Sock hop

Just got back from Hairspray the Movie -- it was super joyous and wonderful, James Marsden was a dream, and I won't argue, post-viewing, I plan use more hairspray (lookout, people behind me). Still, it made me wish that St. Louis had Motormouth Maybelle who'd spin records at her record store, thus offering me a better place for me to boogie.

I'm all about local live music, but I just can't shake my tail feather to screamcore punk power pop whatever (though I don't deny that there are those that can). There's gotta be somewhere.

There used to be a fair crowd of swing dancers, but I think they got in some fight or something that I missed out on b/c I was like, being 17 at the time, and I don't know.

I'll try my best NOT to be all talk and no walk in the pursuit of my dream.

Good point

cities on other planets

July 6th, 2007

NYC is the capital of the planet.
To find a more important city
you’d have to go to another planet.

St. Louis is not a very important city.
To find a more important city
you just have to go up to Chicago.

But no city is that important—
not even NYC. And there aren’t
really cities on other planets.

Back

The blog is back!
I'm in the process of ridding myself of pesky french red tape for good, and then we're rollin'.
We're already rollin', but it'll be nice to be completely American again.

Lots of stuff to talk about!

Lori

Let me go, she said

Let me go, and I will want you more -- right?
Or is that just another Cake-ism?

Au Revoir, St. Louis!
Yes, I had to leave you for Lyon- but it will be better for the both of us! May the clarity that a year in Europe is sure to afford me bring you much good fortune, my USA, upon my return...For my sake, eh? I will still read my St. Louis blogs, and I will still long for some mississippi love, but for now, my rivers new rivers for the year are the Rhone, the Saone, and the Beaujolais - however I choose to spell them on any given day.
And what a valley it is that I live in!
It will take some time for me to find a real appartment (not in the semi terrifying arab rioting ghetto...though it is not without its cultural vibrancy and colorfulness during the daytime, of course...but I'm a young non-arab foreigner, and a woman at that? I mean, I'm tough, but hello, I am not (yet) a kung fu master/sniper type lady). It will take some time to complete my paperwork, get my bank account, get internet access, Skype (best internet phone ever, and yes Mer, they pronounce it Skyp-EE in France. How'd you know!?) figure out the bus, metro and bike (! yes the city has a bike system where you rent a bike to get from place to place and then drop it off...hello good idea) systems, and make a petit life for myself in french. I figure on that taking tops 2 months, and then its travel, live, drink, and explore this groovy city and others, entertain my multitudes of visitors, and just do etc, etc, etc... perhaps find somewhere to dance, too, of course, and gents to dance with. One is silver and the other's gold, but whatever metal they're made of, I'm happy to wear the rings of all my friends, be they people, bars, shoes or cars, in my heart. aw.
Other writing (namely Testimos) becons....this may as well be a temporary farewell to the Mississippi River Valley girl (on more than one level, whoa) - but expect her back every once in a while, and in full force come next September.
Don't forget to vote, and in the meantime, check out the french Lori, as I try my best to be my own doppelganger (merci Blythe), at the new blog, aptly punned (and penned!) - Fleur de Lori, in the meantime!
I hope to post well and often, much in the way I aim to live and laugh and love. Hey o!

Belated Anniversary

That fleur de lis : its having this eerie pervasive presence in my life, and I'm not even catholic. Zany!

I know my posts have been pretty, um, reticent (?) of late, but I've got a lot to say/think/do about this 1 year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
I'll save it for later, though.
In the meantime, I'm in the midst of a get-lost-in-the-internet sojurn (the internet is so cool, btw!), and I fell into this fella's blog and he had a list of all these New Orleans blogs.
Check'em out.
I know something good will come out of all of this. I just hope sooner than later, and I hope to be a part of it.

This is awesome

I am so loving Wikipedia right now.



Cute dress, too.

RIP Naguib Mahfouz

RIP Naguib Mahfouz

I'm not going to pretend to have a graduate degree in anything that would allow me to grasp just how cool Naguib Mahfouz was, but I studied enough of him in my undergrad years to be able to say that his voice was a very special and important one, and will be missed gravely.

