Monday miscellany
I need to get some new icons. I like the fairy-tale-illustration rose, don't get me wrong, but I'm getting slightly bored of it. That can be my procrastination exercise for the evening. Not that I can afford to procrastinate at the moment - I'm leaving for Britain and Ireland on Friday! This will not, sadly, be a fun trip, as I think I've mentioned. Everything seems to get more hectic by the day around here.
Today I took my French competency exam and passed it, which is a relief. I was worried, because I've neglected French completely while learning Greek and Latin, and there's no question that my skills (such as they were) have deteriorated. Not that I was ever brilliant in the first place - three cheers to the U.S. "education" system. Now I just have to worry about the Greek one, and that pesky little thesis o' mine. The hard parts of the program(me) applications are over; now I just have to worry about financial aid. (Yanks reading this will understand what I mean; Canadians probably will not.) Also, the article that I was assigned to translate for the exam made me think that maybe my doctoral thesis proposal, which I've already submitted, is kind of atrociously flawed. Ah well. One day at a time and all that.
My sister is evidently rather ill at the moment. She got incredibly sick last term, winding up in the emergency room and taking quite a while to recover after that, so Mom's gone up to Boston to take care of her for a week or so. I've sent her an e-card, but Noodle, if you're reading this as well, please get better soon! I'll see her in person at the end of next month, when we go to visit Grandma.
Fun notes: I finished Zadie Smith's White Teeth and have concluded that it's good but vastly overrated. There's no question that Smith is a master (or mistress, if we want to be technically PC, but that sounds wrong) of characterization. She's insightful, ironic, hilarious, and on many levels lovable in that regard. She also manages to interweave a number of smaller stories together, coherently, without feeling compelled to use one Rigidly Significant Overarching Plot as a straitjacket. That said, the lack of subtlety is painful. Her ideology - one that I substantially share - sometimes seems to take precedence over all other concerns, which never bodes well for a story. White Teeth is a classically low-mimetic story, to use Northrop Frye's schema, and very naturalistic low mimesis at that. So when Smith imports the occasional snippet of magical realism, which she fails to integrate, it's very jarring, and fails miserably at its purpose. And as regards Salman Rushdie, she needs to learn the difference between allusion and aping.
I managed to watch part of the Grammys last night before falling asleep. I'll put my thoughts under the cut
I have no particular thoughts on the classical awards. I never do, because all the contenders are always technically proficient and artistically interesting. The only question is how much I happen to like a given composition. I will say that I was happy to see the little Mahler love-fest, as I rather like Mahler. I also can't believe that anybody, anywhere, was given any kind of recognition for anything connected in any way to Chopin's Nocturnes. They're fun little pieces, sure, but they're not hugely moving or significant bits of music, and they were done to death a thousand times over within Chopin's lifetime. I suppose a recording or performance might have artistic merit as a lullaby. That's about it, though.
No major quibbles with any of the rock/pop categories (apart from Tony Bennett) with which I'm at all acquainted. I love Neil Young, but his most recent album isn't his best work - another case of letting one's politics (with which I agree entirely) interfere with one's art.
The Police - I was so happy to see them together again! "Roxanne" was my most favouritest song ever when I was nine or so - no, I didn't know it was about. Sting looks like he's doing really well, and his voice really doesn't have much wear to show for the last few decades. That said, their tinkering with Roxanne was unwarranted (and boring). There's a reason that the studio version gets released and becomes popular - it's catchier. And with pop music, catchy is at least half the point.
Al Gore and Quuen Latifah sharing the stage - now that was quite a sight.
Justin Timberlake: His nose hair on my screen at the Grammys is not a comedy substitute for his dick in a box at Christmanukkah. Whose idea was that? Besides "someone who's about to get fired," I mean. In a related vein, Joan Baez reciting "This Land is Your Land" is an extremely poor substitute for Woody Guthrie singing it.
Fashion notes, restricted to people whose names I at least kind of vaguely recognise:
The good:
Mary J. Blige's silver-banded sparkly white gown was beautiful. I just hope that her coat was faux fur, and if it wasn't, that she'll heed the inevitable (and necessary) PETA letter.
