Ginger for President!
Need a laugh? Check out An Engineer's Guide to Voting. It'll make your day.

CD Pick of the Week: Chiwoniso
Check out Rebel Woman by Chiwoniso. This Zimbabwean/American artist is a delicious female vocalist & songwriter who is backed by mbira, guitars, percussion, horns and other wonderful sounds. Her voice is soulful, soaring, warm, lyrical and powerful and the music is fresh and captivating. Everything is so good. This one is delicious!

The cat's pajamas
Thanks to Husband I can share with you my favorite photo of Cipher, The World's Most Amazing Cat, Screw You if You Don't Agree tm. At the moment she's sleeping like a feline angel on the back of her favorite chair. In a few hours, she'll be making sure I don't get any sleep.

Song, Theme Song
With the new James Bond film set to open next month (the thickly-named Quantum of Solice), there's already hype and hoopla.

This article from the London Times about Bond movie theme songs provides some material for debate.

It's tot to be hard to write a Bond theme. There are so many expectations, and so many inescapable comparisons. I mean when you go to a Bond movie, you expect certain things from the time to sit down with your popcorn until the time the final credits run. It has to begin with an exciting pre-credits thrill. Then a catchy theme song illustrated with silhouettes of naked women dancing with guns. Then the real fun begins. Even in the more serious Bond movies (the first Daniel Craig outing was one of those films that demands to be called "gritty.), you go in knowing you'll have that opening to hold on to.

The really hard part for contemporary Bond-theme-composers is that you'll never live up to Goldfinger. I know some people might argue for Live and Let Die but to me, Goldfinger is the best Bond theme ever. You just can't beat Shirley Bassey defining "over the top" with that final note. It's got everything: a catchy sound, lots of drama, great kitsch value, a solid tie-in with the plot of the film, and just great music. The worst Bond theme is more debatable. But I vote for All Time High the hideously drippy theme from the equally drippy Octopussy.

Of course, you're hampered when the title of the movie doesn't lend itself to the title, or even the chorus, of the theme song. You really couldn't have a song called "Octopussy." (According to the article, the new film has the same problem. Nobody's gonna hum a song called "Quantum of Solace.") But considering how many films there are in the Bond franchise, there are impressively few clunkers. (One disagreement I have with the article is they put "For Your Eyes Only" in the bad category and I rather like it.)

So, what's your favorite and your least? Debate people, I need a drinkie.

CD Pick of the Week: Acquaragia Drom
People, get this one. Rom Kaffe by the Italian band Acquaragia Drom. This is feisty Italian gypsy music featuring vocals, strings, horns, clarinet, accordion, and more. It’s crazy and fun, like the weirdest circus to ever come to town. You’ll peek through the shutters of your window as they pass through the streets, playing their music. And before you know it, you’ll be part of the parade. I liked every track, each one leads to some sort of surprise. These guys must be fabulous in concert.

Get out of our politics
Yeah, Mormons, I'm talking to you. According to this San Francisco Chronicle article, out of state Mormons are being recruited for a telephone campaign in support of Prop 8.

First off, I'm just pissed that non-Californians are trying to dictate our state politics. But secondly...am I the only one who sees the irony in the Mormons (of all groups) trying to legally define what marriage is? This group was persecuted, exiled and, at times, killed for their non-traditional marriages. (Yes, I know that plural marriages was a long time ago and it is no longer part of the Mormon religion.) But the fact remains that, historically, one of the reasons why they ended up in Utah is because they got chased out of everywhere else because non-Mormons didn't like plural marriages.

And here they are, trying to inflict the same prejudice they experienced on another group.

People, don't vote for hatred. Don't discriminate against an entire section of society just because you don't "agree" with how they live. They're not asking for your approval, just looking for equality.

No on 8. Or don't you be coming back here...

Watch out for that pipe wrench!
In my ongoing attempt to embarrass myself in public, I will admit to liking the 80's A-Ha hit "Take on Me." And yeah, I like the video too. Which is why I found Take on Me: The Literal Video Version to be hilarious. (Thanks to Husband for pointing this out to me.)

In praise of Colma
One of the most pleasant film-surprises of the past year has been Colma: The Musical, a delightful independent movie filmed in, you guessed it, Colma. I recently saw it on the Sundance channel and Husband and I were both smitten.

It is a musical, with clever lyrics and delightfully inventive direction, not to mention some very strong performances. For me the stand-out was the incredibly talented H.P. Mendoza who stars as Rodel, a young gay man and aspiring writer with some serious family issues. Mr. Mendoza also wrote the screenplay and the music (don't you just hate people who can do everything?).

We finished watching it a few days ago and there are several scenes that really stick in my mind, including one beautiful number featuring couples waltzing in a graveyard and a solo number featuring Mendoza singing about his "happy place."

