Sort of Crafty

want to see what i am making? check back here...

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Location: outside pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

just a normal person who likes crafting and music better than most things. i really like hand clapping in songs, a lot. hopefully one day i'll grow up to become a librarian, no seriously i do want to be a librarian... i like photobooths also. i dislike computer voices, a lot.

5.30.2006

Denis Leary Loves Twilight Singers

like we didn't know this already.... glad someone else caught on too...


stereogum
Music examined through the prism of pop culture.

Denis Leary Loves Twilight Singers

By scott on MP3

Fiery FX drama Rescue Me premieres tonight, and its star/executive producer is taking some interview opportunities to give free publicity to the new Twilight Singers album.

Denis hit The Daily Show earlier this month and brought the CD with him:

"This is an album I had nothing to do with. It's the best album I heard in ten years. It's called Powder Burns by the Twilight Singers."
He also says in the new Entertainment Weekly.
"[Powder Burns] is one of the best rock albums I've heard in 10 years. Thematically, it seems like it's all connected to a dark story of addiction. It's really powerful."
Greg Dulli's autobiographical tales of drug dependency do make for a great record. Especially if you like dense, guitar rock with a shot of depressing. Turns out, the song I picked to share with you is on the excellent Rescue Me soundtrack.

The Twilight Singers - "Bonnie Brae" (MP3)

Don't tell Denis the show's website never heard of them:

At last night's Boston gig, Twilight Scissors Singers did Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy." (They're a great cover band too.) I'll keep an ear out for MP3.

I should mention that "Bonnie Brae" song features Ani Difranco. Dulli told Billboard:

"I'll tell you, I love the wall-of-sound. I really do. I love layering and I love the discovery of new parts to go with other parts. That song in particular sonically came alive when I added the mellotron to it. And then when Ani did her harmony vocals at the end, it sonically blows my mind. So, that song in particular, it's one of my favorites I've done in the last couple of years."
Stream more Powder Burns here.



5.27.2006

back home

today concludes my gig as a professional house sitter. it's community days around these parts this weekend, i just want the funnel cake, there was talk within the group about going to see the fireworks tonight. i think it'll actually be a nice day all day, no rain for the moment. stayed out late, later than usual, but a relatively low key night with the less dramatic of the crew. took my crazied hair self to get coffee this am and came back to hang out on the fab. glider swing in the back. as soon as i get situated, loud neighbors w/ kids come out- ending my fabulous relaxing saturday am.

i made a friend a stills mix cd- ran into her last night and she immediately began gushing about the cd and how she wanted to come to the show- it's always nerve racking to make something for someone, even though a mix cd isn't REALLY a total product of my full creation, you are putting your self out there by saying that you love this and maybe you will too. so, it was cool to know that someone appreciated it.

5.26.2006

what to say.


The Red Star
Originally uploaded by grawesome.
i saw this photo is grawesome's flickr acct and had to blog it. nice shot of the red star that you have heard way too much about.

the week went ok, long but ok. i am back to my other library job at the beginning of june, so that'll be work and the always great money. right now i am working less than 10 hours/ week for which i earn money; the majority of my working time i am actually paying to do as part of my field placement. so yeah, it's a cruel summer to quote the bananarama.

i feel a bit bitter today, getting easily ammoyed by people participating in annoying activities like slurping their coffee. makes me insane. last saturday i had my all time favourite annoyance right behind me on the bus: clipping of the nails in public. i have to say it was way more present in dc than here, but still each clip makes me feel even crazier than the last.

not to make this entire entry be a boring bitter one, but.... last week one of my teacher's called me by the wrong name, in a fairly confident way, saying heather and moving on to the next person, before i even knew what had happened. anyway. for some reason it really bothered me, making me feel terrible and weird. i guess it's a think that i have always "struggled" with- i feel like i am always the other person, the friend of that person, the one who no one ever knows who the hell i am aside from the connection to someone far more cool and popular than me. is this part of only child syndrome? don't know. anyway, i felt a bit pissed- apparently i am still bitter enough to blog about it a week later.

i watched an episode of stylicious on the tivo at natasha's last night, it was ok, nothing i would make i don't think, but i guess i might try and catch it again to at least see what the austin craft mafia is up to....

plans for the long weekend? i want to eat picnic food don't know if that will happen, but i dig the grand concept of it.