Jamie Foxx looked fabulous, as always. And I think his suit was fine, although I wasn't paying it much attention.
Nathalie Cole's paprika-coloured banded dress: also fabulous.
Corinna Bailey Rae's scalloped mid-length black dress: simple but lovely, and it managed to be cute rather than boring.
The same is true of two-thirds of the Dixie Chicks' dresses, but Natalie Maines' made her look either fat (which she is not) or pregnant (which I don't think she is).
Beyoncé (does the final "e" have an accent?) worked the sparkle much better than she did at the Golden Globes. The flower in her hair was a nice touch, rather than being excessive.
Hillary Duff's dress was daring but terrific. Her hair... I liked it about as much as I like her music.
Justin Timberlake looked good when he wasn't doing that ridiculous hand-held camera thing.
Nancy Wilson (the jazz vocalist, not she of Heart) was august and elegant in that tailored drapey dove-grey number.
Shakira's red empire gown rocked, although "Hips Don't Lie" does not. Same goes for Enya (or properly Eithne [Ní Bhraonáin], but I suppose Americans can't pronounce that). And I suppose Enya makes for a less pretentious lullaby than Chopin.
LeAnn Rimes really rocked the Greek-inspired look. She actually pulled off the dark brown, which is difficult for someone with her colouring, and the embellished "belt" worked really well when you might have expected it to clash horribly.
Tara Reid looked great, although that bold a shade of pink would be better for someone with a richer skin tone.
Seal and Heidi Klum may not be quite as pretty as Brangelina, but they're very, very close.
Alyson Hannigan looked really cute - and not evil even though her hair was black!
The Pussycat dolls singer was fabulous in her violet gown, although the rest of the ensemble was less than enchanting.
James Blount's girlfriend looked terrific, but that could be her more than the dress.
The sorta- to very hideous:
Whoever helps Stevie Wonder with his wardrobe needs to be arrested for assault.
Both Christina Ricci's hair and her choice of dress (which, with a few modifications, might have been great in other settings on someone else) left a great deal to be desired.
Pink needs to do something with her hair. At this point, the Sínead O'Connor look (which looked great on Sínead, back in the day) would be preferable, and considering Pink's features and colouring, that's saying something.
Cristina Aguilera could really try just looking like herself for a change, although at this point I'm not sure if anyone knows how she actually looks.
Jessica Simpson: See my comments re. Maggie Gyllenhall at the Golden Globes. And no, I'm not going to criticise Joan Baez for wearing a simple black dress. That look works for her, Jess. It does not work for you.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers: TUCK YOUR SHIRTS IN! And wear something tailored, for once. You can't spend all that time and effort keeping insanely buff for the socks-on-cocks routine only to wear actual clothes that are really baggy and bland.
George Clinton looked awful, but if he didn't, the natural laws that maintain the fabric of the universe would collapse, so it's probably for the best.
Nellie Furtado: The basic concept could have worked. The particular execution did not. Same with Mandy Moore (and if she gave up recording music, that would be great too), Zuleyka Rivera, Fergie (singer of Black Eyed Peas, not duchess of York).
Ike Turner's suit was actually cool for the occasion, but I hate him on principle.
I really haven't made up my mind on: Paula Abdul, Prince (not in purple?!), Carrie Underwood (looked good, but not that interesting), Scarlett Johansson (same - and is she really thinking of starting a recording career? Argh!)
Lots of people of whom I've never heard looked great, awful, and unremarkable too.
Other pop culture notes: Lost looks like it's on track to make a decent recovery after a weak beginning of the (split) season. I was surprised, in a good way, when someone (I won't say who; spoiler caution and all) was revealed to be in a sort of Stockholm Syndrome situation. I'm very eager to get Jack back to the main island, presumably in next week's episode, and I wouldn't mind all of the Others getting blown up in the process. They bore me senseless. (I oppose violence against real people in nearly all circumstances. Violence against fictional ones is fine by me - cf. Clueless.) I continue to love Heroes despite last week's appalling lack of Mohinder and over-emphasis on Hiro, who I always want to throttle (see previous note). Love Claire and her family, bio- and adoptive.
