and Technological Sciences, Medical Sciences, Agricultural Sciences, Social Sciences and Humanities

About the Award: The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) grants fellowships for international highly qualified PhD students and young post-doctoral researchers to pursue their research in Turkey in the fields above. The program aims to promote Turkey’s scientific and technological collaboration with countries of the prospective researchers. Preference will be given to candidates who demonstrate the potential to contribute significantly to Turkey’s goal of international cooperation in scientific and technological development.

Type: Fellowship

  1. Candidates should be non-Turkish citizens. Applicants who hold dual citizenship with Turkey are   not eligible to apply.
  2. Candidates should have an invitation from the universities or research institutes in Turkey.
  3. Candidates should certify that they have sufficient command of language to perform their research.
  4. Candidates must be 35 years old or younger.
  5. Candidates should be enrolled in a program in abroad for PhD students.
  6. Candidates who hold a PhD degree in Turkey should have a GPA minimum of 3.50/4.00 in PhD program.

Selection Criteria: All successfully submitted applications are listed and prepared for scientific evaluation after the prior selection. The proposal will be evaluated according to the following 4 evaluation criteria:

  1. Research potential of the fellow
  2. Scientific and technological quality of the research proposal
  3. Impact of the proposed fellowship to the applicant’s training and career development to  the hosting institution and to Turkey
  4. Implementation of the proposed research

Number of Awardees: Not specified

Value of Fellowship: The scholarship will consist of a monthly stipend, tuition fee, travel costs and health insurance.

Duration of Fellowship: Maximum duration for the fellowship is 12 months.

How to Apply: All applications must be submitted electronically via TÜBİTAK scholarship application portal by 6th October, 2017

It is important to visit the Fellowshsip webpage (see link below) to access the online application form and for detailed information on how to apply for this scholarship.

Visit Fellowship Webpage for details

Award Provider: Turkey Government

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Title: HS1-200
Issue Date: 16 Oct 2015
Description: Rosa Giru Mariko talks about the migration of Morokea people, starting from Mt. Nalobu.
Pages/Duration: 00:06:21
Appears in Collections:Hiroko Sato Collection - Bebeli Documentation

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Fees for international students

Your course fee per year is calculated on the basis of one year full-time study (1 EFTSL). Actual fees vary depending on the subjects you are taking. The University reviews fees annually. The indicative total course fee is based on typical subject enrolments, and includes an indexation of 5% per annum. More information about tuition fees.

International Postgraduate Coursework Awards (IPCA)

A limited number of International Postgraduate Coursework Awards (100% and 50% fee remission places) are allocated to high achieving international students each year. You do not need to apply for this award as we automatically consider you as part of the application process.

Other scholarships and prizes:

Work rights for international students

Many international students find part-time or casual work to support their cost of living while studying. Take a look at the working while studying information for international students to find out more on your entitlements and how to find work.

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The fees for this degree are listed below, indicative for 2018.

200 point program

2 years full-time / 4 years part-time

$77,736 AUD

The fees displayed are for international students. If you are a domestic student, please select this option at the top right of this page.

Typical course fee for 2018: $37,920 AUD / year

Duration indicated is maximum course duration. May be completed in less EFTSL depending upon academic background and/or relevant work experience.

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Wednesday, January 5, 2011

BioTech's New Hot Shot

There was an interesting article in the New York Times today (yes, I was magically granted access to their website again, not sure why but I'm glad) by Andrew Pollack. Taking DNA Sequencing to the Masses takes an in-depth look at the work of Jonathan M. Rothberg.

Dr. Rothberg is the founder of the genome sequencing company Ion Torrent. The article looks at Ion Torrent's role in providing cheap (under $50,000) sequencing technology with the launch of their Personal Genome Machine. The technology isn't intended for the general public, but will make obtaining a sequencing system more feasible for smaller universities and clinics that can't afford larger machines.

