Anti-school quotes

Post your favorite anti-school quote from songs, movies, plays, or books. I'm hoping to re-create a really fun thread we had on unschooling.com back in the day. The purpose is to show that—despite the widespread support that formal schooling receives—people really do know that something is wrong with it.

I'll start:

"I want to run through the halls of my high school, I want to scream at the top of my lungs. I just found out there's no such thing as the real world, just a lie you've got to rise above." ~ John Mayer, "No Such Thing"

Just sing

My elementary school had a well respected choir. The choir director, Miss Brittingham, would hold rehearsals each year, and a select group of 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders would be chosen as that year's choir. Being in the choir was a Big Deal. Choir members got to be out of class each week for rehearsals, they got to go on field trips to performances, and—best of all—they got to say, "I'm in the choir." I tried out all three years I was eligible and got in once. I was thrilled the year I got in, of course, but what I remember more is the years I didn't. Not making the cut was pretty traumatic. I wasn't good enough.

I took choir classes in middle school and junior high, but the choir directors were uninspiring at best and pompous autocrats at worst. They did not improve my singing ability or my self-esteem, and by the time I got to high school, I was done. I had decided that I was, at best, a mediocre singer and that I should limit myself to singing along with the radio.

(I wasn't really wrong, by the way. I am a mediocre singer: my range is pretty limited, and my ability to sing on key... well, it fluctuates.)

So there I was, going through life as a mediocre singer—or rather, not thinking of myself as a singer at all—crooning rock-n-roll lullabies to my babies, belting out classic rock during my commute, shouting out Christmas carols with daughters and nieces who were quite happy to be off key with me.

And then one day at LIFE is Good 2009, Frank and Jeff and Russ said, "Hey, we're doing 'Gloria' for the talent show, and we need backup chicks."

And just like that, I became a backup singer. I've spent the last year singing. I've performed shows in public. I even sang lead on one song in January and plan to do so again in May. It has been pure, perfectly imperfect fun.

And the really interesting thing is that now, in my 40s, because I am doing it, I am becoming a better singer. I have learned so much about technique and breath control and harmonizing and taking cues from the musicians and my fellow chicks. My range is still limited, but it's enough. And I've discovered that when one is performing live music with a rock-n-roll band, being off key now and then is not the end of the world. Usually nobody notices.

G. K. Chesterton said, "Anything worth doing is worth doing badly." What he could have added is that by doing, you might find "badly" changing to "better and better," and even if you don't, it can be a helluva good time along the way.

This is too funny

It's pretty impressive, too! Be patient, the funny part starts about a minute in.

It's the day...the music...died

Fifty years ago today, folks...

The Day the Music Died

Forgotten cover

OMG! MJ reminded me of one of my all-time favorite covers, which I somehow managed to leave off of my Thursday 13.

#0. One
Original artist: Harry Nilsson then Three Dog Night
Cover artist: Filter
Why: It is so cool. Eerie, sad, and then edgy and angry.

Check it out:

or watch on YouTube directly

Thursday 13

13 Covers I Actually Like

I usually hate covers, so it's taken me an astonishingly long time to put this together. Thanks to MJ, Frank, and Craig for the help finishing it off.

1. Personal Jesus
Original artist: Depeche Mode
Cover artist: Marilyn Manson
Why: It's raw, and it takes an iconic figure like Manson to really pull off this song.

2. A Little Help From My Friends
Original artist: The Beatles
Cover artist: Joe Cocker
Why: Joe can cover anything he wants. Yes, even the Beatles.

3. Ain't That a Shame
Original artist: Fats Domino
Cover artist: Cheap Trick
Why: The energy builds and builds at Budokan.

4. You Can Leave Your Hat On
Original artist: Randy Newman
Cover artist: Tom Jones
Why: The Full Monty.

5. I Need a Lover (Who Won't Drive Me Crazy)
Original artist: John Mellencamp
Cover artist: Pat Benatar
Why: I dunno. Female power maybe...? Or maybe just 'cause I was a big Benatar fan when it came out.

6. Mockingbird
Original artist: Inez and Charlie Foxx
Cover artist: Carly Simon and James Taylor
Why: Sweet baby James, of course.

