Hunter S. Thompson, originally uploaded by NiteMayr.
20,000 Views on Flickr and this was the latest picture there, thanks all you Old Boys and Girls! A special thanks to the Old Boys reunion attendees for driving so many eyes to my Flickr account, just by being awesome.
Keep of shining you crazy diamonds!
Jeremy Clarkson, I Swear!, originally uploaded by NiteMayr.
Okay. This is a bit of a stretch really. I snapped this while at the Shirt Tail Parade in Kincardine. This may *not* be the real Jeremy Clarkson, this guy is a bit short for it after all.
How was your weekend? Did you have as much fun as We did in Kincardine?
WHAT STUDIES SAY ABOUT YOUR SOUNDS:
POP: Conformists, overly responsible, role-conscious, struggling with sexuality or peer acceptance.
HEAVY METAL: Higher levels of suicidal ideation, depression, drug use, self-harm, shoplifting, vandalism, unprotected sex.
DANCE: Higher levels of drug use regardless of socio-economic background.
JAZZ/RHYTHM & BLUES: Introverted misfits, loners.
RAP: Higher levels of theft, violence, anger, street gang membership, drug use and misogyny.
From: Musical key to unlocking teenage wasteland by Kate Benson
I don’t often include the writer credit on these quotes, as I understand that sometimes the writer is just a staff position with no real autonomy or authority; but since Kate Benson is the “Medical Expert” at The Age; I thought I’d leave her name on this as I researched the actual source material, in case I had a nice rebuttal on hand.
For your notes; Felicity Baker is described as thus:
Former Assistant Professor in Music Therapy at Sogn og Fjordane College, Sandane, Norway and holds a Bachelor and Masters degree in music therapy from Melbourne University and a PhD from Aalborg University Denmark. Her primary interests are in the area of music therapy and neurological rehabilitation and in the effects of music on the mood changes within clinical patients.
AND
She holds a Bachelor and Masters degree in music therapy from Melbourne University and a PhD from Aalborg University Denmark. Dr Baker is currently program director for the music therapy training program at The School of Music. She is the editor of the Australian Journal of Music Therapy and serves on the editorial board of the Nordic Journal of Music Therapy.
Dr Baker has research interests in music and mood; music preference and diagnosis; songwriting; and music therapy in neurorehabilitation.
I’ve given the paper, and some of the other paper’s authored or co-authored by Ms. Baker a quick once over and found that she has been writing about the effects of music on the human body and mind for some time; long enough I imagine to at least form cogent observations about the matter. I won’t waste any time on the science of this, as I don’t have the time to break the study down (nor do I have the actual data to draw my own conclusions from).
As anecdotes are not data, what can I; the untrained, unpaid and over opinionated person put forth on this? I don’t know. I don’t have an intelligent rebuttal here as I don’t have access to the actual study. However, I do have access to the actual conclusion put forth by the authors:
Studies have found a relationship between various genres of music and antisocial behaviours, vulnerability to suicide, and drug use. However, studies reject that music is a causal factor and suggest that music preference is more indicative of emotional vulnerability. A limited number of studies have found correlations between music preference and mental health status. More research is needed to determine whether music preferences of those with diagnosed mental health issues differ substantially from the general adolescent population.
Note that money phrase there:
A limited number of studies have found correlations between music preference and mental health status. More research is needed to determine whether music preferences of those with diagnosed mental health issues differ substantially from the general adolescent population.
The limitted sample set of data available prevents conclusive results from being made available; thus we need to study the concept further.
Do you see anything about how Rap Music makes you a mysogynist? How about Pop music making you Gay?
If you read the objective or thesis and then use the technique of making shit up, you might:
In the aftermath of the double suicide of two teenage girls in 2007, the media linked the themes of ’emo’ music and the girls’ mental state. But it is not just emo music that has been the subject of scrutiny by the media. Rap music, country, and heavy metal have also been blamed for antisocial behaviours including violence, theft, promiscuity and drug use. It remains an important research and clinical question as to whether music contributes to the acting out of behaviours described in the music lyrics or whether the preferred music represents the already existing behavioural tendencies in the subject. This paper surveys and discusses the relevant literature on music preference and adolescent music listening behaviours, and their links with adolescent mental health.