If you have the chance to rent, buy, or watch this one, I highly recommend it. It's especially captivating for those of us who grew up on the Peninsula and know exactly where (and what) Colma is.

Rooted
So I'm searching my family tree. It's fascinating, and harder work that you'd think. So far I've hit dead ends on both my mother's and my father's side of the family. On my mother's side I'm hampered by the fact that her maiden name is maddeningly common and that her mother's family has a last name that nobody knows how to spell (seriously, I've tried every spelling I can think of to no avail). On my father's side I can trace his maternal side to the first ones to come to the US from France, but on his father's side I can't get past my dad's grandfather. But I shall keep searching.

It's peculiar how interested I am in my family history, considering how I'm not the most familial of creatures. But I really want to know where I come from. Unfortunately my father is dead and my mother's memory isn't too sharp these days so I'm running out of people to ask for details. We have some of them written down from years ago, but nobody has done anything to document it. So I am. It's both intriguing and infuriating that each new discovery only raises more questions. For example, I found a census with my great-grandmother (on my mother's side) on it. It says she was born in Canada (but doesn't say where), that her mother was born in Ireland (doesn't say where) and her father was born in Scotland (again, doesn't say where). The big problem is that the men in my mom's family have names that are the Scottish equivalent of "John Smith." Do a search for my grandfather's name and you'll likely find a thousand men.

I'm working on Husband's family as well. In actual fact his family tree is more interesting than mine (including a great-great grandmother with the glorious name of Araminta), but here too I can only get so far. It's an exercise in patience and research (I love to research things, but I haven't much patience) and I know I'll eventually make breakthroughs (at least I hope I will). I have no visions of tracing either family back to William the Conquerer or Charlemagne, but it would be nice to have more information about who we come from.

Who says science is dull?
The Ig Nobel prizes have been awarded.

Stop presses! Fleas on dogs jump further than fleas that live on cats. String will always get tangled in knots. And something really weird about lap dancers and, well, why spoil the mystery?

Oh the horrors!
I have a very dear, living-too-far-away friend coming to stay with us in two weeks and since he's rarely here in the Bay Area there are a lot of people he'd love to see. I'm having a few of "the group" over for a brunchy-lunchy-type gathering and I'm already freaking out.

Now there are some people who are born entertainers. (By which I do not mean Groucho Marx.) I mean Martha-esque type entertaining. Many of my friends (including The Foreigner, Finny, and the Lurker) are wonderful cooks. I, on the other hand, am not.

I come by my lack of cooking talent through genetics. My mother is a notoriously bad cook. Not only can I not cook well, I don't even know where to start in terms of what to serve. I mean I realize that my friends love me anyway and certainly aren't coming over here for the food. They're coming for a reunion. But I have to serve them something. I can't just hand them a bag of chips and a Coke and say "enjoy!"

Which leaves me wandering aimlessly through recipe sites and cookbooks. And wondering why I missed getting the chef's gene. Some people (Finny, I'm talking about you.) seem to naturally be able to imagine how food will taste. "Hey," she'll say, "let's combine home-grown tomatoes with bacon and pine nuts." And voila! she's got a yummy salad/bread/main course that looks and tastes delicious. "Hey," I'll say, "I'll follow this recipe exactly and voila! it looks and tastes like doggy poopy."

So in addition to the fact that I really (REALLY!) need to clean the house, I have a week to figure out what to cook, how to cook, and what the hell this little shiny thingy is in my utensil drawer. It's gonna we a long week...

CD Pick of the Week: Ayombe!
Ayombe! The Heart of Colombia's Musica Vallenata. Totally fresh and fabulous. Four types of music: puya (feat. lots of accordion), Merengue (upbeat & catchy), son (slower) and paseo (light & lively). Great performances throughout, you can’t go wrong with any track. Everything is SO good! Great notes too.

A fascinating look into the past
Can be found at the wondrous Daily Scrapbook. It's a glorious wander through history courtesy of the website (and book) by Jessica Helfand. I want some of these for my own collection...

Celebrate freedom....read a banned book
According to the American Library Association September 29-October 6th is "Banned Books Week". They have suggestions on how to celebrate, which includes a list of the 100 most frequently challenged books of 1990-2000. I'm sure you've read at least one, because titles include the Harry Potter series, Of Mice and Men, The Catcher in the Rye, James and the Giant Peach, and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

And, as Sarah Palin has so frighteningly illustrated, people are still trying to dictate what we can read....so please don't take reading for granted.

When your past is on DVD
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Invasion Stanford. (I just wish I could give you the actual movie.) Turns out Husband was in a student film while a student at Stanford. He recently obtained a copy of the DVD and we started watching it last night. Actually, it's not a movie -- it's a 4-part sci-fi/comedy miniseries. Husband plays "Arthur" the apparently insane RA who has (in my opinion) the best lines in the script.

