Where Have I Been Lately?

If you've been wondering, the answer can be found here and here and here. I've been busy finding my CafePress mojo. But I will blog again. I promise. Maybe even tonight.

Lessons I have learned from my travels:

1. You should not try to draw with a mouse, unless you are a glutton for punishment. Surfer girl at Surf School Designs was drawn entirely with a mouse from scratch. Oh gluttony, thou art my favorite sin. Luckily for me, Santa (read Wacom) was delayed and will be bringing me a graphics tablet, either that or wrist splints . . . and a shoulder brace.

2. In the battle of mouse v. human, it's really a draw. While the human eventually manages to force the mouse to do said human's bidding, mouse has also encouraged human to remain tethered to it during time that in all logic should be spent sleeping.

Let It Snow!

Online Story Time, Fun for the Kiddies

"Snowpeople," by Rick & Ryan Zeeb, is a colorful illustrated tale praising the beauty of individual appearance. It reminds children, "Different is brilliant. It's what makes you you." Hear it read by Marlo Thomas and see every richly colored page at the Saks Fifth Avenue site. Two dollars from the sale of each book will go to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, one of my favorite charities.

p.s. -- You don't have to buy the book to see it read. Just click above. It's a lot of fun visually, and a nice break from cartoon reruns.

"Believe"

From The Bravery's May 2007 "The Sun and The Moon," "Believe" is rich in sound, rhythm and lyrics. Guitar harmony flows through lilting synthesizer, supported by a drumbeat backbone, wrapped in vocals ranging from velvet to raw silk.

Visit http://www6.thebravery.com/thebravery/music.php to listen.

In concert November, 30 at The Canyon Club in Agoura Hils.

Up for Review -- A Twilight Zone Flashback: Insanity Escaped

It's National Blog Posting Month, and my little well of creativity is running dry, along with my little well of time. So for today's post, I give you this week's writing class assignment for your review and feedback. It's a review of a great little flick, "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet."

A Twilight Zone Flashback: Insanity Escaped

Once mental illness was feared and hidden in darkness, its stigma so strong its revelation could be shocking, even dangerous. Insanity manifested was as scary a monster as any movie maker could conjure.

In the 1963 "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet," directed by Richard Donner, mental illness was still scary, scary enough to be the focus of this episode of "The Twilight Zone." With light and shadow, silence and perception, Donner illuminates one man's struggle with insanity and his fear of its revelation to the world. The episode has a bumpy take-off with overacting and long dramatic pauses which are almost laughable until they prove to be part of the point of the story, highlighting perceptions of mental illness.

As the story begins, Bob Wilson and his wife Julia are flying home after his release from a mental institution. They and other passengers board the plane through a dimly lit entry, but once Bob and Julia are seated, the light on them is stark and bright. As they wait for take-off, his fear of a relapse shines through. He fumbles with a cigarette while eyeing the illuminated "No Smoking" sign.

Repeated close-ups reemphasize his facial expressions in response to anything that might cause him the slightest risk of cracking up, from not being able to smoke a cigarette, to taking off, to the announcement of a coming storm. Then, as if the fear is manifesting itself in physical form, a figure appears on the airplane wing. Shadowy and obscure at first, Bob struggles to see it. It vanishes then reappears, vanishes again, then suddenly appears, faced pressed against Bob's window in full revelatory light.

Is it Bob's insanity personified, or is it real? The question arises again and again, each time with more urgency, as the creature he dubs a "gremlin" begins to open the wing and rip out wires.

It's here that Donner's use of tight shots, long pauses and overacting finally make sense. It's all about perception, and that's what he showcases by refusing to rely on wide shots, dialogue or even great acting.

Bob's struggle is both internal and external. He knows that telling the crew may undermine a sanity that even he cannot be sure of, yet not telling may put them all in danger. So, he tells his wife and eventually the flight engineer and stewardess.
They contort their faces in such extreme reactions to his claims he sees a gremlin on the airplane wing that it's almost laughable. Bright light reveals every curve and line of their exaggerated expressions, though they say little. Initially it all seems overblown, but it proves to speak as much or more in the story as the actors.

