Denial

QotD: 5 Unique Things About Me

nobody@vox.com(Denial) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 17:16:39 -0700

What are five things that make you unique?
Submitted by RA<3TA.

I really don't dilude myself into thinking that parts of me are unique. I think it's everything put together and a little touch of something untouchable that makes each person unique. However, I'll list some things about me that are unusual.

1. I love frozen peas. They make a great snack, a great side dish, a great dessert. They are all-around yum nom-nom-nom.

2. I write sideways even though I'm right-handed. Often, I turn the paper/notebook so sideways that it's nearly upside down. It's just always been the way I wrote.

3. I had an eye surgery when I was five. I have a great scar across my eyelid. But most people don't see it unless I show them since the surgeon was kind enough to make sure it fell in the crease of my eye. So I have the coolness factor of being able to show off a big scar without the drawback of it being easily seen.

4. Loose joints. So that comes with all the cool things of being able to pull my thumb back to my wrist, touch my thumb and pinkie finger over my hand, and even at my (not twiggy) weight almost put my ankles behind my head. It also comes with the drawbacks of my ankles sometimes sliding out of place and causing some really bad twists or for my wrists to be injured by being too loose or even my back to get injured if I don't hold it right.

5. I see the world through the eyes of a writer. I notice things. I think of people in terms of poetry and character. I catalogue all the senses to every experience. And I think of words in terms of texture, sounds as taste, music as color.

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If my life were a musical

nobody@vox.com(Denial) — Thu, 15 May 2008 19:58:10 -0700

here would be the two songs for this act:

Psycho- Puddle of Mudd

Dancer in the Dark : Bjork - I've seen it all

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Music QOTD: We Are Family

nobody@vox.com(Denial) — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 00:27:14 -0700

Share a song you and your mother both love.

Tomboy - It's OK to be gay - subs included

Rob Zombie - Living Dead Girl

Tear You Apart She Wants Revenge

depeche mode - little fifteen

Harvey Danger Flagpole Sitta

Cher Believe

garbage- bleed like me

Nightwish - Nemo

Loreena McKennitt- The Highwayman

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Vox Hunt: Listen to the Lyrics

nobody@vox.com(Denial) — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 15:13:45 -0800

Audio: Share a song with powerful lyrics.

This is my favorite of the moment.

Natalie Merchant - My Skin

"My Skin"
Take a look at my body
Look at my hands
There's so much here
That I don't understand
Your face saving promises
Whispered like prayers
I don't need them
I don't need them
I've been treated so wrong
I've been treated so long
As if I'm becoming untouchable
Contempt loves the silence
It thrives in the dark
With fine winding tendrils
That strangle the heart
They say that promises
Sweeten the blow
But I don't need them
No, I don't need them
I've been treated so wrong
I've been treated so long
As if I'm becoming untouchable
I'm a slow dying flower
Frost killing hour
The sweet turning sour
And untouchable
O, I need
The darkness
The sweetness
The sadness
The weakness
I need this
I need
A lullaby
A kiss goodnight
Angel sweet
Love of my life
O, I need this
Do you remember the way
That you touched me before
All the trembling sweetness
I loved and adored?
Your face saving promises
Whispered like prayers
I don't need them
No, I don't need them
O, I need
The darkness
The sweetness
The sadness
The weakness
I need this
I need
A lullaby
A kiss goodnight
The angel sweet
Love of my life
I need this
Is it dark enough?
Can you see me?
Do you want me?
Can you reach me?
Or I'm leaving
You better shut your mouth
Hold your breath
Kiss me now you'll catch my death
O, I mean it

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Vox Hunt: Makes Me Want To Cut A Rug

nobody@vox.com(Denial) — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 14:15:10 -0800

Video: Show us a video that makes you want to dance.

This is going to be like a confession of guilty pleasures for me. Now some of these just make me want to dance like crazy, some make me want to have some style, some make me want to waltz. So what do they have in common? Insidious rhythm.

Jennifer Lopez - Im Glad (Flash Dance)

Yeah, definitely not the best of songs but that vid makes it. Very good tribute to Flash Dance, IMO. The comments on youtube always fight between "te original was better." and "Um, maybe I missed a memo or something, but what does the song have to do with "Flashdance"? Why did she do the video to that?" Sometimes it can be hilarious to read comments on Youtube. Sometimes it is massively frustrating. Like for this next song...

Tainted Love by Soft Cell

Creepy vid. People seem to feel the overwhelming need to point out his gayness in comments. Which makes them....what, straighter?

