Auld Lang Syne

2007, you've been awesome and I thank you.

Rec. Recap

Just a few things that have made this holiday season extraordinary:

First off, a huge thanks to Heather for gathering us all together on the night of winter solstice for some fantastic pampering at the Cliff Spa at Snowbird. I'll never forget floating in the rooftop pool, watching the falling snow swirling in the rising steam while the full moon shone overhead on the glowing mountains around us. There's something about a eucalyptus steam room, frosty mountain air, and lounging about in robes that makes you just want to sigh deeply.

Next, so many wonderful days and nights with the whole family. It's quite nice to live in an age when your parents can just hop on a plane, fly half way around the world and enjoy the season with you. It's even nicer when your mom insists on shoveling the walkway since she doesn't get to do that in Seoul.


Christmas is ten times better in the snow, and there was no shortage of that this year. We went to a gorgeous Christmas mass in the Cathedral of the Madeleine on Christmas Eve and walked out into the loveliest snowfall over Salt Lake City. This was perfect for a day of sledding in the hollow by our house on Christmas Day.




Top the day off with a Christmas turkey feast and watching It's a Wonderful Life on the big screen at the Broadway, and you're sittin' pretty. Mix in a lot of movies and board games along with getting your grades from the semester, and you're just a happy kid.

To begin with, the Marleys were dead.

Maybe you've been too busy to watch your favorite Christmas movie this year, so now you can at least listen to it while typing away. Just a little virtual Christmas gift to let you know that even though you're far away this Christmas Day, we're thinking about you and miss you.

Merry Christmas!

1. Overture
2. Scrooge
3. Good King Wenceslas
4. Room In Your Heart
5. One More Sleep Until Christmas
6. Marley and Marley
7. Christmas Past
8. Chairman of the Board
9. Fozzywig's Party
10. When Love is Gone
11. It Feels Like Christmas
12. Bless Us All
13. Christmas Future
14. Thankful Heart
16. Finale

Life Lessons, or High School is Fun!!! or Teens are Excited!!!

High School Musical is pretty popular, but why? Because kids are learning some pretty tough life lessons, lessons I discovered while watching it the other day and folding my laundry.
First, you gotta get your, get your, get your head in the game--even if you're feeling so wrong with your head in the game but your heart in the song. When you do, they'll make bed sets out of you.
Next, the academic decathlon is whatever, but how you feel about us, and even more, Troy--that's what really matters (see bed set above).

Also, be careful if you're bad talking the girl you'll be singing with in the callbacks to your teammates. Most likely, they're streaming a very clear video image of your insensitive words to said girl and then you're busted. However, the best way to apologize and win her heart back is to climb up to the girl's balcony at night and stand there looking into her room while on the phone with her. It's not creepy, it's sweet. She really will turn around and smile when she sees you there.

Everyone has secrets but the lunchroom is no place to reveal these secrets. I revealed my secret once in the lunchroom and was met with the same scornful singing response by my classmates.

If you name your daughter Sharpay, everyone will hate her and she'll only have her closeted brother to hang out with, but that's okay 'cause he has a closet full of those hats. Inevitably, they'll sing songs like this (which isn't a totally bad thing because some people really like that one part).

It'll all work out in the end, though, whether your name is Sharpay, you're the coach's son, an uptight drama teacher, a brainiac, shy student composer, or cello-playing skateboarder: life sorts itself out and you'll be dancing in perfect unison before you know it.

Hail to the Post Post

In these days of technology, it's still nice to receive something in the mail--something you can physically hold in your hands and picture the sender carrying to the post office because they're nice enough to make the trip. I was delighted to receive a package yesterday from a thoughtful young lady with this fun gift inside:
Ingenious! It's a tiny book with various pictures for travelers to point at and immediately I wished I could have had this handy thing on past travels. These pictures alone could've saved me a lot of time:
How many times have you been traveling alone and felt the need to ask "Where is the closest museum?" or "I'm feeling lonely today. Can you direct me to make-out park?" Everyone recognizes a traveler's need for companionship, so no sweat.

