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"A little bit of this. A little bit of that. A pot, a pan, a broom, a hat. . ."—Anatevka, "Fiddler on the Roof." This is a blog about everything and nothing. A little parenting, a little humor, some poetry, news, essays, a lot of music. I don't want to waste your time, just send positive vibes into the blogosphere. Oh, yeah, my name is Sarah Torribio. Enough about me, how are you?
Sunday, February 26, 2017
Friday, February 24, 2017
Thursday, February 23, 2017
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
Tuesday, February 21, 2017
Song of the Day: "Scar Tissue" by The Red Hot Chili Peppers
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There are, arguably, rock songs as fine but there is no rock song better than The Red Hot Chili Pepper's "Scar Tissue" by The Red Hot Chili Peppers. It hails from their epiphanic Californication album, which is amazing through and through.
—Sarah Torribio
Song of the Day: "Love" by Lana Del Rey
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"Love," the new joint by Lana Del Rey off her new album Honeymoon, is song of the day on Battlestar Eclectica. This lady consistently creates hypnotically good music with a melancholy streak as wide as the Rio Grande. I love the subtle Beach Boys reference—"Don't Worry, Baby."
—Sarah Torribio
Monday, February 20, 2017
Friday, February 17, 2017
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
Song of the Day: "Kinda Bonkers" by Animal Collective
This is the kinda bonkers I'm into. My song of the day is "Kinda Bonkers' by indie/psychedelic rockers Animal Collective.
Monday, February 13, 2017
Song of the Day: "Lucky Girl" by Fazerdaze
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I'm going to have to steal a description of the song from an article by Chris on the Gorilla vs. Bear site, because it's better than anything I can come up with for this sweet tune: "Here's a perfect burst of swooning, happy-sad bedroom guitar-pop sunshine. . ."
—Sarah Torribio
Saturday, February 11, 2017
Thursday, February 9, 2017
Wednesday, February 8, 2017
Song of the Day: "Comet Marbles" by Pinkshinyultrablast
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"Comet Marbles" by Pinkshinyultrablast is some fun and ethereal shoe-gaze, dream pop and all that jazz. It's song of the day on Battlestar Eclectica.
—Sarah Torribio
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
Song of the Day: "Minnesota" by The Courtneys
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I'm enjoying pretty much every song I hear from garage pop band The Courtneys. Sonically, they sound like a sunny day to this graduate of the riot grrl/grunge era. And drummer/lead vocalist Sydney Koke has a wavery but enchanting alto that is reminiscent of Liz Phair.
"Minnesota" by The Courtneys is song of the day on Battlestar Eclectica.
—Sarah Torribio
Monday, February 6, 2017
Song of the Day: "Perth" by Bon Iver
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There's so much great music out there in all genres that I'm often late to the sonic party. I just learned from Professor Google that Bon Iver is an American indie folk band founded in 2007 by singer-songwriter Justin Vernon. That guy's got an amazing song-scape in his mind.
—Sarah Torribio
—Sarah Torribio
Song of the Day: "Is It Me" by The Kooks
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If you like The Strokes, you will totally like indie pop band The Kooks. Their "Is It Me?" is song of the day on Battlestar Eclectica.
—Sarah Torribio
Sunday, February 5, 2017
Random Musings: Buddha and his brood
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You might be crafty if. . .
I know all of my crafting bitches see this trove and be like, "In Xanadu did Kubla Khan a stately pleasure dome decree."
Deep thought of the day. . .
"If you keep yourself open to abundance, the universe will tap you on the shoulder and say, 'Guess what?' And I guarantee you, the answer will be more profound than, 'Chicken butt.'"
—Sarah Torribio
—Sarah Torribio
Friday, February 3, 2017
Song of the Day: "Can You Deal?" by Bleached
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Music has become so awesome lately and the ladies are rocking it, bringing me back to my youth in the '90s when she-roes like Hole, Babes in Toyland, L7, 7 Year Bitch and Mia Zapata of the Gits were tearing it up.
Just a few cool newer lady acts that come to mind are Cherry Glazerr, Jenny Lewis and her band Nice as Fuck, Best Coast and Angel Olsen, but that's just the tip of the iceberg.
A lot of the new stuff is a bit sweeter and dreamier than grunge, but it's still femin-awesome.
—Sarah Torribio
Song of the Day: 'Modern Woman" by Tennis
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If you like Angel Olsen and Best Coast as well as Mazzy Star—and Mazzy Star frontwoman Hope Sandoval—you're gonna dig this.
—Sarah Torribio
Writing post of the day: "On the healing power of epigrams"
I started writing epigrams immediately after my separation from my first husband and immediately before our divorce. It was all very autobiographical.
I don't know why, but the sharp, biting, morse-code like blurbs just felt right to me at that time.
I still recall some of them. "He says he loves a Russian girl. He dropped the Kremlin on my world."