Boom Ba La MV---Grace ip 葉佩雯

I have no idea what this Hong Kong artist is singing. But it makes me want to dance. "Boom ba! Boomboomboom bala! Boom ba!"

Fifth Element Music Video

It's impossible to make a vid with this song and have it not inspire dancing. Ooh, that reminds me of this one...

The Fifth Element

which then reminds me of this...

El Tango de Roxanne

Ooh, how about this one?

PJ Harvey - Down by the Water

which reminds me of... Come on, who doesn't think after "PJ Harvey," about "Fiona apple!"

Paper Bag

Then there's Nelly Furtado... who doesn't remind me of Fiona or PJ but I did think of her...

Nelly Furtado Say it Right

which reminds me of this

Mis-Teeq (Scandalous)

I'm sorry, this Pussy Cat Dolls song is a huge guilty pleasure.

BUTTONS - pussy cat dolls

Now let's jump around a bit...

The Verve - Bitter Sweet Symphony

Who doesn't want to waltz when they hear that song?

This is The New Shit

You know you were mouthing along with "Rebel rebel, bitch bitch, revel revel, party party, sexsexsex, and don't forget the violence." I also love that he's making fun of his fans even while getting them to belt out along with him. Not only will I sing along with that, Marilyn, I'll dance to it. Or at least thrash along with a throng of people to it.

Speaking of which...

Rob Zombie - Living Dead Girl

And try to say this doesn't make you want to take up bellydancing...

Sword Bellydance

Alright, I think that's enough for now. Hopefully, at least one of them made you all want to dance too.

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My Review of Evita: The Broadway Musical

nobody@vox.com(Denial) — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 21:44:22 -0800

Yesterday evening, Rain brought myself, Tabby, and Mrs. Meyers’ mom to see the musical Evita! It was a great deal of fun getting ready for the event. I like dressing up and trying to look pretty. I have a pantsuit that I like quite a bit and paired it with a glittery top that has gold in it but I tried not to hold that against it. Unfortunately, because of the top choice, I couldn’t wear my favorite black and white pumps. But it did give me the opportunity to wear some BDSM inspired boots. Added some bling. Haha, yeah, cannot believe I typed that either. Because of the top I wore, I couldn’t wear some of my wonderful necklaces but I think my ability to wear seven earrings helped make up for it. I also got to do a five-strand braid with the tail made into a knot at my nape. Then got to play with some make-up…. Alright went a little too long on about my look but now I’m about to go on about Mrs. Meyers’s mom.

L looked fabulous. Mrs. Meyers cut her mom’s hair the day before and I love it! I was a little bit jealous of it too. It was only yesterday that I got the wild urge to cut my hair down to a longer bob. Not that I’m upset with my long hair. I love to braid it and it’s fabulous. But I do miss having a cut little bob that does that bouncy thing when I shake my head. It was nice being able to work on L’s new do. It was also fun being able to play with her make-up. She was also the only one of us to wear a dress. So woohoo.

Rain and Tabby looked fabulous too, of course. But I think going on with the shot by shot of our getting-ready process is boring and I’m sure everyone has forgotten the first sentence of this post already.

Btw, it was: Yesterday evening, Rain brought myself, Tabby, and Mrs. Meyers’ mom to see the musical Evita!

Now, I must tell you how much I love Evita. A lot. I love it a lot. Ever since I saw it as a 10 year old girl, I’ve just loved everything about this movie. The music! The lyrics! The cinematography! The dancing! Antonio Banderas! Ooh, I just love it all. I soon had the entire soundtrack (which is pretty much the entire movie) on tape and listened to it constantly. Then I got it on CD and DVD. I know the entire movie by heart. Random Irony: Don’t Cry for Me Argentina is probably one of my least favorite songs from the entire movie and seeing it on stage has made that even truer.

So Rain and I were looking through the city’s list of theatrical offerings and she came across Evita. I might’ve squeed a little. I’m not sure because I think my mind went black at the mention. I just shut down. Yes, I have loved Evita that much and for that long.

I’ve seen the Broadway show on TV and the internet a couple times. Not the entirety. Just little snippets here and there. Strangely, I wasn’t impressed. I understand that what makes a movie so special might not be there on stage. And visa-versa. But was I going to turn down an opportunity to see the show? Hell no! And Rain is just the most amazingest person in my life ever and this just proves it again. I love you, Rain. I really do. Not just for the Evita thing, but god it helps!

