Loro Keterak Blog: January 2010

Led Zeppelin-a-Day: "Your Time Is Gonna Come" + "Whole Lotta Love"

Fairly positive that this is a bootleg cover, but it amuses me so much.

"Your Time Is Gonna Come", Led Zeppelin
So magnificent. As the song kicks up, your spirits ascend with it. Alas, I've already covered that. Here's another:

"Whole Lotta Love", Led Zeppelin II
Oh, an obvious number. But you cannot deny its sensuous strength. I'm generally not into the chunky riffs of Led Zeppelin II, but its a vital part of their history. When I deemed Led Zeppelin II one of the sexiest albums of all time, "Whole Lotta Love" was what I had in mind. Mesmerizing production and ferocious delivery make the song the classic that it is. II is a record that was labored on the road, and the debaucherous nature of the recording is a magnificent reflection of that.

This week:

Listening: Uggh, I'm in that dreaded between-obsessions phase. I loathe! I don't really have anything left with the Clash, so now its musically meandering... Beatles for Sale still; Bessie Smith; "Something About England", The Clash; Curtis, Curtis Mayfield; Everly Brothers still; the Impressions; "Needles and Pins", Jackie DeShannon; "Wicked Annabella", the Kinks; Les Paul per usual; Little Feat, Little Feat; P-Funk; Toots and the Maytals still. Yet, no such obsession.

Reading: The most exciting this to happen to me this month... I paid my library fees! After more than a year of dodging libraries and book mobiles alike, the county of Los Angeles has nothing on me! So that means I've been reading savagely -- I finished four books this week. They are The Year of Magical Thinking, Joan Didion; The Making of the African Queen, Or: How I went to Africa with Bogart, Bacall and Huston and almost lost my mind, Katharine Hepburn; By Myself, Lauren Bacall; Heaven and Hell: My Life in the Eagles (1974-2001), Don Felder.

The Year of Magical Thinking nearly reduced me to tears, but I made it through with dry eyes. She isn't overwhelmingly emotion, yet her emotions still come through so boldly. Her intellectual and fact-based approach is a striking way of delivering such a heartbreaking tale. You see her candid emotions, distress, grief, and mourning for just what they are, and you feel for her immensely. Yet, she demands no such pity, and this is most admirable. She somehow leaves a gap, so you know just how she feels and thinks, but you don't quite feel like you know her. But, what is most incredible about this book is that this is TRUE LIFE. The fact that her pain and each new struggle is entirely real is what gets to me most. Each time the story took a turn, I became completely engrossed, and I'd hope that Ms. Didion could work her way out of it. Why the hell I read a book that has become a staple of "mourning literature", I don't know. (The title sounds mystical, but really has nothing to do with "magic".) All I know is that though I was aware of the final outcome (and I applaud her strength), I still mercilessly traveled through the hardships with her, itching for every detail. A plus: It proves you can write your way out of the biggest disasters.

When The Year of Magical Thinking became too weighty, I balanced it with The Making of the African Queen, Or: How I went to Africa with Bogart, Bacall and Huston and almost lost my mind. While not nearly as stunning as her autobiography, Katharine Hepburn's witty banter, affectionately turbulent accounts of John Huston, but most of all her tales of Bogie and Bacall and living in Africa, all make for a hilarious read. Movie trouble tends to be a bore, but you also get her talking about strange things like not wanting to share a bathroom with the Bogarts, for fear that Bogie will walk in while she's on the toilet. I kind of want to escape on an African safari. Yes?

!!!