And, written while holed up alone in a sleazy hotel, "Three hot days in a motor lodge, on a street called Fucked in a town called Dodge."
Yes, it was angry. I'll even accept accusations that it was. . .emo. Although my divorce came when I was 32 or so and I am now 42, which makes me kind of too old for that word. We called it goth.
I had another I wrote later—not autobiographical but indicative that I had become more direct, more angry, less acquiescent. I accompany it with a picture of a frontier woman who's packing a mean shotgun.
—Sarah Torribio
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I don't know why, but the sharp, biting, morse-code like blurbs just felt right to me at that time.
I still recall some of them. "He says he loves a Russian girl. He dropped the Kremlin on my world."
And, written while holed up alone in a sleazy hotel, "Three hot days in a motor lodge, on a street called Fucked in a town called Dodge."
Yes, it was angry. I'll even accept accusations that it was. . .emo. Although my divorce came when I was 32 or so and I am now 42, which makes me kind of too old for that word. We called it goth.
I had another I wrote later—not autobiographical but indicative that I had become more direct, more angry, less acquiescent. I accompany it with a picture of a frontier woman who's packing a mean shotgun.
Hell's Bells
I'm an alt-country nightmare.
I've got a cowbell and a scythe.
I don't want to have to hurt you,
but this homestead is my life.
Revisiting these early epigrams, it becomes quite clear that I found them to be small, relatively palatable ways to express my feelings.
Since then I have gone on to write hundreds of epigrams. One of my favorite speaks to my psychological makeup which if you, like me, are obsessed with labels will understand: OCD, ADHD, HSP, INFP, ambivert, empath and Cancer with Leo rising and Lilith in Aquarius. In other words, I want to be on stage with a bass guitar, where everybody can see me, then moonwalk away at the first spatter of applause.
Here's that epigram I promised
Self-portrait
I'm an introverted extrovert,
a jumpy jack-in-the box.
I'm a parrot who you think is dead
until it begins to squawk.
Yes, it's still pretty tart, but there's also a touch of humor. It makes light of the discomfort caused by contradictions.
And then there are a few sweet ones, like this little rhyme.
"Once I got a little bird
and put him in a cage,
and then I got another bird
and then they got engaged."
It's such a dear, pastel-colored fairy tale. It makes me want to be a part of it!
So epigrams found me, not the other way around. And I rhyme all the time. Sometimes, I've got so much flow, I think I'm poised to conquer the rap world.
Keep writing and stick around. A new strength will show up. And if you show it off, you'll have more ideas. Because ideas like to take the stage, and stay there and take a bow when you are trying to moonwalk away.
—Sarah Torribio
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Thursday, February 2, 2017
Wednesday, February 1, 2017
Please RSVP
Hi friends,
I am planning an elephant-sweater knitting party. I have downloaded a pattern from the Internet. All I need for my guests to bring is 200 skeins of yarn, a potluck dish, a couple grams of cocaine—we're going to be up all night—and $50 to go toward shipping the giant jumpers.
I'll set a date when I have enough interest. I know which of my friends will RSVP and which could care less about the planetary treasure and wisdom-keeper that is the majestic elephant.
People Are Knitting Enormous Sweaters To Keep Rescued Elephants Warm
I am planning an elephant-sweater knitting party. I have downloaded a pattern from the Internet. All I need for my guests to bring is 200 skeins of yarn, a potluck dish, a couple grams of cocaine—we're going to be up all night—and $50 to go toward shipping the giant jumpers.
I'll set a date when I have enough interest. I know which of my friends will RSVP and which could care less about the planetary treasure and wisdom-keeper that is the majestic elephant.
People Are Knitting Enormous Sweaters To Keep Rescued Elephants Warm
Baubles, bangles and beads. . .
My magpie phase continues apace. I am making garden jewelry out of baubles, bangles and beads.
Speaking of bangles, my 3-year-old daughter loves The Bangles, especially their "Walk Like An Egyptian." Clearly, she has good taste and, as I listen to them anew, I begin to suspect they are underrated.
Speaking of bangles, my 3-year-old daughter loves The Bangles, especially their "Walk Like An Egyptian." Clearly, she has good taste and, as I listen to them anew, I begin to suspect they are underrated.
Winona forever. . .
I found this on Facebook, posted by Funny or Die. Apparently, Wynona Ryder was very expressive during a speech at the SAG awards.
I love Winona Ryder. I miss when she was in a movie every year—maybe two. And there is no other actress in the world that could play a role Kathryn Hepburn rocked and make it her own. (For the dudes, I'll explain I'm talking about Jo in "Little Women.")
A punk prayer. . .
Please God, I hope every friend of mine with kids watches this powerful documentary.
I remember the day I realized I was turning my kids punk. #WakeUpCall
I remember the day I realized I was turning my kids punk. #WakeUpCall
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