I should totally make a button for this series. I am just liking the buttons lately. A lot. First what we aren’t going to discuss: Matrimony. I had hoped to finish it, but NO! Instead I have spent my time knitting and ripping, knitting and ripping. So, only one magazine got finished to report on this week, but I hope to tell you about the book next week.

Do many of you watch Dexter? My friend Colleen told a group of us about it, and I blew it off since I don’t sub to Showtime. Due to the writer’s strike, though, it’s airing on network tv, and I am enjoying it. It’s the story of a serial killer who is also a police officer. Dexter’s running dialogue with himself is … eerily similar to my own. Well, minus the murder parts, but I do talk in my own head a lot.

There is one thing that I have been chewing on for a bit now: in the second episode, Dexter’s dad explains that when you kill a person you aren’t just killing them, but you are killing everything they would have done or achieved in their lifetime. The context was that Dexter should think carefully about what he was doing, and not just be killing people willy-nilly. I’ve been chewing this, and trying to take the long view of my actions. It’s not just murder, not just bad things, that have a lasting effect. When you build someone up, it also effects them–and the people they will affect throughout their lifetime.

I picked up the latest Woman’s Day at the store this weekend. Nothing jumped out at me as far as this issue went. There was a little blurb on how vitamin D helps prevent heart issues and such, but I knew that already, and there were some tips on how to save time cleaning, but I didn’t find them very practical. Since this was why I purchased the mag, I was a little disappointed. You might like them, though, so…

And this week, I have listened to a SLEW of podcasts. I am subbed to several knitting and history podcasts, and I am enjoying the freedom of listening away from the computer. I’m looking to add a cooking show, and maybe some free audiobooks.

OH! One more thing! Carla had recommended A Thousand Splendid Suns to me and I am pleased to say it came yesterday. It’s next on the TBR pile. Perhaps I will sit on my patio furniture to read it. If you can call a lawn chair on the back stoop “patio furniture”.

First let me say, I enjoy Johnny Depp. I have enjoyed him since he made Edward Scissorhands, and even though I don’t usually get into pirates, excepting Pete, we are all about the POTC around here. The kids like Will, and I’m all over the Cap’n and there we are. Did I date myself when I mentioned Edward Scissorhands? Well, my tagline does say 40 something, LOL. And did you know…it’s true. I am indeed forty, and I was a fairly young adult in 1990 when Depp starred in Edward Scissorhands.

I had that movie on VHS, and we just about wore it out. It was a very rough time in my life, and I so connected with the outcast Edward, and his outward ugliness and the pain he sometimes caused those he loved combined with that inner artistic beauty. How he could create both beauty and pain with those non-hands…it makes an interesting metaphor for the power of the human tongue, doesn’t it? I should get it on DVD and share it with my kids. That whole scene in the end where he’s carving and it’s snowing, it’s magical still. And I just opened several mental worm cans that I’d rather not exam tonight, so let’s move right along to my next favorite Depp movie, which is What’s Eating Gilbert Grape.

It was my oldest daughter who introduced me to this Depp film. It was released in 93, but I was totally unaware of it until she asked for it while she was here. I have not talked about her much here, and I won’t do it just now, either, but…watching this movie with her was incredibly poignant, and when Johnny Depp as Gilbert Grape walked out of his mother’s house and burned it down behind him, it was all I could do to keep from sobbing like a small and wounded child, because in the end, he loved his mother enough to burn his past, just to preserve what shred of dignity she had left. It was…it felt like…a gift, to watch this with my daughter. I guess of the two this would be my favorite scene because of the emotional associations I have with it.

So, now, Depp has a new film out, and you can visit Sweeney Todd on MySpace or you can visit the official Sweeney Todd movie site and catch the trailer. As I watched it tonight, I glimpsed Edward and Gilbert both in there, and of course, that led me down memory lane. There was also something else that I wasn’t quite able to pin down, so I am curious to see the movie. And also?? He sings in this movie. And he’s pretty good at it. Mmm-hmm. That’s hott, ya’ll.

You probably know from reading this blog that I am searching out ways to spend a little time on myself. One of the ways I do that is by listening to podcasts after the boy kids are in bed each night. I’ve been listening to knitting podcasts off and on for a long time, but not too long ago, I decided to search the iTunes store for “history”. In truth, I wasn’t expecting very much, but I got a pleasant surprise. I’ve added several historical podcasts to my listening line-up, including Hardcore History, Journeys into American History, and the subject of this post, My History Can Beat Up Your Politics Podcast. I thoroughly enjoyed the previous episode comparing Vietnam and Iraq, which I listened to while ripping stitches out of my quilt. ‘ve often said that you can’t truly understand current events without first getting a grip on the past, and this podcast can certainly help with that. I see that a new one came out on the 23rd. It’s about … oh, never mind, I’ll let him tell it:

There is very little celebration of the passing of a date Sept. 17, 2007: the belated Birthday of the Signing of the Constitution. And the Federal Convention that ended its business on Sept. 17, 1787.

It seems unfortunate, since we should be celebrating the people who gave us right to speech, right to assemble, right to bear arms, etc.

Except they didn’t. When the constitution was signed, these fellows voted down a Bill of Rights. It was only later, when the plan had to be sold to the state of Virginia, that a Bill of Rights was promised.

Yet, these fellows did create the Constitution, so they are Founding Fathers, correct?

