This week some mentioned the anniversary of Jim Henson’s death, which reminded me of the song “Storyteller.” In concert it’s been stated it was written in response to Jim Henson’s passing.
Song credits: Performed by Alexander James Adams; lyrics & music by Heather Alexander.
From NASA’s Commander Chris Hadfield comes a revised version of the song “Space Oddity”.
From the credits:
Guitar and vocals: Chris Hadfield, recorded on board International Space Station
Video produced by Evan Hadfield, edited by Andrew Tidby
Music (recorded on Earth) produced and mixed by Joe Corcoran, piano arrangement by Emm Gryner
With special thanks to David Bowie, NASA, ROSCOSMOS and the CSA.
We cannot bring you back when home’s not home
We can’t make you pay debts you will not own
We cannot reason with the unforeseen
We can’t compromise when there’s no in-between
— Marian Call, in her song “In The Black”. She’s released both studio and live versions.
This reminds me of my parents; making my own life meant that my home wasn’t theirs anymore, that I didn’t own the obligations they thought I had, and there wasn’t always a good in-between. (And, of course, with Mother’s Day in May and Father’s Day in June, I’m getting reminded of my parents a lot.)
Full lyrics are at this page.
17) It’s the 17th week of 2013. I think.
12) I’ve been married 12 years.
11) My car (which currently isn’t starting) is 11 years old. Probably needs a new battery.
8) I’ve interviewed eight potential coworkers recently.
5) Five loads of laundry today. This is not counting the mattress cover and comforter, which went in the dryer on high to kill dust mites.
3) I worked late 3 nights last week. (Planning not to do that this week.)
2) Two electrostatic air filters washed.
1) Sounders won their game 1-0.
What’s notable with you today?
I discovered Jeff & Maya Bohnhoff’s parody of “Get Off Of My Cloud” this summer at Westercon. Lately I’ve been listening to it a lot more. Why?
My birthday is coming up. I’m going to be 47, which moves me kinda-sorta-maybe closer to my “late forties“. Most of my coworkers are in their 20s and 30s, which increases my feeling old. And I’m in software, and yes, a lot of what I’ve worked with in my career might as well be ancient history. So, taking “a stop-bugging-me, post-teenage-alienation song” and turning it into a “leave me alone, you little hooligans!” song works for me right now.
Molly Lewis also played at Norwescon :)
“It All Makes Sense At The End” is about breaking up with Wikipedia. If Wikipedia was a person.
And here’s a video of Molly performing “Sell Out” by Reel Big Fish with various guests at her graduation party concert in Seattle:
Specifically some dance music from some of the new-to-me performers at Norwescon!
From local jpop artist Rai Kamishiro’s new album is “Doki Doki Feelings“
Chiptune artist Jonny Nero Action Hero. Here’s his Doctor Who song “Exterminate“:
And from nerdcore artist Klopfenpop comes “Don’t Panic“:
“Monday, Monday” by The Mamas & The Papas.
(Oh, and do I need to point out that Cass Elliot died of a heart attack, not choking on food? And the heart attack is likely related to her fasting and other extreme weight-loss attempts?)
Discussing rape in fiction in her brilliant essay titled “The Rape of James Bond”, Sophia McDougall asks writers to ask themselves:
“Would I ever write a story in which the male hero is raped as part of his origin story, or as the nadir he had to fight back from, or to inspire someone else to take revenge?”
And if you would, yes, I think perhaps you should go ahead and do it. If done very well, and respectfully, it could even help to destigmatise the experience of male survivors. It could help to diminish that sense that rape somehow defines female experience.
And if you would not, ask yourself why not. And if there’s any part of you that answers, that you wouldn’t find a male survivor of rape heroic, that it’s too humiliating to even think about – then, for everyone’s sakes, until you can honestly find a different answer within yourself, you need to not be writing about rape at all.
(links added)
On a different note, people are talking about Kickstarter a lot. Indie musician Marian Call, who organizes some of the most organized shows I’ve helped with, organized a very successful Kickstarter for her first-ever tour of Europe. And did the tour, and has released the live album that the Kickstarter promised. Oh…and blogged about it.
A lot of it comes down to making sure you will have supporters, and not expecting them to sent by central casting. Pre-Kickstarter, Marian had done other fundraisers, both quiet ones and auctions. She knew who would want to contribute and what they’d want. Marian also has 3 bullet points that are variations on “know your audience”, “respect them too” and “like your audience”. But she also points out the financial side:
[Once] you deduct 10% for Kickstarter/Amazon and then 15% for taxes, and then you really add up the cost of fulfillment, you might be earning only $2-3 at your reward level that seems to profitable. [On the NUMBER SMASH page of my public budget] I calculated what each reward level would cost me, and then I wondered how many people would go for higher-return vs. lower-return rewards. What would people buy the most of? If everyone went for necklaces & USB drives, could I still actually afford to do my trip? I worked through a couple different scenarios to get a good estimate of what rewards would cost me — and how much I would need to ask for to wind up with $7,000 to make it to Europe & back (the answer is about $11,000, so $4000 would go into fees & fulfillment).
And:
Does anyone want you to make the thing you want to make? Are people clamoring for it? Because — this is an important distinction — there is art you make because other people want you to make it, and there is art you make because you must make it. [....Y]ou only want to crowdfund something people want and need and get super excited about. [If they don't] I’m not saying don’t make it. I’m saying fund that thing in another way.
Not everything has an audience. Or has found their audience, at least. If you’re interested in Kickstarter, either as a funder or a fundraiser, you may find Marian’s writeup useful. (Also longish and conversational.)