I have Professor Roger Allen - who boldly stepped outside the uppity professor box to be both a great professor and inspiring teacher and educator to lowly undergrads like myself at the U of P -- to thank for many things, but today I gotta give him his propers for nominating this guy for that um, nobel prize he won (impressive, huh?)...and for filling our bright eyed and bushy-tailed minds with little perspective on the whole east-west-whatever hullaballo courtesy of Mahfouz and his Cairo Trilogy...among other things. I'm a lot wiser courtesy of these these fellas.

Did you know that there's a poem that if you recite it on a plane in an arab country (and if you're a man, I'm assuming), passengers on the plane will be compelled to stand up an applaud? I know this, thanks to Roger Allen. He's so cool.

Catch Prof. Allen on NPR talk of the nation (audio available at 5pm ET ) the Lehrer news hour tonight at 6:49pm ET! I always wanted Prof. Allen to be all over the pundits, but his priority is obvi teaching and not spotlight seeking...still I wonder what he'll have to say tonight. Talk about a guy who knows things about things (and still manages to be a pleasantly eccentric british bloke) Did I mention how cool this guy is? mm hm.

Happy Birthday Elvis Costello

EC turns 50-ish yesterday, and is expecting a kid with Diana Krall - excellent! You gotta love this guy more than slightly. I do!

Maybe you wanna BE an American!?

**


Maybe I do.

**These are my comments upon seeing the ACTUAL documents that formed the foundation of MY great nation...yes it is MINE.

It was a corporation-led adventure, but adventure nonetheless. We all experience america differently, right? But its all sorta the same. Whatever, insert poignant "we're all sleeping underneath the same big sky" thought here : _________.
Then try trying to belive it. Come on!
Starbucks. Sleep Inn. Target. Old Navy. Outback Steakhouse. The United States Capitol (?) - but I'm not hating. One time I was chillin' with Bono, and he told me "America's not just a country, it's an idea." (mind you, i was chillin with him and like a bajillion other penn kids, but he was talking to me...in the balcony...of the giant football stadium...facing the sun...whatever, i felt it.) It's all part of the amber waves of grain, y'all. As momma says, you can't have the whole without the parts, and if you take (or hate) a part of the whole, then you're messing it all up. Get it? Momma also says "snakes on a plane" a lot now - believe me she has been impressing locals all across the greater Washington DC area. Its giving her major street cred.


I read the Declaration of Independence and I've read the Constitution of the United States, and they are some liner notes, dude.
-Bono

In honor of bono, I wrote a song about america, and my sis choreographed a little accompaning jig.




America: Best country EVER!

Of course there is more to come later: Ghost of john quincy adams, swing dancing in the almost house of the VP of the USA (in a SUPER cool neighborhood), running into cool meg from casa loma (yes she still has the fish dress), near loss of $2 bill - and suggestion, by Mr. Dreamy, that I, "should like, make a coffee table out of it, or something" and like, other stuff. DC's pretty magical, but next time I go, I'm going to make up better must-see lists for myself and like, bring a moped. For now, M and I rep our city (and dis another, doy).




Go Pioneers.





Webster GROSS...!


Tomorrow we head for Cinci-nasty, home of many an impolite boy my aquantainces and I have been lucky to have encountered in our past. And maybe there's more? Will I be brave enough to be a french fry and go out to discover this homeland of Nick Lachey? I sorta wanna save what's left of me for STL, but if there's a will (and daylight, and dibs on the rental) there's a way.