It appears that Kate Benson might have simply created a conclusion without reading the actual results just two inches lower on the same page.
Good work there Journo! Ms. Benson is probably an opinion writer; and not a journo, but it still seethes my Baby Goats in their mother’s milk when I have to dig so much further for the facts of a sensational story.
Gracelings are people gifted with abilities far above what anyone could call a talent. Katsa is gifted with the ability to run faster, strike harder and kill anyone better than anyone who has ever lived.
Graceling is the author Kristen Cashore’s first novel. It recounts the story of Katsa; a gifted killer in the employ of a King. Far beyond the norm for a girl; Katsa can run for hours, see in the dark and kill wild lions with her bare hands. She is dispatched to maim or terrify those that displease King Randa, to whom she owes total loyalty and fealty. Her secret rebellion against this world is discovered by another gifted fighter and Katsa joins him on a quest to learn the secret behind a royal kidnapping.
My rating: stars
For a first novel, this is certainly an excellent first impression; I shared the first chapter with my Daughter as I read it and she was so intrigued that she demanded that I read it to her in its entirety when I was finished with my review. Graceling is exciting in places, contemplative in others and gorgeous in others.
The “Graced” inhabit a world that loves and fears them; save those that live free on an island kingdom removed from the politics of the mainland. They are vetted and employed by kings and queens for their skills and live (for the most part) at the whim of others. I couldn’t help but find a number of parallels between Graceling and 1602 (by Neil Gaiman) where the “Graced” are simple analogs to the Mutant heroes that populate comics (X-Men for example) but set in a Fantasy world. This is not a critical point however; it makes the characters somewhat familiar, not off-putting.
As for the characters themselves, we have the Mysterious Stranger/Love Interest, The Punk Nerd/Best Friend, The Older Man/Trainer, The Mother Analogue, the Overbearing Father and even the “wise ass little sister”. Again; these are familiar archtypes that I encourage you to discover in the story for yourself, especially the spurned suitor. Being a Young-Adult novel, complex characterizations aren’t what one would expect.
In the quiet moments, when the characters are just existing and no plot movement is going on we are treated to characters as people instead of archetypes and the author gives us people to sympathize with rather than thin action/adventure caricatures. The Quiet moments inevitably happen during some period of travel, which are as numerous as those in the Lord of the Rings; one could imagine the characters passing a pair of hairy-footed little people and having them curse under their breath “horses, why didn’t we think of horses?”
However; all of the characters save Po and Raffi seem to be dim, waiting on the Graced girl to do their thinking for them, Oll who is the spymaster for a King always seems to be one step behind Katsa. Katsa may be a skilled fighter, but Raffi (and others) all remarked that she was not the most perceptive of people; but she has built a grand enterprise around her. This uneven storytelling was off putting at points. Right there on page 183 Po calls out (in so many words) that the council proves that Katsa is much more intelligent than she gives herself credit for, which only enforces my concern with the storytelling regarding Katsa’s character. We’re constantly given these adolescent characters who are not sure of themselves, but able to draw to themselves these crowds of followers. Can’t we have a confident character who is also a protagonist? The self-assured are usually villains and supporting characters, can’t we have a self-assured hero who is legitimate?
It is an old world we are given, with people of fantastic gifts who have become a part of every day life. The extraordinary made tame if not banal. Which, I suppose is what would happen; given the circumstances of the story. People of great ability but limited means used as tools to an end; not quite slavery but not freedom either. Po represents the departure from that form; his circumstances being exceptional in the world we are presented with.
As for the actual story? By the later chapters I found myself willing the Author to forgo the very things that made the narriative so compelling, skip the traveling parts I would will the words to just vanish. It’s a well-paced, engaging piece of fantasy. The characters, while thin at points, are still strong enough to make you want to follow them on. I sussed the majority of the story early on (it’s a young adult fantasy, how complex do you want it to be) but I wasn’t bored, which is a great accomplishment. I don’t need a surprise twist to enhance a story, I just need a strong narrative and characters that I enjoy spending my time on. Graceling provides us with a semi-familiar fantasy setting with a rounded history and believable world that one could easily have loved as a teenager and thought back fondly on as an adult.
