If You Like a Ukulele Lady

• Ukulele Lady by The Fabulous Pink Flamingos

More The Fabulous Pink Flamingos music on iLike

I don't know why I think this is a good idea, but I'm learning to play ukulele.  My Tagalog tutor had a cheap one lying around that she wasn't playing, and she let me have it so I could see if I liked it before spending dough on one of my own.  (A decent starter uke is about $50-80 bones; this one is probably in the $20 range.)

Actually, this was inspired by the poetry slam I went to the other night.  They busted out a uke for one of the pieces and I jotted down in my notebook, "get a ukulele" -- a note I rediscovered the next day in class when I was talking about deciding whether to lobby for a creative performance as my dissertation project (the uke would be put to use in the performance).  So I went home Friday and spent the rest of the night learning all I could about the ukulele and how difficult it would be to get started.  Turns out it's not too bad.  After an hour or so of tuning and tinkering around, I know four chords (though I can't quite change between them yet), and I'm getting the hang of strumming.  I can already see the cheapness of the one I have, though.  The tuning thingies (I could probably look this up, but I want to get this posted quickly) are made of plastic and don't stay in place when I tune.  That's definitely a problem.  Nevertheless, I think I'll see how I'm doing in another couple weeks before I decide if investing in an entry-level uke is wise.

But let me tell you, I've already got my eye on this little number:


Lanikai LU-21C Concert Ukulele
Brand: LANIKAI
Part #: 302530
List Price: $119.99
Your Price: $79.00
Inventory Status: Available

And if I go through with this, it will take every fiber of my being not to get one of these (I think you know why):

A Voice Like Buttah

“For singer/songwriter Carrie Newcomer, beauty is discovered in the midst of the ordinary. Life is experienced in the spaces between darkness and light. Truth is found in the bond between music and word. On one level, the listener experiences these types of connections through Newcomer’s lyrics, which explore life with a progressive spiritual sensibility. In a world that encourages us to move faster and think bigger, Newcomer invites the listener to slow down and reflect on the small things that make life worthwhile. For her, ‘songwriting is not about being clever, flashy or fancy—it is about telling a compelling story in language and music with elegance and clarity.’ The result is a resonant soundtrack for a world that is both sacred and ordinary.”  

81 Days of Tao: Verse 1

With roughly 81 days left in the semester, I plan to ruminate on each of the 81 verses of the Tao Te Ching with the hope that I will emerge in May a more balanced, peaceful soul.

• I Do Not Know Its Name by Carrie Newcomer

Verse 1:
The Tao that can be told is not the
eternal Tao.
The name that can be named is not the
eternal name.


The nameless is the beginning of
heaven and Earth.
The named is the mother of the ten
thousand things.


Ever desireless, one can see the
mystery.
Ever desiring, one sees the
manifestations.


These two spring from the same source
but differ in name; this appears as
darkness.


Darkness within darkness.
The gate to all mystery.

I realize the contradiction (and impossibility) of attempting to interpret the tao in words when it defies such definition.  Rather than go stumbling into that futility, I will point to the moments that have held it for me.  It is something between an endorphin rush and that moment just before sleep.  It's looking out across the land, street, neighborhood, and seeing it for the first time after you've traversed it for years. It's the right turn onto Scott Blvd. from Muscatine when I could see the cornfields unfold in the distance and knew that Dinah was waiting for me to return home.  It's when the perfect song comes on the radio -- one you've never heard before, but the one you needed to hear. 

The song at the top of this post is just such a song. The lyric that touched me: "it must taste like peaches eaten by the road side."

On Superbowl Sunday, I stopped at Hy-Vee on my way home from the gym to pick up snack fixins for Laura's SB party.  As I was pulling into the parking lot, three songs in a row came on and I just could not stop listening.  The first one came to me and it was exactly what I needed to hear at that precise moment.  Then two more followed right behind it.  I sat in the car for 15 minutes, snow falling around me and temperature dropping, before I finally went inside to get snack fixins.  Such a wonderful moment.

I think this song captures the essence of this first verse.  The nature of the tao is that it defies definition.  It cannot be expressed, but it can be known.

The Night I Leave Iowa

• Iowa by Abi Tapia

As soon as I knew I would be coming to Iowa for grad school, I immediately went in search of any and all songs that mention Iowa in them. Turns out there are quite a few -- an entire CD's worth. Some are obviously better than others, this one by Abi Tapia being one of the better ones.

I decided when I got here that I wanted to have the kind of experience here that would make me cry when it came time to leave. After three years, I've been doing more crying here than ever before (and not in a good way), and I'm itching to move away ASAP in May...it makes me sad. I don't want to go out like that. Maybe it would be better if I stay through the summer and do all the Iowa things I want to do before I go -- like RAGBRAI, for instance. Or an adventure race with Laura. Then again, I should really try to get a job. Wouldn't it be great to be a park ranger in Alaska or Yosemite? What an adventure either of those would be! Even better to have a tenure-track job waiting for me in the fall? Well, I have time to decide. And no job offers yet, so it's not productive to imagine an entire path with any of that on it or worry about decisions that haven't even been presented as choices yet.