By Myself, I read years ago, so I actually just skimmed it. Though, I did read everything from the beginning of her contact with Howard Hawks to Frank Sinatra's flee. For it has all her mushy gushy Bogie courtship tales! I melt. Truly, I sat tucked under my blanket, gripping my heart and cooing to myself. As I've covered, I have no stomach for contrived romance. In contrast, I adore a well-written letter. Especially when penned by Humphrey Bogart, professing his love... "Slim darling, you came along and into my arms and into my heart and all the real true love I have is yours-and now I'm afraid you won't understand and that you'll become impatient and that I'll lose you-but even if that happened, I wouldn't stop loving you for you are my last love and all the rest of my life I shall love you and watch you and be ready to help you should ever need help. All the nice things I do each day would be so much sweeter and so much gayer if you were with me. I find myself saying a hundred times a day, 'If Slim could only see that' or 'I wish Slim could hear this.' I want to make a new life with you-I want all the friends I've lost to meet you and know you and love you as I do-and live again with you, for the past years have been terribly tough, damn near drove me crazy. You'll soon be here, Baby, and when you come you'll bring everything that's important to me in this world with you." That's only one of many, but such sweetness, right? I'm not entirely heartless..

What a happy bunch they appear to be...

Heaven and Hell was basically: "I'm such an intense drug taker. Cocaine cocaine cocaine!" "We're the Eagles, we're so decadent! Such debauchery! We fuck so many ladies, we take so many drugs, we're so wild! So reckless! Third encore!" And of course, "Glenn Frey and Don Henley are such assholes!" But really, Don Felder doesn't come across as a half-bad dude. Sometimes I thought, "Should he just shut up and take what he's given?" But eh, I'm all about speaking your mind, especially when so unfairly vied against. A lose/lose situation, I think. Still, its all just money... But he does also seem to truly possess a respect and admiration for his craft. I think he was a better composer than Joe Walsh anyway. "Hotel California" > "Pretty Maids All in a Row". Basically, I collected that the Eagles seem like a bunch you wouldn't want to spend much time with, and Glenn Frey and Don Henley, for all their talent, were/are greedy bitches. And Irving Azoff too, for all his lack of talent.

Watching: Casino Royale, 1967 version -- so campy and ridiculous, but I love John Huston and David Niven, and Barbara Bouchet was so beautiful; The Kids Are Alright, which we all know is amazing, no need to discuss. The Who, so great; The Harder They Come, a cult favorite with one of the best soundtracks. When asked what it was about, I responded, "Jamaica, weed, reggae." Basically.

I hope to make this weekly overview a steady occurrence, xo.

Happylist.