The article draws a parallel between Rothberg and Apple founder Steve Jobs on several occasions. Pollack paints Rothberg as a bit of a rebellious nerd, who certainly has high hopes for his company and the technology they are developing.

Pollack ends the article with Rothberg saying that he believes that genome sequencing will become as useful for medical applications as imaging (like X-rays, CAT Scans, etc.) I like this article because statements like that aren't blown out of proportion. I think that for an article that is focused on what can be achieved in the future the ideas all stay grounded in what is really feasible, which can sometimes be difficult in a science technology article.

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Saturday, 21 February 2009

Is there such a thing as "Celebrity Cancer" ?

I am sure that we are all (unless you have lived in a cave...or on the moon, for the last few months!) aware of the tragic story of Jade Goody, the 27 year old woman who found fame on Channel 4's Big Brother reality show.
Now diagnosed a having only weeks or months to live, she and her fiancee are due to be wed on Sunday 22nd February 2009.
As much as our hearts go out to Jade, there is a feeling within the cancer community (if there is such a thing!) that the media appears to place much more emphasis and attention on people suffering from "The big C" (as the Sun so creatively put it), if they carry some sort of celebrity status.
This is not just a cheap and arrogant pop at Jade, and in fact, to be fair, she has all the reasons in the world to turn to her advantage any generosity exhibited by the press at this awful time after her mauling not so long ago (at their hands!) after the CBB "racism" fiasco, when she was pretty well given a hell of a bashing by a wide range of journalists as they extracted every last drop of "front page frenzy" in relation to the story.

This is what is posted on various websites:

The press it appears are very selective about what they print about cancer stories,every day people are dying from the disease, some a lot poorer and a lot younger than Jade and having had a look around some of the websites on the Internet, it appears that "ordinary folk with cancer" are getting a touch fed up with the media circus that Jade's cancer fight, appears to have become at the hands of the press and sadly the only real winners being the newspapers bank balances !.

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Saturday, January 19, 2008

Building the Arctic Tern Sea Kayak

The Arctic Tern Sea Kayak Specs: (standard 17' model)

LOA - 17'

Beam - 23"

Depth - 12"

Weight - 39lbs.

When I set out on the upper Chickasawhay River near Enterprise, Mississippi to paddle 240 miles to the Gulf of Mexico, my boat of choice was the versatile and extremely lightweight Arctic Tern sea kayak, designed by John Lockwood, of Pygmy Boats. Pygmy Boats offers by far the most sophisticated designs for wooden sea kayaks. These boats are built of Ocoume mahogany plywood, in the stitch and glue method with an outer laminate of 6-oz fiberglass, producing a lightweight boat with the beauty of bright-finished wood and the strength of fiberglass.

The 17-foot Arctic Tern design weighs only 39-lbs., and paddles like a dream with no rudder required. This boat is as seaworthy as any factory-produced sea kayak, with watertight bulkheads and hatches fore and aft and a standard-sized cockpit coaming for fitting a sprayskirt. These boats are only available as kits that include the precut wood panels for the hull and deck. Plans are not sold separately, except for some of the older designs. The kit prices are reasonable though, and most builders would not be able to obtain the materials separately for the same cost. Construction is straightforward, but time consuming if done to high standards.

I currently own an Arctic Tern 17 that I built on commission for my nephew, Brian Nobles, of Brandon. He used the boat a few years and sold it back to me when he transferred out of state. I had already built another Pygmy design, the Coho, for my own use, so I was familiar with their kits and construction method. The boat went together fairly easily, but as in any fine wooden boat building, it can not be built in a hurry if you expect a showroom finish. When I built these two kayaks I was already an experienced boatbuilder with both woodstrip and stitch and glue boats to my credit. Building from a kit does eliminate a lot of tedious lofting and cutting out of panels, but the assembly, epoxy fillets, and fiberglass work are always the more time consuming parts of plywood boatbuilding.