5.24.2006

sleep, please

knit small purse for heather

gifts for heather

i am collecting some things for h, she's under the knife this weekend, so i have been getting some stuff together. i also made a totally bedazzled (with glitter....) compact for her, it's drying at present. i'll totally photo that. (Sorry for the crappy cameraphone photos...) the purse includes a button that i borrowed from a friend, thanks.

the day was sooooooooo long. i took the bus from gbg to pgh. it was nice to not drive at all, but i didn't get back until nearly 8:30. plus the bus contains people who talk too much about weird stuff. mass transit does weird stuff to people, yeah?

n sounds like she is having a good time on vaca. could her neighbors cut out the riding the bike past late at night, super loud? for me? please? also, i would like to request that the neighbor cat not meow so late? again, thanks.

can you imagine going to a stationery show? omg.

man, this turned into rambling central. sorry bout that.

5.22.2006

i am using your knitting needles while you are away.

i guess i came to n's place totally unprepared. no knitting needles, at least i guess i can bum hers.

the weekend came and went quickly. school the majority of the time. it actually went rather quickly, well as quickly as a 9-5 class can go. saturday night i went out, seeing the usual suspects. h has her surgery on friday so i am compiling entertainment for her while she is out of commission. i bought some weird scrapbook paper at jo jo's while looking for yarn for h, i think i'll use it on my grand book making project, yea, the scrapbook paper was something like $.06 a sheet. sweet. i have some books for manipulating, and i am trying to learn some skills in the way of bookmaking. i have some other books to pick up so that i can learn more about the subject.

i'm watching DiG right now. i love the part when two of the dudes from brian jonestown quit the band in chicago and decide to walk back to california. that about sums up brian jonestown if you ask me.

i just had the crazy realization that i get to see twilight in like two weeks. sweet, like gd says, love don't mean a thing but 2am and a telephone ring. if you know what i am saying... ok i'm out.

5.20.2006

A Drink With... Carla Hayden


LISNews.org
LISNews.org
Librarian and Information Science News

A Drink With... Carla Hayden

By Blake on Smashing-image-of-a-librarian

The Baltimore Sun Has A nice Q&A with Carla Hayden, "early 50-ish," defies the stereotype of librarian. Stylish and sophisticated, with a strong interest in fashion, she has spent her career in libraries: in Pittsburgh, Chicago, and - for the last 12 years - as executive director of the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore. Divorced, with no children, Hayden is also past president of the American Library Association. Q#1: What's sexy about being a librarian?

Here's the link to the sun article.

5.19.2006

was it speed or speed 2?

i had the most bizarre thing happen to me today. i was waiting for the bus, late as one could expect. one bus bound for the garage goes by, then here come another. i must have looked pissed b/c it stopped, the driver asked me where i was going and said he'd take me. the bus was out of service b/c there weren't people who needed picked up and they were off schedule, or something, i wasn't really paying attention at first, i thought the bus would go back in service and others would join me on the bus. yeah, i think i was wrong. so we don't pick up anyone else, the bus driver said b/c of where i needed to go he'd take another route, going on the ultra fun super fast busway, getting me to my destination in less than half the time. it was like being a huge taxi cab b/c the driver was a little bit chatty, and i was the only sole on the bus. so we get there, and he asks my name, as if i wasn't weirded out by the big taxi cab thing enough, so then he tells me his, and then he says that he LOVES my hair. yes, i got off the bus about as fast as possible. best part, i have seen this driver before, and KNOW that i will see him again. totally random weird story, i know.

tomorrow is the crazy 9-5 class, i said i would go out tomorrow night, i think i'll need a nap before that. plus, i am now juggling two house sitting jobs, i think i'll end up getting that not knowing where you are when you wake up thing. that's the worst feeling ever.

oh, i dig the twilight cd, it's cool, more upbeat in that gd way where it's upbeat but it's really crazy upsetting weird lyrics. i have bought so much lately from bands that i really love that i feel like i am not focusing and overplaying just one of the cds, but all of them. aside from stadium arcadium, which i think is at natasha's house. i hope it's there anyway.....

clp

there was a great editorial about the recent econ. impact study of the carnegie here.

5.18.2006

just the facts

work is going ok, i think it is trying to be better, and i am trying to give it the chance. this week was crap in so many respects, bad weather all around, bad feelings all around. don't know.

i went to a session tonight as a observation for one of my classes, bizarro is the least of what i can say. i'm just going to say that i cannot believe the things people teach their kids, on purpose.

h styled my hair tonight, including a near side braid, will post photo later. i only wish my hair was long again so that i could braid it or put it in buns. oh, the good olden days.... (FFFF. i was going to insert a photo of me with long hair, but realized that my photos are in storage. you don't care anyway. i will not even know what i own by the time i can get my stuff out of storage, good, no.)

oh, and i bought the new twilight cd tonight, you know, just on the recommendation of dennis leary. that's a joke- it is cool that he is mad promoting the cd on the talk shows lately though, what a good friend gd has in dl.

