ciaranbochna

My brother just left a message saying "I need to steal the other Harry Dresden books from you, they are addictive as hell."
 
My corruptive work there is done. *Sighs happily*

In memory of family and friends who have lost the battle with cancer; and in support of the ones who continue to conquer it! Post this on your LJ if you know someone who has or had cancer.

So at some point when I wasn't paying attention The Dresden Files became comfort reading/watching. Not protesting, just didn't notice it happening. Hmmm Mr. Butcher is insidious that way..lol Ah well, off to re-read series;)

So this list is all faithbeckett’s fault. I don’t usually do these things, but miss Becky persuaded me;) It is a bit eclectic, but I am strange myself, as most of you know, so here we go!

Favourite Albums 2009

 Mostly alternative, indie or other, not much for mainstream really.

 Bat For Lashes—Two Suns   Like a faerietale done by Tangerine Dream, at least I hear a little influence there, love Natasha Khan—genius.

 Timber Timbre—Self-Titled. I think Taylor Kirk spend time in the 1930’s with Robert Johnson. The organic sound, spare arrangements, it just gets under your skin and won’t leave. Have used him in my SPN mixes;) And high five for being Canadian!

 We Are Smug—Side project by Darren Hayes and Robert Conley. Given to we fans for free download on DARREN’S birthday this year, because he is just that sort of sweetie. So much fun and joy I can’t even describe.

 Dragonette—Fixin to Thrill  Martina Sorbara and hubbie Dan Kurtz. Dance that will be stuck in your brain forever. Influences from everywhere, also Canadian

 Imogen Heap—Ellipse Anything she does is magic, trust me. Gorgeous.

 Florence and the Machine—Two Lungs. Drumming is in my head and will never leave. Brilliant debut.

 Brahms Sonatas for Cello and Piano—Yegor Dyachkov and Jean Saulnier. Yegor is a Canuck as well and maybe 20 years old. I almost leapt through the speaker when I first heard him play.

 Melissa Mclelland—Victoria Day More Can. Love her voice, songwriting, rhythm.

 Joel Plaskett—Three I can’t stop with the Canadians..lol Another singer-songwriter who also plays with a band—Joel Plaskett and the Emergency. Only heard of him this year, excellent.

 Sophie Millman—Take Love Easy  Voice like dark chocolate and whiskey. To hear her cover of Fever is to be spellbound, that and It’s Not Easy Being Green. Can Jazz.

 Metric—Fantasies I love Emily Haines, and anything she does.

 Micah—(A)Spera I don’t even know what to say here, Spanish/African drums, strings, folk. Just..yeah.

 Pilot Speed--Wooden Bones Most underrated Can band, seriously. Songwriting makes me weep.

 Polly Scattergood—Self T Another brilliant singer-songwriter. Yes, you are sensing a theme..lol

 Fever Ray—Self T Music to haunt you. Dark, grim, and the goth in me adores it.

 Prokofiev Piano Concertos—Vladimir Ashkenazy and Evgeny Kissin. Two of my fav pianists. Breathtaking.

 Muse—The Resistance I know this cd has had mixed reviews. But I appreciate artists that take risks, and I think it is brilliant.

 Horehound—Self T Jack White’s new project. Dirty blues and..something. Makes me tap my foot.

 Calexico—Carried to Dust  Beautiful folk/acoustic.

 Regina Spektor—Far

 Yeah Yeah Yeah’s—It’s Blitz

 Billy Talent—III Just revel in it, I do;)

 Sting—If On a Winter’s Night  Medieval arrangements, just lush music for the season.

 

Books

 Life’s That Way—Jim Beaver Wrenching, but not without hope and humour. I couldn’t read it all at once, since it brings up memories, but absolutely one of the best books I will ever read.

 Nation--Terry Pratchett. I have no idea how he combines laughter, pathos and fun into each book, but thank gods he does.

 Odd and the Frost Giants—Neil Gaiman. This book will now be read every winter solstice. Norse mythology-- damn I love Neil.

 The Graveyard Book—Neil Gaiman There is a reason he won the Hugo for this. His reply when he found out—“fuck I won the Hugo!!”

 The Mystery of Grace—Charles De Lint Anything by this man is more than words on a page, it changes something inside you.

 Movies

 Let the Right one In  Not a vampire movie in the traditional sense. Swedish film that will take your breath away—the young actors, cinematography. I own it, if that tells you anything..lol

 Star Trek--Fav quote:

 McCoy: Space is disease and danger wrapped in darkness and silence. 

Kirk: Well, I hate to break this to you, but Starfleet operates in space.

 My Bloody Valentine 3D—I have a love of horror, both good and bad, and seeing this in 3D with caffienekitty made it one of the best times I have ever had in a theatre. Didn’t hurt to see Jensen there either..ahem.

 Public Enemies—Gangsters and Johnny Depp. Dark, but so well done.

 Up—Laugh, and bring Kleenex

 Watchmen—Faithful adaptation of the comic I love, casting was excellent.

 Coraline 3D—Yes, I love Neil Gaiman, but just watch it—different from the book, but still wonderful.