That's all for now - real work beckons.
Today I took my French competency exam and passed it, which is a relief. I was worried, because I've neglected French completely while learning Greek and Latin, and there's no question that my skills (such as they were) have deteriorated. Not that I was ever brilliant in the first place - three cheers to the U.S. "education" system. Now I just have to worry about the Greek one, and that pesky little thesis o' mine. The hard parts of the program(me) applications are over; now I just have to worry about financial aid. (Yanks reading this will understand what I mean; Canadians probably will not.) Also, the article that I was assigned to translate for the exam made me think that maybe my doctoral thesis proposal, which I've already submitted, is kind of atrociously flawed. Ah well. One day at a time and all that.
My sister is evidently rather ill at the moment. She got incredibly sick last term, winding up in the emergency room and taking quite a while to recover after that, so Mom's gone up to Boston to take care of her for a week or so. I've sent her an e-card, but Noodle, if you're reading this as well, please get better soon! I'll see her in person at the end of next month, when we go to visit Grandma.
Fun notes: I finished Zadie Smith's White Teeth and have concluded that it's good but vastly overrated. There's no question that Smith is a master (or mistress, if we want to be technically PC, but that sounds wrong) of characterization. She's insightful, ironic, hilarious, and on many levels lovable in that regard. She also manages to interweave a number of smaller stories together, coherently, without feeling compelled to use one Rigidly Significant Overarching Plot as a straitjacket. That said, the lack of subtlety is painful. Her ideology - one that I substantially share - sometimes seems to take precedence over all other concerns, which never bodes well for a story. White Teeth is a classically low-mimetic story, to use Northrop Frye's schema, and very naturalistic low mimesis at that. So when Smith imports the occasional snippet of magical realism, which she fails to integrate, it's very jarring, and fails miserably at its purpose. And as regards Salman Rushdie, she needs to learn the difference between allusion and aping.
I managed to watch part of the Grammys last night before falling asleep. I'll put my thoughts under the cut
I have no particular thoughts on the classical awards. I never do, because all the contenders are always technically proficient and artistically interesting. The only question is how much I happen to like a given composition. I will say that I was happy to see the little Mahler love-fest, as I rather like Mahler. I also can't believe that anybody, anywhere, was given any kind of recognition for anything connected in any way to Chopin's Nocturnes. They're fun little pieces, sure, but they're not hugely moving or significant bits of music, and they were done to death a thousand times over within Chopin's lifetime. I suppose a recording or performance might have artistic merit as a lullaby. That's about it, though.
No major quibbles with any of the rock/pop categories (apart from Tony Bennett) with which I'm at all acquainted. I love Neil Young, but his most recent album isn't his best work - another case of letting one's politics (with which I agree entirely) interfere with one's art.
The Police - I was so happy to see them together again! "Roxanne" was my most favouritest song ever when I was nine or so - no, I didn't know it was about. Sting looks like he's doing really well, and his voice really doesn't have much wear to show for the last few decades. That said, their tinkering with Roxanne was unwarranted (and boring). There's a reason that the studio version gets released and becomes popular - it's catchier. And with pop music, catchy is at least half the point.
Al Gore and Quuen Latifah sharing the stage - now that was quite a sight.
Justin Timberlake: His nose hair on my screen at the Grammys is not a comedy substitute for his dick in a box at Christmanukkah. Whose idea was that? Besides "someone who's about to get fired," I mean. In a related vein, Joan Baez reciting "This Land is Your Land" is an extremely poor substitute for Woody Guthrie singing it.
Fashion notes, restricted to people whose names I at least kind of vaguely recognise:
The good:
Mary J. Blige's silver-banded sparkly white gown was beautiful. I just hope that her coat was faux fur, and if it wasn't, that she'll heed the inevitable (and necessary) PETA letter.
Jamie Foxx looked fabulous, as always. And I think his suit was fine, although I wasn't paying it much attention.