- Beautifully descriptive writing
- Nails perfectly painted a pretty color
- My perfectly painted nails atop Fitzgerald's words
- Being effortlessly awesome at academics
- Homemade iced tea
- Throwing together good outfits in minutes
- The Beatles
- The Getty
- Humphrey Bogart
- My dad's laugh
- Writing anywhere but paper (hands, walls)
- Pets
- The Yardbirds
- My little brother
- My rings
- My lacy lingerie romper I practically live in
- Putting my hair up when it's wet so it dries wavy
- Liking Dave Davies more than Ray Davies
- Writing
- Receiving positive feedback of any kind
- Learning from constructive criticism
- Amoeba
- Slurpees
- The beach
- The Bay Area
- The fact that Christine McVie is SO MUCH COOLER than Stevie Nicks
- Having an affair with Brian Jones
- Bringing songs out of retirement
- Being optimistic to the point of absurdity
- That I lived in the former home of a 1920s starlet
- That David Crosby may still or once lived in that town
- That Richard Manuel definitely did in the 70's
- The fact that I figured this out by blasting the Band from a car radio, surrounded by old dudes drinking beer, and having a particularly endearing fifty-something with cool shades say, "You know one of those guys used to live around here?"
- The fact that Google can solve most problems regarding lack of information
- Killing bugs
- That time at Starbucks when I bonded with an older woman with green hair, who was sketching a natal chart, over killing bugs and keeping them in a jar. We both did it.
- Natalie Portman's SNL rap
- Jack Nicholson, and his apparently still-raging libido
- Music blasting, television on mute, preferably tuned to a black and white film
- Being practical
- Being a dreamer
- Ice cold beverages
- Slightly melted chocolate chip cookies (especially for breakfast)
- Barbra Streisand's apartment in The Way We Were!
- The Temptations
- John C. Reilly
- Success in all forms
- My furry leopard print coat
- Finding mixed CDs from long ago
- Glitter
- George Harrison as my favorite Beatle
- Jeff Beck
- Howlin' Wolf's voice
- Les Paul, for creating that gorgeous guitar, but also for his own musical accomplishments
- Discovering music
- Introducing others to music
- Self-education
- Knowledge! Endless knowledge!
- CREAM CHEESE
- The gangly charm of Jimmy Stewart
- Pre-Raphaelites
- Traveling
- Astrology in small doses
- Being physically obnoxious (i.e. Slapping asses and things of that nature)
- Randomly screaming for no apparently reason
- Running, dancing, any sort of sudden movement around my house
- Wearing the least amount of clothing as possible, but always wearing clothing
- Bubbles!
- Long, free flowing hair
- Fresh flowers
- Running into famous dudes at Whole Foods
- Always on best behavior at Whole Foods because everyone appears to be famous, even if they aren't
- Aimless jam sessions, and the ability to turn them off
- Musical visuals
- ACCENTS
- Dancing in the dark
- Freshly laundered anything
- Dreams full of surprises
- Advent calendars! (Even when the chocolate tastes terrible, and the most fun stems from popping it out)
- Candles
- CREATING yourself
- Records, record stores, turn tables, anything not new
- Maps, globes
- Scarves! Accessories! Hats
- Gifts, giving and receiving
- Making your dreams come true
- Being RELENTLESS (mostly when regarding the above)
- Candy, the holidays
- LIFE LIFE LIFE
- Fruit
- Writing!!!
- Reading
- Dreaming, imagining, being absurd
- Accepting the inevitable and enjoying everything else
- YOUTH, innocence, naivete
- Fireplaces, and the aroma of logs burning
- Hot chocolate, hot tea, warm beverages that don't quench your thirst
- FRIENDS
- Not seeing people for a while, and realizing that you fucking adore them
- Massive beds
- Being alone
- Being with people you love
- Socks, up to your knees
- Layers of clothing
- Forgetting fear
- Hair, in a thousand different ways
- Being openly unique
- Mmmm, positivity!
- The fact that I've probably repeated a few things by now, because they make me REALLY happy
- Being happy! Duh!
- Getting shit done, and being crazy/ambitious
- INDEPENDENCE, as a blessing, not a curse
- Careless of other's opinions, but not feelings
- Good (improving) posture
- Slinky grace, like a cat
- Confidence, not cockiness, not conceit
- Making lists
- The fact that I just want to KEEP building this list, because I know that SO MUCH makes me happy
- Just everything, for what it is. Good, bad, its there. Be happy, and fuck everything that goes against that. Its fucking LIFE, make it a good one, every single day.
- Have I said Jeff Beck? Well, fuck... JEFF BECK
- How about this? I'll just say, MUSIC.
- Your favorite songs on the radio, they just SOUND better
- Anything that brings happiness, or shines a little light on the world around us, not just the world we each live in
- Windows open wide
- Eggwichs in the Valley
- Did I say my little brother? I adore him endlessly
- The main wall in my bedroom, magnificently adorned with pretty faces and relics of my life
- The fake fireplace in my room that looks real, except that you can touch the artificial coal and flames, but I digress, as it is still produces heat!
- Little Debbie snacks, a not-so-guilty pleasure
- My love/hate relationship with Los Angeles
- Talking about music with anyone, period
- Katharine Hepburn
- Fun email correspondences
- Hoagy Carmichael! So much!
- Oh, um, London?
- And while we're at it, Buenos Aires
- and Tokyo!
- And my family in each respective city, except London, which makes up for it with babes and geniuses, and babe/geniuses
- Rummaging for records!
- The library
- Clothes, but not fashion
- Early cinema
- Cooking, baking, dancing!
- Exploring
- Intriguing characters
- Antiques, flea markets, thrift stores
- Open minds
- Fresh-cut flowers
- Ernest Hemingway
- Red lipstick!
- The French language
- DISNEYLAND
- Long legs
- Surprises
- The smell of vinyl record sleeves... Mmm
- Always being overdressed
- Piggyback rides
- Laughing and debating
- Natural light
- Orange juice
- Candles
- Extensive libraries
- Full house, abundant energy
- THAI FOOD!
- In 'n' Out animal friiiiies
- Bumby
- Albums with nothing but great songs
- Said albums all the way through, front to back, full pleasure
- Mini Rainbow Chips Deluxe cookies!
- Love

What's on your happy list?