This is a review for mini book expo if you a Canadian blogger intereseted in reviewing books on your blog, please do not hesitate to visit.
You will remember that yesterday cuil was released upon the world with as much fanfare as possible. I was unimpressed. I’ve had a few hits here since then, mostly variations on “Cuil” and “Useless” which express a great deal of the emotion that Cuil engendered. Maybe because of the lack of Hubris that Cuil showed, maybe because they copped Flickr’s color scheme for their logo. I don’t care; Cuil is just not that great.
That aside a commenter (John) pointed out Clusty which I promptly checked out; ego surf? Check. Deep Search on my real info? Check. Satisfaction? Check.
Nice One John, I’ll have to keep Clusty on my mind when searching.
I read about cuil this morning while looking through the posts on my iGoogle page. Interested in new things and not willing to simply discount it out of hand, I fired up the ethernets and typed my name and interests into it’s waiting inputs.
And didn’t find the website you are reading this on.
Not at all.
Not even if I searched for things I knew were on this page.
So, yeah. Cuil sucks.
Sorry guys, you have a long way to go if someone can’t ego surf their own website from your engine.
HackinTosh Prime, originally uploaded by NiteMayr.
After a day of not working on my new front page (not really working on it) I have my (new) Ubuntu install set up to look like Leopard. I don’t wanna pay for Leopard (read I don’t want to pay for a Mac); so I faked it.
Yeah, I’m a poser.
Jealous?
This is by far the easiest cheese to make. Called Queso Blanco in the Spanish speaking (it means “white cheese”) world it is used throughout the world by different names. It can be eaten strait or mixed in with various dishes. Try it in your lasagna recipes instead of Ricotta or in addition to it. Yum!
INGREDIENTS
1 Gallon Whole Milk
1/4 Cup White Vinegar**
.
- Heat milk to 180 F (82 C) stirring constantly. Be careful not to burn the milk.
- While mixing with a whisk, slowly add the white vinegar. You will notice the milk begins to curdle.
- Keep stirring for 10-15 minutes.
- Line a colander with a fine cheesecloth.
- Pour the curdled milk through the colander.
- Allow the curds to cool for about 20 minutes.
- Tie the four corners of the cheese cloth together and hang it to drain for about 5 – 7 hours (until it stops dripping).
The solidified cheese can be broken apart and salted to taste or kept unsalted.
1 gallon whole milk
1 pint half-and-half
1 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes (not in oil)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon kosher salt
Extra-virgin olive oil, to serveDrill holes into the bottom of a round plastic storage container (approximately 6 inches wide and at least 4 inches high) and set aside. Line a colander with cheesecloth and set aside.
Put the milk and half-and-half into a large pot over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, until it reaches 195 degrees F. (There will be a slight simmer and the top will be very foamy.) Remove from the heat and slowly stir in the vinegar. Put the colander into the sink and pour this mixture into the cheesecloth. When most of the liquid has passed through, add the tomatoes, basil, and salt and stir gently to incorporate. Gather up the ends of the cheesecloth and transfer the cheese to the plastic container. Set the container on a rack on a sheet pan to catch the whey. Put a plate on top and weight it down with some heavy cans to squeeze out the excess liquid. Let rest for 1 hour, remove the cheesecloth, and return it to the plastic container with the plates and weights. Put it into the refrigerator overnight. To serve, put the cheese onto a plate and brush with a little olive oil.
My first mini book expo book has arrived; “Therefore Repent!” Jim Munroe‘s Graphic Novel about a post-Rapture Chicago and two new arrivals “The Raven” and “The Mummy.” George W. Bush is on a tour of the “Loyal” Red States with “Mr. Christ” in tow and the newly faithful are engaged in a protracted battle to win the favor of the God who left them behind.