Nathalie Cole's paprika-coloured banded dress: also fabulous.
Corinna Bailey Rae's scalloped mid-length black dress: simple but lovely, and it managed to be cute rather than boring.
The same is true of two-thirds of the Dixie Chicks' dresses, but Natalie Maines' made her look either fat (which she is not) or pregnant (which I don't think she is).
Beyoncé (does the final "e" have an accent?) worked the sparkle much better than she did at the Golden Globes. The flower in her hair was a nice touch, rather than being excessive.
Hillary Duff's dress was daring but terrific. Her hair... I liked it about as much as I like her music.
Justin Timberlake looked good when he wasn't doing that ridiculous hand-held camera thing.
Nancy Wilson (the jazz vocalist, not she of Heart) was august and elegant in that tailored drapey dove-grey number.
Shakira's red empire gown rocked, although "Hips Don't Lie" does not. Same goes for Enya (or properly Eithne [Ní Bhraonáin], but I suppose Americans can't pronounce that). And I suppose Enya makes for a less pretentious lullaby than Chopin.
LeAnn Rimes really rocked the Greek-inspired look. She actually pulled off the dark brown, which is difficult for someone with her colouring, and the embellished "belt" worked really well when you might have expected it to clash horribly.
Tara Reid looked great, although that bold a shade of pink would be better for someone with a richer skin tone.
Seal and Heidi Klum may not be quite as pretty as Brangelina, but they're very, very close.
Alyson Hannigan looked really cute - and not evil even though her hair was black!
The Pussycat dolls singer was fabulous in her violet gown, although the rest of the ensemble was less than enchanting.
James Blount's girlfriend looked terrific, but that could be her more than the dress.
The sorta- to very hideous:
Whoever helps Stevie Wonder with his wardrobe needs to be arrested for assault.
Both Christina Ricci's hair and her choice of dress (which, with a few modifications, might have been great in other settings on someone else) left a great deal to be desired.
Pink needs to do something with her hair. At this point, the Sínead O'Connor look (which looked great on Sínead, back in the day) would be preferable, and considering Pink's features and colouring, that's saying something.
Cristina Aguilera could really try just looking like herself for a change, although at this point I'm not sure if anyone knows how she actually looks.
Jessica Simpson: See my comments re. Maggie Gyllenhall at the Golden Globes. And no, I'm not going to criticise Joan Baez for wearing a simple black dress. That look works for her, Jess. It does not work for you.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers: TUCK YOUR SHIRTS IN! And wear something tailored, for once. You can't spend all that time and effort keeping insanely buff for the socks-on-cocks routine only to wear actual clothes that are really baggy and bland.
George Clinton looked awful, but if he didn't, the natural laws that maintain the fabric of the universe would collapse, so it's probably for the best.
Nellie Furtado: The basic concept could have worked. The particular execution did not. Same with Mandy Moore (and if she gave up recording music, that would be great too), Zuleyka Rivera, Fergie (singer of Black Eyed Peas, not duchess of York).
Ike Turner's suit was actually cool for the occasion, but I hate him on principle.
I really haven't made up my mind on: Paula Abdul, Prince (not in purple?!), Carrie Underwood (looked good, but not that interesting), Scarlett Johansson (same - and is she really thinking of starting a recording career? Argh!)
Lots of people of whom I've never heard looked great, awful, and unremarkable too.
Other pop culture notes: Lost looks like it's on track to make a decent recovery after a weak beginning of the (split) season. I was surprised, in a good way, when someone (I won't say who; spoiler caution and all) was revealed to be in a sort of Stockholm Syndrome situation. I'm very eager to get Jack back to the main island, presumably in next week's episode, and I wouldn't mind all of the Others getting blown up in the process. They bore me senseless. (I oppose violence against real people in nearly all circumstances. Violence against fictional ones is fine by me - cf. Clueless.) I continue to love Heroes despite last week's appalling lack of Mohinder and over-emphasis on Hiro, who I always want to throttle (see previous note). Love Claire and her family, bio- and adoptive.
That's all for now - real work beckons.