How many times have you wanted to buy a child on the black market but have been thwarted by the fuzz? Not anymore, my homewrecking, freespending friends.

Souvenir syringes are hard to come by these days, and qualified tour guides to stick you with them are even more rare. This one will certainly help on your next business trip.

Trying to express to a host family how the love you feel for their country fills you from your air tube to your great gut is difficult because sometimes the words just seem to get stuck in your gullet. Point it out... and then hug it out.

Heyyyy kids! Got too much spare time this holiday season? Submit your own picture captions here and I'll mail you something special for your efforts. I'll even have the stamp turned upside down so you can rest assured that I love you.

Like Likes

I'm not a huge M.I.A. fan nor an avid Pitchfork supporter, but I have to agree that this track is smokin' and certainly list worthy:
Paper Planes (Remix)
It may be the sample from that great Clash song or the sound effects chorus, but something about this song has had me repeating it a lot the past few months.

Since it seems like ages ago, I'm not remembering if I came out of the 3rd season of LOST with a high five feeling or not. The preview for season 4 has perked my attention, though, and the end of January should be fun. Oh yeah, and Jeremy Davies!
Oops, if you haven't finished season 3, don't watch that promo--spoilers abound, matey.

I'm a Gothic Girl and a Meddling Mum

I was drinking some tea this morning and thinking about Sally Lunn's Buns when I remembered this Jane Austen quiz on D'Arcy's blog long ago, which probably every person in the world has taken. Apparently I'm Catherine Morland in Northanger Abbey, although it looks like I tied with Elinor Dashwood:

Which Jane Austen heroine are you? created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Catherine Morland You're Catherine Morland of Northanger Abbey! Innocent and good-hearted, you love to read gothic novels, the elements of which find their way into your daydreams. Catherine Morland 80% Elinor Dashwood 80% Feeling like less of a man, I took another quiz, expecting some typical results since I am frequently mistaken by young children during the cold scarf months for Harry Potter, particularly when my hair is a bit on the shaggy side and I'm wearing my glasses. Witch Harry Potter character are you? created with QuizFarm.com You scored as Molly Weasley Molly Weasley 83% Ginny Weasley 83% Hermione Granger 83% Albus Dumbledore 67% Minerva McGonagall 33% Harry Potter 33% Rubeus Hagrid 33% The Dursleys 33% Ron Weasley 17% Fred and George Weasley 17% Dobby 17% Draco Malfoy 17% Severus Snape 0% Lord Voldemort 0% Sirius Black 0% Oh, come on! Molly Weasley? At least I have nothing in common with Voldemort, or Snape...

Go West

I was listening to an audiobook of No Country For Old Men on the drive down to SLC this morning and smirking at the Western drawl of the voice actor for Sheriff Bell when I looked down at the shirt I'm wearing today.

This is one of my favorite shirts. It belonged to my dad in the 70's and somehow over the last few years I have taken it in since it hasn't fit him in a long time. I love that after hundreds of washes it still smells a little like him which I find really comforting, like a big hug from him. Because of its age, it's quite threadbare but still so soft and wonderful.

The realization I had in the car, though, was I feel the most comfortable in western cowboy-type shirts. Perhaps since I've spent most of my years in the wide western states I would just naturally feel inclined to wearing them, or perhaps it's just something tapping into my psyche of growing up with idolized images of rugged men of the west.


This picture from Mongolia further supports my case:

Hey look, my favorite shirt again! I guess I've just always wanted to be a cowboy.

Tidbits of Joy

I'm happy and I'm singing and a 1,2,3, which is incidentally the title of a great Jim O'Rourke EP and also my current mood. Why the merriment? I'm just a little tipsy with school coming to a satisfying halt in a few hours, meaning it's time to catch up on books, TV shows on DVD, and cooking homemade meals again.


