At my desk
At my desk . . . pretty typical, except for lately. This is the first time I've been in my office since the surgery, and also the first time I've sat down at the computer. I like my laptop (most of the time), but I like typing on my desktop so much better. I type faster on it too . . . . Anyways some random musings and statements.
Just started Ronald Hutton's "Blood and Mistletoe" which is an academic history of Druidry. The first chapter alone is an academic tour de force, a thorough look at the limited information on the Druids up until the Middle Ages. What I like most about Hutton is that he can take a pretty complex idea and then break it down in such a way that will stick in your head for ages. In a lot of instances at this stage of the book, Hutton is more reporter than historian. He rounds up all the different theories about the ancient sources pertaining to Druidry, and then writes about them. The only judgement is reserved for the discredited ideas, many of which continue to percolate, especially in Contemporary Paganism.
Once you get by the ancient sources section (Roman/Greek/Irish/Welsh) the book is really an examination of Druidry in literature, culture, and self-identification in Britain. He released a similar work two years ago aimed at a general audience, but I find his writing is more effective when he goes full out academic. (He also writes in a way that my tiny non-academic brain can comprehend. One of my favorite scholars of antiquity, Stephanie Lyn Buidin, can only write full out academic, and I need a note card to keep up while reading.) Full review later I'm sure as I'm a Hutton groupie.
I've been watching a lot of Mtv and Fuse in my house-locked state, and I'm both embarrassed by it, and sort of secretly transfixed by it as well. If you had told me 4 months ago that I would like Katy Perry's "Waking Up in Vegas" I would have slapped you, but it's catchy pop music and I hummed it all day yesterday. Pop music has been a cesspool of crap since the end of the 80's, and it's nice to see it catchy and fun again.
I was watching VH-1 Classic this morning (Fuse was running infomercials-boo!) and they were playing all 80's stuff (which usually means a period from 1982-86) and I was loving it all. There's something so hummable, and dare I say fun, about stuff like Mr. Mister's "Kyrie" (an all-time favorite song actually), "Use Your Love" by the Outfield, even Romeo Void is great. Pop music is not the bane of the world's existence, and sometimes I find it necessary in life. The best hairmetal was always great pop music glammed up with hairspray and a guitar solo.
The "Rockstar Party" at Starwood has forced me to start re-evaluating music to begin with. I thought it would be a celebration of Led Zeppelin, G'n'R, The Rolling Stones, and Pink Floyd. Instead the crowed reacted most strongly to stuff like Rage Against the Machine, Disturbed, Dr. Dre w/Snoop Dog, and Marilyn Manson. Was not expecting that. I think if I had played The All-American Rejects "Give You Hell" I would have brought the place down. I should have also played some Papa Roach along with the Buckcherry. Things to know for next year I think.
The Dre and Snoop thing is the most surprising thing to me, and in my exile I have been watching a lot of rap videos. Rap is not as good as it was in the 80's and early 90's. Dre's first solo record "The Chronic" is a classic and set the template of rap for the next 15 years, but nothing else ever sounded so good. People only noticed the thug-life crap in it, and every rap song/video become a torrent of derogatory proclamations against women and curse words. RunDMC and Public Enemy put everything else in this decade to shame, but I have been enjoying rap again, to a limited degree. I miss the politics of PE, but I also enjoy hip-hop that is just plain fun and dumb. There's a lot of that right now, and it's not full of profanity. You can listen to a video without all the words bleeped out. I'm starting to like the Black Eyed Peas, shoot me.
What's probably most embarrassing is liking a little Lady Gaga. Chuck and Ari's taunts of me being a 14 year old girl will probably increase tenfold, and deservedly so. The only video currently on Fuse that doesn't make me feel 117 is Green Day's "21 Guns" which just happens to be on every hour, almost as much as the Kings of Leon.
I'm hoping my infatuation with pop music is short-lived, and probably will be. Next week is AC/DC in Grand Rapids, and Dio Sabbath. Hell yeah.