7. Groovy Kind of Love
Original artist: The Mindbenders
(Diane & Annita were technically first, but the Mindbenders release is the one people know)
Cover artist: Phil Collins
Why: Mostly 'cause I wasn't attached to the first one.

8. You Keep Me Hangin' On
Original artist: The Supremes
Cover artist: The Better Half Dozen a lá Vanilla Fudge
Why: Frank's frantic organ.

9. Malagueña Salerosa
Original artist: Mexican folk song (Elpidio Ramírez, et al.)
Cover artist: Chingón
Why: It rocks!

10. Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World
Original artist: Judy Garland/Louis Armstrong
Cover artist: Israel "Iz" Kamakawiwo'ole
Why: That beautiful voice.

11. Cold Cold Heart
Original artist: Hank Williams
Cover artist: Norah Jones
Why: She made it very flowing and lyrical.

12. Against All Odds
Original artist: Phil Collins
Cover artist: The Postal Service
Why: 'Cause Craig shared it with me.

13. My Way
Original artist: Frank Sinatra
Cover artist: The Sex Pistols
Why: Theirs has all of the oomph with none of the ooze.

And check out the One I forgot.

More Spearhead

Sad to say this one is going on two years old and still relevant. :-(

Time To Go Home

20 questions

Self-tagged from Frank.

The rules:
A) People who have been tagged must write their answers on their blogs & replace any question that they dislike with a new question.

B) Tag 8 people to answer the questions. MJ, Chloe, and six volunteers.

1. How many songs are on your iPod?
It is a sign of my comfort level with my iPod that I thought I was going to have to call MJ to find out how to find out. But it's right there in plain sight! I have 310 songs on my iPod. That I only have 310 songs on my iPod is a sign of my inability/unwillingness to devote any time to loading songs on my iPod.

2. What music would you want played at your funeral?
Umm... "Exactly" by Amy Steinberg. Oh wait....

How about "Satisfaction"? :-)

Seriously, I don't really want a funeral. If my family wants to have one, I want them to play whatever will make them remember the good times.

Update: "Hells Bells" just came on my iPod. That one might be fun.

3. What magazines do you have subscriptions to?
I think "Gourmet" is the only one we're getting right now. I get massively hungry once a month.

4. What are your favorite scents?
Bread baking. Lilacs on the tree. Spring rain. Baby.

5. If you had a million dollars that you could only spend on yourself, what would you do with it?
Quit my job and hang out with my family, at home or on the road. I fantasize about time, not stuff.

But I'd definitely get my very own computer. And maybe an office to keep it in.

6. What is your theme song?
It takes a playlist:
- "Bitch" by Meredith Brooks
- "Brass in Pocket" by The Pretenders
- "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" by Cyndi Lauper
- "Head Over Feet" by Alanis Morissette
- "I Fall to Pieces" by Pasty Cline
- "I Try" by Macy Gray
- "It's Money That I Love" by Randy Newman
- "Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves" by Aretha and Annie
- "Suddenly I See" by KT Tunstall
- "Sympathy for the Devil" by The Rolling Stones
- "Tell It Like It Is" by Aaron Neville
- "(I Used to Care But) Things Have Changed" by Bob Dylan
- "Walking on Sunshine" by Katrina & The Waves
- "You Shook Me All Night Long" by AC/DC

7. Do you trust easily?
People? Yes. People in positions of authority? No.

8. Do you generally think before you act, or act before you think?
Yes. No. Yes. I think so. Sometimes. Maybe.

9. Is there anything that has made you unhappy these days?
What Frank said.

10. Do you have a good body-image?
Mostly. I still see potential, anyway. :-)

12. How do you spend your social networking (Facebook, etc.) time?
Blogging and e-mail.

13. What have you been seriously addicted to lately?
Blogging. Reading. Carbs. And I'm a coffee drinker now, although it takes about a quarter cup to wire me up for the whole day.

14.
Original: What kind of person do you think the person who tagged you is?
If we stretch it a bit and say that Frank tagged me, well, I think he's one of the best people I know.

Frank's: Why do people still believe in the supernatural?
Fear and comfort, not necessarily at the same time.

15. What’s the last song that got stuck in your head?
I have had "Preacher Man" and "Pilot of the Airwaves" stuck in my head for YEARS. They're always right there.