That leads to a question. Who is a Founding Father? Common wisdom would say the Founding Fathers would be anyone who helped craft the Constitution. Yet famous names such as Tom Jefferson and John Adams were not there for the convention that met in 1787 in secret to craft a new government. George Washington was there, but as the chair he was silent while debate went on. Ben Franklin was there but as an aging celebrity he took a symbolic role and his ideas of having multiple Presidents or unpaid Federal officers would not be taken seriously.

Indeed the Constitution was created by little-known names like James Wilson, Charles Pickeney, Rufus King, and William Paterson.

We address the question of who is a founding father and how the Constitution was written, and where the Bill of Rights came from.

My History Can Beat Up Your Politics is a podcast that looks into the history behind the politics of today. The podcast can be found on iTunes or at (www.myhistorycanbeatupyourpolitics.com)

Bruce has a soothing voice, and a quirky outlook. He brings a passion to a subject that many mistreat. Of course, it is a passion that I share. *grin* I guess this mean that you know what I’ll be doing tonight. Bruce Carlson and Brenda Dayne, I’ll be here around 9pm. We’ll have coffee and crocheting, ok?

One last thing–is it blasphemous if I crochet while listening to Cast-On?

Which, interestingly enough is the same number of WIPS I am trying to deal with, LOL! But I digress as usual. However, let me digress once again to say I think that must be a new blogging record. How many people do you know who can type a title, and immediately jump off on a rabbit trail? Surely, I excel at the finding of the rabbit trail. And also, I am a poet. Whoa, digression number three, and the post is barely 7 sentences long. Time to reel it back in. Ok, reeling. 41 days until I leave for VEGAS, ya’ll!

Vegas! And that means for the first time in many many years, I will have room-mates that I did not give birth to. Gosh. Ok. I am so sorry. I am sitting here giggling at my desk. I am not supposed to be doing that. I am supposed to be reviewing roomster.net, which I offered to do several weeks ago, and just heard back from yesterday. But I got the giggles instead. Somedays are like that.

Ok, back to roomster. The site is designed to allow people to find roomates. Like for apartments or houses. Not hotels. You can search by age, sex or zodiac sign. Yep, I said zodiac sign. And there are pictures of the potential roomies. Hmm. Ok, that’s about all I can tell you. You have to sign up for an account to find out about the available apartments/people and I am not willing to do that, being as I don’t need a roommate and all. But, they do have 992,661 available listings, so if you do need a roomie, this is the place to start looking.

I am just going to be brutally honest. My goal for today is to finish the book I am reading. I will do my blogging, and spend some time with the kids (and laundry), and then I will sit with my book for a while. It’s too hot to do anything more strenuous than turn pages anyway.

No, I didn’t get all that sewing cabinet done yesterday. After the book Book. Book. Book.

BOOK!

Sometimes I play on the internet. I bet you knew that already, though didn’t you? I made this today at Customink.com. It was fun and easy to do, too. I did fight with the fonts a bit, but that’s just me. I have to see all the options, you know.

They have several shirts to choose from, and *cough*, I even saw customizable underwear. I played with that for a little while, too, but I just didn’t think I could bring myself to post a picture of drawers here, ykwim? But, “Bloggers are Hawt” underwear would be kinda rockin’.

I listened tonight to a couple of chapters from The Capo’s Mistress by Richard Harris. Written from the point of view of Mike Driscoll, an alcoholic ex-cop, the book is engaging from the first. You can download The Capo’s Mistress for free until April 27. If you prefer to turn pages, you can pre-order The Capo’s Mistress at Amazon. The novel will be released on April 27, and then the download will be pulled.

The voice of the author is a perfect match for Mike, whose personality is reminiscent of stiff leather. Mike ends up in Virginia City, Mt. due to car problems, where he meets up with ex-showgirl Mary Carter, who has left Las Vegas in a hurry on the run from the mafia. She reels him in like a black widow, and he heads to Vegas to help her out of a jam. In her haste, Mary has left a bag behind, and must get it back. Mike gets noticed by The Capo, and he leads the mob back to Virginia City, and that’s when the problems really start.

This book is definitely not one to share with children, due to language and sexual content. The combination of suspense and romance will appeal to many readers, though. This is the author’s first novel, and if you enjoy meeting Mike Driscoll, you’ll be pleased to know that this is the first in a planned series.

Technorati Tags: The Capo’s Mistress, Richard Harris

I blogged some time ago about wanting to listen to Wally Swinton’s Rhythm and Blues radio show. I was successful today, and am embarrassed to report that it was my own error that prevented me from listening before. I am so used to on-demand audio and video that I missed the fact that you have to tune in between 3 and 6, Monday-Friday to catch the show.

I listened to several songs today, and they were delightful. I have to admit I was surprised by some of the language Wally used, but his history lessons were very intriguing. It’s always interesting to me to find out the story behind the story. He had quite a bit to say before Mrs. Jones, and I had to chuckle as he was talking– Wally, I’ve always heard it as “young, dumb and full of bubble gum.”

I’d really like to be able to hear the show when I have time to listen, since I can’t keep the headphones on for very long while the kids are awake. A podcast would be an awesome addition to the regular show, even if it were just the first hour. Having the show repeat would be an even better option in some ways, because then I could catch the whole thing later at night.

Technorati Tags: Wally Swinton, Rhythm and Blues radio