Keepin' it real in the Spin Capitol

So I talked to this fella at Eastern Market in Washington DC - i think he asked if he could have my hair. I said, "NO!" -- but he ended up telling me he had just come over from Africa.
Now, DC is a pretty random acts of violence/crime city, so I was wary - and I hate that a lot. I wish I were a 7 foot tall like, American Indian kung fu master or something intimidating like that so I would not feel so damn defenseless in the face of all the lovely culture around me that I really just want to talk to. I don't speak 3 languages for nothin', folks.
I love me a good market!
I asked this penn dude if he ever went to the amish market on 43rd in west philly, and he said no! &#$^%*#$? Needless to say, he is dead to me (for many reasons, this one being high up on the top 10).
I remember when me and Steph would venture to like, 50th street to get an apple popover because hey, there was a mini amish market there, and we the one we ate was on a picnic table prefabricated for chess-playing. We also bought a pitcher (for lemonade) for like 50 cents from some store with a lot of cooooool fake hair. Mind you, i think we were in the area where the Prince of Bel Air met those boys that were "up to no good" and who "started making trouble in the neighborhood" -- if you catch my drift. But it was day, and it was a good apple turnover, and you gotta love the amish. Moral? markets have really good apple turnovers, tomatoes and kooky folk, even if they are a bit scary.
Risk it.
Anyway, they were playing Nancy Wilson and Al Green at the market, it was mucho appreciated. Observe as I remind meredith what you're supposed to do when you hear music.






DC so far has been very corporate, yay american starbucks time, but I can dig it, obvi. I take time out from cynicism to love my zany country and all its idiosyncratic craziness.

Here's to you, USA! It's a very diverse city innately, as well as by virtue of the fact that many a different folk like to visit.

I went running with my buddy Scott and he got mad at me for breathing deep the air of democracy, and semi-screaming "best country ever!" in front of some south indian lookin' folk at the frickin' foot of the capitol --- I'm like, people need to know that I love my country, and they need not take offense. If I were in france (& i will be soon) and someone said, "Zeeiisss eeez zee beeeest coooohntreee eeeveeerrrrhhgg" -- I'd be like, "oui, man, oui, allez-y" (which translates, roughly to "yeah man, yeah, you go"). Because why not love the country that gave you freedom and sesame street?

I'm hoping tomorrow or wednesday day to grab that car and drive the streets of DC and find some real people. Thus far I've been searching out DC blogs and finding the occational tip 10% of the time, whilst 90% of the time I'm being burdened with folks' relationship problems.

Oooooh, yeah, I don't care. (and I'm proud of my stl for having non-therapy blogs...um, doy?)

Also, bloggy hipsters here have a chip on their shoulders the size of the lincoln memorial when it comes to interns (my sister-esque folk). Oh I just want them to drop the resentfulness and tell me where to go to meet real DC people. I really would not like to be clued into how much they hate themselves while they diatribe on and on about how hateful the interns' youth, vigor, beauty and overall bushy-tailed optimism is. These atributes are not bad things - most cities would benefit, if not cater (like the business of DC do) to such youth and fervor and overall city centric blind soulmate-esque love. Most cities have been killing to eliminate the brain drain that is plaguing them, while the movers and shakers here are resenting them (at least in the blogosphere) ??
Also many of these arty fold seem to be dealing with dealing with not liking new york. Don't like it, its ok! Snakes on a plane, man - snakes on a plane. Just b/c its new york doesn't mean you have to like it. You can, though - sure. But you also can also not like it. I believe ghandi once said, " Be the new york you want to be in the world." Right?

It all makes no sense, and its getting in your way, cool ppl of DC! Can you dig it?
I hope I manage to hang out with these inferiority complex be-weighted people...I can only hope that they are not turned off by my optimism and hope for like, things?

ps the vintage here is about $200 dollars more expensive than the stl....and I'm really only exaggerating by $5. Seriously. Whoa. If I had lived here age 12-20 I would be facing age 23 with like, a pair of jeans. Only. I'm sad that Rock star rags is going kaput. If you know things about things, or you're my mom and her crew (=both?), you know what I'm talking about -- giant vintage clothing warehouse in North city? This fella Bill, who would steal all my moves on the dance floor - but it was ok b/c he was trying - would save us dancing gals the goodies, and cut us deals b/c he knew those dresses were going to LIVE. I have many a dress from there, thanks to bill! Anyway, there's a dancing gal here in DC who is 5'10" and danced with the crew back in STL -- we would go to rock star rags back in my senior year of HS -- it was sortof hilarious b/c, much to my suprise, and despite the fact that I was 5'3" -- we wore the same size, and had to be very diplomatic over dresses a'plenty in the heart of north st. louis. I gave her an awesome red plaid dress, and I wonder if she still has it. SHe's emo now, so maybe she will give it to me. If she's smart, though (and she is) she's sold it.