When we got there, I started to actually wrap my head around the fact that I was going to see Evita in a new way but still based in what I loved. I was just so excited by the idea of that! By the time that BMW or Lexus woman was on the stage (announcing how BMW or Lexus or some other richie rich car company cared about the community and was sponsoring this show to the richie rich part of the community), I didn’t hear a word she said. Thank god, I’m not their market audience anyways.

Then the show began! I might’ve cried a little bit. I really had to fight hard to keep those tears back. Not only because it’d be embarrassing but it’d be really hard to watch the show while crying! My first thought was: This is THEBESTESTTHINGEVER!!!!! Yes, with five exclamation marks. The singing! Damn, this was how chorus members were supposed to sound! The music made my skin shiver and the lyrics (even in Spanish.) were just as strong. Che was great. He was a strong presence who did a good job filling Antonio’s boots without just copying his performance.

I wasn’t impressed with Evita’s first appearance but I was open to be proved wrong. I was never proved absolutely wrong but I did come out thinking she wasn’t too bad. They did a very good job at getting the story started and capturing a lot of the things that I didn’t think they’d be able to get across on the stage just because of the restrictions inherent in the medium. The dancing was really very good. The lighting was great and powerful though anyone with any type of seizure disorder wouldn’t have been able to enjoy it.

Rain said she had some difficulty understanding what was being said. I was struck by how much the actors were pronouncing all the words. They seemed to be dotting all their I’s and crossing all their t’s. Of course, a lot of it was being sung so I’m sure it was more difficult because of that. Also, Rain has never seen the movie and I know it by heart. Even then, there were some times where I had trouble understanding what they were saying. Of course those were in the scenes or songs that weren’t in the movie. It seemed to be when the singer didn’t pace him/herself properly and didn’t have the right amount of breath or at the end, where they were obviously starting to get a little tired.

There was one new scene in particular that couldn’t have been used in the movie because it’s so classic theatre but it was just great. It involved Peron and other political figures playing musical chairs in rocking chairs. I really loved this. It had humor and got across perfectly what it was meant to (the scramble for the top chair by a group of individuals whose alliances changed moment to moment) even while doing something that would never be accepted in movies but was fabulous on stage. I could watch this scene again and again. Maybe because it was one of my favorite little lines from the movie that was an entire song.

“One always picks

The easy fight.

One praises fools,

One mother’s light.

One shifts

Left to Right.

Politics

The Art

Of the Possible!”

Yes, I did just type that up from memory. Because I love it that much.

Soon upon this giddiness of new interpretation was the scene of Evita meeting Peron. At first, I was unimpressed. I thought it was a rather important scene because these are the major players of the entire story. But they seemed to just have Evita standing next to Peron and Peron standing next to Evita. Singing. However, it redeemed itself towards the end. It had Peron walking away from Evita and continuing to shmooze while watching her out of the corner of his eye. One of his top soldier guys walks past her, obviously interested. She ignores him. That’s when Peron comes back and is serious about her “preposition.” Obviously, he was testing her to make sure she didn’t jump just any man in a high ranking uniform. That had its own charm and I really appreciated it.

Another thing I found pretty amusing about this scene was that it started in the scene that in the movie had Peron throwing a fundraising event for the victims of an earthquake. There was a shot in the movie that had him at the mic and he’s preaching about having “The People” finally running the government. It was supposed to be ironic since he’s preaching to the very rich people of Argentina. People already running things, obviously. And at this point in the show, I was just smirking to myself since I was sitting in a version of that audience right then. And the main character of this movie is screeching out “Screw the middle class! I will never accept them!” Meanwhile, a very great deal of this audience for the show was solidly middleclass. For god’s sake, a woman from BMW or whatever introduced this movie! It was very amusing to me to be sitting in that audience for that play at those times. It’s still hilarious.

I loved the chorus throughout this entire show. They did a great job with getting across the feeling of being a larger group. The movie showed huge overshots of hundreds of people in one place. This small chorus was able to get that across very well. I did enjoy little things like the mistress Evita throws out of Peron’s bed soon after their meeting. They had this mistress singing the song “What happens now?” which in the movie was mostly Evita’s song. But really the lyrics of this song was much more suited to the woman who is more beaten down by the world and not aiming too high.

“I don’t expect

my love affairs

To last

For long.

Never fool myself

That my dreams

Can come true.

Being used to trouble

I anticipate it.

But all the same

I hate it.

Wouldn’t you?”