Wow....Husband at 19. With hair! Not just hair, a ponytail! It's the oddest thing seeing him on film. I mean it's one thing to see photos of someone you love before you knew them, but it's another to see them walking, talking, and being....well....a college student.

So far we've watched 2 parts and it's proven to be an amusing experience. Invasion Stanford has some clever moments, and it's VERY Stanford. It also has a spaceship that looks like the Satellite of Love from the old MST show. Plus aliens, an anti-road-reflector movement, and actual footage of KZSU. It's pretty funny...and, for me, highly surreal.

The coolest...
Last weekend Husband and I watched the classic '60s cop flick Bullitt. I hadn't seen it in years and I'm happy to say it seriously holds its coolness factor.

Was there ever any actor as cool as Steve McQueen? Those steely, ice-blue eyes. The strong, silent stare. That sexy macho-ness. In retrospect I think he had all of 10 minutes of dialogue in the movie, but it doesn't mater. His presence is magnetic. And the famous car chase just plain rocks.

I love seeing movies shot in San Francisco. It's always cool to be eating popcorn and say "hey, I've been to that cafe." Or "my best friend used to live a block from there." Well the classic chase in Bullitt is geographically impossible (from the Mission to the Marina to San Bruno Mountain) and they do pass the same little green VW bug three times, but it's just so damned cool you don't care. Tires squealing, hubcaps flying, bouncing over hills and screaming around corners.

So the plot manages to be both thin and hard to follow, it's still a great film made even better by the sexy Mr. McQueen and an uber-hip '60s score by the genius, Lalo Shiffrin.

Fictional favorites
The always-interesting Dark Party Review asked a few authors "What literary character do you find the most compelling? and, as usual, got some interesting answers.

For me, it's gotta be good old Sherlock Holmes. Sure the stories are flawed and cliched but there's just no forgetting Holmes once you read about him. The moods, the razor-sharp brain, even his rudeness are all quite distinctly him. He may not be the most likable character ever, but he's definitely compelling.

Runners up:
Pip (Great Expectations)
Jane Eyre
Don Quixote
Elizabeth Bennett
Winnie the Pooh

What is it with Target?
I don't usually shop at Target. But they have Nick & Nora jammies (which I love) at a good price and since I no longer fit into anything I own, I went to buy some jammies. That's it. Just a pair of pajamas. So why did I walk out 45-minutes and $175 later?

Target is one of those stores where every time you turn around you realized you need something. And because they sell everything, you end up spending FAR more than you intended. "Oh yeah, you tell yourself, we're nearly out of toothpaste." And into the cart it goes. Oh hey, they have sweats on sale and I don't fit into any of those either...so you pick up some sweats. And a new sports bra (in case I ever, in my life, feel like working out again). And a kitchy-cute candy holder for Halloween because it's coming up. And some new socks for Husband because he bought new shoes and his old socks are too thick. And....

...and so it goes. And all around you are similarly zombie'd out shoppers with their own weird assortment of items. Ten pounds of laundry detergent and two hideously ugly purses. A huge plastic storage container, three bags of Halloween candy, and some mouthwash. (Maybe the candy isn't for the neighborhood kids.) An enormous bag of dog food, some jeans, leopard-print slippers, and tampons.

So it's not just me. It's a Target thing. You go in for one item and come out with the most bizarre collection of things. And as you're loading them into your car, you're already thinking "what was I thinking?"

Congratulations on your ulcer
You know you've been sick for too long when the news that you have an ulcer brings out congratulations from your friends. I've been amused every since the diagnosis and the reaction from the people around me. They've stood by me for so long that, like me, they're just happy to have a name to put to the insane zarf-o-matic creature I'd become. Yesterday I went by KZSU and two of my fellow DJs were happy at the news. Mind you, I am too, I just think it's funny. I imagine if this had come out of nowhere the news that I had an ulcer would be greeted by the requisite sad faces and sympathy. But in my case, it's very nearly a party.

And frankly, I prefer it this way. I'm much happier with my congratulations card (thanks again, Mama D) than I would be with the long face. It's just so...me...that being told I have an ulcer is really cause for celebration.

Ugly as sin...
...but impressive. That's the California Condor. And I just saw one. On the onramp to 280, of all places, trying to kidnap some roadkill (yum) with an envious, but obviously overmatched crow watching from a few feet away. I'm not 100% certain it was a condor but it was huge, had that ugly red face, and definitely looked like the gargoyle pictured here. I gotta admit, I'm hoping it was a condor because if so it was a really cool unexpected sighting. If it wasn't a condor, I'm not sure what it was.