I must still be a 16 year old boy since I just did a little jig around the kitchen while my ticket to the Explosions in the Sky show printed out. Look how nice and smiley they are. They're even nice enough to let you hang out with them if you happen to be in Glasgow at the same time they're playing at the Barfly and you're kind of awkward and shy after the show. That's just Texan hospitality.


I'm also proud of the pin I triumphantly won on Monday night's Sundance Film Fest volunteer training during movie pictionary. It's nice to win.

I hope you're having a winning day.

Belle of the Ball

Another final paper marathon, another quick rock break, yadda yadda, deja vu. This time around, I remembered that Emily and I made a pact that the next time Belle & Sebastian come to the States, we will fly wherever needs be to be there. It's absolutely shameful that I've never seen my absolute favorite band after all these years of blushing adoration, so it will be quite the day when that finally comes true.

This video makes me wish I were at work right now instead of trapped at a computer:

I used to curl up behind a hidden-away stack of books in the Harold B. Lee Library in the middle of the night when I was supposed to be dusting the shelves, but only for a quick nap. Quite nice.

Just a few of the esteemed members of The 100+ Listened-To Club:
Sleep the Clock Around
Dog on Wheels
If She Wants Me
Lazy Line Painter Jane
Dirty Dream Number 2
I'm Waking Up to Us

It's Worth It.

If you were to mix together a weekend where your whole family is in town, a lovely lunch at Gardner Village in Archibald's Restaurant (complete with the snowflakes falling outside the frosty windowpane while you're cozy inside with your creamy fettuccine), a night of making Belgian waffles and playing games with friends, and having your cheeks hurt from laughing at home movies, you'd probably want D'Arcy to come over and photograph your smile as well.

You probably wouldn't even mind making up for it all by staying up late to finish a final paper due in exactly 16 hours.

Cosmic Rock Break

I just took a late night break from writing up final projects for my classes when I realized that I'm of the opinion that the first few songs on Ziggy Stardust are just good, man.

Five Years
Soul Love
Moonage Daydream
Starman

But what do these Spiders from Mars look like? Behold!

Seeing 1972 David Bowie then reminded me of my contribution to Jared Clark's Mail Bonding project a few years ago and I hunted that down. I'll hold you in high regard if you know where I snipped that background from.

C'mon, just let me watch one more clip before getting back to work:

Thank you. One more?

Wait, that was just weird. Why doesn't David Bowie own his own piano? Why does Bing Crosby live in Castlevania? Where exactly is Sir Percival? I need closure.

Ups!

It must be getting to the erratic end of the semester if I can't find time to brag to the blog about Thanksgiving joys and delights. I should be finishing these assignments but let's run this through. First the goods:

Those are the contented mugs of two folks who just finished a 5 mile run in Ogden on Thanksgiving morning in fairly good time without breaking much of a sweat. Granted, it was 28 degrees outside and I couldn't feel my hands for the first couple of miles, but it was glorious! Bright sun, tons of happy people (including a very endearing nun in mittens named Sister Stephanie that gave us a blessing before the starting line and a Father Mullins that lead the pack), a great running partner, and even an adorable beagle running along with its owner. I was thinking as we were running up a hill how funny it is that:
1) I'm in a race,
2) I'm in a race on Thanksgiving morning which is traditionally an esteemed morning of sloth for the young Potters,
3) Although we've moved around so much, I'm running a race held at the hospital I was born in almost 3 decades ago,
5) I completely want to dance when the organ comes in at 2m17s of this song even while running and I challenge anyone to not feel the same and
4) I actually stuck to a New Year's goal this year to run and exercise and unintentionally lost 15 pounds in the process.
I am hereby announcing that I am now setting my sights on the Ogden 10K on March 1, 2008 so as to not lapse back into laziness in '08.

Next up, how adorable is Amy Adams?

