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Friday, January 31, 2003 Lyrics written last spring, I think, inspired by a couple of songs: Jars of Clay's "He" and Plumb's "Damaged." Maybe I should start dating my work.... Let Me Hide Words and Music by Dawn Xiana Moon She asks, “Can you hurt me anymore You’ve taken more than I could give You took a piece of me I can’t get back They told me time would heal the pain But I still bear these scars What I’d give to forget Don’t try to reach me Don’t try to break through These walls, they protect me From this string of abuse Just let me hide I don’t want to hurt anymore I just can’t do this anymore Jesus, let me hide in your arms They say that you always answer prayer Well, I’m calling to you They say that you love me Am I getting through? Just try to reach me Just try to break through These walls, they confine me But I’m scared to break loose Just let me hide” ^ Top | 12:29 AM | | | 
Tuesday, January 28, 2003 The Artic Blog This cold weather is dangerous: people around the country have been dying both from the cold itself and from trying to keep warm (in other words, their space heaters have caused fires--they cause an estimated 50,000 each year). A 50-year-old homeless man froze to death in Detroit. Imagine, instead of frozen fish sticks we'll have frozen human sticks. Ok, maybe that was too gross to be funny.... However, we're approaching a tie with Alaska at last. It finally feels like we're in the double-digits! The temperature is currently 25F (feels like 17F) in Ann Arbor, Michigan and 27F (feels like 19F) in Anchorage, Alaska. So it's still colder here but at least the gap is getting closer! (Here's where you start asking, "What the heck is this girl's obesession with Alaska?!") Freezing temperatures brought jokes from almost every performer at Friday night's Ann Arbor Folk Festival. The ones who didn't joke about how cold it was either quipped that they wouldn't because we'd been hearing that all night or mentioned that they were from the tundra as well. I told you that the weather is news in Michigan. And you didn't believe me. Heh. And the final blurb for today's entry: here's the first paragraph (as it stands right now, anyway) of the short story I'm currently working on. It's untitled and incomplete, but the beginning should be amusing: I can’t handle this Michigan cold. Why did my parents ever move to this God-forsaken tundra? Siberia can’t be much worse. I’m walking along the streets of Ann Arbor under twinkling yellow lights left over from Christmas, huddled into the inadequate warmth of my wool peacoat, wondering how long this hyperborean weather can keep up—this morning it was colder here than in Anchorage, Alaska. Alaska! Alaska was in the double-digits; we were in the negatives. Maybe I should move to Alaska… Jewel did it and she ended up a superstar. Maybe frigid temperatures make you stay indoors, working that much harder at the things you care about. Maybe when the wind is blistering it doesn’t matter anymore what others think and you’re free to be yourself. Maybe when you wonder if you look like a pathetic dragon blowing steam and smoke instead of fire it doesn’t matter if you’ve always been on the outside. Maybe the warmth of a fire would be open to all, lest they die in cryogenic stasis. Or maybe I’m just full of crap. ^ Top | 11:48 AM | | |
Monday, January 27, 2003 Notes on the Folk Festival I caught the Ann Arbor Folk Festival for the first time on Friday night; I'd been meaning to go for the last couple of years but this time around I finally bought a ticket. Wow. I don't think I've ever seen that many people in the Michigan Theater before--from what I could tell, the place was more or less sold out. Patty Griffin headlined--the only performer to bring a backup band--and Nerissa and Katryna Nields played emcees for the night. The lowdown on the performers: Seth Bernard: He was the only one on the bill that I'd heard before, since he's a local (last year he'd actually ushered the Folk Festival--way to go in a year!). I'm not crazy about his music--it's not bad, but it's his personality that really sells, and audiences fall in love with him. He's a breath of pure sunshine. Jazzy folk. Jeffrey Gaines: This guy sounded like he belonged on pop radio of the Richard Marx variety (not in a disparaging way at all). I was kind of far from the stage, but it looked like his guitar sported a large hole right below the pickguard. Patty Griffin: I borrowed one of her albums from my roommate Elise, and she definitely sounds better live. Simple elegance. Billy Jonas: One of the most unique performers I've ever seen. His first song was a "whisperalong" on