Sooooo is the score stl-2 dc-zero-ish??
I don't know, I'm trying not to let predjudice color my experience here in america's capitol. I feel like Dc's gonna pull ahead bigtime tomorrow -- Tomorrow I go swing dancing at The Jam Cellar with what I'd call some of the best dancers in the, um world? I'm not being brown nosey, but hey, these dudes and dudettes keep it real and they love to frickin' dance. What is not to admire!? I'm excited like whoa, and already planning the outfit. Hopefully the little dead foot that could (my right foot) will pull through. It will. An over-zealous rock step killed my foot, and many more overzealous ones will bring the foot entirely back ---b/c life is crazy like that. I'm in the spin capitol of the world, after all, and you can bet I'll be spinnin' on some dance floors. Spin doesn't only come from the pundits!

Maybe I'll teach'em some St. Louis shag - if they're lucky. They are, so hey.

These swing dancers seem to be a really great and truly american coalition of peers (Since Ben Franklin's Junto--- it was the bomb, and I can thank profesh Zuckerman for showing me that light, grazie), and they're making life better for the world, and I gotta love it, and I gotta love that dance is the reason for all of it. Any city would kill for this crop of dynamic duos.

Is social dance the band aid of our fragmented society? Do I even have to say, doy?

Frankie Manning, who I met at the Casa Loma ballroom when i was like 16 years old, says something about how when you dance with someone, you have to believe and be in love with them, and with the music for 2 and a half minutes...otherwise, its just not worth it. That's the way to live, k?

I like how I think everyone else's clothes are so 90's tastic. It was a decade of hope and of the Gap... not for me though...at least not Gap wise. And like, I'm still hopeful. I sold that dress on Ebay, it now lives happily in florida! It was too high waisted for me anyway.

Expect a more detailed post about the DC later.
In the meantime, keep dancing please.

Show me staters represent

So I just spent a lovely evening with my two best gals, and we totally brought it.
There were fresh pears, Helen the best bartender ever, tall irish-catholics, and STL roller girls (arch city rivals?), in all their pink hair bettie page hair glory (excellent choice with the fishnets and pink leopard skin mini, roller girl comradette, and no I am not being sarcasto-mean). Twas grand, figuratively, and eventually literally.
*because we were having fun, and eventually went to bars on the street called "Grand" ...badum bum!*

I've always wanted pink/red hair.

Anyway, there was much discussion of keeping it real, much trying of random drinks made out of fruits (but not fruity drinks, there's a difference) and much STL representing. Our talkin' was a bit like feeding meat to the tigers, b/c we are all serious stl-ettes, but we were all just like, you know, we have lived elsewhere, and for some reason, ain't no lovin' like the one St. Louis' got.
We're really into the pretention-less, genuine nature of our stl brethren. Propers to you. All of you. Even the black barbie doll, i heart you as well.

We went to The Buttery, reccomended by my new best friend Stevie f. Smith - owner of the ever-relevant Royale, and 30 something stl gangsta: (I think he does other stuff, but whaev, do your own research - this blog is about ME!)

Excellent reccomendation, new best friend! Thanks!

I so enjoyed dancing with James the accident prone all purpose cook man to classics like "bed of roses" by bon jovi, some Sam and Dave B-sides and like Johnny Cash--- let us not forget other obscure country favorites that blythe knew ....all in addition to others, including "what's goin' on" and "Always be my baby" by marvin gaye and mariah, respectively, and respectfully.

Yes we sang along. Yes we were young and full of life.