5.17.2006

whoa

you must check out the website for the raconteurs, super cool, like 1980 in the good way.

5.16.2006

oh.

but i did vote today, seeing m's sister and mom at the voting establishment. electronic voting machines, party.

blah.

it's been crap weather here for the past few days. no good. apparently, should full moon and pms occur at the same time, a person could feel like a total crazy person. h tells me that it just means i am a powerful person, hm.

the stills cd is awesome, i finally got it yesterday. i love it.

class this weekend, i am scared nervous about that.

5.14.2006

god, i am lazy


sky
Originally uploaded by amyr.
aside from one 35 minute outing to giant eagle today, i have been in the house for way to long. i have watched literally about 7 hours worth of gilmore girls, pathetic i know. i don't know what my stupid problem is lately, laziness, boredom, nothingness. tomorrow will hopefully be different. i will try i guess.

not much else going on, hung out with n on friday afternoon and evening. met up with some of the kids after before i went home on friday. had some pretty indepth conversations with one of the group; i dig having real conversations and getting to know people a bit better one on one. he's a super good person and i hope he gets what he wants. no snb for me this friday as i have night class, blah. i will leave you know.

5.13.2006

you can feel free to buy me this

really, go ahead, you know i am a good friend to you. sure, i would love the glasses stationery....
http://www.pinklovesbrown.com/index.php

the origins of booing.

why i was interested in this article, i don't know.

5.11.2006

you should know

i am now officially (as of right now, 12 AM) more than half way to age 29. sad i know.
i feel as though i will never catch up on my blogs, i have been slacking.
i feel terribly non-conservative when i go to my internship. totally out of place. all the time. even when i am alone in the stacks.
greek food festivals are the best.
i had to get all tricky and remove my blog from my profile, as i needed this profile for a class. boo. (i was auto logged in, so i missed the chance to create a fake/school profile)
i love having clean clothes to choose from, but i hate folding laundry, it's a time sucker.
i bought stadium arcadium on tuesday, sounds exactly as i expected, but that's all good.
my stills cd is on it's way, i hate that i couldn't just go out and buy it around here. weird.
b and n are off to seattle/ alaska soon.

5.10.2006

Youth On Girls


coolio


stereogum
Music examined through the prism of pop culture.

Youth On Girls

By scott

Did you remember to DVR last night's finale of Gilmore Girls ... featuring Sonic Youth, Joe Pernice, Yo La Tengo, Sparks, Mary Lynn Rajskub, and Sam Phillips?

Pitchfork dug up this cute photo of Coco Gordon Moore with Paris.

Thurston "and special guests" (Alexis Bledel?) play the Stone tonight at 8 & 10 ... but more importantly, also at the Stone:

Jim O'Rourke
Tuesday 5/16 @ 8 & 10 PM
Finally Stereogum gets Jim solo. Pray for Eureka. (Heads up via Dave.)



oh, la, la

http://www.boingboing.net/2006/05/10/art_vending_machines.html

5.08.2006

i forgot


sky
Originally uploaded by amyr.
i start my field placement today. wish me luck, crossed fingers, etc.

what's the story morning glory (not in an oasis kind of way)

i want to sleep in the yard, just hang out in the grass. i don't know what's come over me as i don't usually dig the outside so much. guess it's the change of season.

not much knitting done at snb on friday, b did help me with the start of the vicki howell bowling pins, i suck so bad at knitting on dpns when the stitches are really small. i ripped out everything i did b/c it looked crap. i think i may not be able to do the project simply b/c i am no good at the 3 stitch cast on with the dpns.... urgh. i have been thinking about one of the glampyre kits/ patterns, we'll see. so low turnout at snb. people showed up later, but some of us hadn't eaten dinner so we took off at 9 or so, heading to enp. not a late night out, people went to h's for a bonfire later but i bailed. i got a mix cd made by someone for me. i love love love getting mix cds, it's such a cool jesture.

headed to the carnegie on saturday morn to return and pick up more stuff. got another clothes modification book, looks a bit eh, but we'll see. went to the b-day party on saturday night, i was psyched to see people i knew who were from around here but i hung out with in md. craziness. we all know the same people so it is just super weird.... they are quite possibly the nicest people in md! what else. talked to some people i hadn't seen in a while, jg and n his girlfriend, other random peeps i know.


sunday was a total lazy day, i slept until 11 something, that is totally uncalled for. i have been having the worst time sleeping since i came back from la. last night i couldn't sleep forever, and then slept until 10 today. i am lazy bones. b and n are getting ready for alaska, they leave on friday.
nothing else to really say.

