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Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Dancing Hints
Square Dance Checkers. I don't know if these will help me or not...we'll see...but don't they look like something Tuffy P would buy?
Japanese Square Dance Checkers.
I thought it might help me learning to Square Dance if I looked up varieties of "calls". I found these helpful hints while at the University of Google. These could be helpful hints in the game of life too huh?
* Being a good dancer has nothing to do with level. It has more to do with being a good team member. Dance your part and allow the others to dance their part. A truly good dancer will wait until the last moment for another 'team member' in his or her square to act, before offering help if necessary. Please don't be the obnoxious dancer who must help every other dancer in the square whether or not they need it.
* Watch the dancers in your own square! 'Shadow dancing' off of counterparts in an adjacent square is not dancing, and should be discouraged. No matter who your counterpart may be, that dancer is human and is quite capable of making mistakes. Always attempt to dance your own part on your own brainpower. Only check your counterpart if it was a particularly difficult call or you otherwise got lost. If you find you are checking your counterpart more than you are dancing precisely on your own, then you are probably dancing above your level.
* Keep your formations compact, and stay precisely where you belong until the caller instructs you to move. Don't rush or dance ahead of the music. There are no points for 'getting there first.' It is essential that everyone see the formations and spots involved. If you move quickly because you know where you're going, someone else may not have seen where you came from, what the initial formation was, or where they need to go.
* Touch hands whenever possible, especially in distorted formations. Touching hands helps to keep formations compact and allows everyone to see the identified formation and who is working with whom. At times when it is not possible to touch hands, identify distorted formations by pointing to the dancers or positions within your formation. When identifying formations such as Distorted Waves, stay in your spot (without turning your body) and reach forward or backward as necessary to try to form a 'bumpy' Wave.
* Identify yourself as necessary by raising your hand. Even when you know that you are a Head or Side, Beau or Belle, etc., the other dancers in the square may also need this information. You may also need to identify yourself as a Girl or Boy if there are mixed sex partners in the square or if you inadvertently got switched with a member of the opposite sex.
* No yelling or arguing. It accomplishes nothing except to generate hurt feelings. Also, other dancers may not be able to hear the caller's cuing or the next call. Keep unnecessary comments and noises to a minimum, since any noise within the square can distract dancers, some of whom might have hearing impairments. When there is a live caller available, ask for his or her 'expert' opinion to settle any disputes. The caller is the final authority at the dance, even if you think he or she is wrong. Thou shalt obey thy caller. If you think the caller is wrong, it is usually better to talk to the caller in private after the tip, instead of yelling at him or her from the dance floor.
* Dance smoothly and to the beat of the music. No yanking, pulling, pushing, shoving, kicking, or otherwise jerky or distracting movements. Challenge Square Dancing is supposed to be a fun activity and not a wrestling match. Be considerate of other people's needs. There have been a number of dancers who have dropped out of the square dancing activity because of injuries inflicted upon them by rough dancers yanking on brittle wrists, shoulders, etc.
* If you do not know how to do the given call, resist the temptation to wander aimlessly. By not moving, the other dancers will get the clue that you don't know what to do, and will try to help you. If you start wandering off, they might not help you since you will seem to know where you are going. Also, it is easier for the helpers if they know where you were at the beginning of the call. On the other hand, moving slowly in flow direction is often the correct way to get near to where you need to be to interact with the next dancer.
* Resist the temptation to cheat or short cut. It is discourteous and annoying to the other dancers and the caller. You should be aware, however, that some dancers will cheat on certain calls. Cheats, unless executed 'cleanly' (i.e., not affecting the traffic pattern or the interaction with any dancers), may confuse dancers and thus cause the square to break down. Note also that many callers, myself included, do not appreciate hot-shot dancers short-cutting calls, since it disrupts the flow and timing of the sequence. I will sometimes try to 'catch' the cheating dancers (smear 'egg' in their face, as it were) by modifying the call in a way such that their cheating causes their square to break down. Please be considerate to the caller and other dancers and don't cheat!