Led Zeppelin-a-Day: "Hots On for Nowhere"

"Hots On for Nowhere", Presence
As I said in my "Candy Store Rock" review, I recall the first time I heard "Hots On for Nowhere". I was driving with my father, listening to the radio, when it came on. I'm certain I knew it was Led Zeppelin, but it was my first exposure to the song. I was fairly little. My father exclaimed, "Oh, I love this song!" Up went the volume. I took notice, memorized a lyrics or two -- so I could look it up later, and identify the song's title. It obviously struck me, with its swinging tempo and rare Page-on-Strat use. Though I do remember the lyric I memorized was the one where he speaks of a reindeer, which I found rather odd. I don't listen to "Hots On for Nowhere" much nowadays, but I recall it fondly, for it ties into a time when I began to explore the depth and obscurities of Led Zeppelin's catalog.

Led Zeppelin-a-Day: "In My Time of Dying" + "Bron-Yr-Aur"

"In My Time of Dying", Physical Graffiti
Here and here. I'll cover another song to make up for it:

"Bron-Yr-Aur", Physical Graffiti
Ooh, my heart. The shortest piece the band ever did, but one of the most affective. Its the best when I'm at a loss for words, and I struggle a bit to eloquently articulate just how I feel about particular numbers. "Bron-Yr-Aur" is one of them. Its just one musician, a little over two minutes. This must have been one of their last stabs at acoustics, because you certainly aren't going to find any on Presence or In Through the Out Door. But did they ever do it better than this? I think not. Its the mood, the tiny imperfections, the delicately ethereal delivery. What more is there to be said?

"My style may be described as a kind of loving criticism" - René Bouché

René Bouché was an Austro-Hungarian born artist who is best known for the work he did as an illustrator for Vogue magazine beginning in 1938, but he also produced portraits, works for the theatre, and abstract paintings. In general, his pieces are fun, sophisticated and have this great sketch-like quality to them - even the richly painted pieces that became Vogue covers.

Work like this is just gorgeous and I just do not get why it went out of style. Seriously, if art like this appeared on the covers of magazines now (rather than the art of air-brushing) - I know I'd buy more copies than I do now. Anyone with me?

(To see more images of Bouché's work, go to: http://www.renebouche.com/artist/)

last image via: giam.typepad.com
rest of images, info and quote via: renebouche.com

Led Zeppelin-a-Day: "Night Flight"

"Night Flight", Physical Graffiti
Ah, I knew the time would come when I would be faced with songs I've very much already tackled. Seeing as I've written about Physical Graffiti disc two possibly more than any other topic, "Night Flight" has been heartily covered. It is happiness in the form of a three minute and thirty-seven second song. Predominately JPJ-penned, he is a glorious asset to this song. With the thumping bass and harrowing Hammond organ, he is such an integral part of their sublime musical chemistry. This song is absolutely celestial and jubilant. Robert Plant is vocally perfect, if not a little hard to decipher. As always, JP and John Bonham keep it lively. A magnificent song, off a remarkable album, by a perfect band. My blatant and immense affection nearly sickens me, but hey, it is what it is.

Thursday, a button lover, and Etsy

I have a thing for buttons. As a little girl, it delighted me to run my fingers through my mom's button box, letting them slide through my fingers, cold and slippery.