5.06.2006

sweet


Bookmobiles Rock
Originally uploaded by riddle.
as seen on flickr/ bloglines
http://www.librarystuff.net/2006/05/bookmobiles-rock.html

5.05.2006

comments?

any comments on the new look of the blog? i thought it needed a change and i was lazy so i only made a few adaptations.... i'd like to know what you think...

photos from vacation

i made a group for the photos from LA, check them out above.

here's some of the photos.

tart at the farmer's daughter

tony, mark and greg at tony's house

michele and me at the abbey

manhattan beach

artsy fartsy

more drinks at the abbey

at the beach self portrait

Excel drawings

finally i figure out how to email bloglines directly to blogger, duh.

MAKE: Blog
MAKE is a quarterly publication from O'Reilly for those who just can't stop tinkering, disassembling, re-creating, and inventing cool new uses for the technology in our lives. It's the first do-it-yourself magazine dedicated to the incorrigible and chronically incurable technology enthusiast in all of us. MAKE celebrates your right to tweak, hack, and bend technology any way you want.

Excel drawings

By philliptorrone

Exceldrawings 5
Dozens of drawings all made with Microsoft Excel - Danielle writes - "Microsoft Excel is a program designed to track and compute information, but here I am using Excel as a drawing tool. These drawings are a part of a series of sixty drawings that I executed (more or less) every day for fifty-eight days. Each drawing is in a new 'worksheet,' which is automatically set up as a grid. These drawings were made by changing cell preferences for background color, fill pattern, and border styles and from time to time inserting 'comment' boxes and letters or words. Other manifestations of these drawings are 58 Days Worth of Drawing Exercises in Microsoft Excel as Rendered for Web and Animated Daily Excel Drawings (2005, ongoing)" [via] - Link.

[Read this article] [Comment on this article]



library card tourism

LISNews.org
Librarian and Information Science News
http://lisnews.org/

Title Library Card Tourism
Date Monday May 01, @10:29AM
Author birdie
Topic
from the summertime dept.
http://lisnews.org/article.pl?sid=06/05/01/1435237

Every summer for the past six years, Cory Peterson and his mother embark on a road trip to visit libraries around the country and sign up for library cards. So far the 13-year-old library lover has accumulated 1,678 cards, and stands to gain more when he makes a planned trek through Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, Montana, Idaho and Nebraska this July.

"I hope to grow it into the greatest collection of library cards in the world!", Peterson writes on his Web site, which features scans of all his cards.

Links

  1. "Web site" - http://librarycards.expage.com/index.html

milo, cute as hell


milo, cute as hell
Originally uploaded by amyr.
this is milo, michele's cat who i adore the most, i know i shouldn't have a favorite, it's wrong. but still, this cat is too damn cute.

oh, la la.

Create your own Music List @ HotFreeLayouts!

thanks to angel for the hookup on this website!!!

5.04.2006

beach feet


beach feet
Originally uploaded by amyr.
well, the weather wasn't grand, but the beach was still fantastic. i don't typically like the beach, i guess i don't like gross jelly fish laden dirty crowded beaches, i do like manhattan beach. m and i headed out there today and spent the afternoon lounging and reading and munching on whole foods sandwiches. fun was had. last night we went to the short stop for some drinkies, no photobooth, well actually we posed and thephotobooth spit out some non developed/ overdeveloped photos. oh well. tony invited us over so we went and hung out on his fab. back porch, he even gave me his shins oh, inverted world lp, blue vinyl. m and i watched everything is illuminated tonight, after we got home from bingo at hamburger mary's with bel-air the hardest working drag queen in weho. anyway. everything is illuminated was good, i dug it a lot so i might read the book now. nothing was really stopping me before, i guess i'll just do it now.
anyway, i am east bound tomorrow am, just in time for a relaxing weekend before i start my field placement on monday, snb on friday night and i got invited to a birthday party on saturday night, we'll see. ok, i'm out. i'll post more photos when i am back in the burgh.

5.02.2006

bookbinding


view from a coffee shop
Originally uploaded by amyr.
i found that papersource carries good (graph paper) bound books for making your own journals. they had some at bev. hills store, but i have to measure what i have in the way of old books before i buy...check it out.
http://paper-source.com/cgi-bin/paper/bookbinding/index.html

5.01.2006

random news


Multimedia message
Originally uploaded by amyr.
ok, yep that's tom morello being interviewed. michele and i saw him at the immigration rally/march here in LA today, i had to snap the picture b/c it was like a celeb sighting for a good cause, you know?

what other celebs have i seen here in la? um, jose eber and luke from gh (i forget his real name, sorry, but i think everyone who is in the us knows luke from luke and laura fame...) anyway, beach on wednesday, tomorrow night a little short stop action. plus i'll go to aomeba and freak out as usual.

ok, i am starving marvin, over and out.