Not found in the club

Now that I'm thinking about music, I must admit I've been lazy about it. I've been passively listening to whatever the pop radio stations play. Which means I've been listening to a lot of LMFAO, Rihanna, Nicky Minaj and all them folk on repeat every time I'm in the car. I enjoy the music but what happened to mixing things up? I can't even find a classical station anymore.

When I DJed at the college radio station they had rules about the music we played.
While mainstream stations play:
* one genre of music all the time and
* the same new song about once every half hour,

We were required to play:
* at least three genres of music every hour (unless you had a genre-specific show)
* at least three new featured tracks every hour
* if you were playing off a mainstream cd, it is preferred to play the songs that weren't on the top 100 charts

My mixes were usually hip hop and show tunes with some classical, jazz or comedy thrown in.
(I would have played more comedy but it was tough censoring tracks on the spot. A fine from the FCC for one of the "seven dirty words" was enough to shut down the station. Better to be careful.)

So here's some songs from different genres I didn't discover on the radio or in the club that I like/really liked at some point. Enjoy!

Ratatat - Loud Pipes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64liF2VuLxI&feature=related

Edward Shearmur - Grand Central (KPAX soundtrack)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GUcoSENzF0

Holly Brook - What I Wouldn't Give
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fxuxfjWZKo
(now Skylar Grey)

Jake Shimabukuro - Crazy G
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEqzV3ysPEg
(ukelele master)

Dick Dale - Shake N Stomp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiNFNnsH1Bo&NR=1
(surf music king)

Janis Joplin - Mercedes Benz
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-GFqhCq2HA

Ugly Girl
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6hcXEG4fpA

Manau - La tribu de dana
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDJ0McwKCwQ

Mi Alabanza Seguira
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3v6aHfahVZQ (in french)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcgYeFFpaog (in spanish)

Passing Strange - Keys
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y99GVfbx3Tw&NR=1

I'm trying to refrain from mentioning every musical I've ever seen, so I'll say most of the entire soundtracks to Rent, Spring Awakening, The Book of Mormon, Avenue Q, and Wicked.

That TAL song

This American Life plays this one song on their tv show quite a bit,
at least I feel that way because when I hear the song I automatically think of the show.

Besides some great reporting,
they pick out some great music.
(Yes, I think DO think the show great.)

I always wondered what song it was but never really looked into it.
One of those songs that plucks a heart string and awakens the soul.
How do musicians and songwriters do that?

In steps Pandora, right when I was about to turn you off too.

penguin cafe orchestra - perpetuum mobile
(fyi: the part they always use starts at 0:26)

Note: I think I usually only hear piano and strings, but I really like this version because I can pick out quite a bit of oboemabo. =)

Sami vs. Toy

Hi Everyone!

I'm feeling jumpy today. Dad said we had to go to get shots this morning. Cmi let me bring my green bone to keep me company. It's my favorite. (They tell me it's green, but I can't see color.) I just found out last week that if I bite it in just the right place she squeaks! Just when you think you know someone...

I was sitting in the trunk with my green bone. I don't like sitting in the trunk and usually try to climb over. I might haveMy green bone must have peed so I really didn't want to sit in the back. I climbed over the seats and sat in the backseats for a bit. But I missed my bone and climbed back to the trunk and squeaked her lots of times to let her know I forgave her for peeing and making it smelly.

When we arrived at the pet store there was a long line of dogs. All ages. Every size. I've never been around so many dogs before! Dad and cmi usually don't let me near other dogs because I don't have all my shots yet. The doctor said I couldn't get my vaccine shots because it was too close to my last set of shots and I'm still too young for my rabies shot. I hope I get all of my shots soon. This is kind of hurting my social life.



Cmi got me some fancy fishy dog treats, a teething bone and a new toy.

This is my new toy. I call it Ball-meanie.

It doesn't squeak and it isn't in the shape of a bone.
It was very interesting at first...

But then dad and cmi stuck some milk bones and fish treats inside and I couldn't stop trying to get it to share with me.

My ball is very stubborn and doesn't like sharing the treats with me. That's why its a Ball-meanie.

Surrender Ball-meanie!
I'm stubborn too. She eventually shared with me.  Thanks!
Maybe I will change your name to Ball-friend if you keep sharing with me. But I will have to talk this over with my green bone.

Thinking about gas

I watched a Chem1A webcast for old times sake. News changes everyday but basic chemistry tends to stay pretty consistent so I decided to skip my Morning Edition and brush up on exploding balloons. I must say, I enjoy this new chemistry teacher. He's just so... enthusiastic. Maybe it's that I've already taken the class or I'm not as sleep-deprived as my college days, but I found him pretty easy to understand.

watch here.

Plus, listening to his lecture something most peculiar occurred. I felt the rusted cogs in my brain begin to creak then move with a force that caused me to begin pondering things and questioning the world in a way that probably hasn't happened in years. Thinking feels weird.