But what a wild blue yonder ahead of me, no?

If I Have to be Awake at 4am

Ako Ay Pinay! Sige!

I've been struggling with my New Year's post and playlist for almost a week. This is also the second take on a post that went up then down again an hour later this morning. Both the mix and the post were turning into a jumble of random stuff I wanted to take on this year, so instead of trying to force them into a coherent whole, I will deal with them in separate posts this week.

My Big Deal Thing in 2009 is the ITU Subic Bay International Triathlon in the Philippines in May. I haven't been to the Philippines since winter 2003-2004, so it's time I go back. Even though my dad was here for much of the fall, it's been almost two years since I've seen my mama. And a triathlon (or two) in the mix? Super bonus!

This ramp gets you in/out of transition.

This first video is for my Mamar and my fellow Pinay-girl, Sunny. I have to admit, the mom at the beginning of this video is pretty close to my mom and aunties, yelling-wise. My mom never tried to feed my friends -- but my aunties and my grandma had that covered. Something tells me my mom would like "Pergie" too.

Of course, this also means it's time to freshen up the old iPod. As I was trying to put together a mix, I realized I was trying to address a few different tasks: finding mostly new (to me) tracks to get me charged up about training, racing in the PI, the ongoing peacetalks with my body (its ever-changing shape and abilities), and the year ahead.

For better or worse, I got my body from my mama. Seriously, some of my friends think our faces look alike, but she and I are shaped like the exact same pear. So these additions to the iPod are sort of an embrace of my mama, my body, and my "motherland." The last track is not supposed to turn a blind eye to the colonial history between the US and the PI, or even a suggestion that I might dominate anything when I race there -- just a nod to racing abroad and taking a tall, quenching drink of my heritage. Though it is probably a good cautionary reminder, nonetheless.

I admit, on that trip I will probably also be looking for a way to include a chapter in my dissertation about the women in the triathlon community in Southern Luzon in the Philippines. You know, so I can spend my dissertation year there. ;^)

English translation of the chorus from Bebot:

You're a Filipino, shout! C'mon!
If you're beautiful, shout! C'mon!
If your life is important, shout! C'mon!
Thanks for your support!

Isn't that a perfect way to end this first post for 2009?

Trading Da Clubb for Da Tubb

Somehow my sleep schedule got messed up enough that, in tandem with a touch of the hermits, I decided to spend New Year's in the tub with some tunes and a glass of wine. In some respects, this mode of celebration and playlist were inspired by this Babyface video (also, this is my favorite version of this song and I have yet to find it sans video).





I'll post all my biggest plans for 2009 in the coming days.

Made in the 70s

After spending 18 hours at my computer every day last week, my body is in desperate need of a boogie-down.

Yes, I missed my own birthday.

I had a disco CD in my collection during my freshman year of college. Every time I finished a test or some other "big" assignment, I'd come home and dance around my dorm room for about half an hour. So yeah, I think I might be hard-wired for this sort of thing.

Side note: I think "Boogie Shoes" might be one of my favorite songs of all time, not just this genre.

Not promising anything, but today might be a two-fer. Stay tuned.

Shake Your Rump

This week there was a LOT of Facebook activity with some high school peeps. I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised that the Sunday throwdown landed here despite my initial disco intentions. (Stay tuned for that one, though.)

Of course, I spent so much time on this mix that I am just going to post it and go straight to bed now that it's done.

It will be a Movin' Groovin' Monday morning for me instead.

Freakazoids...Please Report to the Kitchen Floor

Well crud. I meant to wait 'til Sunday for my solo kitchen dance party, but then the rhythm got me and made me shake my booty two days early.

Eh, I blame it on the boogie.

Total time: 44:44.

Darling Nikki's the cool down...

What Happens in the Kitchen...

...gets posted on the blog.

It started innocently enough as music to cook by but quickly degenerated into a full-body boogie-down...with my dog. Well, he was a good sport for about half a song and then took off. Eh, it was fun while it lasted. Maybe it's just because this is my first day back after two weeks with the flu, but I've decided to incorporate a Sunday night kitchen dance party into my weekly routine. Here's the playlist from the inaugural throwdown. To be clear, TLC is the cool-down.

I'm such a nerd.

Total time: 40:40

Country-Fried Introspection

Methinks I am just exactly where I need to be.

What Happens in 1990...