16. What’s your favorite item of clothing?
My "Serenity" t-shirt.

17. Do you think Rice Krispies are yummy?
With enough sugar, yep.

18. What would you do if you saw $100 lying on the ground?
I'd spend it on books.

19. What items could you not go without during the day?
Items? My inhaler. Something comfortable to sit on. That might be it.

Being without books for very long would hurt.

20. What should you be doing right now?
Either working or driving home.

Musical smiles

Thanks, Jorene!

Thursday 13

Thirteen Songs That Make Me Get Up and Dance (and/or sing at the top of my lungs) In no particular order, except... 1. First, last, and always: "You Shook Me All Night Long" by AC/DC. 2. "500 Miles" by the Proclaimers. 3. "Let's Go Crazy" by Prince and the Revolution. 4. "Rock Lobster" by the B-52's. 5. "Walking on Sunshine" by Katrina and the Waves. 6. "Once in a Lifetime" by Talking Heads. 7. "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" by KT Tunstall. 8. "Chain of Fools" by Aretha Franklin. 9. "This Thing Called Love" by Queen. 10. "Heartache Tonight" by the Eagles. 11. "The Safety Dance" by Men Without Hats. 12. "Skinhead Moonstomp" by Simaryp. 13. "Road Man" by Smash Mouth. And I'm just barely getting started... Get the Thursday Thirteen code here! View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Yes, We Can

I have so much to say about Non-Con North, it'll probably take me days to finish writing my post. In the meantime, here's this:

Gratitude Dance

Today, I am grateful for...

• F, M, & C (as always)


• Good friends (especially Steph (as always), Mary, and Gillian)


• Laughter and joy by the truckload


• Anne's normal BP and EKG that was only "a teeny weeny bit irregular"


• Jambalaya


• Keeping our Sunnyside Up


• Unschooling (as always)

Happy Happy Joy Joy

iCave

Succumbing to impulse and clever advertising, Chloe and I each bought a new iPod Nano yesterday. They are terribly cute. Chloe's is red and, for the moment, named Tsubaki (camellia), because it's a gorgeous red. Mine is green, and I'm still thinking up a name for it.

Setting it up is simpler than I thought it would be. I guess I haven't paid enough attention to MJ's iPod routine. I pop a CD in the computer, choose the songs I want to have on the iPod, click Import, and then move on to the next CD. The next time I plug in the iPod, all of those songs automatically get transferred over. Pretty slick.

Sorting through CDs has triggered a few music memories:

• One day not long after Mambo No. 5 hit the charts, I was driving through the sunshine with MJ by my side. That song came on and we mamboed our way down the freeway. When it ended, I said, "Play it again! Play it again!" And the DJ came on and said, "Let's play it again!" And he did!
• There was a time when a very young daughter of mine preferred Britney Spears' cover of "Satisfaction" to the Rolling Stones original. I'm happy to report that she's developed a little taste. She will remain nameless because she finds this past indiscretion terribly embarrassing. As she should!
• My first concert was AC/DC's "For Those About to Rock..." tour, highlighted by booming cannons and Angus antics. My favorite AC/DC album was (and continues to be) Back in Black, but it was a very good show. Kudos to my mom for letting her sweet young daughter (really!) start off at a hard-rock event, especially in the questionable company of my disreputable cousin Glen.
• MJ's first concert took place when she was much younger, but her escort was much more reliable: Daddy. They went to see Christina Aguilera. Her first concert with me was a Backstreet Boys one, at which I was pleasantly surprised by the entertainment value.
• Chloe's first concert was a year ago: EndFest, the all day alternative-rock festival, with headliners the Red Hot Chili Peppers. MJ was her concert buddy, and they didn't get into any trouble that I heard about. (Of course, my mom probably still doesn't know everything about that AC/DC concert...)
• I don't know what Frank's first concert was! I'll have to ask him.
• The first concert I went to with Frank was, I think, the Neville Brothers. We saw them together a few times. At one show, we got to talk to Art, the coolest Neville. (Cyril is a close second.) During a break, he came over to the bar near where we were standing to get something to drink, and we chatted for a couple of minutes.
• My other brush with fame was meeting Devo backstage at the Paramount, thanks to the passes my high-school boyfriend had won from a radio station. The rumor was that the Devo guys were straight-A students, something I desperately wanted to believe at the time, since filling out AC/DC t-shirts hadn't completely clobbered my brainy rep. I very earnestly asked them about it and got to watch them squirm as they danced between truth and what was probably part of their PR machine.
• My favorite concert was Prince's Purple Rain tour. We had been watching the movie and playing the album for weeks. They released the movie to video while it was still in theaters, but that didn't stop us from seeing it on the big screen at least a dozen times. The entire UW campus was "Purple Rain" crazy; you couldn't walk past the dorms and frats without hearing it blaring out of one window or another. Then Prince came to town and watching the show was like living the movie. We knew all the dance moves, we knew all the audience-participation moves: we were in a purple frenzy. And when Prince removed his hip-hugging chain-belt thingie and threw it to the crowd and my sister caught it, my friends and I developed a case of envy that hasn't faded after all these years.

