Tweak your Senses

A Desert life

2012-01-29T14:21:00.002-07:00

A friend of mine shared this with me, and I loved it so much I wanted to share it with all of you. Alf Randell is my hero.

Dexter

2012-01-22T06:54:00.002-07:00

Could it be that people like this truly exist? By all appearances normal to the everyday, but with a darkness inside that has found a way to unleash itself with purpose?

A show that has strong characters and great writing, I've been hooked and watching seasons 1-4 over the last couple of weeks. The season finale of the fourth season left me speechless, staring with emptiness at the surrounding walls for hours....

A show that entertains, makes you laugh, and give you possibilities to think about.

Lisbeth Salander

2011-12-25T05:08:00.001-07:00

I knew absolutely nothing about the film when I sat down in the theater, but from the opening scene in David Fincher's new movie, I was immersed in cinematic wonder.

The main character is unlike anything I've seen before. Raw and true to herself, something I could relate to. The scenes in Sweden made me chill to my bones as they played out on screen. Movies with good dialogue are my cup of tea, and this movie had plenty of that.
Dark, twisted, and interesting, this film is not your typical thriller, and that is what made it so damn good.

Humans and a Humpback

2011-12-22T07:14:00.003-07:00

I love whales, and when I see humans doing great acts of kindness towards them, I have to share it. What happens is simply amazing, and inspiring!

American Horror Story

2011-12-07T06:12:00.001-07:00

My favourite morning radio show, X96, keep talking and ranting and raving about this new show, American Horror Story, so much that I gave in and watched the Pilot episode.
After viewing it, I immediately downloaded an iTunes season pass, and it has been the best $32.99 I've ever spent on TV entertainment.
From chilling scares, a great storyline, wonderful acting, and a downright freaky, creepy premise, not to mention tons of sex, blood, gore and mayhem, this show lives up to all the hype the radio show was giving it ( if all that stuff is your thing....)

O

2011-12-04T23:32:00.001-07:00

My first Cirque de Soleil show was in 1995, when I worked for the company Holiday Inn. We went to Las Vegas for a national convention, and they treated us to a showing of Mystere.

It was amazing.

In 2008, the brothers, their wives, and I drove back to Las Vegas to see the Mystere show again. Being older, I had a greater appreciation for it. The artistry, acrobatics, athleticism, and sheer beauty of it was breath taking.

Tonight I went to see another Cirque de Soleil show, "O" at the beautiful Bellagio hotel. It, to me, made Mystere look like a children's puppet show. I've never seen anything like it in my life. I still can't get my jaw to close.

I'm tingling, it was that good. Man, I love Vegas.

Utah tailgating 2011

2011-12-01T15:36:00.001-07:00

So as another Utah college football season ends in spectacular, dramatic fashion, we are saddened that our team couldn't keep it together on the last game, dashing our hopes of making it to the first ever PAC 12 championship game.

Whatever Trevor.

At least our crew had a great time tailgating this year, from traveling to Pittsburgh and San Francisco, to having feasts and even a pig roast!

Super 8

2011-11-23T20:57:00.001-07:00

Do you remember the innocence of childhood, even when shrouded in tragedy?

Do you remember your childhood friends? The ones whom you can never replace, never get back, never forget?

Do you remember when you said your first swear?

Nostalgia.

You can learn from it, choke on it, die from it.

Malcolm X

2011-11-10T06:47:00.001-07:00

  But everything the white man taught
you, you learned. He told you you 
    were a black heathen and you believed 
   him. He told you how he took you out 
 of darkness and brought you to the 
     light. And you believed him. He taught 
you to worship a blond, blue-eyed
God with white skin -- and you 
   believed him. He told you black was 
  a curse, you believed him. Did you 
             ever look up the word black in the dictionary?

Websters Dictionary definition of BLACK :

Black, (blak), adj. Destitute of 
                         light, devoid of color, enveloped in 
                         darkness. Hence, utterly dismal or 
                         gloomy, as "the future looked black."

 Soiled with dirt, foul; sullen, 
                         hostile, forbidding -- as a black 
                         day. Foully or outrageously wicked, 
                         as black cruelty. Indicating disgrace, 
                         dishonor or culpability.