It was interesting to see a world post-Rapture world from another point of view. It contrasts well with “The Chrysalids” and “Left Behind” where in both cases the focus was on the Faithful and The Newly Faithful as the protagonists, facing and evil world; “Therefore Repent!” is led by the meandering Gen-X’ers and lacksidasial hippies or spiritualists who had long given up on a Christian paradise.
“The Mummy” is revealed to be a spiritual person; whose own convictions are stronger than his own faith. I think many an agnostic who grew up in the Church can see themselves in his character, someone who has examined their faith and come to terms with it. While sympathetic “The Mummy” isn’t heroic, he is simply a vessel for the story and helps to guide us from point to point in the story.
“The Raven” is an enigma, a woman hidden from the world in a Raven Mask, hiding more than just her face. I felt that her presence as protagonist was the strongest in the novel. She is clearly running from her past; while traying to come to terms with something in it. The Rapture appears only to have solidified that she is cursed in some way and that curse appears to have become unpredictable and dangerous.
Post-Rapture Chicago is populated by the people who have accepted that the Rapture has come and they have been left behind. This is the most striking aspect of the world that we’ve been given. There doesn’t appear to be any denial or suspicion of what has happened. It has simply been accepted and the remains of humanity have moved on. Even the media have simply accepted it into their news cycle. Some of those who are left behind are trying to buy their way back “Splitter” and some are acting in the stead of Jesus “The Risen” but the majority have either given up or just moved on and accepted the new way.
Then the Dog talks and the dead keep rising.
It is clear that the world hasn’t just continued as normal; Angels are culling the west coast and Did I mention that Jesus is on tour with George Bush?
Now, as a Graphic Novel I feel obliged to mention the Art. I won’t linger on it. Salgood Sam doesn’t present a stand out world of destroyed buildings and smoking craters. Instead we are given a strong visual record of a normal world, populated with miracles and loss. It’s like a hand-drawn history. I valued the strong messages that were portrayed in the art of the characters that became more and more poignant as the story progressed.
All of that aside, I have read a very similar story before, I hesitate to list it by name but wonder if perhaps Mr. Munroe was influenced by the same nietzcheian notions that led to it? Nevertheless, this is an enterrtaining read and a strong graphic novel. “Therefore Repent!” is well presented, bound as a nice quality trade and distributed by Insomniac Press it is available from Jim Munroe’s website no media kings. I’d recommend it for fans of Post-Apocalyptic fiction, Gen-X prose and the religious aunt in the family.
Man or Metro-man
Published by NiteMayr on August 5, 2008Man or Metro-man, originally uploaded by NiteMayr.
I dunno, this might be offensive to you; but I enjoy a bit of troublemaking when I’m out and about. Adria, Anita, Chris, Shawn, Alex and Rosie will tell you that I’m the friend that will draw on your metaphorical face when you’re sleeping. It’s all about the “naughty” japes, no hits. You know?
This guy (who I will call English MotherLover from now on) was at the Party after the Shirt Tail Parade on Sunday night; and we saw him sashaying around the party as we were getting our own boogie on. Eventually someone said to me, “what do you think gay, straight or metrosexual?” and gestured to English MotherLover here. We debated this one for a while, because he was really flexing the pink and was “way too good looking and comfortable” to be straight.
Faster than you could say, How Rude, I went over to get the 411 on the situation. He assured me that he was straighter than your ruler, I asked about the tattoo. Apparently he has his friend’s Mothers name on his arms. He said that his friend was going to kick his ass for it; but he didn’t care. (It was airbrushed on anyway)
It was way too loud for a long conversation about this whole deal; and so I asked for his picture and returned to dutifully report on the details. Not Really gay, but just English (I was a great deal more colorful here but why ruin a good story).
The point of this little narrative is to reinforce a couple of points, why be shy and why not know the answer for sure? We were wondering, we had all considered the facts, but were not close to an answer, for the most part when dude’s were playing the fey at the party they were obviously straight guys playing it for kicks, this dude looked like he might really be “the only gay at that part of the crowd” and we had debated it. The truth was WAY more interesting than holding onto our little theories. People are awesome and their stories are always better than your fiction, you know?
As with everyone else I snatched for a photo on Sunday, thanks for posing English MotherLover!