aaaaa

Hmm, I'd better dig out "Purple Rain" and get it loaded onto my iPod... :-)

Spiderman

The "awwww" factor on this is extremely high. Treat yourself!

A Boy Named Jayne

FanVid Credit: enjia

Ninety!

The Pacific Northwest is HOT, baby!

It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Free Hugs

Have you seen someone (like maybe one of my daughters) carrying around a big "FREE HUGS" sign? This is why:



Juan Mann started it all, now it's spreading all over the world. Look at
all these Free Hugs videos! Korea, New York, Hollywood, China, Amsterdam, Romania, Spain, Italy, Canada, Seattle (of course!), and thousands more.

Free Hugs Campaign Home Page

Helloooo, baaaby!

EndFest

Saturday the 12th, MJ and Chloe went to EndFest, a rock concert/festival put on by local radio station 107.7 The End. They saw a whole string of bands, including the Subways, Mars Volta, and the headliners, the Red Hot Chili Peppers. There was also a carnival midway and a whole bunch of sponsor booths with freebies to keep them entertained for 10 hours.

The concert was held way down at the White River Amphitheater (south and east of Seattle), so Frank and I decided to drop them off at the shuttle buses and then make a day of it instead of driving all the way home and back again. We spent a nice couple of hours at Kanaskat-Palmer State Park, on the Green River (yes, the one the killer was named for). We waded a bit, and walked a bit, but mostly we stretched out under a tree and went "Oooh, leaves." It was very peaceful and refreshing.

After the park, we had some food then went to Southcenter Mall. It's a completely integrated place and made us realize anew just how white-suburban Everett is. Anyway, we were wandering around, not finding much to interest us until we walked into Kennelly Keys. Frank picked up a guitar and started plucking, and I had an epiphany.

Let me tell you about Frank's guitar. It's an old friend, but as such, it's been through a lot. It once upon a time served as an emergency canoe paddle, and, more recently, it shared a household with a couple of toddlers. The body is scarred, one of the tuners is completely gone -- he's been using a pair of pliers to tune it -- and the neck is just a bit warped. As you can imagine, the sound is less than perfect. I knew this, or I thought I did. Then Frank picked up one of those shiny, beautiful new ones. It only took a single chord for the light to dawn over my oblivious little head. Oh, yeah, that's what a guitar sounds like. Even a relatively inexpensive guitar!

So Frank has a new friend. It's very pretty, and we talked the guy into a 20% discount because it has a tiny scratch on it. Plus, we managed to resist the $600 one with electric pickup.

The next stop on our EndFest odyssey then was a pleasant hour or so in the mall parking lot, with Frank playing songs while I read a new book. It was growing dark now -- only 3 or 4 hours to go!! -- so we headed back down to Auburn. Despite eating too much food earlier, we decided the perfect thing to do was popping into a Mexican restaurant for more food and strawberry margaritas. We sat in the bar and watched the end of the Seahawks preseason game (can't even remember who they played, but they lost regardless). Then we drove the two blocks back over to the shuttle stop, stretched out on cushions in the back of the van, and napped and chatted until the buses started rolling in.

Soon, the air was filled with revving engines and cries of "Woohooo! Chili Peppers rock!" Chloe and MJ appeared not long after, full of stories and smiles. While MJ has several under her belt (she became a music fanatic at age 8, I think), it was Chloe's first rock concert. Nothing like starting your 12yo off with a festival dedicated to alternative rock! I'm sure it was very educational.

And Mom and Dad had a good day, too.