As a crafty sort of adult, I have my own collection of buttons, made up of hand-me-downs from my mother, huge lots of buttons from estate sales, and a treasured few paid-too-much for vintage buttons of particular beauty. If I make something for you, and I use one of these particularly beautiful buttons to emblish it, you can be sure I love you very much.

Of course Etsy is a treasure trove of buttons, one I love to run my virtual fingers through.

Like this simple collection of pretty vintage buttons from LillianOlive:

Vintage button as necklace by WhimsyHouse:

"Violet Hoopla," a button, felted cashmere, and embroidery collage by bomchelle:

Antique crochet and vintage buttons on a mustard linen pillow by vintagedesignstudio:

Hip and lovely vintage button brooches by runamok:

Sweet needlecase with vintage buttons by JennMaruskaDesign (dear family, bookmark this for mother's day, please):

Gorgeous wintery mini-wreath embellished with buttons, by ravennagirls:

Vintage button bobbypins (that I wish my daughter would allow in her hair) from annatillettdesigns:

Button and paper embellishments by chocolatecupcake:

My personal favorite in this grouping, "Buttons," a 5x5 print from LolasRoom:

And a necklace celebrating the button (which I got for Christmas, but in silver, and which I very much treasure) from luxedeluxe:

Enjoy cultivating your own button love!

Led Zeppelin-a-Day: "The Song Remains the Same"

"The Song Remains the Same", Houses of the Holy
So good! A classic in the truest sense of the word. The perfect opening number for what I'd probably deem my second-favorite Led Zeppelin album of all time. Never were they so fresh, and vibrant. While Physical Graffiti is my all time favorite, it gets filed under "mature", whereas Houses of the Holy is absolutely youthful. What can I even say about "The Song Remains the Same"? Its a song I'm so familiar with. It, like so many others, has become a part of my character. JP ferociously plays a variety of tracks, employing his Tele as well as a Rickenbacker 12-string... Its absolutely momentous, thunderous, climactic! JPJ and John Bonham keep it funky, and they all effortlessly combine numerous elements to make nothing less than a masterpiece. In under six minutes, they take you to a variety of places.

Love is not all

image courtesy of .bobby on Flickr

A student once asked my why so many famous American writers have three names: Edgar Allan Poe, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Charlotte Perkins Gilman ... and so on. Because I'm rich with knowledge of all things literary, I answered, "I don't know."

But I do know that the best and most romantic three-name name in American literature is Edna St. Vincent Millay. So regal and romantic. So dreamy and literary. A name made for a writer.

As February approaches and my children struggle to decide which cartoon character will deliver their messages of love and friendship, I've been thinking about more earnest ways to express devotion. And I remembered this Edna St. Vincent Millay sonnet, one of my favorite poems ever, which seemed to fit just right with a striking image (posted above) that I recently came across on Flickr.

And Millay was born in February, so here's homage to the first American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for poetry and some inspiration for Valentine's Day.

Love is Not All
by Edna St. Vincent Millay

Love is not all: it is not meat nor drink
Nor slumber nor a roof against the rain;
Nor yet a floating spar to men that sink
And rise and sink and rise and sink again;
Love can not fill the thickened lung with breath,
Nor clean the blood, nor set the fractured bone;
Yet many a man is making friends with death
Even as I speak, for lack of love alone.
It well may be that in a difficult hour,
Pinned down by pain and moaning for release,
Or nagged by want past resolution's power,
I might be driven to sell your love for peace,
Or trade the memory of this night for food.
It well may be. I do not think I would.

Led Zeppelin-a-Day: "Candy Store Rock"

"Candy Store Rock", Presence
Presence will never, ever be one of my favorite Led Zeppelin records. I went through a "Royal Orleans" phase and I can distinctly remember the first time I heard "Hots On for Nowhere"... But as a complete album? I say, "Meh." Guitar players dig this record, and I respect this record, because it shows that Led Zeppelin can be on a time crunch and running on various substances. There is fire and passion that comes through with this record. Robert Plant was in a wheel chair, anxiety was abundant. So, Presence gets an "A" for effort, especially JP, whom absolutely dominates this record, in a fierce way that you will only find on Presence. "Candy Store Rock" has never gotten me. Its funky, a bit dark, boasts a catchy rhythm. But "Candy Store Rock" isn't a favorite, point blank.