You wish you were there.

We went there post south-side romp, and it was just lovely. There was dancing, and I ate a slinger, b/c I don't front - and blythe had the best grilled sandwich of the southside (professed mr. james)...no regrets, to be sure. Aaanyway, royale-mangia-buttery was a triumvirate of southside nightime fun and did I mention that you wish you were there?

I'm listening to the live recording of the Marc Broussard concert I went to see about a month ago -- one that had a sortof unintentional paradigm shifting effect on my life...(not all that uncommon for Mr. Broussard...added to the chuck berry concert the night before and it was just no wonder).

- he coughed in the middle of a song and he said he had a cold, and I yelled, "me, too!" That's how I roll. -

I leave you with Blythe's album cover - --- and a hope that you will
not dance like nobody's watching, but rather dance like EVERYBODY is watching, and you are a really good dancer.
That's what I do, and it's really awesome.

St. Louis dances like that, too. Just watch.


its 4:25am, and i'm signing off. Rep your city.

One month

One month from now I will be a french citizen. Not forever, but for sometime. Am I sad to leave America? Hell yes, I love america, usually quite blindly. Am I sad to leave St. Louis? Hell yes, I am in the thrall of this city, once again. But I'm getting the hell out of dodge b/c hey, I'm blindly crushing on where I am right now. Distance fans an affection strong, and extinguishes one that is weak. I got that from a college buddy's AIM profile about her fiance, I admit this - and I cite my sources. In the meantime, I am going to be loving me some america, and I will leave the deconstructing my americanness for when I am an ex-pat.
Have I ever mentioned that I am like, so done deconstructing all the matricies of power that encompass my ancestry? Leave me alone, I'm tired of rebuilding myself in less oppressive ways - as an individual, I think I'm rather a force for good. This is neither here nor there?
Get excited for the last month - its going to be an excellent push for greatness, stlness and love, always love, people.

who hid the 20-somethings

So, in my attempt to live up as much St. Louis as possible, I've found that most of the (real) movers and shakers have a very 30 year old vibe. What gives, are all the 20 somethings eating sushi in Clayton? What are we supposed to do with ourselves? I have a very good feeling that I do not want to eat sushi in Clayton with the 20 somethings. Go to france seems to be my answer. In the meantime, I am happy to party with my elders.

Maybe I see but don't see them b/c I can tell they wanna play quarters with me or something. Oh but I do not judge - try not to at least. I am enjoying my not-party-in-the-park with the yuppies summer -- quite a shift from my stint at ALIVE magazine. Not that one is better than the other, but there are different strokes for different folks (though I still wonder where all the funky but responsible 20 somethings go to die/disappear). I am reminded of when I was in high school and I'd drive down Cherokee or somewhere else b/c I got lost on my way to this or that and just dream of a greater st. louis -- the one of the past or of the future...and here I am older, and I'm at it again - trying to be an STL connosieur, and I am soakin' it up!

I would like to own all of Cherokee someday. I would especially like to own the Casa Loma Ballroom and really kick that into some culturally relevant dancing high gear (in addition to rehabbing it in time for my wedding reception to as-yet-unforseen fiance...mom and i decided that today in the Great Wedding Discussion over Eggs Benedict of 2006) ... its a legit ballroom, and because dancing is so important to the neighboring people, and to me -- could it be crafted into something totally relevant and singular? Tcha! How do I get it...?

I see all these businesses opening up - for better or for worse as far as their enterprising owners are concerned and I just gotta wonder, how!? Does it take the decade to figure it out? Yes? I looked at all the whartonites, like the ones who started Bubble Tea (so gross, but $$ and I guess it served the community) and insomnia cookies (I think its 50% wharton)...well what am I talking about I clearly need to call up my wharton buddies...are you reading wharton buddy? Would you like to talk business? You know you would!