acoustic guitar--original, but not that out of the ordinary. What was surprising were the next songs; he put down the guitar and accompianied himself using Indian ankle bells and drums otherwise known as plastic garbage cans and barrels. And it sounded good. If you ever get a chance to see him live, do it. Jeff Lang: Hailing from Australia, he was the only performer to use a more electric sound. It was surprising how full one guitar can be--he veered more toward rock than folk. Erin McKeown: According to the emcees, Ani Defranco and Norah Jones are among her fans. You can definitely hear why Jones would like her--their voices are incredibly similar. McKeown had one of the best voices of the night, but she's so short that her guitar almost dwarfed her (and that was pretty amusing). Nerissa and Katryna Nields: These sisters have incredible, unique voices. I actually wanted to buy their cd, but they were only taking cash and checks and all I had was my credit card. Oh well. Josh Ritter: You know, I can't find anything particularly interesting to say about him besides the fact that he came onstage wearing a brown suit. The Waybacks: They were a bit too bluegrass for my tastes, but they have some excellent musicians in the band, one of the guitarists especially. Overall, the festival was fun and taught me something about stage presence--every artist had that in abundance--though the Nields were the only performers I liked enough musically to look for cds. According to Elise, the festival has been better in the past; she was disappointed. I was apparently inspired at the end of it all though, because when I went off to practice the piano that night (I was recording some piano parts the next day) I ended up writing a song in the process. Until next year.... ^ Top | 7:17 AM | | |
Saturday, January 25, 2003 Who needs cars? Sometimes living with people can be trying, and not necessarily because of any fault in the individuals themselves. I've been stuck in the driveway three times this week when I needed to leave (twice to get to the studio so I can finish the cd that's taking forever). You see, we line all of our cars in the driveway (when possible, we try to park a few cars on the street, but there are 5 cars here so someone's always blocking someone else--street parking in Ann Arbor is scarce). My car has been the furthest in for the last week... and it's not going anywhere because every time I need to get out over the last few days it seems like something goes wrong. Incident #1: A car stalled and wouldn't go anywhere. Incident #2: Someone forgot to leave their keys, and as we all know, you can't move a car if you can't get inside it (hot wiring and breaking in exempted). Incident #3: We've been trying to start the car from Incident #1 for almost an hour. It's not going anywhere. Oh well, it's got to get better from here, right? ^ Top | 11:40 AM | | |
Thursday, January 23, 2003 Miscellany Take a look at Ones to Watch in 2003, filled with bands to check out in the coming year (and a couple of contributions from yours truly). In Michigan, we don't do the proverbial "let's talk about the weather because there's nothing else to talk about." No, in Michigan the weather is news. And to continue my rant about the cold: it's currently 16 degrees in Anchorage, Alaska (feels like 16). Right now in Ann Arbor, Michigan it's currently 8 degrees (feels like negative 9). Once again: anyone else see a problem with this? ![[If I were an online test, I would be The Internet-Addict Test]](http://homepage.ntlworld.com/paulspeller/onlinetest/net.gif "Click to find out which test you are") I'm The Internet-Addict Test! I love in-jokes, especially if they help highlight the marvellously geeky cultural differences between my internet clique and the rest of the world. Click here to find out which test you are!  You are Missy Elliot! You have a larger-than-life personality, and immense talent to match. You are beautiful, but you are tough as nails. You have spent your life proving that you can do anything the boys can do, maybe even better. You are well-liked and popular, and don't mind a bit sharing the spotlight with your friends. Take the "Which Empowered Female Artist Are You" Quiz Anything you can do, I can do better. I can do anything better than you. No, you can't. Yes, I can. (Especially if you're a guy!) I think I like these quiz results... though I can't say much about her music. ^ Top | 9:26 AM | | |
