A Time of Hope

Ever since I started listening to podcasts, "The Moth" has been one of my favorites.  The Moth is a non-profit organization dedicated to the "art and craft of storytelling."  They hold forums where thousands of stories have been told by individuals, live and without notes.  There are stories told that make you laugh, make you tear up, make you think, make you reflect on your life or the experience of others. They entertain.  Being in general a lover of good storytelling the podcast had me hooked from day one.

Their most recent post I found particularly interesting.  Guest Andrew Solomon spoke at the New York Public Library in 2010 at one of The Moth's forums about his experience researching the resurgence of art in Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban.  I found his story touching, interesting and full of hope.  For those of you who have listened to The Moth before, I hope you enjoy this one as much as you have others, and for those of you who haven't, I hope that this one hooks you just as I was hooked three years ago.  (Click the Link below...)

Andrew Solomon, A Time of Hope

By Leaves We Live

I know its been awhile, but here I am again, hoping to be better at posting more often. 

Today one of my favorite online "personalities" Ze Frank, who I've written about before, posted a link to this article, and I just really felt the need to share it as well. 

If you take a look you'll see it is about a series of a paper sculptures left anonymously in "support of libraries, books, words and ideas" in various libraries, cultural centers, book festivals, etc...  around Scotland.

The sculptures themselves are pretty incredible, and what they are all about is pretty incredible too.  So here is to good storytelling, to the writers that inspire, to the readers who enjoy, and to the anonymous artist for their beautiful work.

Here are a few of my favorites...

"Nothing beats a nice cup of tea (or coffee) and a really good BOOK, except maybe a cake as well"

"a gesture (poetic maybe?)"

"A gift in support of libraries, books, words, ideas..... and all things *magic*"

Fall-ing into Sports

It’s almost fall. I’m not entirely convinced that we’ve seen the last of summer. I wouldn’t be surprised at all to wake up to another 90 degree day here in DC, but yesterday’s high in the 60s was for sure a sign that cooler weather is on the way. I will say that I’m a fan of Fall. Crisp evenings, apple pie, school supplies, boots, pumpkin spice lattes and hot apple cider. Love it.

I took advantage of the cooler weather last night and walked back to my apartment instead of taking the metro, and on my walk listened to one of the podcasts I check out regularly called Radiolab. The title of their most recent episode was “Games,” and it discussed what is it about games that we love so much, why we become fans, why we might root for an underdog, how we play with the rules, and why a game can be something we get so invested in. You can check it out here:



Fall is the time of year when baseball is winding down, football is gearing up, and for one reason or another, sports in general seem to be more on my mind than usual. I have to admit I was never a huge sports person growing up, possibly because I wasn’t ever very good at sports. In my twenties I’ve become much more of a sports fan, possibly because I’m not in danger of being the last one chosen at recess for a team. Regardless, these days I just love a good evening at the ballpark or crowding into a friend’s living room to watch a football game. My inner-artsy 13 year old’s jaw would most likely drop, but hey, its fun, and I'm not one to question what's fun.

Listening to the podcast last night got me thinking about the idea behind games. In the episode when asked why he believes “sports fandom” carries almost immeasurable value, guest Stephen Dubner very succinctly says:

“It’s a proxy for real life but better; you know, it renews itself; its constantly happening in real time; there are conflicts that seem to carry real consequences, but at the end of the day don’t; its war where nobody dies; it’s a proxy for all our emotions and desires and hopes; I mean heck, what’s not to like about sports?”

Really a lovely way to put it. I will also add, at least for myself, that I have some very fond memories of nights spent with my college friends drinking beer, eating chicken, and using sports metaphors to explain our love lives. I also love how sports are an occasion for friends and/or family to come together to hang out or play like they were kids again; an occasion to kick back and share a pitcher and wings while watching a game even if the company you are with is rooting for the opposing team. It's an occasion to have fun, and hey, if it's that alone that makes a game important to you, it's more than enough.