With all this craziness going on in the world -- though I'm about to go an ocean closer to it in a month -- it seems like America needs to turn inward and fix what is fixable. Internationalism is important, but why does my alma mater have to be soooo focused on becoming an international university, altruistic across the world, when my buddy from Lafayette, LA tells me that houses in new orleans are still spray painted with warnings of dead bodies? I hope, in my Great European Tour of my 20s, that I will be able to gain some sort of perspective from the lives of others and bring that experience -- like my Penn street cred -- straight back to the Heartland, a place that set me free, and if I do come back, I truly was it's to begin with.

I remember my high school teacher, Mr. Teson, would gaze wistfully at me and say, "you're never coming back, are you Lori?" -- maybe he was wrong. I do not know, yet...I would like to get some fixin' happenin' in n'orleans, tho. Maybe I'm supposed to go there. Hm?

In other news, I now know an authentic St. Louis Shag from like the 30's. I'll have to post more about this later, b/c I feel very authentic about it all, and will be going on a teaching blitz probably starting a minute ago.
What is this blog for, if not to announce my love of the dance.

Dance for Pedro

At the new location of Head to Toe (my former leotard, tights and tap shoe keychain one-stop-shop) there is a shirt that says "Dance for Pedro."
Its styled how you think - blue ringer, red iron-on-esque letters.
Hello! That is too awesome for words.
I kindof want to buy one for my 2nd cousin Sam the Eagle -- this kid is poised to be the hit of every school dance, wedding and be-stereo'd living room around the world, b/c he is a kickin' dancer. I mean, I was the one that decided to take him into the kitchen and rock out to some sweet soulful bayou music courtesy of Marc Broussard (and his influences, Donny Hathaway, Soul Power (or something), Dave barnes, Stevie Wonder, and James Taylor...among others) .... so perhaps I take some credit, but the kid hit the ground running(dancing). He comes up with all possible new moves to show me now, and some of them are positively Timberlake-esque.

He's perfect in every way, I love my 2nd cousin Sam. I think I will get him that Tshirt - it will be awesome for him when he's a teenager and likes to wear weird tshirts as all teenage boys do.
Gift from Bia (my unintentionally street nickname, bequeathed upon me by Sam's 1 year old bro, Fat Willie).

I would love to tell you all about my week of making St. Louis and surrounding areas into my very own Nashville/Austin hybrid, but I've got some to do listage to tackle. I've been in St. Louis for about a year now, and though I havn't had the wherewithall to really relish in my wonderful city as much as i did in high school (expendable income, sigh) - I heart this city, this state, and all its crazy red state, down-home awesomeness.
New York, etc.. is some lame resort town compared to the real people, places and things here (and in other cities around my favorite river ever), and all those dorks from the Bronx in my italian class who attempted to refute my claim that real america is in the South/midwest - y'all don't even know, and what's more, your Italian sucked.
More on that later, perhaps?

Newborns are small

I met my baby cousin today - she was like, 23 hours old.
We bought her a garden knome and some gum cigars at the gift shop. Someday she will really appreciate these things.

Its really exciting to have her around, except she's little and doesn't do a whole lot. Which means, A) I can't teach her to dance and B) she has a cauliflower brain. That's cool and all, but not exciting - at least not on the surface. There's an word for that other than surfacely. I REALLY wanted for her to be born on the 23rd and not the 24th b/c Jason Mraz, among other cool people (like astronauts and dukes) were born on the 23rd, and pretty much no one has been born on the 24th. But she's a girl, so it could be good for her to have the ethical ambiguity and technical dexterity the birthday book prophesized her to have.
But we're going to call her Coco, so she's going to be glamorous...as good a start to a life as anything.
Maybe we can enroll her in dance and she'll use that technical dexterity to be come a virtuoso tap dancer.

Anyway,
I've been watching Bridget Jones Diary and would like to be as dilligent about my diaryizing as she. I'm going to france soon anyway, so I must hone the diaryizing/journaling skills as I'm sure I'd better kick it with the written word quite a bit so as to document my life-changing journed for all biographers to see.
It probably doesn't help that I write my journals when I'm about to go to sleep. THey always end with - and now I'm tired, so bye.
I mean, I could do better.