The night before Thanksgiving, we went out for some fantastic sushi and saw Enchanted which was actually funny in its over-the-top fairy tale saccharine sweetness that climaxed into occasional song and dance. I loved Amy in Junebug and loved that she brought that same doe-eyed naïve manner to a Disney flick. And I like that a song about cleaning is directed at flies, cockroaches, and vermin, and that the animated squirrel's name is Pip since that is the name of my beloved MP3 player.

Have you ever grilled a whole turkey? I can't find the picture I took of it right now but I can assure you that it had an amazing crisp brown skin and the juiciest meat I've eaten in a long while. What would Thanksgiving be without then using the leftover meat to bake a savory turkey pot pie, hmmm? Nothing. Just nothing.

Do you love your family? Do you love mine even when they were mostly gone on the actual Thanksgiving day so you had a mock celebration when your parents last visited the States?

Do you love being really excited for a family picture at Michael and Eleanor's after they've cooked you a delicious Thanksmas feast?

I do too. I've said it time and time again but dang it, I'm thankful for my family.

Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard, or Do Not Dub Me Paul

vs.

vs.

There's a man at the library that insists I look just like Paul Simon and thus insists on calling me Paul. This is confusing since I frequently work with a guy who is actually named Paul. To avoid a problem, the man calls Paul "Garfunkel" which I'll allow since real Paul does kind of look like him. If real Paul and I were to start wearing turtlenecks to work and standing really close like this,

I could see where this guy is coming from. But we don't. I like my space as does Paul.

Yet I still remained unconvinced Paul Simon is the celebrity I resemble most. I do not have nearly that amount of chest hair when I take a bath nor have I yet stood in a group of Muppets. So let's take an unbiased poll: to help us determine if I really should be called Paul, I have included a fairly recent picture of me when the sun was setting on my 28th birthday and you can vote up over there. Be objective.

Public Service Message

Many of you have heard my swashbuckling tale of adventure from this weekend, but so as to not have to repeat myself and also as a heads-up to small towns everywhere, here are all the thrilling details:

Late Saturday night I was comfortably in bed watching the Arcade Fire on Austin City Limits (incidentally, there are some great clips on the PBS website), when I decided it was time to shut off the telly and get some sleep. "But first, a few minutes of an infomercial," I thought, when suddenly I heard a slight creaking noise above my head. I was certain Emily and Rebecca had gone to bed so I flipped off the TV and listened closely in the dark. Another small sound came from just outside my window and I eagerly crawled up to peek out the curtain at what I was certain were the teenagers that threw pumpkins at our driveway the other night.

"Now I've got ya!" I thought as I pulled a little corner of the curtain aside to look out into the dark. However, a mere two feet from my face stood a man.

May I emphasize this for a second? A BIG SHADOWY MAN AT MY WINDOW. Thank you.

This was unexpected: it's the middle of the night and I'm looking up at this darkened figure who was crouched by my window looking into my bedroom through the top of my curtains. I was a bit more confused than terrified, so I pulled the curtain aside and yelled through the glass, "Who are you?" This startled the lurking figure who kind of jumped back and groaned. It quickly dawned on me this was not friend but foe, so I threw open the window and yelled in my loudest, angriest voice, "HEY!!!" which I swear echoed through the neighborhood.

Huge creepy lurking man then stumbled backward and began to run down the street as I quickly dashed across my room for my keys to jump in my car to follow him. Fortunately logic kicked in and said politely, "Dearest adrenaline-filled Daniel, do not chase this man in your car. Please call the police and let them do it," and I listened because logic is very polite to me and usually right.

Have you ever called the police before? It's exciting! You finally get to act like countless TV and movie characters and say, "Yes, send the squad car over immediately!" and they actually do it. The policemen were very nice and patrolled the neighborhood for a half-hour (again just like the movies, shining their bright lights in nooks and crannies) but they were unable to find the culprit. That would have been the Hollywood ending but this is real life which sometimes lacks such a fine closure to exciting stories.

