A non-Sequintur

Monday morning.  Though I've been awake for nearly three hours (courtesy of spin class), I could still use a bit of motivation.  You?  I think this item doesn't quite make inspiration but does fall in the realm of interesting party conversation and perhaps a water cooler mention.  After all, I do like shiny.

From Encyclopedia of the Exquisite by Jessica Kerwin Jenkins, the origin of sequin came from the French interpretation of zecchino (Venetian), a gold coin hailing from 1284.  For those following the fashion trends, coins were some of the earliest accessories from about 200 AD.  [Shiny happy people holding hands.] Of course when times grew tight and wars aplenty, coins turned to fake coins, which eventually made their way to thinly stamped sheets of gold and silver (if your name had a roman numeral following such as Henry VIII or Queen Elizabeth I).  The rest of the crowd likely donned brass (if any).  Jump a few eras, another war or few, and various innovation to the 1920s.  This age of flapper marked the beginning of the modern sequin.  The event which secured its place among thousands of Southerners through (likely) perpetuity?  According to our author, it was the extremely notable 1939 ruby red slippers.

So there you have it. The sequin sequence.

The Fault Line

Saturday randomness before running:

Just a few days left in the month to get registered for World Book Night.  Like many good things, it was launched in the UK first last year and provides an opportunity for individuals to give others the experience of reading.

Check out this NPR interview with John Green on The Fault in Our Stars.  Green's chat is at times moving as he answers questions about the background of the book; two kids with cancer meet at a support group and fall in love.  The book is geared for young readers (though that doesn't stop many of us from breaking genres).

Hope your Saturday randomness is a lot of fun.

Spinnin' Heads

I seem to be on an art kick this week.  I'll attribute this interest to the following events/discoveries :

1. this link from MOMA on Online Courses.
2. the Sundance Film Fest.  Robert Redford.
3. MITx courseware.  I'm big in Japan. 
4. as the week progresses, I'm getting more sleep deprived.  Pictures are pretty.

This of course didn't stop me from checking out two more books from the library...once I remembered my PIN.  

Author's Note:  Links in Item #3 above specifically for GBC K1m and T1m and for anyone else who enjoys Spinnin' TV and needs to rock out at their desk today.

Survival of the Fittest

According to Brain Rules: 12 Rules for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School by John Medina, I should have been in bed at the moment I arrived home from work and the gym yesterday.  Retiring at that hour would have given me a more optimal number of hours of sleep before this morning's run.  Instead, I made The Palm's blackened salmon with a side of Brussels sprouts. [Cast iron skillet = amazing!] The good news is that I am well on the well to mastering Rule #1:  "Exercise Boosts Brain Power."

On the flip side, I know I struggle with Rule #7: "Sleep Well, Think Well."  I sleep very soundly, but perhaps not consistently on the seven to eight hours side of the coin.  Though not yet to Rule #4: "We don't pay attention to boring things," I know I can fall into this lot. [Still with me? Good.]  A list of all 12 Brain Rules can be found here; as far as a list goes, it's quite good.  We will see if I can turn any of the suggestions into habits and invoke a little Gloria Gaynor.

Love is Like a Butterfly

Today's discovery:  Eric Joisel.

From just a cursory review of images, I can see that he fully earned title as "The Magician of Origami".  The works are beautiful.  Take time to review the gallery on his site.  "Self Made Man" and "The Hobbit Orchestra" are among my favorites.  Mr. Joisel died in 2010 and as a nod to his life and in his memory Michael G. LaFosse and Richard Alexander created a document so that you could create your own papillon.  It's amazing.

If you find yourself with a spare hour, also check out "Between the Folds."  I cannot do better than Amazon's description:

Between the Folds chronicles the stories of 10 fine artists and intrepid theoretical scientists who have abandoned careers and scoffed at hard-earned graduate degrees--all to forge unconventional lives as modern-day paper-folders.

There is a part of each of us waiting to be made into something new.

Tel Aviv I Miss Him

I've been thinking about a spring holiday.  GBC K1m gave me fare notices which has tempted me to the East.  This year's destination is yet undecided, but I think there will be water.

Tel Aviv, 2007

                        La verdad (opening stanza)
                        - Pablo Neruda
                        Os amo, idealismo y realismo,
                        como agua y piedra
                        sois
                        partes del mundo,
                        luz y raiz del arbol de la vida.