 Knowing—A film by Alex Proyas(Dark City) so I was in. Quiet, heartbreaking sci-fi.

 Avatar—I will repeat my cheesy twitter comment. Like breathing for the first time, then the air leaves you in a rush of awe.

 

TV

 Castle—Nathan Fillion in anything, but this is hilarious.

 Supernatural—well yeah:P

 Criminal Minds—Reid and and the gang, I just can’t look away.

 The Hour—George Strombolopolus Former Muchmusic VJ, Canada’s boyfriend, and the only late talk show I watch. He could interview anyone and I would tune in. Intelligent, funny, and can surprise the hell out of his guests with his inside knowledge. And yes, I also think he looks good in black:P

 Doctor Who--I am still in denial for David Tennant leaving. I cannot imagine the show without him, he lights up the screen, and has replaced Peter Davidson as my fav doctor.

 

That's It. I also want to add how much I cherish and adore all of you, and I wouldn't hold up without you:)

Blessings and light for the new year!!

Just need to say I hope you all have too much rich food, chocolate, time with loved ones, music, and joy--whatever makes you smile. And that it continues with the new year:)

Hugs, love and blessings to all!

Sharon

So it's Jonathan Coulton's birthday today, which I discovered thanks to Neil Gaiman.

"Today we recall the birth of @jonathancoulton, & sing mournful songs about women kidnapped by robotic giant squid-zombies in his memory."

I just wanted to repeat this, and thank caffienekitty for introducting me to "Creepy Doll." We need more geeky songwriters like this man, yes we do:)

So I decided to become industrious and make myself a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch--in a cast iron frypan no less. I even added a little basil to it, just because I love that herb. Listening to the horrible weather, music on, and a warm feeling inside. That's it. Hope everyone is dry somewhere.

*toasts all with tea*

Poll #1476878 All Hallows Eve Poll
Open to: Friends, detailed results viewable to: Friends, participants: 4

Should there be a picture?

Am I Insane?

On another note—Cookies?

I just wished Jim Butcher happy birthday to my fav addictive author on Twitter. AND HE SENT ME A DIRECT TY!!! *spastic flailing* Ok, I am fine. I did a calm response back (post-shock) saying yw and I hope he does something decadent, and he made my day:)

Pardon me while I grin like a bloody fool for a while.

Had two job interviews today--one I am hoping for and the other that..I am not sure I qualify for since you have to be 100% accurate all the time and I am human last time I checked:P Both interviews took a half hour, so I am little wiped right now..lol Both also asked me about the Meyers-Briggs test, and the first one was surprised I knew exactly what I was (INFJ)--and what it meant (his eyebrows went up). I explained the way introverts react differently than extroverts, but refrained from telling him about the Introvert Advantage book..lol The other interview made me do the test in an email a month ago, and I corrected a spelling mistake in their test, which is why they called back when the other person didn't work..lol Ah well, proofreading is good for something:P But I am crossing fingers for the first interview, since I don't think their rules are so strict, but we shall see. Going to do retail therapy if I can stay awake--need more caffiene.

I don't have a filesharing site, so I can't link these. Just wanted to share the list, such as it is. Turned out vastly different from whence I started, since I deleted half the songs I had picked, ending with a very blues/folk/alternative mix.


01) Me, I'm A Thief--Sarah Slean
02) Darkness--Darren Hayes
03) Sinner--Neil Finn
04) Chains and Things--B.B. King
05) The Man's Too Strong--Dire Straits
06) Heart With No Companion--Ron Sexsmith
07) Driving Me Mad--Neil Finn
08) Lost Highway--Jeff Buckley
09) Cross Road Blues--Robert Johnson
10) Loverman--Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
11) Televators--The Mars Volta
12) Hero--Darren Hayes
13) Leaving to Stay--Johnny Lang
14) Black Coffee--Sarah Harmer
15) The Man Comes Around--Johnny Cash
16) Hellhound on My Trail--Robert Johnson
17) Trouble Comes Knocking--Timber Timbre
18) Thinly Veiled Disguise--Ron Sexsmith
19) Crossed Out Name--Ryan Adams and the Cardinals
20) Black Stars--Jolie Holland
21) Brothers In Arms--Dire Straits
22) Stop--Ryan Adams and the Cardinals
23) Hurt--Johnny Cash

So I am a big fan of old radio plays. I love the horror and mystery best--The Shadow, X Minus One, The Mysterious Traveller and so on. I have had a devil of a time finding any of them on cd or tape. I found a set of The Shadow on tape years ago and bought them for a friend, but they were sold out when I went back. I say this because as I was surfing last night trying to find any info and I hit the most brilliant site. The Whistler has a site on Squidoo where they have posted a very large chunk of radio plays for download--and they include all the info about the show, the cast, and how it originated. I can't even say how excited I am by this, and downloaded the list they made up for halloween immediately. Just wanted to throw this out there if anyone else is interested:) *Dances away* I needed a little brightness, and the universe answered apparently..lol Now we can all listen in the dark;)

http://www.squidoo.com/lensmasters/TheWhistler
 

I am going to look at my angel mythology books, no I need to review season 4, no I need to post on twitter, no--aarrrrrgh!!!