See also blackmail, blackball, 
                         blackguard.

Websters Dictionary definition of  WHITE :

White (whit), adj. Of the color of 
                         pure snow; reflecting all the rays 
                         of the spectrum. The opposite of 
                         black, hence free from spot or 
                         blemish; innocent, pure, without 
                         evil intent, harmless. Honest, square-
                         dealing, honorable.

Post game Karaoke

2011-10-29T09:10:00.000-06:00

The 2011 Utah college football season has been rough so far this year. Too many tough losses have left us crying in our beers.

But we keep our chins up, and find ways to lighten the losses, like a night of post game karaoke. We aren't the karaoke singing type, but for whatever reason, it sounded like fun. ( Which was needed after another Ute loss)

We head over to the American Legion, a haunt for Veterans here in the SLC. With cheap drinks and monster sized steaks in our bellies, we all get up the courage to belt out our favourite tunes to the crowd.

Missy and I start off the night with a woeful rendition of Journey's "Don't stop believing", after which Jared and I bring the crowd to their feet with the barenaked ladies " If I had a million dollars.:

T and I sang "Islands in the stream", and Jared and I also butchered the classic "Saturday Night Fever."

Em's recorded the antic's, but the quality isn't that good, and the singing even worse, so I dubbed over our horrid sounds with something a little more pleasant. I love our tailgating crew.

The Shadow of the Sun

2011-10-01T16:51:00.003-06:00

"A highly detailed, heartfelt but unsentimental introduction to Africa's afflictions and a quiet love song to its profound appeal." - The Wall Street Journal

I first heard about this book from a travel blogger currently making his way slowly across Africa's west coast. On his recommendation, I checked it out for myself, and have found it be an enlightening read about Africa's history, culture, and above all, it's beautiful people.

Written by Poland native Ryszard Kapuscinski over 40 years of traveling to Africa, I can do no better than to repeat his forward in the book :

"I lived in Africa for several years. I first went there in 1957. Then, over the next forty years, I returned whenever the opportunity arose. I traveled extensively, avoiding official routes, palaces, important personages, and high-level politics. Instead, I opted to hitch rides on passing trucks, wander with nomads through the desert, be the guest of peasants of the tropical Savannah. Their life is endless toil, a torment they endure with astonishing patience and good humor.
This is therefore not a book about Africa, but rather about some people from there- about encounters with them, and time spent together. The continent is too large to describe. It is veritable ocean, a separate planet, a varied, immensely rich cosmos. Only with the greatest simplification, for the sake of convenience, can we say "Africa." In reality, except as a geographical appellation, Africa does not exist."

R.K.

You can find The Shadow of the Sun here.

for sexy & non sexy times

2011-09-18T19:50:00.000-06:00

The man tells us that he can sum a person up in a few minutes, and if you ask, he will tell you things about yourself.
Things you most likely do not want to hear, or face.
I want to tell him he is full of shit.
Full of himself.
To each their own though.
I think about an ad I saw on a plane, a personal ad for lack of any better description.
The absurdity of it has me in stitches, and the man and his ludicrous claims of insight disappear from my thoughts.
Sleep comes easy tonight.

I need this today...

2011-09-13T17:24:00.002-06:00

Bacon cupcakes

2011-09-06T18:44:00.001-06:00

At the University of Utah's college football opener last week, our tailgating group was in full swing. As we were sitting enjoying our beverages and food in the warm afternoon sun, I see a pink old style ice cream truck drive by.

My friend T yells out "hey cupcake guy!" and tries to flag him over to us. He indicates that traffic won't let him over, and she yells back to circle the block and come around again.

"Good luck with that" I think to myself, but wouldn't you know it, eventually he comes back around and pulls right up to our group. I've didn't even know the SLC had a cupcake truck that delivers, so I went over to check it out...
He had all kinds of unique flavors : Key lime pie, special University of Utah cupcakes, and many, many others. But there was one that stood out from all the rest, the bacon cupcake.
With strips of bacon right on top, me and my brother had to try it out...

