Brooklyn Public Library

At this time last year, I was in New York attending the Readers Studio tarot conference. I went a day early so I could go to the Brooklyn Museum to see Judy Chicago's masterpiece of feminist art, The Dinner Party. Walking around the neighbourhood afterwards, I discovered the Brooklyn Public Library down the street, with its absolutely stunning entranceway:

The huge bronze doors of the Library are decorated with gilded representations of characters from literature and mythology:

The two gigantic side pillars are similarly decorated. Isn't the Goddess Athena magnificent? I assume the huge snake at her feet is the Python of Delphi.

This entranceway is the most interesting thing about the building, both inside and out. I believe the original plans for the Library were much more grandiose but funding issues resulted in a plainer building being constructed. But that wonderful entranceway makes up for it!

Trafalgar Lion

Despite having had my Mac computer for well over a year, I am just now learning how to put photos in iPhoto and then upload them to my blog. So, as part of my learning process, here's a random photo from our trip last fall to England -- one of the four huge bronze lions at the base of Nelson's Column in London's Trafalgar Square. They were cast by Sir Edwin Landseer from the melted-down cannons of Napoleon's defeated French fleet. What rich and ironic symbolism!

Career Day at Church

Just so we're clear, I stole this post from last weekend's Edmonton Journal, as supplemented by an internet search. I don't want anyone to think I know the Christian hymnal so well that I could come up with these on my own. Anyway, here are some job-appropriate hymns for the following professions:

Dentists:

Crown Him With Many Crowns

Weather Forecasters:

There Shall Be Showers of Blessings

Building Contractors:

The Church's One Foundation

Tailors:

Holy, Holy, Holy

Golfers:

There's a Green Hill Far Away

Politicians:

Standing on the Promises

Optometrists:

Open My Eyes That I Might See

Government Tax Agents:

I Surrender All

Electricians:

Send the Light

Realtors:

I've Got a Mansion

Massage Therapists:

He Touched Me

Doctors:

The Great Physician

Lawyers:

In the Hour of Trial

Accountants:

Ten Thousand by Ten Thousand

Dry Cleaners:

O For the Faith That Will Not Shrink

Obstetricians:

Come, Labor On

Gardeners:

Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming

Librarians:

Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence

Innkeepers:

Abide With Me

Paleontologists:

Rock of Ages

Caterers:

All Things Are Ready, Come to the Feast

Census Takers:

All People That on Earth Do Dwell

Airline Pilots:

Nearer, My God, to Thee

Yes, it's a slow day here at the She Who Seeks blog and inspiration has run a little thin. Thank you for your patience.

HotDog-A-Thon

Want to see my favourite TV commercial? This ad by the Western Canada Lottery Corporation has been running for a couple of years now and it never fails to make me laugh.

I always thought "Kobayashi" was just a fictional character in this ad but it turns out he's actually a real person! Who knew? Takeru Kobayashi from Japan is a World Champion Competitive Eater. His personal best is 63 hotdogs in 12 minutes. Clearly, though, he has a sense of humour about his claim to fame.

What I find endlessly funny is when the hapless hero inhales his hotdogs and then gives the universal beer parlour signal for "another round, please!" Hee hee hee! Small things amuse small minds, I guess.

Lost Generation

In honour of Earth Day and the necessity of hope for our future, I'd like to share this short video with you.

In 2007-08, the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) held a video contest for young film makers entitled "u@50" to explore what the future would be like for today's youth. This video, entitled Lost Generation, won second place (although many feel it deserved first place for its originality and cleverness). It was created by Jonathan Reed, a 20-year-old Film Studies major at Georgia State University.

Be sure to watch the ENTIRE video -- it has a twist at the end!

Earth Day 2010

First held in 1970, this year marks the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. Its original slogan was "Love Your Mother." Still a good sentiment.

So, Happy Earth Day, everyone! But let's also remember that every day should be Earth Day. Our lives depend on it.

Gypsy Letter # 5

Another letter arrived today from Madame Zara, my gypsy cat turned star-struck hanger-on --

Hello! I am having an ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS time with my new BFF, Lady Gaga! She simply adores me. ADORES ME! Lady Gaga calls me Lady Zaza so I can be more like her! *giggle* Isn't she great?

We are inseparable and do simply everything together. Lady Gaga LOVES my fashion advice because I know how to enhance her reputation for OUTRAGEOUS style. Here's a couple of photos of us in matching outfits that I designed:

Well, must go -- no time to write more -- busy, busy, busy! Those disco sticks aren't just going to ride themselves, you know! Kisses, Lady Zaza.

[Special thanks to Crystalrainbow of Sparkle and Shine and Elly of BugginWord, whose hilarious comments on Madame Zara's previous letter I shamelessly plagiarized and incorporated into this one]

A Second Near-Fatal Dose of Laughter

I was encouraged to walk as much as possible in hospital in order to kick-start the old bowels again. One evening, when I was hobbling around the hospital's main floor with my Rare One, she suddenly asked, "Do you have any money on you?" Slowly and with some difficulty, I pulled out my little change purse from my housecoat pocket. "Great!" she said, snatching it from me and turning away to rifle through its contents. "Ooooh, a fiver and a ten! That'll be enough!"

"Help, help!" I called out in a weak voice, "I've been mugged! I'm only a poor surgery patient, minding my own business, and this big, strong, healthy person has just mugged me!"

This sent us both into gales of laughter, with predictable results for me (as per yesterday's post). In all fairness, though, I recognize my own role in promoting this painful episode, so it's not entirely fair to blame this near-fatal incident solely on my Rare One!