Example, oxygen (O2, the stuff we breathe in, just a refresher) makes up approximately 20% of our air. The majority, approximately 80% is actually nitrogen (N2). Nitrogen (just N element in general) is very important for plants, that's why we dump heaps of fertilizer on anything that grows (Thanks to Fritz Haber!). But what about us? For every breath we intake, about 80% of it must actually be nitrogen, right? We grew up learning we breathe in O2 and release CO2. Do our lungs absorb the N2 as well? Our bodies need nitrogen too. Nitrogen is in amine groups, it's in all our proteins, it's in our urine!

Actually, most of what we inhale is also exhaled. Only a small percentage of oxygen inhaled is absorbed each breath and most animals (including humans) get most of our nitrogen from eating plants and other animals.

So plants breathe in nitrogen and share it with us? Mmmm, not really, N2 is pretty strongly bonded and doesn't like separating that easily. There are bacteria called diazotrophs (includes cyanobacteria and rhizobia- not the white cotton balls on your old strawberries, that's rhizopus) that convert nitrogen N2 gas into ammonia NH3 (called "nitrogen fixation"). Plants get their nitrogen (and other yummy goodness necessary for growing) from the soil. The Haber process (or Haber-Bosch process for extra props) is an artificial way (aka laboratory way) to convert N2 to ammonia using a catalyst and chemical reaction. That's how we make nitrate fertilizer (...and explosives).

And then I started thinking, what about nitrous oxide? You know, the inhaled anesthetic that makes people woozy and giggly before getting their wisdom teeth yanked out of your gums. I've never experienced it but we definitely inhale and absorb that stuff. What about that molecule makes it absorbent?

Actually, a lot of this wasn't in the lecture. Just the 20% oxygen and 80% nitrogen being in the air part. The rest came from wikipedia and my pondering. I sure hope wikipedia is telling the truth or a lot of what I think I know would be a lie.

Tendu

I've been rather addicted to this song.
Listening to it on repeat.
Listening to other people sing it on repeat.
Sing it in the car (despite I don't really know the words).

Someone Like You
By: Adele

(prepare the tissues. you've been warned.)

It's one of those tear jerkers. My whole soul feels heavy.

But it's just so beautiful.

Something else odd happened. I had a sudden urge to stretch my leg, point my toes and look to the sky. Despite my slowly healing leg injury, I let myself dance.

It's been years, but it still feels as freeing as the morning I tried out my new tap shoes and woke up the whole house.

What kind of response does this song evoke for others?

Kind of like motherhood?

I've wanted a dog forever. My whole life.
I've never been sure about babies, but definitely a dog.
Jbear purchased one recently.

Originally, I was pretty upset for a number or reasons...
I didn't think we were ready, I wanted to adopt from a humane society, I didn't approve of the breed, I wanted to save up vacation time so we could stay home 24/7 while it acclimated to its new home, I wanted an animal-friendly job, I am anal about big decisions and like to do lots of research, etc.

But whatever happened has happened and I am accepting.
Actually, I'm completely smitten with the girl.
I find myself slowly becoming all "mothery" in ways I didn't think I would be.
Is this what motherhood feels like?
(except making them sleeping outside part...)

*I never thought I could love something so much.
*She makes me smile no matter what she is doing.
*I've been reading articles and watching youtube videos on training but am totally baffled and overwhelmed because people like to argue and have conflicting ideology.
*I spent an hour cleaning the bathroom she defecated and urinated all over and all I could think was "Yay! She finally went to the bathroom!"
*Jbear and I get excited about little things other people might not understand, like she finally discovered how to squeak her pet monkey.
*Jbear and I spend a lot of time discussing how to raise and discipline her and how many toys she's allowed to have.
*I say she's only allowed to have one toy but I sneak her a new one every day.
*After reading FDA recalls and warning letters to pet food facilities, I've been looking into natural food diets and how to cook homemade pet food. Poor Jbear complains that I don't cook for him and she'll stop eating her kibble.
*When I go to a store I go straight to the pet aisle and look at the pet supplies and forget about what I originally went there for.
*She is my wallpaper on my phone.
*I count down the hours and minutes until I get to go home and see her.
*We keep calling her "baby girl" instead of her actual name.
*My heart breaks whenever I hear her cry or I have to leave her or she doesn't want to sit with me.
*When she naps I think to myself "She's so beautiful. I can't believe she's mine."

Thank God she is a sweetheart and just wants to play and cuddle all day.
I wish she could stay this way forever.



(Wow, I'm totally going to be one of those worrying moms that sees her kids as babies forever. I am going to be so annoying.)

Like blood

 My parents leave tomorrow. I'm glad they had time to finally take a real vacation together, now that my grandmother no longer requires their constant attention. This was the first time they visited the states together, at the same time, since they first left.

Despite the distance I still find myself turning into her. Little by little.

Color is creeping into my wardrobe. Far from my black and blue days.

I have ideas. Projects I want to do no matter how unreal they seem.

She always has ideas. But she somehow follows through.
She started a nonprofit. Plans activities almost everyday.
Today she wanted to start a waffle store. I asked if she had ever made a waffle before.
Nope. But that is a minor detail. She can do it.

We can both stay in Michaels forever. Today I actually went back again today while waiting for her.




I want to do my own version of Get Carded- write a card to someone eachevery other day.
My friend used to post a card on her blog everyday. Loved it.
I felt slightly inspired and shopped a bit.