Who knew? Bacon cupcakes are the best! Thank you S.L.C. cupcake delivery guy.

an evening with Frampton

2011-08-20T17:49:00.000-06:00

He isn't known for his voice, guitar playing, or showmanship, but if you shake all of it together you get Peter Frampton.

And on a hot summer evening, that was just the SLC received, and it was amazing.

Frampton replayed his best selling Live album for the first act of the concert. Hearing the classics that I had only heard on the radio before made my senses come alive.

He then surprised me in act two, playing long instrumental, psychedelic jam sessions, which rocked the entire audience.

You were also able to glint at his humor, from drug references to his early years, to having William Shatner be the voice announcer between acts. Well done Peter!

With a bottle of red, cool breezes whipping the short dresses of girls dancing, and a crimson sunset settling over the valley, the show had a feel of mysticism.

Of magic.

Of something that happens only once,

and of which I was glad to be a part.

the Guatemala Light Project

2011-08-12T12:01:00.000-06:00

It was before dawn on August 10th, 2011, and all I wanted was coffee, two cups preferred. The Southwest airlines gent was more than accomodating.

As I finished my second cup, I noticed a little blurp about drinking the coffee from Southwest.

For every cup of coffee you drink on Southwest ( and it's all free coffee) Southwest donates to the non profit group, Light the Village.

Very cool, and yet another reason I love Southwest airlines.

the birth of MTV

2011-08-01T21:39:00.001-06:00

August 1st, 1981.
I was only ten years old when MTV debuted to national audiences on the Telly. I knew nothing about the world of music, as my primary focus was playing with my army guys, making up stories about futuristic space travel with my sibling's random toys, shooting my first (and only) beebee gun at beer bottles, and floating sticks down the creek behind my parents house. Pre-pubescent, pre-adolescent fun.

I don't know if it's sad or not, but I never really got into MTV until I was eighteen. But I do remember this video, which epitomizes everything about music television to me.
Do you know who is singing the intro?

Get More: Dire Straits, Music, More Music Videos

That's right, Sting. Happy 30th MTV, you suck these days.

Fleet Foxes & fishing

2011-07-27T09:18:00.000-06:00

"Enchanted" would most accurately describe how I felt when she first opened her mouth and sang.
The girl and I stopped our conversation at the sound of Alela Diane and Wild Divine.

The night only got better. Rounds of drinks with old friends and new, home made cookies and pasta devoured, as we all relaxed on the grass to Fleet Foxes.

Straggled home around midnight, and laid down my head for a few hours before I was to rise again.

When the call to fish goes out, I answer.

Before the sun rises, I'm back on the road, sunroof open and breathing in cool mountain air.

It's how I celebrate.

*****

The fish were scarce, but the good company wasn't. With a new watering closet on the boat, we made the best of it....

( no peeksies)

I was able to catch a monster three pounder, but rules are the bugger must be at least 22 inches, and mine was just shy, ( stupid rules) and so this guy lived to swim another day. I know my animal lovers and vegetarian friends will be happy.

That's how we roll on a Pie & Beer holiday weekend in the UT.

Michael Franti & Spearhead

2011-07-16T10:42:00.001-06:00

Techno house pumping sounds, reggae inspired beats, occasional raps and plain old fashioned rock and roll cumlinated into the Michael Franti and Spearhead show at Red Butte Gardens in Salt Lake City on July 14th, 2011.

and I met a girl.

I had secured my own little spot on the lawn, set up the blankets, food and drinks, and was just relaxing when I hear a sweet voice introduce herself.
Small talk ensues as I cringe at the thought of inane conversation. I tell her half truths about myself, keeping my guard up in case crazy shows up.
But all we do is laugh and dance.
I don't need anything more than that tonight.
Franti ends the show having everyone in the audience under 10 and over 60 up on stage to sing the encore. The stage is filled with young and old alike. I give the girl a hug goodbye, and tell her that I hope we both will be on a stage when we are sixty.
"Deal."

at the Boston Aquarium

2011-06-09T21:22:00.042-06:00

Curious eyes look into me
what could they see

a body breaking down, falling apart
the years are harder, longer
yet you go on.

a life floating, weightless yet
breathing
existing in time.

an invisible madness brewing.
I see only imagination and wonder.