Connect Four

In 2006 I was on the Piccadilly line near Piccadilly Circus.  I had just been to see Judi Dench in Noel Coward's Hay Fever at Theatre Royal Haymarket.  I was alone and wearing a pleated khaki skirt and a red sleeveless sweater.  My iPod was on shuffle.  He was across the train to my left.  He donned headphones and was wearing a hat and a plaid jacket with jeans.  We made eye contact and then one of us would look away.  This happened at least three more times.  We both got off on the same stop at Green Park but went separate ways. The ride could not have been longer than a few minutes but the moment was enough to make me write down the sequence of songs in an email to a friend.  Poignant moments.

This recollection was one of the first when I flipped through Missed Connections: Love, Lost & Found by Sophie Blackall.  A gift from GBC P@1ge, the book is filled with posts come to life through Blackall's illustrations.  Sad, funny, clever, these moments are captured for us to be hopeful and to remember.  Check out her site for smiles and perhaps your own wistful remembrances.

A Cover Up

I heard an extremely notable review on NPR last week.  Stewart O'nan described a book with these words:

I remember I didn't like the cover — it was a blah photo of two girls sitting under a cherry tree. And Elegies for the Brokenhearted? Wow, I thought, what a terrible title! My initial reaction, from painful and repeated experience, was sympathy for a fellow author.

He then goes on to describe his thoughts after reading it.  Elegies for the Brokenhearted by Christie Hodgen gets a positive nod.  It's been added to my Excel book list for a rainy day.  Incidentally, someone else must have had second thoughts on the cover as its Powell's edition is a little different (thought cannot say better).

Have a good week and happy reading.

Holding for Ransom

After finishing book three of the Hunger Game trilogy yesterday, I am wondering what to read next.  I have a tri-training book that I have only just skimmed, another book on running, a book on the brain, our next GBC read, and Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs which is queued up for a local February book club meet.  It is the first gathering of this group and since the meeting date was deferred until after I am over my reading water hiatus, I am already prone to like them.  My engineering brain has positioned the reads in order of priority according to deadline.  I thought this method worthy, but after a visit to Mr. Riggs's blog with the top entry a play on words (Iceland: I'm Lichen It) his debut novel just may win out.

Farm it Out

I cannot imagine the impact it would have had for me as a child if I received a book with a Happy Meal instead of a plastic toy.  Trips to McDonald's were few and far between as it were.

In the UK from now until February 7, a child will receive one of Michael Morpurgo's books with the meal.  Murpurgo is most recently the notable author of War Horse (currently out in theatres).  So what do you think? I'm mixed.  We can't stop the Happy Meal Machine so why not promote literacy.  On the other hand, encouraging those avid readers to those fries...

One thing on which we all can agree is Morpurgo's Farms for City Children program.  Understand your food chain.

Red-Listed

In my recent immersion into the Hunger Games series, I have been remiss in reminding everyone of the upcoming reads for the GBC.  

Jan - The Assistant by Bernard Malamud
Feb - Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett
Mar - Carter Beats the Devil by Glen David Gold
Apr - Choose your own adventure by Mark Twain

Interesting to note that the first quarter books have red covers/jackets.  The younger literary me would pursue the symbolism.  The present me is going to have a second latte in her red cup.

Happy reading.

Welcome to the Jungle

A rainy morning, a cup of coffee, and a book.  Could a Sunday morning be any better?  [Well, of course it could, but I would have needed a few items which weren't at hand, so we'll just say, "No."]  I scanned through Catching Fire racing through the words as Katniss must have raced through the jungle, skipping a few steps here and there, looking always for the shortest distance through the page.  I sighed when I reached the end and realized that I would have to start the next book as soon as possible.  Cliffhangers: the ever present danger of a trilogy.  So while 2012 hasn't yet emerged with classic reading, I'm having fun scanning through a few fun titles before schedules demand otherwise.

Wood You Call Me Sweetheart?

New Orleans
December 2011

The last day of the year was upon me before I knew it.  A leisurely stroll by the water reminded me I should log a few goals.  Hope your 2012 off to a smashing start.

Catching Shut-Eye

My mistake last night was in thinking I would arrive at a "good" place to stop reading.  An hour and a half later, I had to force myself to power off the Kindle so I could have some rest before early morning spin class.  The culprit?  Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (book 2 of the Hunger Games trilogy).  Rest assured I will have my fair share of espresso today once the endorphins wear down.

In this reading quest, I am also trying out Amazon Prime and the Lending Library.  The upside to the service: streaming Dr. Who.  The downside:  one book borrow limit per month.  If anyone has an opinion on Prime, let me know.  I am on day two of the free trial.

One Two One Two

A New Year.  New Lists.  New Goals.  New reads...once I fully recover from the weekend.  

Hope your year is off to a stellar start.