Dawn Xiana Moon: Intelligent folk pop with influences from jazz and traditional Chinese music. From Chicago.

Randomness Archives • Blogroll Me! • Atom XML Feed • RSS Feed

Wednesday, November 27, 2002

Courtesy of Kate Beachnau

From the concert at the RC Auditorium on 11.16.02.

^ Top | 7:02 AM | | |

Monday, November 25, 2002

Fun Stuff for LOTR Fanatics

I've been spending far too much time surfing the net in the last day or so looking at various Lord of the Rings sites. Somehow I got into looking at jewelry, though after a while you realize that since practically everything needs to be licensed there isn't much variety anyway. The following are two of the coolest items I found through my wanderings, though they're two pieces I will probably never buy:

An unusual version of the One Ring that looks plain until you throw it in fire. The catch? It's goes for $584.99. Yikes.

At least Arwen's pendant isn't quite so expensive... at $75, I couldn't find it cheaper anywhere else on the net. However, that's still good for groceries for a couple of weeks....

^ Top | 3:16 AM | | |

Sunday, November 24, 2002

Time Travelers

Wow. You definitely have to read this. Remember the crazy email I posted from the "time traveler" who wanted to buy equipment? Apparently a number of people with blogs have gotten that email as well, and finding it as amusing as I did, posted it on their sites; someone did a Yahoo search and came up with a list of around 8 sites with the time traveler email. One guy actually responded. Read his ongoing exchange and prepare for some laughter....

^ Top | 6:16 AM | | |

Tech Stuff

Something fun, something funny, something strange, something dumb.

^ Top | 5:26 AM | | |

Wednesday, November 20, 2002

One of the Craziest Things I've Ever Done

There are some times in life when you just have to do things on the spur of the moment, when you have to be a little crazy. Monday was one such day. I'd planned to see the meteor shower on Tues. morning (5:15am) with some friends--we thought we'd just drive out of town and into the country a few minutes away, so we wouldn't have to deal with city lights--but on Monday the weather reports weren't looking promising--they predicted rain and clouds for the entire night. So the excursion was canceled and we (Rachel, Tait, Derek, and myself) decided to get together for Colliders at Rod's (think Blizzards with frozen yogurt instead of ice cream) and study. Too bad, the meteor shower only happens once every 130 years. Between mouthfuls of frozen goodness, Derek jokingly suggested that we could always head out west of Chicago to see it, outrunning the clouds, and I took him seriously: "Why not? I'm in a crazy mood." Realize here that we're in southeast Michigan; this was absolute madness.

Somehow we all decided to go for it--a once-in-a-lifetime-opportunity, right?--and grabbed blankets, Alex, who'd gotten wind of our plans via cell phone, homework (yup, we're definitely U-Mers), and pillows. We hopped in my car at 11:30pm and drove to Derek's house on the western side of the state to whip up some homemade hot chocolate and get updated weather reports from the internet (ever feel like a storm chaser?) so we could plan the best route. Throughout the trip, there were sporatic attempts to do homework by flashlight--reading a novel for me and Latin for Alex and Tait--which added another touch of hilarity to the situation. Around 5am we ended up by Champaign, IL, incredibly flat land--the Great Plains, actually--and drove down a random road in the middle of what was probably a cornfield; it was hard to tell since all of the crops had been harvested already. We got out, bundled up in blankets, and sipped hot cocoa. It was freezing, so we used the car to block the wind and all five of us laid down on the gravel road. "Wouldn't it be funny if a car drove by right now?" For an hour, we watched shooting stars. They were absolutely gorgeous--Derek and Tait were the only ones counting, with Derek's total hitting 310 (Tait, wearing glasses, saw just over half that) in the short time we had.

Finally, we hopped back in the car so we could make it back to Ann Arbor in time for (most) of our classes (hey, we're college students, and reality calls). On the way back, we stopped at the Burger King where Derek's brother works to get some food; incidentally, we didn't have to pay for it since Derek had worked there in the summer and the manager, glad to see him, said our food would be on the house. Nice. We eventually made it back to A2 at 11am. Rachel was especially sleep-deprived, which turned out to be an interesting combination of grumpy and slap-happy:

Me: How many points if I run over the girl with the bike?
Tait: A hundred if you can get her to fall off without touching the bike.
Me: Hmm... how could I do that?
Rachel: Don't run over anyone!!
Me: (laughing) I'm joking, dear.
Rachel: Don't joke with me when I'm tired!

So what have you been up to lately? :-)

^ Top | 3:32 AM | | |

Sunday, November 17, 2002

The Belles are Winning

Which Disney Princess are you?

You are a true bookworm and dream of a life better than the simple, quiet one you lead now. Your good looks can attract the town jerks, but you manage to ignore them most of the time. Sometimes you feel like you're surrounded by idiots. So what are you waiting for? You don't need your father to be kidnapped to get out and see the world. Although you can be stubborn, you're also very compassionate and see beyond people's façades.