(This article was first published in the Scotts Boat Page newsletter, April 2004)

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"A boat is freedom, not just a way to reach a goal."
Bernard Moitessier - A Sea Vagabond's World

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Sunday, January 13, 2008

Camping On Mississippi's Barrier Islands

Mississippi’s barrier islands offer a unique wilderness camping experience for those who want to get away from the mainland and try an island lifestyle, if only for a weekend. Can you imagine walking miles of beaches in the light of a full moon without a road, casino, or house in sight? How about waking up on an empty expanse of white sand, with nothing but Gulf of Mexico at your front door and miles of forest and marsh to explore in the interior? These experiences and more can be found on the barrier islands that lie just over the horizon across the Mississippi Sound. Camping comfortably on these barrier islands, however, requires some special techniques and equipment to deal with changing conditions encountered there. Scorching sun, relentless winds, and fierce insect hordes can all conspire to make these islands seem anything but paradise to those who are not prepared.

These considerations make the tent the most important item on the camper’s checklist. It pays to invest in a good tent. Cheap dome tents with fiberglass poles do not fare well in heavy rain squalls and the strong winds that sweep unimpeded across the exposed beaches of the barrier islands. Better tents have lightweight but strong aluminum poles, and a separate rain fly that attaches over the main tent. I favor the A-frame designs over domes. These allow you to open the doors at least part way for ventilation on hot but rainy nights. Good tents also feature finer mesh in the screens of windows and doors. This is an absolute necessity on the islands, where tiny biting gnats called “no-see-ums” can attack in such numbers that the unprepared will be driven off the island. This happened to me on one of my first trips many years ago in a cheap dome tent with standard mosquito netting. In addition to the tent, you will need plenty of good stakes to secure it against high winds in the deep and shifting sands that make up these island beaches. The best tent stakes for sand are the plastic ones that are T-shaped in cross-section and at least an inch wide for holding power. Use stakes that are a foot long or more, and drive them deeply with a mallet or piece of driftwood. I also like to carry a light tarp in addition to a tent to set up as an awning for cooking in rainy weather or for shade on a hot day. This will require extra tent stakes, line, and some sort of pole or piece of driftwood for setting up, but it is well worth carrying.

Island cooking can be done with a fire, but be aware that fires are permitted in the Gulf Islands National Seashore only in the sand below the high tide line. A better option is a portable camp stove. The ones that use disposable propane bottles are the most efficient and reliable. Cookware should be of stainless steel, and can be scrubbed clean with beach sand as long as it is not Teflon-coated.

Fresh water is a precious commodity on the barrier islands. Carry as much as you can, and more than you think you’ll need, for drinking, cooking, and washing; and be sure it is in leak-proof containers so it is not spilled and wasted. If you go wilderness camping on Mississippi’s barrier islands, you need to plan to be self-sufficient. Carry everything you think you’ll need, and take everything you carry back home with you. Many people don’t realize they can travel light, camp in remote places, and still be comfortable. To me, part of the pleasure in wilderness travel is feeling at home wherever I may stop for the night. And feeling at home means being sheltered, well-fed, and comfortable. I am including here an abbreviated gear checklist for island camping, as well as rules and regulations for camping in the Gulf Islands National Seashore. More specifics on gear, techniques, and where to go can be found in my book: Exploring Coastal Mississippi: A Guide to the Marine Waters and Islands, University Press of Mississippi, 2004. In future articles here I plan to discuss sea kayaking equipment and techniques, look at other boat types suitable for camp cruising, and for those who do not have their own boats, profile various outfitters and charter operators who can provide transportation to the islands.

Island Camping Checklist: (The Basic Essentials)

Tent with “no-see-um” netting, strong poles Extra tarp or rain fly

Tent stakes that work in sand, mallet and extra line for tie-downs

Self-inflating sleeping pad or air mattress

Sleeping bag

Camp stove and fuel

Stove lighters or matches

Stainless steel cookware (skillet, coffee pot, cook pot, etc.)