Happy Australia Day

Happy for the Happy 101 Blog Award!

We are so flattered to have been tagged by Valerie of the lovely cabin + cub for a Happy 101 Blog Award! That makes us very happy. It also encourages us to dig deep into our rain-soaked souls and come up with our own list of things that make us smile (though coming up with 10 blogs that make us happy was a breeze - there are so many great ones!)

So here are the official rules:
"List 10 things that make up happy, tag 10 bloggers that brighten your day. For those 10 bloggers who get the award, you then link back to our blog and create your list of things that make you happy."

And because we refused to be penned in by anyone's "rules" (or simply because there are 3 of us at Hiving Out), we'll be modifying the rules slightly for ourselves so each of us can share 5 bits of personal happiness and 5 inspiring blogs. Hope that's okay. :)

5 things that make Mae happy:

1. Being lunch mom for 22 earnest kindergarteners twice a month (any more frequently and this might not make my list)
2. Neko Case's song "This Tornado Loves You"
3. Buttons
4. Handmade valentines
5. Decidedly non-literary audiobooks

5 things that make Vivi happy:

1. The smell of my cat's stinky post nap breath when she yawns in my face
2. cowl necks
3. The fact that my bf knows how to make my tea exactly how I like it and knows when to make it exactly when I need it
4. a big fat crackling fire in the fireplace
5. my 4 year old nephew's fondness (and persistent demand) for family hugs

5 Things that make Lorelei happy:

1. Drizzle
2. When my kids get lost in play with each other (and there is no bickering and/or tattling)
3. Getting to the point in a drawing where it really starts to look as I intended/imagined
4. Funyuns
5. Reruns of "Remington Steele"

And now for the blogs:
(All of these blogs are amazing must reads, but here are the 5 each of us has selected as sources of happy reading.)

For Mae:
1. Junior Society
2. sugar city journal
3. katie did journal
4. How About Orange
5. In My Shoes

For Vivi:
1. life according to celia
2. Smile and Wave
3. The City Sage
4. Her Name Was Lola
5. alice b. gardens

For Lorelei:
1. elephantine
2. Little Green Notebook
3. Theodesign blog
4. oh, hello friend
5. Stickers and Stuff

Led Zeppelin-a-Day: "What Is and What Should Never Be"

I actually think this was snapped at the first LZ sessions, which would make it irrelevant to this song. But even if so, woo history!

"What Is and What Should Never Be", Led Zeppelin II
One of my favorites off II, which you may recall, I once deemed one of the sexiest albums of all time. Particularly favorable are the delicate guitar stylings of JP on the verses, coupled with JPJ's tastefully melodic bass lines. Robert Plant's phased vocals bounce elegantly from subdued to lively, as everything suddenly explodes on the chorus. "What Is and What Should Never Be" is apparently one of JP's first times using a Les Paul in the studio, to blatantly striking results. Finally, he also shows his chops as a producer. Between riffs alternating to and from each sides of the stereo, I believe a hear a gong... A fun number.

Dj Ayres - Live at Home

In this case "Live" is pronounced as it would be in "Saturday Night Live", and not "I still live with my parents".

DJ Ayres has done a mix for the awesome "Live at Home" series - perfect Monday morning music.

LINK TO: Dj Ayres - Live at Home Mix

Also make sure to grab the WHISKEY BARONS EDITS while you are over there.

Have a great week!

Led Zeppelin-a-Day: "Kashmir"

So I mentioned some time ago that I would like a daily musical/journalistic challenge. My options: Led Zeppelin song a day, or a random song plucked out by my iPod a day. I'm opting for Led Zeppelin. A song a day is easy. A song a day is a pleasure. It will also help me along during these semi-dry times for the blog -- when I'm slaving over other things, and am slightly tortured by the thought, "Your blog is what keeps you believing that you're doing something to achieve your dreams, REMEMBER?" I track my live feed and I see that the viewers decrease when there is nothing new to read. So here it is, a kick in the ass.