* If you need to help other dancers in your square, do it in a gentle manner. Don't forcefully push or pull them. Often you can simply repeat the name of the call, verbally recite a portion of the definition, or point to where the other dancer(s) should go. Try to wait until the last possible moment just in case the other dancers didn't really need help at all. Perhaps they just needed a little extra 'think-time'.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Cooking and Dancing.
Had one of those unusual crazy days...I tend to be fairly active person but occassionally a day occurs which is even overwhelming by my standards ha! We had a cooking class in the morning...it was a gift grom Mister Anchovy and Tuffy P. Now we wake up very early on weekdays, about 5:30...so on holidays we are sleeping till noon. We landed up setting our alarms for 7 to get to class, I couldn't sleep in because I often get panic attacks at anticipating strange social events...so I landed up waking way too early...landed up doing a bunch of housework before heading out for the day. The cooking class was a lot of fun. Our instructor reminded me of my sister who used to have a cooking school so it was fun to be feeling at home and nostalgic. It was a magnificent space with several ovens and the best cookware.
Although I am a person who lives very lightly...rarely shopping, and when I do I shop about 80% recycled materials. I am also a complete snob when it comes to tools and cookware and materials. I analyse where they are made and how. We bought some cooking tools, and it was a real treat. The cooking school offers a great deal off on materials used in the class and you all know I boycott China-made products..so I was happy to find they retail some of my favourite cookware, Emile Henry. (unfortunately they did not have any Canadian-made Paderno stainless steel). So we bought some bowls, a small Swizz paring knife and a large Global Japanese-made cook's knife.
We were prety impressed that Tuffy P and Mister Anchovy found a cooking school right by our apartment...well done! One of the best parts of the class was the instructor offered some knife skill tips which both Stagg and I really looked forwardto learning. We will probably sign up for an exclusively knife skill class in the future at the same school.
And in some bizarre turn of events...my first square dancing workshop was in the afternoon. So Stagg headed out with his friend Jim for the afternoon and I headed over to a local church for my first square dancing lessons. I have square danced in the past when I was a kid at farm weekend parties that my family would attend...but never learned some formal moves.
I've taken dance lessons all my life, but this was a different flavour, mainly because square dancing is a highly social activity based on manifesting the most partnerships and social rituals dance moves to encourage social bonding. Square dancing is also delightfully math-based! It's a bit like playing a game...
I had a riot. The workshop is every Saturday afternoon and the music is awesome...it's actually what sold me on the classes. A friend of ours has been going to square dancing for years and he talked me into it once he told me we dance to mash-ups and techno music...all right!
I was completely knackered last night but it was a wonderful day!
Although I am a person who lives very lightly...rarely shopping, and when I do I shop about 80% recycled materials. I am also a complete snob when it comes to tools and cookware and materials. I analyse where they are made and how. We bought some cooking tools, and it was a real treat. The cooking school offers a great deal off on materials used in the class and you all know I boycott China-made products..so I was happy to find they retail some of my favourite cookware, Emile Henry. (unfortunately they did not have any Canadian-made Paderno stainless steel). So we bought some bowls, a small Swizz paring knife and a large Global Japanese-made cook's knife.
We were prety impressed that Tuffy P and Mister Anchovy found a cooking school right by our apartment...well done! One of the best parts of the class was the instructor offered some knife skill tips which both Stagg and I really looked forwardto learning. We will probably sign up for an exclusively knife skill class in the future at the same school.
And in some bizarre turn of events...my first square dancing workshop was in the afternoon. So Stagg headed out with his friend Jim for the afternoon and I headed over to a local church for my first square dancing lessons. I have square danced in the past when I was a kid at farm weekend parties that my family would attend...but never learned some formal moves.
I've taken dance lessons all my life, but this was a different flavour, mainly because square dancing is a highly social activity based on manifesting the most partnerships and social rituals dance moves to encourage social bonding. Square dancing is also delightfully math-based! It's a bit like playing a game...
I had a riot. The workshop is every Saturday afternoon and the music is awesome...it's actually what sold me on the classes. A friend of ours has been going to square dancing for years and he talked me into it once he told me we dance to mash-ups and techno music...all right!