Fwd: Note to self... eat slower.

[My thoughts last night as I tried to sleep.]
I find myself hunched over and falling forward more than walking because my stomach is so full. My parents are in town. So every meal, every day, is something good. And the end of every day I find myself lying in surrender of an aching stomach because I ate too much.

Saturday: Ferry Building Farmer's Market (SF) Baker Beach (SF)

Sunday: Left Bank (San Jose)

My refrigerator shelf is packed full of togo containers. This just feels wrong.

Sami at your service

Cmi has been busy researching about puppies. She says we're not allowed to go to the park anymore until I finish getting my shots. I have mixed feelings. I don't like going outside, especially for walks. I prefer sitting or sleeping on the couch. But yesterday, I saw some cute tennis players at the park and didn't want to leave.

Yesterday, cmi was cleaning up my potty accidents and didn't like it when I took the cleanup towels away from her. Dad was busy cooking and wouldn't share any okonomiyaki fries with me. Everyone was too busy to play. I decided to help out too so that we could finish chores and get to the playing!

Cmi was folding laundry but I wasn't very good at that. (I'm better at chewing on buttons.) Instead, my bone and I watched the clothes and made sure the clothes didn't move.

 

Stay! Good clothes! 

Maybe I'll let you play with my bone... later.

Hello from Sami

Hello! 

My name is Sami. I am a playful puppy that likes to cuddle. CMI is too tired to write lately because she has been too busy loving me. I've been busy too!

On Sunday, Dad picked me up! I was so excited to see him again! Last week he and cmi came to play and I cried when they had to go home. Now I get to play with them everyday! My mom and brother got upset at me last week and I got all scratched up. I had to leave my mom and brother and get shots all in one morning and nobody warned me! I was sad and groggy and didn't want to eat or go to the bathroom all day even when they took me out to walk 81564631 times. I took a long nap with Dad on the couch when I got home.

Dad took me to meet cmi in SF. We spent all day shopping for cool stuff. I liked my new harness so much I didn't want to take it off so the salesman could ring it up. It tastes good too! It is pink because that is my favorite color, just like grandma.

Cmi and dad gave me my first bath. I liked it so much because I get to lick the water when it runs down my face and I feel so clean afterward. Boy were cmi and dad surprised when I was clean and they found out I was actually brown and not black!

(Cmi also found out dad let me sleep on the couch and made him pinky-promise that I couldn't sleep on the bed with him... again. She bought me my own bed but I wish I could sleep on the couch all day.)

July 4 Discoveries

[Oh so late. I've been preoccupied with my new bundle of joy.]

Hope everyone had a wonderful July 4th weekend and found some place to watch fireworks.
I saw some after a soccer game, driving past the local theme park, and some (most-likely illegal ones) people in my neighborhood were putting off (all night).

SOCCER
I didn't know soccer was such a big deal over here. Maybe I'm used to peewee soccer games so I went to a San Jose Earthquakes game with low expectations. A grassy field where people brought lawn chairs and maybe there would be some rickety bleachers and hopefully a food stand selling churros. When we approached the stadium the stomping and roar of the crowd reminded me of scenes in Gladiator as fighters entered the arena. There were over 31,000 in attendance at the game. So much for lawn chairs.

The game was just like FIFA video game, guys really do make a line in front of the goal and cover themselves with their hands, except better because there were people walking around selling cotton candy and kettle corn and the players kept getting into fights.

Afterward, they turned off the stadium lights and there was a fireworks presentation complemented with music. Fireworks remind me of the part in Little Mermaid where Sebastian sees some in the sky and exclaims "Jumping Jellyfish!". Beautiful.

GRAN VINA SANGRIA

I'm not a huge fan of the stuff. But someone brought this kind brand from Whole Foods and it was so good!

KITCHEN MAT
Jbear got a new kitchen mat. Very squishy. Almost as squishy at my housemates' yoga mats. I pulled it to the place I chopped and skewered vegetables for a few hours since my knees were already feeling wobbly and sore after baking a cheesecake. Fantastic! I thought my footprints would be stuck in there because they were so deep. But the magical mat swelled up back to its regular surface.

New(er) Squiggly Shoes!

Remember when I was excited about my new squiggly shoes?

I love the way my ZigPulse shoes feel.

 

The mesh is so thin and fine that my feet can breathe. 

 Unfortunately, the mesh is so thin that whenever my feet brushed up against a rock, bush or anything sharp the material tears. Also, since the material is so thin I am scared of the ripping the mesh more by washing them. Therefore, after a few uses my once beautiful white and red lasagna shoes turned brown and rugged looking. 

I do not mind. 

People at the gym must see my shoes and think "wow, she's hardcore" when in reality half my jogging activity involves me going to Safeway and returning home with a dessert. Too bad Jbear scoffs walking next to me in my worn shoes. (I know. He must be jealous because he's worked out 50x more than I have in his pair and mine are WAY dirtier.)

No need to be jealous!

I got another pair. 

Except these are ZigFuel model. 

The mesh material is different and they are blue. Different design, but same squiggles.

It's been so cold lately the lasagna all turned blue!