No powers of concentration!!! I give up. Migraine not helping..bleh. SPN will fix it!!

"Are you under the impression that family is supposed to make you feel GOOD? Bake you an apple pie, maybe? They're SUPPOSED to make you miserable, that's why they're family!"

From everyone's favourite man of awesome sauce;)

Last one today, I swear.

What Your Love of Candy Corn Says About You

You are a very strange character. Much stranger than people realize at first. Like candy corn, the more people think about you - the weirder you seem. While you are quite quirky, that's what is lovable about you. You are bright, bold, and simply happy. What could be better?

http://feeds.blogthings.com/whatdoesyourfavoritecandysayaboutyouquiz/

I laughed just a tad at this:P

Your Feet Say You're Slightly Stubborn

You are pretty average in your expressiveness. You can express yourself well, but you don't always want to. You are a very passionate person. You are highly charged and easily inspired. You are an assertive and aggressive person. You are determined and not likely to ever give up. You take a while to fall in love, but once you do, you stay pretty attached to your partner. You are not afraid of anything. You are brave and courageous, even when most people would be terrified. You are intellectual and philosophical. You are more concerned with thoughts than action. You are very spoiled. You don't work unless you have to, and you love to be waited on. You are not easily influenced by other people. You hold your ground and are true to your beliefs.

Apparently it is quiz day for me:P http://feeds.blogthings.com/whatdoyourfeetsayaboutyouquiz/

Oh and courage--muah ha ha. Yeah, whatever, and waited on?

Snagged from Sandrinnad

Your Soul Is Connected to the Winter

You approach life with a zen-like calm that other people envy. Nothing rattles you. You are smart, thoughtful, and very serious. You don't stress out, but you don't take much lightly. You like to keep to yourself, and you've been called shy - even if you don't consider yourself that way. You prefer a cozy, quiet life filled with ideas, books, and maybe a few friends.

So apparently Keisa decided since the weather was cooler, it was time to go walkabout. She waited until I had the door cracked(blocked with the carpet and shoes) at 11pm before she went though. I was watching dvd's, and last I looked she had come back in, so didn't think anything of it. Looked around the house for her a couple of times, thinking she was hiding. Took the flashlight and checked under the beds--nothing. Mom wakes up and we look again--it is now 1:30 am. I have looked outside on the walkway a couple of times, and can't find anything, but this time I look--a little face is at the railing on the 4th floor--one floor above ours:P So, she snuck out, went up the stairs, and got stuck up there and has been confused for over two hours. She isn't crying or anything, and when I run up there in my nightgown she cries once(she never had a voice), I pick her up and take her home. She starts squirming when we are almost to the door, sees mom, and races inside. Keisa spends the next half hour eating, drinking, purring and following us around. Teach the critter to wander off, and me to leave the door cracked, even blocked with shoes and a carpet, sigh.

Keisa in a more innocent moment.

Stolen from Sandrinnad, because I am a hopeless addict for these things, and my brain is toast:P


Opening Credits:  Who Would Have Thought--Darren Hayes

Waking Up: Going Under--Evanescence

First Day of School:  Combat Baby--Metric

Falling In Love:   The Chemical Worker's Song--Great Big Sea

Losing Virginity:   That Old Black Magic--Frank Sinatra

Fight Song:  Now This is Fun--DM

Breaking Up:   Lucky Me--Sarah Slean

Prom:   Never Be the Same--Crowded House

Life:   The Actor--Robbie Williams

Mental Breakdown:  This Trumpet in My Head--Lykke Li

Driving:  I'll Keep Your Memory Vague--Finger Eleven

Flashback:  Gypsy Biker--Bruce Springsteen

Getting Back Together:  New Beginning--Tracey Chapman

Wedding: Somewhat Damaged--NIN

Birth of Child: Don't Pay the Ferryman--Chris De Burgh

Final Battle:  Name Taken--Massive Attack

Death Scene:  Amazing Grace--Blind Boys of Alabama

Funeral Song:  Walking Blues--Robert Johnson

Ending Credits:  Cassandra Gemini--Plant a Nail in the Navel Stream--The Mars Volta

I had to start with that quote by one of my favourite poet/archeologist/philosophers. I spent the day at Longbeach(ok another beach right near it, but they are all connected), with Wombat and J. I haven't been on that coastline in 15 years, possibly more, when my uncle tried to teach me to surf--long board(don't ask how it went). I made some mix cd's for the drive, it was a beautiful day, and not quite as hot on the west coast as we arrived. I try never to forget that we live in one of the most beautiful areas on earth, and you are reminded walking through old-growth rain forest on the way to the beach, through a wood that would do the Grimm brothers proud--there was almost a briar hedge right at the end of the trail. Spent the day bodysurfing--managed not to lose glasses, or to have Wombat scare me(think he was dissapointed), wandering through water taking pics of driftwood and waves(and one tiny pic of wombat). J was almost adopted by a friendly black lab,  bulll kelp tried to eat me, Wombat was thoroughly burned, much fun and food was had, and I wish it would happen everyday. There is something about walking/ swimming out in the ocean that makes you never want to return, or perhaps that is just me.