I was completely knackered last night but it was a wonderful day!
Cool Movie
Written and directed by Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) The Science of Sleep is about a man who confuses lucid dreaming with reality and he falls in love with an artist who lives down the hall. Super cool movie.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Bride Series by Anthony Stagg
The following are from a series of collages for sale by Anthony
Stagg. If you would like to order one or a few please email
:
staggman1@comcast.net
Bride #4
Each individual collage is 13x24 inches. Available separately each for $40.00 U.S. plus $6.00 shipping. Buy two Bride pictures for $30.00 plus $6.00 shipping or handling.
If you would like to read some commentary about these pieces of art please click here
Bride #5
Bride #6
Bride #7
Bride #8
Bride #9
Bride #10
Bride #11
Bride #12
Bride #13
Bride #14
Bride #15
Bride #16
Stagg. If you would like to order one or a few please email
:
staggman1@comcast.net
Bride #4Each individual collage is 13x24 inches. Available separately each for $40.00 U.S. plus $6.00 shipping. Buy two Bride pictures for $30.00 plus $6.00 shipping or handling.
If you would like to read some commentary about these pieces of art please click here
Bride #5
Bride #6
Bride #7
Bride #8
Bride #9
Bride #10
Bride #11
Bride #12
Bride #13
Bride #14
Bride #15
Bride #16
No Country For Children
An epic film about the economy of farming.
When a group of humans treat food like a commodity, grow it, lock it up and sell it back to themselves...
...There will be blood.
Daniel Plainview and Eli Sunday are the Kings born of agriculture, who have extended the mindset of farming into oil prospecting and religion.
Daniel Day-Lewis plays Daniel Plainview an oil man who promises his band of greedy fellow prospectors money, schools and the greatest prize: bread.
And what does Plainview want? To win.
His evil twin, Eli Sunday, played by the wonderful Paul Dano (the despondent boy in Little Miss Sunshine) is a hypnotizing preacher who wants power and an audience.
These two characters play a game of wits in a stark frightening landscape and soundgarden where every tense minute of the movie feels like something more horrible than the last minute is about to occur. That the actor Paul Dano could ever come close to matching Day-Lewis's crafty, fiesty youthful oil man is a credit to his acting chops. There Will Be Blood's portrait begins with a strong lucky man, even attractive in spirit and will, but slowly becomes a muddy oily meaner twin to Citizen Kane. That the movie twins other movies and stories is it's strength...(and it's weakness)and twins have a significance within the movie that I don't fully understand yet...why does Paul Dano play twin brothers? Why does one of these twins disappear? What is the significance of this or is it a gimmick?
Day-Lewis's character has an adopted son...and if it weren't for this boy and his courage I don't think a lot of viewers would stay to the end of the movie.
Several people behind us hated the movie...they thought it was "non-sensical". I was laughing because this movie has stripped down anything confusing about it's metaphors or parables. I think a great many things could be written about this movie and Iraq, or greed, or sociopathology, or corporate greed and it's patsy: religious fundamentalism.
I can imagine some audiences rejecting the slow stunted pace of this movie...but I found it completely compelling. If you didn't like The Proposition you probably won't enjoy this movie. It begins at the epilogue to the novel Blood Meridian with a man "striking the fire out of the rock that god put there" and the pace does not usually pick up from there...it's as if everything that follows has been forced and manipulated. The soundtrack is absolutely incredible. As it should be, it was written by a member of one of the greatest fucking bands...Radiohead's guitarist, Jonny Greenwood. I'm in trouble Stagg wants to get the soundtrack ha! and I don't think I could ever listen to it again it was so un-nerving especially combined with the beautful art direction of Jack Fisk. (he's done art direction on all of Terrence Mallicks films, and Mulholland Drive, Carrie) Although the movie credits a book by Sinclair called Oil I have no doubt that the director has read Cormac McCarthy...and I think an article could be written that the movie interprets the short epilogue of Blood Meridian.