Here's the public service message: Kind Policeman #1 said we really should leave on the porch light since this seems to be the easiest way to detract lurkers who are similar to bats in their love for the dark. Bright porch lights hurt their lurking self-esteem. I added that part, but that's the message. And may I suggest widely available energy efficient light bulbs? Both Al Gore and I thank you.

Please, don't call me a hero. I must confess that after the policemen left and I sat alone in the dark at 2 AM and felt utterly terrified as my adrenaline fight-or-flight rush wore off. I'm angry! My place of peace where countless books have been read, phone conversations have been enjoyed, and movies have been watched has been violated by an unwelcome visitor! I frequently see this guy when I close my eyes and have to double check my window before I turn on the lights. Fortunately after some calming prayers and conclusion that this guy likely has mental issues (I swear that he was wearing a bath robe and the way he groaned and lurched away made it seem like something wasn't quite right), was simply attracted to the glow of the TV and just wanted to see what's up. I've gotten the feeling he wasn't trying to get in or cause us harm which is reassuring.

During the day it all seems like a crazy dream but look what I found Sunday morning in the dirt:

Yep, a big old footprint. I should make a plaster cast and send it to Scotland Yard.

Post-Rock Post

This has been a fantastic fall for many reasons, but one of them is many of my favorite bands that I've pined for the chance to see are miraculously coming to the Beehive State. Last night I was all smiles since Canadian instrumental superstars Do Make Say Think finally graced our city after me waiting 7 years to see them, and they simply knocked my socks off. I've been pleasantly surprised that at shows lately I'm often covered in goosebumps and the thought comes to my head frequently, "This...is...so...good!" Sure, you can get that at home listening to your favorite DMST songs:
Fredericia
Chinatown
A With Living
A Tender History in Rust
Soul and Onward
Anything for Now
Auberge le Mouton Noir
Goodbye Enemy Airship
but the good shivers come when you can see their faces as they're creating these sounds that vibrate your whole chest. Two drum sets and 8 people on stage also helps things.

It's been happening lately, as well, that albums or songs I just haven't fawned over at home have been mind-blowing and suddenly addictive after seeing them live, such as this song by Architecture in Helsinki:



Pretty silly, right? This and every other song sounded so ridiculously good a couple of Saturdays ago, enough so to get me moving/shaking the whole show. I just love that feeling.

Waterboarding Isn't Totally Bodacious, Dude

For our Human Rights Week next week at WSU we'll be having several lecturers addressing U.S. torture practices throughout the world and I was happy to hear Amy Goodman addressing waterboarding in today's broadcast of "Democracy Now." As a bonus, Naomi Klein was interviewed in the second half of the show and said some things I found interesting since I just finished The Shock Doctrine last week. It's intriguing to see some of the principles/consequences of disaster capitalism explained in her book popping up even in the last few weeks in the California wildfires. Watch, read, or listen to the interview here.

Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me

We've had a council and here's the verdict: I will not be a sinner if I go see Ira Glass on December 2nd. Now, the moral ambiguity would not necessarily lie in going to see Mr. Glass because he is a fine upstanding gentleman, as you can tell by his unassuming spectacles:

I'm pleased as sherbet punch he's coming to speak at Kingsbury Hall (and would love it if he were to sit behind that desk), just my initial hesitancy was because it will fall on a Sunday and during a time when I should be at church. Of course there is no shortage of sacrament meetings in Davis County so that's no problem; I've just been burned before by trying to mix the secular in with the sacred on the Sabbath. Got a minute? Sit a spell and I'll yarn you a quick tale.

I love Built to Spill and have lost track of how many times I've seen them play. Boy, can that Doug Martsch play that guitar and always put on a whompin' good show. However, Built to Spill came to Salt Lake not many years back and played a show on a Sunday. Jon and I decided to go, much against my better judgment formed from years of Sunday school and Family Home Evening lessons on the Sabbath. Serves us right, but the show was terrible. Really terrible. I've never seen such a boring show with such lackluster songs and this was the amazing Built to Spill! God taught us a great lesson that night: even rock is no match for religion. I had to remember this just last Sunday when I really wanted to go see The Ponys play with Chin Up Chin Up. I'm sure it was a terrible show and they didn't play any of my favorite songs.