Tuesday, January 21, 2003 Peanuts Today's blog is dedicated to one of the best comic strips ever. :-) Minor rant: the temperature in Anchorage, Alaska is 28 degrees (feels like 23). The current temperature in Ann Arbor, Michigan is 16 degrees (feels like 5). Anyone else see a problem with this?  Which Peanuts Character Are You Quiz Peanuts wisdom: + Lighten up. Go play softball. Fly a kite. Dance with your dog. Smile... It makes people wonder what you're up to. + Big dreams lead to big things. Snoopy was the biggest dreamer of them all, but his wild imagination often led to even wilder, more fantastic adventures in real life. Snoopy knew that you must have a big dream if you are going to lead a big life. + Do what you love to do. Through all their adventures, Schroeder remained constant in his appreciation of Beethoven and his love of playing the piano. He loved to play piano and that's what he did, regardless of the circumstances. Charlie Brown flew his kite, played baseball and football, not just to win (he knew he wouldn't), but because he loved to do those things. + Sometimes you need to talk. One thing the 'Peanuts' gang understood was the importance of talking things out. Whether leaning up against Schroeder's piano or atop the brick wall, they always had someplace to discuss what was of concern to them. Random Peanut Facts of a Different Sort: Products Made from Peanuts Drinks: blackberry, cherry and lemonade punches Beauty: face lotion, face ointment, hand lotion, shampoo, shaving cream Foods: mayonniase, salad oil, cream cheese, caramel, milk, coke, coffee Other: gas, glue, dyes for clothes and leather, diesel fuel ^ Top | 11:15 AM | | |
Monday, January 20, 2003 Another short piece of creative writing, something of an experiment. :-) Night's Tears She called him a few hours after midnight and he knew that since she’d dialed in the middle of the night something had to be wrong, so he asked, “Are you okay?” because he was concerned; she didn’t usually do things like this; and all the while she was fighting to keep her voice level, but she said that she was fine, perhaps a little lonely, maybe she just needed to hear his voice; but in reality, tears were pouring down her face in quiet, wet streams; yet he never knew—all he knew was that she sounded sad, and he wanted to reach through the distance and hold her, to tell her that she shouldn’t be upset; just because their conversation ninety minutes ago had ended in an aura of gloom didn’t mean that their relationship was about to fall apart, because it happened to everyone sometimes, but she refused to say why she was hurting, and he didn’t know what to do—her heart was aching and the tears were relentless: If only… her mind cried, but she couldn’t tell him, even as he asked again and waited in the silence for an answer—she needed him to ask an entirely different question; she needed him to allow her into a part of his life that he would not, could not share with her, no matter how much she wanted to join—but without the invitation she would be forcing her way in, the uninvited, unwanted guest that no one would be able to refuse; but maybe she was being melodramatic—why does this mean so much to you?—it wouldn’t make sense to anyone else; it wouldn’t make sense to him—actually, it was ridiculous, but not to her—music meant everything to her; he was confused, but didn’t know how to penetrate the walls she’d hidden her thoughts behind; instead, she won momentary control, smiled through the tears and said, “Write me a song at practice tomorrow,” but collapsed the second he was off the line. ^ Top | 12:29 AM | | |
Sunday, January 19, 2003 Something for your Sunday morning pleasure, written a while ago... I don't know if I really like it, so let me know what you think (if you think anything at all :-). dance the circle sing the night laugh the joy feel the light fall the knees break the pride loose the heart commit the bride . life. freedom. brokenness. God we are yours again. ^ Top | 2:16 AM | | |
Thursday, January 16, 2003 For Your Amusement 
Something funny, something amusing-but-useful. ^ Top | 10:58 PM | | |
Tuesday, January 14, 2003 Tolkien Tidbits Welcome to the new, slightly redesigned blog. So what do you think? Anyone who hates Lord of the Rings (do those people even exist?) can skip the rest of this entry. But for the rest of us.... :-) Check out a unique Two Towers review from a magazine I discovered a few days ago. "Joy. Wonder. Really Cool Hats." From the Letters of JRR Tolkien: "I am in fact a Hobbit (in all but size). I like gardens, trees and unmechanized farmlands; I smoke a pipe, and like good plain food (unrefrigerated), but detest French cooking; I like, and even dare to wear in these dull days, ornamental waistcoats. I am fond of mushrooms (out of a field); have a very simple sense of humour (which even my appreciative critics find tiresome); I go to bed late and get up