Say Something Nice

Woke up this morning, not in the best of moods. Came into work, and came across the above video as I was settling in. Just watching it somehow made me feel so much happier, so I thought I'd share. (I will say my personal favorite is the kid saying "To Infinity and Beyond!")

So say something nice today, doesn't need to be out of a megaphone, but hey that works too.

A Day in California

Kind of lovely.


A Day in California from Ryan Killackey on Vimeo.

sMattdown!

Continuing on my previous post, it appears Anderson Cooper loves Matt Damon too!

Don't Mess with Matt Damon, the Silver Fox told you so.

Thanks Matt Damon!

This past weekend Matt Damon was a speaker at the “Save Our Schools March” here in DC. I’ve been a Matt Damon fan for quite awhile; not only because of his acting, but because he just seems like a really smart, genuine, cool guy. (The fact that he’s easy on the eyes is really just an added bonus) I would totally want to be his friend if I ever actually met him. While I wasn't at the event, a friend of mine alerted me to the speech he made in front of the crowd of teachers and teacher-supporters on the ellipse.  I just really loved what he had to say. Check it out:

“I flew overnight from Vancouver to be with you today. I landed in New York a few hours ago and caught a flight down here because I needed to tell you all in person that I think you’re awesome.


I was raised by a teacher. My mother is a professor of early childhood education. And from the time I went to kindergarten through my senior year in high school, I went to public schools. I wouldn’t trade that education and experience for anything.


I had incredible teachers. As I look at my life today, the things I value most about myself — my imagination, my love of acting, my passion for writing, my love of learning, my curiosity — all come from how I was parented and taught.


And none of these qualities that I’ve just mentioned — none of these qualities that I prize so deeply, that have brought me so much joy, that have brought me so much professional success — none of these qualities that make me who I am ... can be tested.


I said before that I had incredible teachers. And that’s true. But it’s more than that. My teachers were EMPOWERED to teach me. Their time wasn’t taken up with a bunch of test prep — this silly drill and kill nonsense that any serious person knows doesn’t promote real learning. No, my teachers were free to approach me and every other kid in that classroom like an individual puzzle. They took so much care in figuring out who we were and how to best make the lessons resonate with each of us. They were empowered to unlock our potential. They were allowed to be teachers.


Now don’t get me wrong. I did have a brush with standardized tests at one point. I remember because my mom went to the principal’s office and said, ‘My kid ain’t taking that. It’s stupid, it won’t tell you anything and it’ll just make him nervous.’ That was in the ’70s when you could talk like that.

I shudder to think that these tests are being used today to control where funding goes.

I don’t know where I would be today if my teachers’ job security was based on how I performed on some standardized test. If their very survival as teachers was based on whether I actually fell in love with the process of learning but rather if I could fill in the right bubble on a test. If they had to spend most of their time desperately drilling us and less time encouraging creativity and original ideas; less time knowing who we were, seeing our strengths and helping us realize our talents.


I honestly don’t know where I’d be today if that was the type of education I had. I sure as hell wouldn’t be here. I do know that.


This has been a horrible decade for teachers. I can’t imagine how demoralized you must feel. But I came here today to deliver an important message to you: As I get older, I appreciate more and more the teachers that I had growing up. And I’m not alone. There are millions of people just like me.


So the next time you’re feeling down, or exhausted, or unappreciated, or at the end of your rope; the next time you turn on the TV and see yourself called “overpaid;” the next time you encounter some simple-minded, punitive policy that’s been driven into your life by some corporate reformer who has literally never taught anyone anything. ... Please know that there are millions of us behind you. You have an army of regular people standing right behind you, and our appreciation for what you do is so deeply felt. We love you, we thank you and we will always have your back.”