Things will be different with Ira, though, I can feel it. He's all about the ups and downs of humanity, not the rockin' riffs. An episode of "This American Life" is mixed with the unbelievably funny moments, such as this one from one of my very favorite episodes Fiasco!, and the incredibly heart-tugging ones. So consider this a fireside of sorts, minus the store-bought cookies and awkward post-mingling, and hey, you should come too if you like. You won't even need to wear a tie or floor-length skirt.

Mountain Man

Coming January-February 2008. Stay tuned.

Kids are Kute. Oops, I mean Cute.

I've seen my fair share of adorable wee ones this week but thinking about this kid always makes me smile:

I want to start a synth band with him.

He also likes to rock the party, not just Mel:


Jon and Callie, I'm expecting to see some clips like this of Isaac when the DVD comes out in a few days. You too, Nigel (when you're older).

A Few Ingredients For a Great Week

First off, this was long overdue:
Woo-hoo, the entire series plus the elusive and amazing pilot episode, all remastered by David Lynch like the nitpicky auteur he is. It's time to get scared by BOB again.

Second, have some friends over and carve some pumpkins after a grilled salmon and souffle dinner:



You can also reminisce about that spooky mummy pumpkin you carved that one year:


Third, have The Go!Team play on Letterman tonight, Feist on SNL on Saturday, and Wilco on Austin City Limits.

Fourth, have the absolute most beautiful weather and cool temperatures when you go out running. Bonus if you can crunch as many fallen leaves as possible.

And that's just the first half of the week, brag brag brag.

It's Finally Halloween Week!

Which means it's time to watch my favorite Halloween-themed movie of all time, Donnie Darko. Years ago when I first saw this part, I was hooked:

So good! I keep shelving this compilation of Graham Greene short stories at work and really need to check it out soon.

A Brief History of Film/TV Set Adoration

I was watching a little of The Office convention in Scranton on the Today Show over breakfast this morning and it looked quite fun. I need to go to a convention someday since I'm absolutely delighted when my fictional worlds can cross over into reality.

However, I've found I tend to be a little more setting-struck than star-struck. As fun as it would have been to see Daniel Radcliffe baring it all in "Equus" on the West End, I was much more delighted to see the hallways and such where interior Hogwarts scenes were filmed. Thanks to Mariah and her Oxford student card, we could even avoid the costly tourist entrances and take such fine blurry pictures like this one.

And again, as fun as it would be to get a snapshot with Ricky Gervais, I was much happier that the train to Bath passes through Swindon so I could hop onto the platform for a minute and take this scenic photo. Next up, Slough.




The crowning jewel was a few years ago when I trekked up to Harlem to see the Tenenbaum House. My Holga shot doesn't do the neighborhood justice but I was floored. I don't know how many hours I spent outside, taking in every inch of that street, but it was surreal, man.

And I suppose this is where it all started: a teenage trip to Seattle and seeing the houseboat from Sleepless in Seattle. For a young fella like me who thought Meg Ryan was the perfect woman until she cut her hair (cursed Addicted to Love), this was on par to a spiritual experience. I have to laugh now remembering that around the same time I idolized and really wanted to go to Baltimore since that's where Annie in the movie lived, but when I passed through there a few years ago, I quickly learned Baltimore isn't the most scenic place in the world. Ugh, I actually spent one of the worst nights of my life stuck in the Baltimore airport and picked up a two-month bronchial thing in that fair city.

Here's to hoping that my eventual pilgrimages to Sopranos sites and the Sex and the City tour turn out better. Who cares that I'll be the only straight guy on the pink SATC bus: it will be awesome.