late (when possible). I do not travel much." According to the cast of the film, director Peter Jackson is a hobbit as well, right down to refusing to wear shoes most of the time. An excellent article on Tolkien, CS Lewis, and myth. Here's a wonderful reference for diehard LOTR fans: The Encyclopedia of Arda. It's still something of a work-in-progress, but what's there already is pretty helpful. It even comes in French. Did elves have pointed ears? The answer from the Tolkien Meta-FAQ "There is no known text in which Tolkien makes an unambiguous statement about the shape of Elvish ears. Those who argue in favor of pointed ears generally cite a remark which seems to support that position found in the 'Etymologies' (part of The Lost Road). That document was written in the period immediately before the composition of LotR, so it is unclear to what extent it should be treated as a canonical source. Those who argue against pointed ears focus on Tolkien's statements that Elves and humans were sufficiently similar that they could be mistaken for each other. There is no consensus on this issue." Let's put the matter of Tolkien's supposed racism to rest. Another article on the spirituality of Lord of the Rings. From writer Charles A. Coulombe's essay "Lord of the Rings: A Catholic View" (yes, Tolkien was Catholic): "It has been said that the dominant note of the traditional Catholic liturgy was intense longing. This is also true of her art, her literature, her whole life. It is a longing for things that cannot be in this world: unearthly truth, unearthly purity, unearthly justice, unearthly beauty. By all these earmarks, Lord of the Rings is indeed a Catholic work, as its author believed: But it is more. It is this age's great Catholic epic, fit to stand beside the Grail legends, Le Morte d'Arthur and The Canterbury Tales.... In an age which has seen an almost total rejection of the faith on the part of... Civilization... Lord of the Rings assures us, both by its existence and its message, that the darkness cannot triumph forever." ^ Top | 11:15 PM | | |
Scary Thought of the Day 
Fans Outraged at New Character in The Return of the King Messa happy to bessa in Middle Eartha. Yessa, thanka youssa much! ^ Top | 2:50 AM | | |
Monday, January 13, 2003 Read this and weep. Literally. I just found out about this from another blog, and it's beyond disturbing--it actually makes me angry, and I'm not easily offended. AsianWeek: APA Community Should Tell Shaquille O’Neal to ‘Come down to Chinatown.’: Shaq’s ethnic slurs deeply offend one Yao fan The Jim Rome Show: Shaq Didn't Use Good Judgement Seattle Times: O'Neal's act groups him with Lott, Rocker ^ Top | 5:01 AM | | |
Hope stands on solid ground. My mom had to take my dad to the emergency room at 3am on Saturday night; he was in "exquisite" (his word) pain because, as they found out, his stomach lining had gotten an infection from the dialysis. "On a scale of 1 to 10, how much does it hurt?" "Ten, if that's the limit!" He's doing well right now but is going to be in the hospital tomorrow and maybe the day after for observeration. On February 10th, he's scheduled to finally (!) get a kidney transplant. So here's where the story gets interesting: he says this has been the best year of his life. Yes, it's been the one with the most health problems--my poor dad, he's had everything from a tumor under his arm to kidney failure, vision problems, and the constant, diabetes since he was 17, within the last couple of years--but it's the year in which he's grown the closest to God. This isn't an "airy-fairy" (another of his phrases) kind of faith; this is something tangible, something real: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything" (James 1:2-4). Amidst all of the trials of the last year or so--diagnosing the kidney disease, finding a donor (another story I'll get to in a minute), the doctors telling the donor that he can't donate because he may have heart or neurological problems himself, the doctors finally approving the donor, and now an infection a month before the transplant operation--he's maintained an incredible attitude. The doctors love to see him and can't believe the jokes he makes--there's a tube coming out of his stomach for the dialysis, aka his "water gun"--and he says he wouldn't trade away the last year for anything. Anything. Why? Because God has been more real than ever: I know Who's driving this vehicle, and I trust Him. Sometimes the vehicle takes a sharp turn, sometimes He weaves a little to keep me awake and interested, but, I am safe in His Hands, so I can relax and enjoy the sights. In the meantime it has been a GREAT 18 months... growing in a way