Jonny, get ready for your Oscar soundtrack acceptance speech! You rocked this movie!
The mountains filmed and married to haunting screeching drones of music and tragic impending accidents are reason enough to see this movie. Perhaps an Oscar nomination should go to the oil in this movie. It is filmed with close-ups lovingly and becomes a character in this fascinating film.
Among evil is a tiny little starlight. A wee baby. As this baby grows we move farther away from the seduction of Daniel Day-Lewis into the spirit of Dillon Freasier who plays the nine year old son of Day-Lewis's malignant sociopath. No one can win against this monster...but like one of Cormac McCarthy's books, No Country For Old Men...the only way to win the game is to walk away.
If this no country for old men or children just who exactly can live here?
Slice of bread anyone?
When a group of humans treat food like a commodity, grow it, lock it up and sell it back to themselves...
...There will be blood.
Daniel Plainview and Eli Sunday are the Kings born of agriculture, who have extended the mindset of farming into oil prospecting and religion.
Daniel Day-Lewis plays Daniel Plainview an oil man who promises his band of greedy fellow prospectors money, schools and the greatest prize: bread.
And what does Plainview want? To win.
His evil twin, Eli Sunday, played by the wonderful Paul Dano (the despondent boy in Little Miss Sunshine) is a hypnotizing preacher who wants power and an audience.
These two characters play a game of wits in a stark frightening landscape and soundgarden where every tense minute of the movie feels like something more horrible than the last minute is about to occur. That the actor Paul Dano could ever come close to matching Day-Lewis's crafty, fiesty youthful oil man is a credit to his acting chops. There Will Be Blood's portrait begins with a strong lucky man, even attractive in spirit and will, but slowly becomes a muddy oily meaner twin to Citizen Kane. That the movie twins other movies and stories is it's strength...(and it's weakness)and twins have a significance within the movie that I don't fully understand yet...why does Paul Dano play twin brothers? Why does one of these twins disappear? What is the significance of this or is it a gimmick?
Day-Lewis's character has an adopted son...and if it weren't for this boy and his courage I don't think a lot of viewers would stay to the end of the movie.
Several people behind us hated the movie...they thought it was "non-sensical". I was laughing because this movie has stripped down anything confusing about it's metaphors or parables. I think a great many things could be written about this movie and Iraq, or greed, or sociopathology, or corporate greed and it's patsy: religious fundamentalism.
I can imagine some audiences rejecting the slow stunted pace of this movie...but I found it completely compelling. If you didn't like The Proposition you probably won't enjoy this movie. It begins at the epilogue to the novel Blood Meridian with a man "striking the fire out of the rock that god put there" and the pace does not usually pick up from there...it's as if everything that follows has been forced and manipulated. The soundtrack is absolutely incredible. As it should be, it was written by a member of one of the greatest fucking bands...Radiohead's guitarist, Jonny Greenwood. I'm in trouble Stagg wants to get the soundtrack ha! and I don't think I could ever listen to it again it was so un-nerving especially combined with the beautful art direction of Jack Fisk. (he's done art direction on all of Terrence Mallicks films, and Mulholland Drive, Carrie) Although the movie credits a book by Sinclair called Oil I have no doubt that the director has read Cormac McCarthy...and I think an article could be written that the movie interprets the short epilogue of Blood Meridian.
Jonny, get ready for your Oscar soundtrack acceptance speech! You rocked this movie!
The mountains filmed and married to haunting screeching drones of music and tragic impending accidents are reason enough to see this movie. Perhaps an Oscar nomination should go to the oil in this movie. It is filmed with close-ups lovingly and becomes a character in this fascinating film.
Among evil is a tiny little starlight. A wee baby. As this baby grows we move farther away from the seduction of Daniel Day-Lewis into the spirit of Dillon Freasier who plays the nine year old son of Day-Lewis's malignant sociopath. No one can win against this monster...but like one of Cormac McCarthy's books, No Country For Old Men...the only way to win the game is to walk away.
If this no country for old men or children just who exactly can live here?
Slice of bread anyone?
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