^ Top | 1:48 AM | | |

Tuesday, November 12, 2002

Possibly the Wierdest Email I've Ever Gotten

Dawn commentary: The email was titled "Art79" and was found in my Angelfire inbox today. Very strange.

Hello,
If you are a Time Traveler I am going to need the following:

1. A modified mind warping Dimensional Warp Generator # 52 4350a series wrist watch with memory adapter.

2. Reliable carbon based, or silicon based time transducing capacitor.

I need a reliable source!! Please only reply if you are reliable.
Send a (SEPARATE) email to me at:Tomnwrr@aol.com

^ Top | 3:15 AM | | |

Sunday, November 10, 2002

U-M Wierdness

Things to know the next time you visit Ann Arbor/the University of Michigan:

1. We don't have majors; we have "concentrations." (Though you'll notice none of the students pay any attention to this.)
2. We don't have dorms; we have residence halls (only RAs pay attention to this--yes, even they will tell you they've been brainwashed).
3. We don't have TAs (teaching assistants); we have GSIs (graduate student instructors). (Do you sense a trend here?)
4. The Fishbowl does not hold fish. It holds people. And it does not contain water, unless students illegally smuggled it in. (It's a computer lab in Angell Hall.)
5. Don't confuse the CCRB with the NCRB--you'll end up taking a bus and going to the wrong campus.
6. The UGLi (undergrad library) isn't really ugly.
7. Don't try to drive into town on a game Saturday. BAD idea. Even if you live 20 min. from campus. Just don't do it. If you do, expect to be in the car 4-10 times longer than usual.
8. Don't pay any attention to signs in the Arb (yes, another abbreviation/acronym/strange way to say things)--no one obeys them anyway. Especially when they say no sledding, no dogs without leashes, no bikes, and no entrance after dark. (U-M students: how many of these have you not broken?)
9. The university would cease to function without the internet. Literally.
10. We aren't arrogant. Really. We're nice, friendly people. Seriously. Why don't you believe me?

^ Top | 1:51 AM | | |

Tuesday, November 05, 2002

Simba and Co.

I was in Toronto over the weekend to see The Lion King, which was fun. A little disappointing in some ways though. Canadian drivers are insane! We left the hotel a hour early for the show, thinking that should leave plenty of time on a Saturday night to get to a theatre 20km away (this is around 10-15 miles, people). Heh. We were so wrong... it took over an hour to make it to the Princess of Wales Theatre, but thankfully we only missed part of the opening number. Yikes. New York City isn't so bad. Anyway, my thoughts on the production. The staging, costumes, and puppetry were absolutely incredible:

However, I after hearing so much about the depth that director Julie Taymor supposedly brought to the musical, I was unimpressed--yes, she gave more than the Disney movie, but the show was more interesting as a spectacle than a serious story (I won't bother summarizing it here since most people know the plot already). Her use of puppets and costuming made the production much more engaging than it would have been if it were done Beauty and the Beast Broadway style, but it was more fascinating to watch how the actors move (especially since in most cases there was no attempt to conceal the actors' bodies--rather, they became human extensions of their characters) than to give great attention to the plot. The scene where Mufasa dies was absolutely stunning--Taymor used cutouts of wildebeasts, a canvas roller, various platforms/levels, and puppets/costumes that increasingly got larger to create the stampede. A definite jaw-dropper. Another simple but striking effect used a large painted sheet of blue silk slowly disappearing into a hole in the stage floor to symbolize the drought after Scar takes control. The vocals were strong--especially Brittney Kay, who played Young Nala (wow!! she can't be more than 12 years old, but where did she learn to sing?!!)--but some of the actors were weak, with Simba and Young Simba being the most noticeable. One fun addition to the production was the inclusion of African music--not just in the background or sporatically--to tie the show together. Many of the actors are from Africa as well (on a related sidenote: the cast bios are hilarious--most aren't your typical professional let-me-tell-you-all-the-shows-I've-done pieces, but have beaucoup personality, for better or worse, probably more than I've ever seen for professional theatre).

The production also tried to find its own themes, different than those of the film... and they were confusing at best. "He Lives in You," sung by Simba and Rafiki as the young lion tries to reconcile himself with with father's death long ago, talks about Mufasa's continuing influence:

Wait, there's no mountain too great
Hear the words and have faith
Have faith

He lives in you
He lives in me

He watches over
Everything we see
Into the water
Into the truth
In your reflection
He lives in you

It sounds like Mufasa is turning into God, not just a father. "Shadowland," sung by Nala as she leaves Pride Rock because Scar wants to marry her, even speaks of lionesses' prayers: "And where the journey may lead me/ Let your prayers be my guide/ I cannot stay here, my family/ But I'll remember my pride." Prayers to whom? Simba sings "Endless Night" to his dead father, who now lives in the stars, as do all great lion kings, and the lyrics are exactly like words I would write to God in a dark time:

Where has the starlight gone?
Dark is the day
How can I find my way home?