I never thought possible after 30+ years of walking with the LORD. Would I exchange this period of testing for any other? No way. Yeeeee... Haah! It's amazing to me. Here's another amazing story: the kidney donor (see--I didn't forget). Tom Beadle, a guy from my home church, also of the band Son of Adam, called my parents out of the blue one day and told them that he'd been praying for my dad and felt that God was leading him to offer himself as a donor. He's not that much older than me... and wasn't close to our family at all. It took everyone by surprise. He went through the inital tests and the doctors thought they discovered a neurological or cardic problem, which thankfully turned out to be dehydration. So they gave the ok for the operation. Various other people from church have offered to donate as well--the support there has been absolutely incredible. I honestly don't think a group of people could ever act this way if they weren't trying to follow Jesus Christ. It's their love for Jesus--Yeshua in the original Jewish tongue--that spurs them to love others the way he did... and still does. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. ^ Top | 4:09 AM | | |
Friday, January 10, 2003 Music is good for the soul. Tonight I played some of my music for the first time in at least a couple of weeks (most of my creative time in that period has been spent writing). I took the hike to the School of Music to claim a classroom with a baby grand; it was so good to play a piano again! I guess the songwriting part of me had been itching to have some fun because the first few notes I improvised became a finished song at the end of an hour. Not bad. It's simple but I love the music. Funny, this is one of the few songs I've written in first-person that isn't about me. And yes, it's a requited-love song. Another rarity. :-) don't worry love I will find you even through the miles don't worry love I will reach you my soul is holding yours and through the dark and lonely nights after the storm look at the stars and you will be touching them with me we may be separate right now but this too will pass have faith in us we'll see this through ^ Top | 1:35 AM | | |
What is Good Art? What is "Christian" Art? Read this: 11 Distinct Perspectives on Art by Francis Schaeffer. He's one of the foundational thinkers on aesthetics. I should get Art and the Bible sometime soon.... ^ Top | 1:13 AM | | |
Wednesday, January 08, 2003 Ok, this is too fun... More photos of yours truly. It's scary how much time this can consume... and I don't even have a real image editing program. I promise I'll start posting real entries again soon!    
    ^ Top | 1:56 AM | | |
Monday, January 06, 2003 Playing with my Digital Camera 
A fun experiment: Ever try to take a picture of yourself in the mirror?  
Mircosoft Photo Editor. Hours of mindless entertainment. ^ Top | 3:10 PM | | |
Friday, January 03, 2003 Remember the Time Traveler? Here's a new email I got from our time traveling friend. Apparently he forgot that he sent me a similar one before; these emails have been the subject of two blogs already. But hey, he's getting more detailed about what he wants and how much he's willing to pay now--maybe I'll actually reply this time. Hello, If you are a reliable supplier of the below equipment I am going to need the following: 1. A mind warper generation 4 Dimensional Warp Generator # 52 4350a series wrist watch with memory adapter. 2. The special 23200 series time transducing capacitor with built in temporal displacement. While these time pieces normally go between $5,000-$7,000 a piece, I am having a hard time finding a reliable supplier. Teleport to me within the next 48 earth hours and I will pay $40,000 2002 US cash. Please only reply if you are reliable. Send a (SEPARATE) email to me at: Tomnwrr@aol.com. Update: Apparently this guy is serious... and in need of some mental help. You have to read this. ^ Top | 1:17 AM | | |
Wednesday, January 01, 2003 Happy New Year! Here's another list for ya: a short one of the best fiction I read for the first time in 2002 (again, in no particular order): 1. The Homecoming series (beginning with The Memory of Earth) by Orson Scott Card 2. Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel 3. Nebula Awards Showcase 2000 (various) I know, this is a wierd list for an English major. Orson Scott Card (of Ender fame) is awesome, Like Water for Chocolate really affected me, and the Nebula Awards collection was absolutely amazing--it made me want to write serious science fiction. Which I have yet to do... ::runs off to start working on stories::. ^ Top | 5:20 PM | | |
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