...should not be brought up as a way to look hip and with-it to your students.
My friend Jessica recently posted a horrific tale of encountering a person born in 1990. Methinks the only thing more horrifying than Jessica's tale might be having to teach a lesson about popular music to a room full of people born between 1987-1990 -- which is what I did every night this week.

*crickets chirping*

To say I felt old is an understatement. At one point, I mentioned that a group came on the scene in 1997 and one of them said, "Wow, that's like ancient history." To my face!!!

The was one brief, shining moment when one especially baby-faced one responded to Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince's Summertime with "That's like what I do back home." If he was mocking me, I wasn't willing to see it.

Which brings me to the...

You Had to Be There (And Not Embryonic) Playlist

Poison
Bell Biv Devoe

Funky Enough
The D.O.C.

Freaks of the Industry
Digital Underground

Feels Good
Tony Toni Tone

Turn This Mutha Out
MC Hammer

Joy & Pain
Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock

Gyrlz They Love Me
Heavy D and the Boyz

Me, Myself, and I
De La Soul

Thieves in the Temple
Prince

Miss You Much
Janet Jackson

Hold On
En Vogue

Giving You the Benefit
Pebbles

For the record, I'm not saying all this stuff is any good, but sometimes you just need to take a quenching drink of "I like being my age."

Tunes for Tuesday

Now that I am embracing my inner superheroine, I clearly need a soundtrack. This started off as a serious list, but what I ended up finding turned this into, well, something else. (Also, I really wanted to avoid overlap with my previous lists, so you'll probably note the absence of other Grrrl Power faves like No Doubt's Just a Girl, and any number of other Christina/Britney hits.)

Keeps Getting Better
Christina Aguilera

I think these lyrics pretty much require me to make this my new personal theme song:

Some days I'm a super girl out to save the world and it keeps getting better

One Girl Revolution
Superchick

Okay, this is what it is, but the themes under the bubblegum aesthetic do what the Bangles and Bananarama (and the Go-Gos) could've done for me and my Gen X chicas. Meh.

Rock What You Got
Superchick

It's On
Superchick

Me Against the World
Superchick

Ain't Nothin' but a She Thing
Nobody's Angel

Supergirl!
Krystal Harris

Watch Me Shine
Joanna Pacitti

And now the Close, But No Cigar Awards (here's where things go awry):

When this was going to be super-superhero-y, Batdance seemed like a logical place to go, but check out the Batgirl Theme and lyrics. This is awful on so many levels, not the least of which is auditory. But I like the idea of asking a superhero if she is a "chick who fell in from outer space" and if she isn't, then the logical alternative is that she might be "real with a tender warm embrace."

People ask me this all the time (the outer space part); maybe it's a sign that my inner superhero is shining through.

Batgirrrl, Batgirl! Batgirrrl, Batgirl!
Where do you come from, where do you go?
What is your scene, baby, we just gotta know.
Batgirrrl, Batgirl! Batgirrrl, Batgirl!
Are you a chick who fell in from outer space?
Or are you real with a tender warm embrace?
Yaaa, whose baby are you? Batgirrrl, Batgirl!
Yaaa, whose baby are you? Batgirl!

Wonder Woman Theme
For obvious reasons, I wanted to include this in the "serious," kickass list despite the background vocals being shrill and annoying. But the lyrics "in your satin tights, fighting for your rights" relegated this to the silly bin.

Sometimes it Takes Balls to be a Woman
Elizabeth Cook

Excerpt:
Sometimes it takes balls to be a woman Standing up to a test, while wearing a party dress Sometimes looks can be deceiving when you¹re quietly over-achieving Oh, sometimes it takes balls to be a woman He says I should repent for the money I spent on shoes and bags and jewelry Well To hell with that, my hard working ass ain't gonna sit before a jury Now isn't that a mighty small price to pay For all the love I send your way Honey when it comes down to the plumbin' Sometimes it takes balls to be a woman

A. I shoulda known this was a country song from the title alone.
B. This is from an album called simply, "Balls."
C. Rhyming "plumbin'" with "woman" -- now THAT'S artistry.

And that's when I had to give up the search.

Oh Chris Isaak, Say It Ain't So

If you didn't already know, I love Chris Isaak. I mean really, I LUUUUV him. He usually sticks to the west coast for tours, so how happy was I when I learned that he will be in Chicago next week? At first, ecstatic.

Then I investigated.

He'll be giving a free concert (WOOT!) at the grand opening of a shopping mall. (WHAT?!) You read that correctly. My Chris Isaak is channeling the New Kids and Tiffany and hitting the shopping mall circuit. (Is this a step up or down from the casino he played here in Iowa last summer?) As if that weren't bad enough, the press release reads like something off The Simpsons. Read these money quotes with Kent Brockman's voice in mind:

Platinum record artist Chris Isaak is set to highlight the grand opening celebration at The Arboretum of South
Barrington later this month.