Yes, by having that pushed-aside mistress singing this instead of Evita, it showed the difference between the women who often lined these men’s bed and Evita, who made something of it.

I also really liked how this show did a better job at illustrating Evita being so popular because she represented what the workingman/woman dreamed of making themselves. For example, Peron and the men working for him took off their jackets, rolled up their sleeves, and said they were ordinary men. Meanwhile, Evita came up to the mic with a full ballgown and jeweled choker. Both represented what the commonman/woman saw in this power couple. I remember during a scene where Che is singing about Evita being High, Flying, Adored. There was a little extra (could it have been the same actress playing the mistress?) who had helped Evita out of her ballgown. While Che and Evita sang, the little extra hugged that ballgown to herself and was obviously dreaming about wearing it herself, about being the woman on that podium, about being Evita. That was a great little moment. This show did a very good job at incorporating the feel of Argentina political turmoil throughout the whole thing. I loved how they often showed real photographs above the scene. However, the last half of the show felt a bit sloppy. Like it was unsure how to wrap things up.

The movie did a good job because they really linked the beginning of the show (big funeral scene) with the end. Classic story arc and it worked really well in the movie. I think they probably should’ve done that here. Evita’s illness and decline made me more uncomfortable than sympathetic or particularly moved. She was hunched over and moved like an old woman. I suppose they felt this was the only way to get across the extent of Evita’s illness. But it pretty much just made the actress look like she pulled a muscle or was constipated. In fact, at the end of a scene with Che where she stumbles away and is supposed to fall while the stage goes to black, her shoes must have squeeked on themselves or something. It sounded like a fart and right on that constipated stomach hold, made me roll my eyes. I think the extent of her illness could’ve been better portrayed with far less. Considering the exuberance and high-power that Evita ran across the stage (and life) with, she could’ve gotten across the same thing with just the absence of that spirit. I suppose, I could’ve enjoyed the second half more with a different actress.

Sadly, I really was mentally urging Evita to die sooner to put the actress out of her misery. Again, the chorus and Che was great. But in this instant they were great despite the mess going on onstage. Peron was pretty good. Definitely played second fiddle to Evita and Che but he as a character was really supposed to do that. He seemed to have a little bit of a darker edge to him and I liked it. At one point, he was somewhat flirtatious with one of the women on his lap (that were supposed to be young, perhaps early teen?). Usually, for me darker is better and I think that helped his character stand out at certain moments.

In the end, I think the show went too far trying to get across the history and not enough taking into account the format of the story. At the end, Rain turned to me and asked, “Was that the end?” The fact that she had to ask that at all (and I took a moment to be certain for myself) says a great deal.

It was really a very good show that made a great movie and would perhaps make a great show on the right nights with the right actors. Am I happy that I saw it? Most certainly. Otherwise, I wouldn’t write up such a long review of what I thought about it. I want to preserve the memory of the entire experience. That’s what really made this show great to me; the entirety of the experience. Alone, it was probably a very good show that did a great job at using new ideas and perspectives on the stage even while falling to some very old and familiar pitfalls.

I really loved going to see this show and would definitely be up for seeing it again. Of course, I still look forward to watching the movie with Rain so that she can have the chance to see it a little bit like I do. Thank you, Rain, for bringing me to see a new take on one of my all-time favorites!

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QotD: This One Goes Out To...

nobody@vox.com(Denial) — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:11:27 -0800

It's dedication time. What song are you sending out, and who is it dedicated to?

This one goes out to my feisty feline, Noire.

Noire

The Mean Kitty Song

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Vox Hunt: Now Playing

nobody@vox.com(Denial) — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 21:55:08 -0700

Audio: Share what you're listening to right now.

Panda Tribute

How can you not be mesmerized by a song with lyrics like this:

Pan-da pan-da pan-da pan-da pan
Pan-da!
Pan-da pan-da pan-da pan-da pan
Pan-da!
Pan-da pan-da pan-da pan-da pan
Night night
Pan-da pan-da pan-da pan-da pan
Beep beep
Pan-da pan-da pan-da pan-da pan
Tung-sun
Pan-da pan-da pan-da pan-da pan
Dee dee
Pan-da pan-da pan-da pan-da pan
Chi-na!
Pan-da pan-da pan-da pan-da pan
Shee-oh
Pan-da pan-da pan-da pan-da pan
Pan-dee
Pan-da pan-da pan-da pan-da pan
Pan-da
Pan-da pan-da pan-da pan-da pan
I like
Pan-da pan-da pan-da pan-da pan
Pan-da!

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