Les Miserables

2011-06-06T17:03:00.000-06:00

The 25th anniversary of the musical production Les Miserables came back to Salt Lake City for a couple of weeks, and I had my ticket for a Sunday matinee. Exciting for a couple of reasons. This would be my first time seeing the show, and I like to expand my cultural horizons.

The production value was unbelievable, from the amazing set pieces of Paris, to the new video technology they added to really give depth and feeling to some of the final scenes, it was a top notch show from beginning to end. I really, really loved the music, and finally learned where the song "master of the house" comes from.
(How would I know until I saw the show?)

The Capital theatre in downtown SLC is the perfect venue. Thanks for coming to Salt Lake les Miserables!

Takashi

2011-05-13T17:48:00.002-06:00

When my friend from out of town had time for dinner one night earlier this week, I jumped at the chance since I hardly ever eat out in my own hometown. He suggested that we go to Takashi , a sushi restaurant in the downtown area.

Luckily, my friend knows a good deal more than I about ordering sushi, and in his capable hands, I had the most delicious food in quite some time. From tasty slices of salmon, toro, and tuna, to the more extravagant flavors of octopus and sea urchin, I couldn't get enough. We had a great evening, supplemented by two wonderful bottles of white wine.

If you are looking for a great sushi place in downtown Salt lake city, I would check this place out for sure.

Sunset Boulevard

2011-05-03T20:56:00.000-06:00

“I am big. It’s the pictures that got small.”

I'm becoming more intrigued with Musicals and Plays that are tailored to adult audiences with adult themes and language. For me, it makes it all the more realistic, true to life I suppose.

When I learned that this was an Andrew Lloyd Webber production, I bought my ticket knowing nothing of the story, just that he has done some great Theatre productions. You can hit or miss when you do this, but life is about taking chances, at least for me.

I found the story interesting and somewhat relatable as I myself get long in the tooth in this life.

Here is a professional review that could sum up the story better :

Norma Desmond, a faded star of the silent-screen era, lives in the past in her decaying mansion on the fabled Los Angeles street. When handsome young screenwriter Joe Gillis accidentally crosses her path, she sees in him an opportunity to make her comeback to the big screen. Romance and tragedy follow as the characters are caught up in the former star's delusions.

"There's something utterly hopeful about seeing someone cling to their humanity in the face of terrible circumstances. Even if the story ends with their deaths...we get the sense that they never truly gave in to the forces dragging them down. That maybe humanity isn't so bad, if some of us can manage to be that brave."

I agree.

Next to Normal

2011-04-27T07:36:00.000-06:00

When I was in Seattle last February, my plans one evening fell apart. Walking the wet streets of Seattle looking for an alternative plan, I passed the beautiful 5th avenue theatre, and saw that tickets were available for a new musical show called Next to Normal.

I had nothing better to do, and so I took a chance and went to see the show. Sometimes the best decisions are ones that require no planning.

I'm not so good at reviews, so here are what people are saying :

For the millions of Americans who experience a serious degree of mental illness (about 1 in 17 adults, says the National Institute for Mental Health), and their loved ones and advocates, it's about time. A recent musical hailed for its accuracy and empathy is an unlikely Broadway hit and 2010 Pulitzer Prize winner: "Next to Normal."

The very fine national tour of the Pulitzer Prize winning Broadway musical "Next to Normal" that is ensconced this week at the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts in Hartford is anything but normal for The Hartford Financial Services Group Broadway Series--and that is what makes its local reception so rewarding and compelling.

Having some familiarity with mental illness and it's effects on self, family and friends, I thought that this show was a brave, adult performance, and would highly recommend it if comes to your town.

Hanna

2011-04-15T13:22:00.001-06:00

They say that the eyes are the windows to the soul.
these eyes of mine don't see it that way, I see
death coming towards me, and if I do not stop you
take you down, destroy you
You will destroy me, my eyes, my soul.

I want to belong to a society that welcomes me in,
but asks no questions as to why I am wanting,
needing,
searching for companionship, a lone light caressing the waves
in the empty sea.

The sharks surface, biting at my heels, wanting blood
turning everything red, bloody
dead.

Everything must return to the ground eventually.