I grew up in a household with teacher parents and have quite a few extended family members who are teachers or who work in education. I have also had the privilege of being taught by a number of incredible and inspiring teachers throughout my years in school. These are people who not only taught me facts and figures, but taught me how to think; how to be creative and think outside of the box.  These were people who set an example on how to be a good person; who pushed me to work harder and do better than I ever thought I could myself. They introduced me to topics, ideas and questions I probably would never have stumbled upon on my own.  None of these things were taught to me through teaching me how to sufficiently pass a test.

I can say for certain that my life would not be what it is today if it hadn’t been for the very many teachers in my life. So thanks Matt Damon for saying so well what so many of us out here think. Thank you to the teachers who have changed my life for the better and who continuously work so hard to improve the lives of so many others every day.

Thursday's Theme Song

Courtesy of my sister, I give you my personal theme song for today.  It's awesome.

Jay-z Kanye West - Otis by hgdsgfs3

Bogie, Indy and E.T.

One of my favorite things to do during a DC summer is take advantage of any one of the outdoor movies shown around town.  In the last few years quite a few of them have popped up.  There is of course Screen on the Green and various others scattered around the area, but this summer I’ve pretty much stuck with the Capitol Riverfront Film series. 

Every Thursday night for eight weeks this summer, movies are shown in Tingey Plaza down by the Navy Yard. You go with friends, you set up your blankets, bring dinner, bring “beverages” (in plastic Pour House cups) and you get to just sit out on a gorgeous night, under the stars and enjoy.  This particular venue was my locale of choice partially because it’s very close to where I live on the Hill and so walking home is easy. They’ve also just had a really fantastic line-up this summer (not to mention snow cones, popcorn, cotton candy and usually a DC food truck or two parked around the plaza).

Highlights for me this year were Casablanca, 

Raiders of the Lost Ark

and E.T.  

There is just something so great about hearing Bogie's voice boom out across the plaza, or Indiana Jones running from the enormous boulder in the opening sequence of Raiders on a big screen, or Elliot flying with ET in his bicycle over the night sky while sitting under the stars yourself. 

One word of caution if you decide to go, very often in venues such as these port-o-potties very likely might be your only option. Also, frequenting outdoor movies (not to mention concert lawn seats) has set me on a quest to find the perfect low to the ground camp chair (amazing how difficult they are to find), but that's another story.  Regardless catching a summer flick outside is totally worth it.

The series isn’t over yet, there are two more weeks of movies which I unfortunately won’t be able to attend, but if you are in the area I would recommend it.  If not, there’s always next summer!

Lost In The Hunger Games

When I was a kid, summer reading meant two things.  First, it meant that in the last week of summer I would frantically be reading the two novels we were assigned before coming back to school.  I’d inevitably have put it off until the very last minute.  No doubt these would be novels with some sort of “literary significance,” containing content that would lend itself to the essay we no doubt would have to write upon returning to the classroom. 

For the rest of the summer though, I would be reading books purely for pleasure; some with “literary significance,” some without.  Somehow just not being forced to read them as an assignment made them so much more enjoyable regardless of whether they were critically applauded or not.  With more free time and the summer heat leaving one in want of air conditioning, I found myself many an afternoon walking the two blocks from our house to our local library to pick up something new.  I don’t know if its just the nostalgia of being a kid kicking in, but I fondly remember getting completely wrapped up in a book while laying on my front lawn until the fireflies came out, or reading on the beach at our annual family vacation down at the shore. That is not to say I didn’t have my full share of bike riding, sprinklers, tree climbing, chasing after an ice cream truck, obstacle course creating, hideout building, and running around the neighborhood until my feet turned black with dirt; I just had the reading as well.

These days I don’t have the summer vacations that we all used to enjoy.  Still I find myself, particularly in the summer, looking for books that capture my interest the way they used to, ones that I just can’t put down.  More serious or thoughtful books I can handle in the fall or winter, but in the summer I just want something that carries me away.  I found that in the Harry Potter series.  One year I received a particularly bad sunburn on my back when the final Harry Potter book was released conveniently on the day I left for our annual family beach vacation. I spent the entire first day on my stomach, on a towel, on the beach, lost in the story.  I probably should have flipped onto my back more often, but being over 700 pages, it was much easier to read that way.

