A Lost Art and Modern Cynicism

Last weekend I made it out to two movies, both fantastic in completely different ways. Young Adult was at the same time real and cynical in a humorous way. Charlize Theron's performance was outstanding. Her character was believable and easy to relate to--flawed yet likeable. I thought it was well-written and had just enough funny sarcasm without making it overly cynical.



I also had the opportunity to see The Artist, which was a great example of the lost art of silent film-making. It's also in black and white and I love films in black and white!! Artfully done, it focuses on the development of film from silent to talking and while it's a contemporary film, it has the look and feel of an original silent movie. If only there could have been a live orchestra to accompany it! I'm hoping this might become a new trend? : )

John Adams

I recently watched HBO's John Adams mini-series, thanks to Netflix. I found it extremely interesting and well-acted. I need to read David McCullough's book to get the full picture now! The series was, though, full of good personal and historical details. It had always been at the back of my mind to watch it, and I'm glad I finally did. It's a good basis if you want to get the gist of his life and the beginnings of the U.S. as an independent country. Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney did a fabulous job. Here's the trailer:

Blackberry Winter and the Mountain Dulcimer

I haven't had a music post in a while! Today, my orchestra is performing Conni Ellisor's Blackberry Winter for strings, Tennessee music box, and mountain dulcimer. I was unfamiliar with both instruments before rehearsing the piece, but both have a beautiful sound, and I really like the whole piece. I found a video of the movements 2 and 3, performed by the Nexus Chamber Orchestra and Stephen Seifert on the dulcimer and music box. (He will also be performing with us today!) I also found one of Seifert discussing both instruments.

It's Not Brunch Without Bacon!

Oh, how I've been neglecting my blog! *sigh* I'll do my best to update more often!

A couple weekends ago I tried another fun little brunch place in Chicago! Bakin' and Eggs is most delicious, fulfilling all of my brunching needs. : ) I tried their breakfast burrito (I tend to have those at a lot of places!) with cheesy grits. Yum. They also have the best coffee mugs, as you will see in the picture below! They have a good-sized menu, and something I'll have to try on my next trip will be the bacon flight. Oh man. Five different flavors of bacon, all on one plate.

In addition, they also have a little bake shop on one side of the restaurant. I didn't purchase anything, but they had a nice little selection of cupcakes (that are both decently-sized and decently-priced!), cookies, and other fun pastries. This place makes me happy. : )

Cool shots of Earth

I found this video on The Huffington Post a few days ago, and thought I'd re-post it here. Very cool.

See it here: Earth Time Lapse

Faerie

In my attempt to better familiarize myself with young adult books, I discovered and read Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely series, about a teen named Aislinn who can see faeries and becomes deeply involved with their world. I admit I have a few biases when reading fantasy novels...I tend to compare them to Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings on the good side, and Twilight on the not-so-good side. (I am extremely picky about any stories that are fantasy or have supernatural/paranormal elements. When I find ones I like, I really like them, but I feel that it's a genre that, when not done well, is really not done well.) Marr's series is a very entertaining story, with some rather interesting characters and a very detailed setting that involves both the mortal and faerie worlds. I didn't like it as much as Harry Potter, but do think it is better than Twilight. If you're into this genre, it's worth a look.

What the Dog Saw

Finally...I have read Malcolm Gladwell's most recent book, What the Dog Saw. As usual, the focus is on a variety of sociological phenomena (such as job interviews, banning pitbulls, and birth control, to name a few) and examining a number of perspectives on each. Unlike his other books, this one is a compilation of essays he's written for The New Yorker, but which all relate back to seeing the perspectives of others. (That does include, by the way, a dog's perspective of people dependent on context, hence the title.) What I like most about Gladwell's writing is his conversational tone. Reading him is very much like sitting with someone in a coffee shop discussing similar matters. He talks with the reader through the writing, eloquently bringing in relevant research in a way that is neither dumbed-down nor overly technical. Gladwell's books gave me a much needed taste of sociological and psychological writing, which I had been neglecting due to my more recent studies of library science. : )

Wives and Daughters

A couple years ago I read Elizabeth Gaskell's novel Wives and Daughters, and just recently watched the BBC video film adaptation. At about five hours long, it's a hefty movie, (but the book is rather large itself), but is divided into four episodes. I am a huge fan of Victorian British literature, and really enjoyed the story in both formats. The novel itself is actually unfinished, with the BBC version showing an alternate and rather satisfying ending. Nonetheless, I think it's very Jane Austen-like, (though is a few decades younger), and is a detailed look into the lives and societies of women in Britain in the 1830s, particularly their relationships with their families. There is of course the obligatory romance involved as well and I admit to being a sucker for it. : ) The film is very pretty, with good music, and follows the novel well. Fans of Jane Austen's stories will appreciate and enjoy Gaskell's, particularly Wives and Daughters.