And here’s a video of a kitten playing with a Roomba. Happy Friday!
When it’s your first time in Tok and you’re broke and just limping down the line
And it’s forty below and you know that they know that you’re a hopeful from Outside
And people speak distinctly as if you’re foreign
And you forgot to plug your car in
And you’re clearly overdressed, even for winter
And your self-assurance slowly starts to splinter
Oh it takes a little effort to keep your head on straight
To laugh as if you mean it, to whistle while you wait
It takes a little effort to warm up one more smile
To bear another stare, to brave another mile
Happy International Women’s Day. You might want to check out the free album Talis Kimberley created for International Women’s Day:
On Thursday I saw someone tweet that she’d like to celebrate International Women’s Day but she’ll be busy with “precarious part-time work”, housework, and child care.
This started me thinking. International Women’s Day isn’t all that big a deal in the US, so I will celebrate by working my salaried professional job at a large company that provides me with vacation, sick leave, and medical insurance. I have been acting as the technical lead on my team; recently I was promoted to team manager. Some coworkers have said, “Congratulations on getting the job I thought you already had!” The primary difference is that I’m officially managing people now. As this is a big company, this responsibility comes with training videos & documents on management duties and expectations. I am pleased to have these resources available.
Image courtesy of the Rudd Center Image Gallery
I began working at this company as a temp. The offer to convert to employee included the largest salary I’ve ever had, a signing bonus, and a stock grant.
What does this have to do with International Women’s Day? Besides that at one point it was International Women Workers Day?
For one thing, women—at least in many countries— have more opportunities now, and I benefit from that.
For another, it shows how far we have to go. I know that women are more likely to be underrated technically and underpaid compared to male peers in my field. That’s an industry problem. On a broader scale, the US is one of the richest (if not the richest) country in the world to not have universal medical care. How many people in the US die from lack of health insurance? How many are tied to employers for the benefits? I grew up with good healthcare (thanks to the Teamsters negotiating my father’s contract) and I had a good public education, but not everyone does. I lived at home, worked part-time, got loans, and completed a computer science degree before starting full-time work.
My parents were working class. Mom completed 8th grade before getting her first full-time job as a maid. Dad graduated high school and worked in a warehouse; Mom ran a home-based child care business for most of my life. Working in software meant I was making more money than both my parents combined in my early thirties. I’m a professional who’s brushing against upper middle class, despite being fat and dressing casually. In some ways I have a charmed life, even though polls show some would rather “give up life or limb” to avoid my life.
I’m not sure I’d have the life I have if I’d been born earlier. Yes, women have always worked. Some inspiring women, for me, are Dorothy Sayers, Dorothy Stimson Bullitt, Grace Hopper, Anita Borg, Mary Gates, and The Rt Rev Barbara Harris. I’m not sure I would have had the moxie to do what they did. Then again, I don’t have to.
Updated to remove screencap and twitter name of locked tweet that I did not realize was locked.
I first heard this song back in, well, probably 1998 or 1999. To me it’s about learning to live with compromise and setbacks — and broken promises, yes, even the ones you had made to yourself. Lyrics are below the cut. Continue reading
As Heather Dale states the video intro, this song is about Joan of Arc, “who is a creature of darkness or light, depending on which side you saw her from.” Heather writes on her website that “I had been trying to use her as a metaphor for independence, but [songwriting partner] Ben rightly pointed out that she could also be viewed as a violent zealot who blithely killed in the name of God.”
For me this is a song of commitment, a song that grabs me and doesn’t let go. Lyrics are here.
Lyrics are here; to quote the author, this is “[t]old from the point of view of a project manager at a certain little company in San Rafael, CA, sometime in the mid-1990′s…”
I spent the weekend volunteering at a craft fair. Lots of walking, lots of uncomfortable seating, lots of lifting. Physically I’m sore, but I think it was good to have the break from reality that provided.
The craft fair also had some local bands performing during the day. One mentioned a filk of “Baby It’s Cold Outside” that I really like. Lyrically it’s better than the original and set during The Empire Strikes Back with Han Solo and Princess Leia. It starts with them singing largely past each other about Hoth:
Him: I’ve got to go away
Her: but Baby it’s cold outside
This whole planet is
Hoth isn’t very nice.
Cold as hell
It’s a one-climate planet just ice
I’m worried about Luke out there
It’s negative sixty degrees
He’s from a desert town
And that’s not even counting the breeze
[...and eventually they're talking with each other....]
Him: Whoa I thought Luke was your guy
Her: He couldn’t use the force if he tried
I don’t think you know what you’re saying
Why don’t you let me decide?
I think the cold has gone to your brain
I’ve never been so sure in my life
So this is a thing?
If you stay then you’ll find out
I’m not giving you a ring…
I’m a princess, not a girl scout
Of course, if this had actually happened in the movie, it might have resulted in Luke dying and leaving Han and Leia to save the universe. Wait, they did that anyway … except for the Luke dying part, of course. ;)
I feel a whispered welcome when I come home to the land
Where the bridges tread the water and the driftwood paves the sand
Where the lakes are clad in diamonds like the mirrors of a queen
And the skyline is a living thing of forever evergreen
— from Emerald Green by Vixy & Tony
This song is a love song to the Northwest, and yes, bridges do tread the water here, and the driftwood can pave the sand. I joke that I can’t move “because the moss on my back might dry out and die”. I was born in Seattle. I may live somewhere else for a time, but this is home.
The photo at right is of a floating bridge I frequently take. The photo is looking west at north Seattle and the Olympics.