Last week, I finished reading The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins.  I’d heard about it from my sister, my cousin and a number of other people as well; all saying that I would love it.  It was an easy read, so I flew through it pretty quickly (I read all three books over the course of one week) and absolutely loved it.  It was one of those stories that I just couldn’t put down.  It may or may not be a work of “literary significance,” but for what I was looking for, it was just the thing.  You know it’s a sign of a good book when you know that anything you read as a follow up is going to disappoint.  Not because it’s bad, but simply because it’s not what you just read. I highly recommend it to anyone who’s looking for something new. A movie is in the works for sometime next year as well, and I cannot wait for that to come out.

The story is set in a post apocalyptic North America, where those who have survived have joined together to live in an organized society called Panem.  The 13 districts of Panem are ruled by its Capitol city with an iron fist until one day the 13 districts rebel.  Eventually this rebellion is quashed by the Capitol and the 13^th District is completely destroyed.  As punishment for the rebellion, the Capitol creates what they call the Hunger Games.  Every year, each of the remaining 12 districts must send two tributes, one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18, to fight in an arena to the death until there is only one victor.  When the younger sister of the story’s main character is chosen at random to be the girl tribute from District 12, Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take her place.  She’s thrown into an adventure that kept me captivated at every turn. 

And so for now, I’m once again on the lookout for something new to capture my imagination; something to dive head-first straight into and lose myself in the story.  Who knows when it will pop up, but when it does, I’ll be ready.

For the Love of Star Wars

While technically this is just a commercial, it made my morning.

Love that kids of today still embrace Star Wars; oh wait strike that, embrace classic Star Wars. Didn't see any Jar Jar Binks in that crowd (thank goodness). Oh, George Lucas (insert head shaking).  Why he continually tries to keep us from just loving Star Wars as we originally experienced it by doing things like throwing weird computer generated aliens into Jabba the Hut's Palace (uuugh), throwing Hayden Christensen into Return of the Jedi (uuugh more), and giving us the less than stellar back story in the three prequels (uuugh the most) is beyond me. However it's stuff like this, where its like we've been able to, in a sense, put all of that aside and just enjoy it for the great stuff we love.  No fancy bells and whistles, good versus evil, kids using their imagination to exist in a galaxy far, far away without ever having to leave their backyard. That in my opinion, is pretty fantastic.

PS, yes I fully realize I'm kind of a nerd about this, but hey, everyone's kind of a nerd about something.

***Update, Greenpeace has put up a new one....

Disney Hodgepodge

I want to go back to Disney World.

I'm a Little More Country Than That

 Confession #1: I’m a girl who grew up in Connecticut, and I love country music. 

Not exactly the norm. When I tell people that I love country music, they ask where I’m from and then look stunned when they find out I’m a Yankee. But yes, it’s true. On top of that, ironically, a few of my best friends from growing up all separately somehow found their way to loving country music as well. When we realized that we now all had this shared interest, four of us decided to make our way to Nashville this past weekend for the 40th Annual CMA Music Festival.

 

Confession #2: I adore outdoor summer concerts.

There is just something so great about sitting outside on a warm night, with friends, a beer in hand and listening to fantastic music. Lawn seats, real seats, picnic blanket; wherever you may be, its always a great way to spend your time. The CMA fest was no exception as it was four full days and nights of outdoor summer concerts in Nashville; Disney World for country music fans. I got to see some of my favorites; Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker, The Zac Brown Band, Sugarland, Lady Antebellum, Keith Urban. I also got to discover new favorites like Trace Adkins, Blake Shelton, Josh Turner, Easton Corbin, Randy Rogers Band, James Wesley, and Jason Michael Carroll. There was live music everywhere. If it got too hot outside during the day at one of the four stages set up by the festival, we’d just pop into an air conditioned bar and got to listen to some more music inside.  (My itunes bill will be extensive for the next month or so as I gather all of the great new stuff I heard.)   I also must mention how great the people were there.  Everyone was there to have a good time, there to party, there to enjoy the music; and by extension everyone had a fantastic time.  Can’t tell you how much fun it was to be in a stadium full of people all singing along to their favorite music.