The free concert takes place at 7 p.m. Sept. 27 on the plaza stage at the new 600,000 square-foot outdoor shopping center near routes 59 and 72.

Guests are encouraged to bring a lawn chair.

"We want to properly introduce the project as one of the most important new retail developments in the Chicago area in terms of scale, retail offerings and ambience," Jaffe said. [emphasis mine]

-insert snarky Kent Brockman comment here re: Chris Isaak doing a bad, bad thing-

Three things:
1. If you didn't already know this about me, I'm kind of a liberal, anti-sprawl, anti-consumerism, if-you-don't-keep-your-wits-about-you-suburbia-will-kill-your-soul type.
2. I try to live deliberately: sticking to my principles, shopping locally, using public transportation or my bike.
3. You bet your ass I'm going!

*sigh*

4. I live a life of hypocrisy contradiction.

The Groove in My Heart

I think I listened to this song about 18 Go!-zillion times on the drive here...will probably belt it out on the course, too. (Click the title to hear a sample.)

I Will Survive
Stephanie Bentley

excerpt:

I've gotta be strong
Teardrops no one sees but me
I won't stop, 'cause I'll always believe

I will survive, I will endure
When the goin's rough
You can be sure
I'll tough it out, I won't give in
If I'm knocked down, I'll get up again
As long as my dream's alive
I will survive

. . .

Going for a practice swim with Mary Sunshine tomorrow morning to get a feel for the current. Will take a bath tonight to relax/visualize/meditate...then off to bed.

Peas.

Music Monday 8.04.08

Some Gems for Beating a Path
At long last, more music! A smattering of what's been in heavy rotation as of late -- no other organizing theme besides that. Links to tracks now go to last.fm thanks mostly to the fact that I couldn't find Endorphinmachine anywhere else and I think it absolutely warrants a listen (so click it up, suckas). Inexplicably, however, Glamorous Life wasn't there in sample form. But really, if you've never heard that one, I weep for your soul.

Feels Good
Tony! Toni! Tone!

Endorphinmachine
Prince

Relating to a Psychopath
Macy Gray

Ruffneck
MC Lyte

Hat 2 Da Back
TLC

Giving You the Benefit
Pebbles

Glamorous Life
Sheila E.

Me, Myself & I
De La Soul

No Diggity
Blackstreet

California Love
Tupac

Hold It Don't Drop It
Jennifer Lopez

Boombastic
Shaggy

Endorphinmachine

So a buddy of mine moved away last week and my parting gift (I get a gift for staying?!) was 10 Prince albums in mp3 form. Though I count myself as a fan, I am nothing compared to the super-advocate this guy is (I only ever owned the Purple Rain soundtrack, the Love Symbol album, Diamonds and Pearls, and The Hits/The B-Sides). In any event, I looked forward to exploring the new additions to my library.

Of course, the runner in me immediately zeroed in on a track called Endorphinmachine. (Seriously, click away if you know what's good for you.)

This track kicks so much ass, it's getting a post all to itself. Though it is part of a playlist that is scheduled to be posted tomorrow, I didn't want to risk it getting lost in the shuffle. (Speaking of shuffle, I *might* have listened to this on a loop for the last 2 miles of my long run yesterday.)

Interestingly, this also reminded me of the first Prince-aficionado to cross my path...Kris Selvidge and your triplets (!!!) this one's for you.

Enjoy!!!

Music Monday 5.12.08

Hill Climbing Mix

This is the stuff that -- you guessed it -- helps me get up those hills! (Thanks to Michelle for contributing Rihanna.)

Pon de Replay
Rihanna

Yeah!
Usher

Move B***h
Ludacris

Rollout
Ludacris

Get Ur Freak On
Missy Elliott

Boom! Shake the Room
DJ Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince

Smooth Criminal
Michael Jackson

If
Janet Jackson

Devil Inside
INXS

Suicide Blonde
INXS

Welcome to the Jungle
Guns n Roses

Music Monday 5.5.08

The Formative Years Series

I must admit, this week's list is much shorter as I was obviously more interested in R&B. But Casey Kasem's Weekly Top 40 being what it is, and junior high dances being what they are, all this still permeated my awkward stage. (When's this stage gonna be over already?!)

Next week I will take a little break before we hit the high school years for a hill-climbing mix. Enjoy.

Junior High, Vol. 2: Pop Metal, Hair & Guitars (1987-1989)

Welcome to the Jungle
Guns 'n' Roses

Nothin' but a Good Time
Poison

Pour Some Sugar on Me
Def Leppard

Dude Looks Like a Lady
Aerosmith

Here I Go Again
Whitesnake

Kiss Me Deadly
Lita Ford

I Hate Myself for Loving You
Joan Jett & the Blackhearts

Bad Medicine
Bon Jovi

Girls, Girls, Girls
Motley Crue