I'm out of the knee brace on a limited basis. I will wear it tomorrow when I go back to work, but around the house I can get around without it. I've started bending my knee a little bit and putting some weight on my right leg. The hope is to be crutch free by monday (maybe earlier).
Just started Ronald Hutton's "Blood and Mistletoe" which is an academic history of Druidry. The first chapter alone is an academic tour de force, a thorough look at the limited information on the Druids up until the Middle Ages. What I like most about Hutton is that he can take a pretty complex idea and then break it down in such a way that will stick in your head for ages. In a lot of instances at this stage of the book, Hutton is more reporter than historian. He rounds up all the different theories about the ancient sources pertaining to Druidry, and then writes about them. The only judgement is reserved for the discredited ideas, many of which continue to percolate, especially in Contemporary Paganism.
Once you get by the ancient sources section (Roman/Greek/Irish/Welsh) the book is really an examination of Druidry in literature, culture, and self-identification in Britain. He released a similar work two years ago aimed at a general audience, but I find his writing is more effective when he goes full out academic. (He also writes in a way that my tiny non-academic brain can comprehend. One of my favorite scholars of antiquity, Stephanie Lyn Buidin, can only write full out academic, and I need a note card to keep up while reading.) Full review later I'm sure as I'm a Hutton groupie.
I've been watching a lot of Mtv and Fuse in my house-locked state, and I'm both embarrassed by it, and sort of secretly transfixed by it as well. If you had told me 4 months ago that I would like Katy Perry's "Waking Up in Vegas" I would have slapped you, but it's catchy pop music and I hummed it all day yesterday. Pop music has been a cesspool of crap since the end of the 80's, and it's nice to see it catchy and fun again.
I was watching VH-1 Classic this morning (Fuse was running infomercials-boo!) and they were playing all 80's stuff (which usually means a period from 1982-86) and I was loving it all. There's something so hummable, and dare I say fun, about stuff like Mr. Mister's "Kyrie" (an all-time favorite song actually), "Use Your Love" by the Outfield, even Romeo Void is great. Pop music is not the bane of the world's existence, and sometimes I find it necessary in life. The best hairmetal was always great pop music glammed up with hairspray and a guitar solo.
The "Rockstar Party" at Starwood has forced me to start re-evaluating music to begin with. I thought it would be a celebration of Led Zeppelin, G'n'R, The Rolling Stones, and Pink Floyd. Instead the crowed reacted most strongly to stuff like Rage Against the Machine, Disturbed, Dr. Dre w/Snoop Dog, and Marilyn Manson. Was not expecting that. I think if I had played The All-American Rejects "Give You Hell" I would have brought the place down. I should have also played some Papa Roach along with the Buckcherry. Things to know for next year I think.
The Dre and Snoop thing is the most surprising thing to me, and in my exile I have been watching a lot of rap videos. Rap is not as good as it was in the 80's and early 90's. Dre's first solo record "The Chronic" is a classic and set the template of rap for the next 15 years, but nothing else ever sounded so good. People only noticed the thug-life crap in it, and every rap song/video become a torrent of derogatory proclamations against women and curse words. RunDMC and Public Enemy put everything else in this decade to shame, but I have been enjoying rap again, to a limited degree. I miss the politics of PE, but I also enjoy hip-hop that is just plain fun and dumb. There's a lot of that right now, and it's not full of profanity. You can listen to a video without all the words bleeped out. I'm starting to like the Black Eyed Peas, shoot me.
What's probably most embarrassing is liking a little Lady Gaga. Chuck and Ari's taunts of me being a 14 year old girl will probably increase tenfold, and deservedly so. The only video currently on Fuse that doesn't make me feel 117 is Green Day's "21 Guns" which just happens to be on every hour, almost as much as the Kings of Leon.
I'm hoping my infatuation with pop music is short-lived, and probably will be. Next week is AC/DC in Grand Rapids, and Dio Sabbath. Hell yeah.
I'm out of the knee brace on a limited basis. I will wear it tomorrow when I go back to work, but around the house I can get around without it. I've started bending my knee a little bit and putting some weight on my right leg. The hope is to be crutch free by monday (maybe earlier).