Confession #3: I love beer and I love barbecue.

Beer is great. Hot summer day, country music playing in the background and a beer in hand. Nothing better. Or wait, add some barbecue to that, and it just got better. That’s what we had in Nashville. Along with the music, beer and barbecue was also everywhere. There was one day that we went to lunch at Puckett’s Grocery & Restaurant. None of us were super hungry, but we figured we should probably eat lunch as the day was getting on. The minute we stepped through the door, the scent of barbecue that infused the whole place wafted over us and we were immediately starving. Pulled pork was had by all; accompanied by local beer in mason jars. I’d found out about the local Nashville brewery, Yazoo, from some friends of mine who’d been to there before. They sold it everywhere around town, so on Saturday we went to the brewery to check out the tap room and take a tour. Really good beer. Really wish they distributed further than Tennessee and Kentucky. (Fantastic that they had a taco food truck parked outside for afterward)  Guess it will just be something I can look forward to the next time I go back to Nashville, though I did take a growler home to remember the experience.

Confession #4: I love my friends.

We could have been anywhere, at a big event like the CMA fest or just sitting around drinking a beer or having coffee, and still have a fantastic time. Lucky for us we got to be in Nashville, but honestly I feel so lucky to have such incredible friends. We’ve already talked about going back again next year because of how much fun we had, and I really hope that we get to. I will, without a doubt, have my cowboy hat, boots and very best “Yeehaw!” ready and waiting for this time next year.

The Merits of a Refreshing Cocktail or My Inability to Make a Good Mojito

 

So it seems summer has descended upon DC.  Perhaps not “officially” as that won’t happen until June 21^st, but in terms of the actual weather we are experiencing; definitely summer.  For a girl with curly hair I can always tell when summer has arrived in the district; the humidity settles and it seems like my plethora of curls doubles in size. 

In any case, regardless of the heat I really love DC in the summer; there are just so many things to do!  For instance, a summer evening spent at an outdoor happy hour just makes my day.  One of my favorite places to grab a cocktail after work is a sushi place near my office called Nooshi.  They have happy hour Monday through Friday and all of their drinks are half off.  Simply delightful to sit outside on a warm evening with a spicy crunchy tuna roll in front of you while sipping a mojito… or four.  When the weather is warm and the humidity is so heavy you feel as though you are wading through the air not just simply walking, something as refreshing as a mojito just hits the spot.  I’m not even a rum enthusiast, but I just love me some mojito on a warm night.

A few months ago some of my very best girlfriends and I all convened in Los Angeles to visit a friend of ours who now lives there.  After we’d all arrived, our very gracious host announced that she’d gotten the ingredients so we could make homemade mojitos!  Fantastic!  What better way to enjoy the delightful weather of LA in February (70+ degrees) than with one of my all time favorite drinks.  Thanks to google we quickly pulled up a recipe for the drink and got to work.  Now after all of the mojitos I've had in the past, the following thought had never crossed my mind: mojitos are really hard to make!  Or at the very least hard to make well.  There are just so many steps involved.  They are a lot of work!

We set ourselves to the task with diligence, but the drinks did not turn out like the ones I’ve so enjoyed elsewhere.  I suppose someone, somewhere, might attempt to say something profound like, only with hard work can you achieve stellar results, but that was just not the case with us. For that particular evening I believe we compensated by just putting extra rum into everyone’s drink, and for the most part we were happy.  Really it was the company of friends that made the evening great, not just a mojito.  Still, I gained a new respect for the work that must have gone into each and every one I’ve had in the past. 