Stainless or plastic utensils, cups, bowls, plates

Compact can opener

Trash bags

Biodegradable liquid soap

Cooking and drinking water in leak proof containers

Waterproof flashlight (with spare bulbs, batteries)

Insect repellent

Rain jacket and pants, or poncho

Hiking boots or shoes

Long sleeve shirt and pants (even in hot weather- for insect protection when needed)

Hat for sun protection

Basic first aid supplies, snakebite kit,

Benadryl (for stings)

Toothbrush, toilet paper, etc.

Camera, binoculars, notebook (optional)

Hammock and good book (optional)

Camping in the Gulf Islands National Seashore

Beach camping is permitted on Petit Bois, Horn, East Ship Island, and the parts of Cat Island that are included in the Gulf Islands National Seashore. Camping is not permitted anywhere on West Ship Island.

Permits are not required for camping on the islands, but certain areas may be closed by the rangers at various time to protect nesting birds and other plant and animal species.

Fires are permitted only below the high tide line where waves will carry the debris away. Driftwood is abundant, so cutting firewood is not permitted.

Glass bottles or containers of any kind are prohibited on all the islands, as are firearms.

Campers should come prepared, with all food, water, fuel, etc. they will need for the duration of their stay. It is not the job of the park rangers to supply these essentials to the ill-prepared.

(This article was first published in South Mississippi Outdoors and Recreation, July 2004)

* * *

Much more information on the barrier islands of Mississippi is available in my book, Exploring Coastal Mississippi. Although Hurricane Katrina drastically changed the man made structures on the coast and rendered much of the marina and services information in this book obsolete, the natural features of the islands were less affected and the information published about them is still useful.

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Saturday, March 15, 2008

It's officially CT Appreciation Week and the designers got together to do a colab kit for their creative team members. It's freakin' huge! I was told it's around 2.5gb. Thankfully I had cleared some space from my EHD and can download things happily. LOL...

Anyway, speaking of CT, I had been accepted for another CT position. I can't tell much yet cos I had just received the offer and have not yet received the confirmation, but here's a hint. One of the designers I do CT work for is selling her stuff there and I had just posted layouts I made from one of her kits just below this post. Hehehe... that's easy enough I guess. And anyway, I know it might seem as if I'm stretching myself too thin, but seriously, I do love doing this CT stuff.

Oh, I wanted to share this. I won this last February but forgot to share, I guess. LOL... I submitted this for a TDC Scraplift challenge and won a $5 GC to Karen Lewis' store. It's a good thing I'm a fan but it's gonna be soooo hard to choose from what I like..

Anyway, here are 2 more layouts that I had just finished.

I made this using a template for SSD's Cookie Decorating 101 #30, which was a really wonderful template made from a wonderful layout which I had wanted to lift since I saw it last month.

This is for the ABC Challenge with Constance at DC. Enter to get 20 points towards a GC for the DC store! Anyway, while I'm at it, I would love to pimp the kit I used for the layout, which is Grasshopper Kisses by the wonderful Nicole (from Sugarplum Paperie) & Flergs. There are so many goodies in there and the kit is priced at only $6. Great bargain from two great designers.. Anyway, here's the preview of the kit.. (click on the image to go straight to the store if you wanna purchase it)

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Teresa said...

Congrats on your new CT :) Happy to be linked to your site :)


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Friday, January 09, 2009

Snow Test!

This is for the blog challenge at SSD.. We don't have snow here in Malaysia, so I just imagined what the situation would be like if we do have snow here.. :)

Your Snow Test Says You're Agreeable

You feel like something good will happen to you eventually, but not soon.

You love to work, especially when work is creative. You have the makings of a successful artist.

You are a cooperative, agreeable person. You enjoy the company of others, and you enjoy compromising for the good of the group.

Your biggest worry in your life is your health. You tend to be a bit of a hypochondriac.

When it comes time to relax, you always go the extra mile. You take relaxing as seriously as anything else in life.

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