They all know he is insane, and their over the top expressions in harsh black and white reveal what that means. His insanity is dangerous, much more dangerous than any gremlin. So they give him a sleeping pill to soothe his mind, and go about their business.

Despite their dismissal of his urgent pleas, Bob eventually finds the danger so overwhelming that he is forced to confront it. He does so in a way that puts his life and others in danger, but he sees no other choice. Does he rid himself of the gremlin? Does he conquer it? Was it real or a living embodiment of his fear of insanity? As always in “The Twilight Zone,” the final determination is left up to you. The story is presented in whole, laying out the facts, and you are invited to think, to examine, to decide.

Watch Dennis McKinney in the Great American Pie Cook-Off

Need a special pie recipe for Thanksgiving? Just like to watch deliciousness develop before your eyes? See Dennis McKinney and other contestants make some of the best pies in America this week on the Food Network Challenge, the Great American Pie Cook-Off.

AIR TIMES:
November 04, 2007 8:00 PM ET/PT
November 04, 2007 3:00 AM ET/PT
November 07, 2007 11:00 PM ET/PT
November 08, 2007 2:00 AM ET/PT
November 10, 2007 6:00 PM ET/PT
November 11, 2007 3:00 PM ET/PT

Do I sound biased? Dennis is my cousin. Let's just hope I inherited some of that baking talent.

Correction: Changed to read "Dennis is my cousin," instead of "Dennis my cousin." Ah, if only I had inherited proofreading talent too.

Art Sports Online -- Layer Tennis

Layer Tennis -- A graphic design throw-down, roughly the equivalent of playing the dozens in Adobe Illustrator. An initial design is volleyed back and forth between two artists, each applying his or her own spin with each revision.

Commentary by Heather Armstrong of Dooce.com. Art by Marian Bantjes and Armin Vit.

View the match at Coudal.com.

Friday Fun -- Total Momsense

By Anita Renfroe

Special acknowledgment to Laurie's Reflections for finding this little gem.

Musical Meme -- Seven Songs I'm Singing

Okay, so the meme rules don't actually ask for songs you are singing, but if I'm into it, I'm singing it. Hence the post title.

The Meme Rules actually are:

List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what they are. They must be songs you are presently enjoying. Then tag seven other people to see what they’re listening to.

These are the tunes that thump my ride:

1. Gwen Stefani's "4 In The Morning" from The Sweet Escape, a more grown-up, sophisticated sound from Gwen in a song about the trade-offs we sometimes make for love. View the video by clicking here to go to the Gwen Stefani site.

2. Gwen Stefani's "Yummy" from The Sweet Escape, perfect for driving the mom-mobile and singing like you are the hottest thing ever, totally.

3. "Now That You Got It" from Gwen Stefani's The Sweet Escape. Something like the SoCal equivalent of saying, "Cowboy up."

4. "London Bridge" from The Dutchess by Fergie. What can I say? This one speaks for itself.

5. Joss Stone's "Headturner" from Introducing Joss Stone. Nothing beats live music, but few artists get as close to the vibe of live as Stone does in this CD. If you don't have the urge to groove along, check for a pulse.

6. "Girl They Won't Believe It" from Introducing Joss Stone. Although new to my collection, this CD is destined to be a long-time favorite. It's got staying power.

7. India Arie's "Video" from Acoustic Soul. This is one I will play for my daughters as they grow up. If you haven't heard it, you can check out the lyrics by clicking here.

*Special note -- I love indie, new artists, and live music, but haven't been able to enjoy nearly as much since taking on full-time mommy duties. In that realm, I have to mention some favorite artists or risk becoming a total sell-out.

Garrison Starr -- the perfect mix of LA and the deep south, if you can imagine that. Great in concert.

Guster -- mellow, but good. Good in concert, if you can avoid the contact high.

Johnny Lang -- Best of Class in Blues. No longer indie or new, but still super good. Rocks the house in concert.

For more meme, I tag DoubleDutyDiary, Mom-101, Dragonfly, Chicken and Cheese, Blog Con Queso, Laurie's Reflections, and Oh the Joys, assuming they have not already completed this meme and I just totally missed it, having been such a bad bloggie citizen. Cheers Ladies, I would love to know what you're listening to.