Laughter is Not Always the Best Medicine

As part of her nursing devotion while I was in hospital, my Rare One brought in the newspaper and proceeded to read me the headlines. Part way through the first section, she read out a particularly gruesome one -- "Murder victim's tongue found in river."

Oh, my!

Then, after a short pause, she said, "No, wait -- touque, not tongue."

This misreading struck me (for some quirky reason) as absolutely hilarious and I started to laugh uncontrollably. So did my Rare One. But the pressure on my stomach from laughing caused me horrible pain at the main incision site and I soon started crying uncontrollably instead. It was awful!

My Rare One felt bad but I reassured her that it was my weird sense of humour that was to blame. However, we didn't dare read any more headlines after that!

So, Reader's Digest, you have been proven WRONG -- laughter is NOT always the best medicine!

My Third Favourite Hurtin' Song

My final selection for a favourite hurtin' song is that George Jones classic, He Stopped Loving Her Today. Apparently, George Jones resisted recording this song because he thought it was too depressing and would turn people off. On the contrary, it became a monster hit and revived his flagging career.

The song features some lovely, lovely steel guitar which helps create the melancholy atmosphere. This video dates from 1980 when the song was first released. I thought it was the best one on YouTube because George Jones doesn't yet sound bored singing it (which he does in later videos) and his voice was at its peak (which, sadly, is no longer the case). And take note -- no mullet here, but an old-fashioned bouffant! Yowza!

And, as an extra bonus for you Canadians out there, it was recorded as part of the old Ronnie Prophet TV show. Remember him? Gawd, I haven't thought of Ronnie Prophet in, like, forever.

My Second Favourite Hurtin' Song

I absolutely love Dwight Yoakam's rockabilly-roots sound! His song, The Heart That You Own, is my second all-time favourite hurtin' song. I think the lyrics are clever and the hurtin' is tangible, just the way I like it! The steel guitar is assisted by a plaintive violin too, for an extra heapin' helpin' o' hurtin'! (OMG, stop me before I start talking this way permanently!)

While this video unfortunately features an atrocious set and particularly crappy visual quality, the sound quality is good -- so just close your eyes and listen! It's the best version I could find on YouTube.

And yes, apparently I do have a thing for mullets!

My Favourite Hurtin' Song

When I Call Your Name is 20 years old now, but it's still my favourite hurtin' song. It personifies confused pain and raw anguish. And oh, those soaring vocals of Vince Gill -- so young and handsome at the start of his career, with the voice of an angel! (You can almost forgive him for that mullet). Plus the sweet, sweet twang of that gorgeous steel guitar ripping out your heart! And as an extra bonus, the classy video for this song is very understated and beautifully shot. It enhances the song instead of overwhelming it.

Steel Guitars and Hurtin' Songs

I fell in love with the sound of a steel guitar the very first time I ever heard one on the classic 1960s Canadian TV show, Don Messer's Jubilee. I was probably about five. Ever since, I cannot get enough of that instrument's sweet sobbing sound.

And where is the use of steel guitars most prominent? Country hurtin' songs. You simply can't have a good hurtin' song without that distinctive sound. Case closed.

Steel guitars made me a major fan of country hurtin' songs and their plaintive, lonesome expressions of emotional pain and suffering. I don't find these songs depressing at all. Hey, we've all been there at one time or another.

In upcoming posts, I'll feature a few of my all-time favourite hurtin' songs.

Gypsy Letter # 4

I can scarcely believe what Madame Zara (my footloose feline) has written to me in her latest letter:

Hello! You will never guess in a million years who I met in jail! LADY GAGA! Shut UP, it's true! Right at the end of my jail sentence, she and her crew arrived to film the prison scenes for her latest video "Telephone" -- you can see the video here, if you haven't already. But be forewarned, it's a little naughty! *tee hee* Unfortunately, all my scenes ended up on the cutting room floor.

But never mind! Lady Gaga and I hit it off INSTANTLY and now we're absolutely BFF! She immediately recognized me as a freespirited artiste SOUL SISTER and asked me to come along with her on tour! Of course I jumped at the opportunity. Since the cops ran my entire gypsy band out of town, I don't even know where they are now! So as soon as I got out of the slammer, I started living my new life with Lady Gaga.

I must say that the rich and glamorous lifestyle she provides is quite a contrast to the rather . . . er, um . . . modest circumstances you were able to cough up for me. Oh, at long last I am seeing how the other half lives! "Beautiful, Dirty, Rich" -- it's like Lady Gaga wrote that song just for moi!

That's all for now! Hugs and purrs from your favourite kitty, Madame Zara.

At home now, recuperating

I got back from the hospital yesterday. Oh, it's so good to be home at last! It was a long, long week! I'm still a little tender in spots, but basically I don't feel too bad. Which is surprising, considering how badly I felt just a few days ago right after surgery. But the human body is an amazing piece of work and it's incredible how swiftly it can heal and restore itself.

(I have no idea why the preceding paragraph is blue and underlined. Moreover, I can't figure out how to fix it. So fine, be like that, @#$*!! Blogger.com!)

Thank you again, everyone, for your kind comments and healing wishes over the past week. I really do appreciate all those loving gestures and believe they made all the difference!

Anyway, now I must take it easy for 6-8 weeks, get lots of rest, don't lift anything too heavy, etc. Of course, I'll be eating lots of medicinal chicken noodle soup . . .

. . . and being nursed back to health by my Rare One (actual unretouched photo). She has been so lovingly attentive, helpful and unfailingly patient over the past week. I really don't know how I would have got through this without her! *smooch*

So when I got home, there was a small pile of mail waiting for me -- bills, flyers, junk mail, the usual. Plus a letter from Madame Zara! I'll share it with you tomorrow, once I'm over the shock of the news that it contains.