Home is an empty dream
Lost to the night
Father, I feel so alone

You promised you'd be there
Whenever I needed you
Whenever I call your name
You're not anywhere

I'm trying to hold on
Just waiting to hear your voice
One word, just a word will do
To end this nightmare

When will the dawning break
Oh endless night
Sleepless I dream of the day

When you were by my side
Guiding my path
Father, I can't find the way

You promised you'd be there
Whenever I needed you
Whenever I call your name
You're not anywhere

I'm trying to hold on
Just waiting to hear your voice
One word, just a word will do
To end this nightmare

I know that the night must end
And that the sun will rise
And that the sun will rise

I know that the clouds must clear
And that the sun will shine
And that the sun will shine

I know that the night must end
And that the sun will rise
And that the sun will rise
I know that the clouds must clear
And that the sun will shine
And that the sun will shine

I know
Yes, I know
The sun will rise
Yes, I know
I know
The clouds must clear

I know that the night must end
I know that the sun will rise
And I'll hear your voice deep inside

I know that the night must end
And that the clouds must clear
The sun
The sun will rise
The sun
The sun will rise

This leaves me with the question of who Mufasa is in the world of the production. He's definitely likened to God--more so in my mind as a person with a relationship with God than it would be in an unbeliever, I'm sure--but what is Taymor trying to say? As an English major, I could easily come up with an interpretation that may or may not be correct, but would sound convincing. I'm not interested in that right now. I want to know where she was really going with this.

For thoughts on the weekend from Al, who was with me, click here.

^ Top | 4:02 AM | | |

Saturday, November 02, 2002

The Song List

I keep a list of all of the songs I've written and co-written in a notebook, and I just typed it into Excel for easier accessibilty... there are 51 songs on the list now! Wow. And that's just from the last three years--I picked up the guitar three years ago in October and started writing soon after. Of course, some of the music is pretty bad, stuff that I'd never want to play for anyone else (that is, if I can even remember how they go). But around half of the songs are worthy of being played in public, and a handful are really good. (I'm biased, though, I know. :-) Or maybe my own worst critic.)

It's kind of cool to look at the list and remember the stories behind songs that I don't play often anymore, though. "Here" was written for a close friend who'd struggled with anorexia in the past and was fighting to change the way he thought about himself. "Did I Even Know You at All" came out of watching a good friend change as she entered college, doing things that she would have spoken against before. It was disturbing and sad at the same time. Two years ago, my younger brother came to me with a short story and wanted me to read it for the annual variety show at church; I was already performing a monologue, so a second reading would have been redundant. As a compromise, I reworked his writing into lyrics and set them to music--the result was "That Day," which we performed together, both singing and playing guitar (it wasn't the greatest collaboration ever, especially since we barely had time to rehearse together before going onstage, but there are things more important than a perfect performance). "Future's Night" came from uncertainty about where I was headed in my life and asking God for direction. We always want to know the future, to plan our lives out, but having such control is often the worst thing for us. We screw everything up when we try to do it ourselves instead of letting God take the reins.

I used to have a (rather short-lived) band called Chrestus Way: Brian Kuzma on vocals, piano, and guitar; Mark Ostroski on cello; and myself on vocals, piano, and guitar (Jake got into the act on percussion later); Brian and I wrote a few songs together: "Future's Night," "Waiting Contradictions" (which I still play, modified a bit), "Forgiveness: Peter's Story," and "In the Shadow of Your Wings" (a nice Caedmon's Call-esque number). The crazy thing about the band was that Brian, Mark, and I played a couple of variety shows at our churches, and then the entire crew played a show in Dearborn opening for Son of Adam and Code Bloom, two local bands. We got paid a nice amount of money for the show--our first real gig--and broke up soon after (yeah, that makes sense... kill the band after you get paid). It was too hard getting everyone together, since we were scattered all over metro Detroit (Ann Arbor, Redford, Commerce Township, Detroit itself). But the band was fun, and it had potential. Too bad it wasn't realized.

For a long time afterward I wanted to put another band together, one made up of at two-three vocalists (including a guy and a girl), upright bass, percussion, violin, flute/tin whistle/recorder, piano, and guitar, with the option of going electric with a drum set (definitely need a couple of multi-instrumentalists so the band wouldn't get too large). It never happened, so I got serious about taking the solo route. I still love playing with other people though....

^ Top | 7:42 AM | | |

Friday, November 01, 2002

The Wonders of the Internet

My cable modem is finally behaving like one (well, kinda anyway), which makes me really happy... and I've also stumbled upon a way to replenish my cd collection. Mind you, I'm not just downloading random albums that I have no right to get--rather, I've loaned out certain well-loved items in the collection and never gotten them back (and I also broke one, but that's another story). So now I finally have Loreena McKennitt's The Book of Secrets again--awesome album, especially a song Michelle Kwan once skated to called "Dante's Prayer"--and Jimmy Eat World's Clarity (one of my all-time favorite albums, which I somehow managed to destroy... there's a big crack down the center). Yay!

^ Top | 4:40 AM | | |