Oh, but don't worry. This definitely won't become my only outlet. I'll continue with the usual banter. Speaking of! By the way! The other day, I was lapping up those delicious moments right before you fall asleep. I hope everyone knows just what I mean. You're not yet asleep, but your mind has switched into this delirious, yet brilliant stand-by mode. Its, bar none, when I get my best thinking done. The most wondrous ideas, plans for world domination, or at least a superbly fulfilling life... I was thinking, thinking, thinking. It dawned on me, "I have a voice! The jittery, passionate, frequently capitalized, exclamation laden prose which simply come to me -- its my VOICE." It was a miraculous discovery. I was thinking, "Am I influenced by any particular writers?" There are so many authors whom I love to read, but I thought, "My writing doesn't particularly resemble theirs... I don't see myself particularly influenced by any. Maybe ALL, but not any specifically." The next thought: "What an accomplishment!" So la di da, I'll just continue nurturing and developing said voice.

Anyway, here's your Led Zep:

Kashmir, Physical Graffiti
I think I've made it quite clear that Physical Graffiti is my favorite album of all time. I prefer disc two (again, no secret). Disc two is made up of mostly rarities. You probably won't hear anyone proclaim, "'Down by the Seaside'? A classic!" It IS a classic, in the fact that its Led Zeppelin at their best (Mmm, 1975. Delectable), just not in the obvious sense of the word. "Black Dog" is a 'classic', but if I was stranded on an island, I'd request to keep it off the island. "Kashmir" is another song that is a 'classic'. It is one of my least favorite Led Zeppelin songs. I RARELY play this song. I might even play "Hats Off to (Roy) Harper" more often, and "Hats Off" is my all time least favorite Led Zeppelin ever released on an official studio album. I find Roy Harper himself strangely alluring, but the song... A bore. "Kashmir", in contrast, isn't boring. It's an "epic". But here is my sad and sorry confession: I am a child of the nineties. The dramatic and instantly recognizable main riff in "Kashmir" reminds me of... P. Diddy, but I think he was Puff Daddy at the time. It makes me think of Godzilla. Didn't Jimmy Page and perhaps he was actually "Puffy", do an SNL appearance? Am I dreaming? That is what I think of. I don't think of whimsical hills in foreign Middle Eastern countries. I think of a weird, fictitious monster. I don't even think of a lanky, young JP slinging his Les Paul. I think of Jimmy Page with frizzy, dyed black hair. I know... That has absolutely nothing to do with music. Precisely! But my nearly baby-esque self could not anticipate that one day I'd be writing this. I didn't realize "Diddy" would wreck my view of "Kashmir" forever. I wish my dad had schooled me, and not let Diddy be more destructive than Godzilla. Alas, that hip-hop mogul got to me before anyone could intervene. "Kashmir" = "Come with Me" (I think that's what it was called, and I determined to not check it!) In other words, "Kashmir" is wrecked for me. Maybe one day it will equate to mystical adventures through new lands (which they hadn't even visited when it was written...), but for now, its me and the name-changing chameleon.

Reason to love rain (#5)

Because even when it looks like this...

Rain is still so romantic (especially as a metaphor for teen love):

photo by recurrent dream (via here)

passage from the young adult novel via ffffound
(By the way, the Alaska of the title? A girl, of course.)

Thursday, my funny valentine, and Etsy

Photograph courtesy of capow

There is still plenty of time before Valentine's Day and yet I could not help but poke around on Etsy to see what tokens of love are out there. As expected, there are so many fantastic choices it was hard to narrow down my list. I decided to show off some of my findings for those of you looking for that perfect something for the perfect someone. Before you reach for the tried and true Whitman's Sampler this February, maybe you could consider going homemade?

For the babies in your life- something small and adorable.