For sure the next time I visit Nooshi for their happy hour, with each and every sip of mojito, I will appreciate it just a little bit more now than I did before.  After all, a well muddled mint leaf and extra rum is no small thing; not on a warm night where a refreshing drink and time spent with great friends can turn your whole outlook around.

Ze Frank

About five years ago I was introduced to Ze Frank.   

I guess “Internet Personality” might be one way to describe him.  When I originally began getting to know Ze, it was through what he called The Show.  The Show was an online video blog posted every day, Monday through Friday, for one year.  He’d discuss a wide variety of topics including current events, pinky snapping, dressing up your vacuum cleaner, product placement, hotel etiquette and concepts like “hindsight.”  (You know you've had a productive day once you've learned all about pinky snapping, and the effects of hot sauce on said snaps).  I enjoyed my daily dose of Ze until The Show ended, and then to be perfectly honest, I pretty much forgot all about him.  Harsh I know, but I’m pretty sure at the time I was looking for a job or something.  Paying rent on time is an unfortunate but necessary reality. 

It wasn’t until this past year that Ze popped back into my life.  On a particularly uneventful day, I decided to go back and search out a number of websites, blogs, etc… that I used to go to, but for one reason or another had allowed to fall by the wayside.  Delightfully, I realized that when The Show ended, Ze continued to work on new projects!  I saw that he’d spoken at a TED conference in 2010 and talked about the sort of things he’s been doing.  If you take a look at his speech at TED you’ll get to hear all about various projects he’s put together like Earth Sandwich, a childhood walk, angrigami and my personal favorite, the chillout song.

In a time where we all spend so much time online and have so much more information about the world and about each other at our disposal, some may say it has diminished the time we actually spend together face to face.  What I love so much about what he has done and is doing, is how he is taking a medium that could potentially draw people further and further apart, and is using it in a way to bring them together in new, meaningful and creative ways. 

In the chillout song for instance; I just love the idea that he was able to take the voices from people from all different walks of life, and put those voices together in way to provide support and comfort for the woman he wrote the song for.  Perfect strangers are brought together in support of someone they’ve never met.  Just thinking about that as a concept feels so uplifting and hopeful to me. Perfect strangers coming together to feel a real and new connection to their lives and to each other; its kind of a beautiful idea.

And so it begins...

I’ve been thinking about starting this blog for awhile. Ever since I stopped writing my previous one (which shall remain nameless) I’ve had a very supportive group of friends encouraging me to start a new one, and so here I am.

So, what is “District Shenanigans” going to be about? I want to use this space as a place to write about any number of things; things that make me laugh, things that are completely ridiculous or absurd, things that inspire me or leave me in awe. I want to write about things that make me feel connected to others even though I may be reading about them in a virtual place.

Urban Dictionary categorizes “shenanigans” as the following:

1. Deception or tomfoolery on the part of carnival stand operators.
2. An official declaration made by patrons of an establishment who feel they have been cheated. Once a charge of shenanigans has been accepted by an authority figure, said patrons are free to assault the owners of said establishment with brooms.
3. A restaurant preferred by Officer Rodney Farva*. It is known for serving mozzarella sticks and having goofy shit on the walls.
   *from the movie Super Troopers
4. synonymous to bullshit (aka. shens)
5. Acts of misadventure or playful mischief. Frequently involves Lemmiwinks, 1 beer, and Sharpies.

A word itself can have as many different meanings as the number of people who use it in their speech. For those of you that know me, you probably know I use the term quite a lot, and very rarely do I ever mean to make reference to carnies or an impending assault with brooms. Whenever I do use “shenanigans” though, it typically means there will be an excellent story to follow. I very much hope that you, my readers, enjoy the “shenanigans” that will be coming here.