In other news, I am finished with substitute teaching and Kevin Klein's old (uppity & private & catholic) high school. Highlights inclued one notoriously disruptive kid calling a Vietnamese kid a terrorist - only topped by the 2 smartest kids in class making (terribly constructed) paper planes, throwing them while saying, "It's 9-11!"
I was like, is that funny? I need to know, b/c I'm old. But I laughed, b/c those are some genius 11 year old cojones. Besides I had a unique understanding with these 2 dudes, and I think they decided to cut loose on the last day I was there...ok fine. I appreciated their raps about Llhamas and their drawing of me:

You really should click on it to get the full effect - it was easily the best going away gift ever.
This and more is documented on myspace.com/shadyfoster along with other awesome photos by 14 year olds with creative minds that were briefly fed by me, y'all. I love it! Posterity.

This myspace business is the website of the band the kids in my class semi-ficticiously formed. It was like school of rock, only they were writing, rhyming, working together, and having fun - and it was totally curriculum appropriate. I was totally dead poets society, only instead of "o captain, my captain" it was:

"You need to hurry, so use you some Fedex
Becasue I'm d-a-n-gerous, just like car wrecks
Writing check after checks, no wait that's too old fashioned
to go chilling with my homies, that's the direction I'm dashin'
We're bashin and dancing with a monk on da' porch
Watching MTV and talkin' bout sports.
Durka durka dur! Its gettin' hot in herrr!
It gifts were gold, incense and myrrh
But please, don't give me fur
worrrrr-d"

and other such gems that they wrote/rapped/thought up themselves. I had them listening to green day&other songs they liked, (including Tally Hall, of whome they were immediately in awe and who they downloded immediately) and it was pretty awesome b/c they clearly did not realize that songs had rhyme nor reason to them. So I told'em au contraire and they were stoked. I educated the youth - check it off the list, only to do it for a good half a year starting October - this time in french, occasionally backwards and in high heels.

I just listened to marc broussard -- apparently he has done a cover of you can leave your hat on...one that includes the improvised line, "I know I just bought you a brand new coat, but I want it-a on the floor."
Classic.
I like it b/c he always wears (really cool) hats, and so of course he would lay out the option of leaving it on to all involved. He's just so bayou, I love it a whole whole lot.
It really makes me wanna learn how to play the guitar. I also really want to learn me some minor keys and how to do more finger picking. Twill be telling guitar teacher soon, espesh now that I have a new guitar. Movies and songs : inspiring me to have new hobbies since 1987 (or so). ever since flashdance, people.
In other words. What happened to my Penn friends? I miss them, and off the earth they have dropped. Espesh my junior year buddies that were so rude as to graduate early (on time for them, but no matter). I loved those people a lot, but I'm sure they're saving the world. Still, I want to chill with them and tak about everything from boys to flamenco dancing with them. Boo hoo, man. I'll find'em again. People like'em? Maybe not - I hope to come close.

I also need to get some good literature on europe. I'd also like to go to cambridge. Time to timeline and work the problem. GRE as well. Motivation is good.

Pervs, I have had enough

Next time any creepy boy touches me or looks at me like I am some sort of fast food, I will go medival.
I really will.
In the meantime, I will be teaching 11 year olds about participle phrases.

In other news:
Two guys from my favorite nice-guy band got mugged. Having been a victim of crime myself recently, this broke my heart a little. They seem like such nice boys. Go to their page, www.tallyhall.com to see the picture on their journal. Its so spooky and terrible, bad people are out there and it's slightly disheartening, especially when the bad guys interfere with forces of good, like Tally Hall.

These are the kind of guys who eat dreamcicles, play acoustic sets for underagers who couldn't get in their show, and who give certificates of excellence to people who fix their vans.
That these boys were mugged is an affront to karma.

SO, in an attempt to be a good force in a world wherein evil seems to be slowly closing in, I wrote them this email. (it's not quite like becomine a batman-esque vigilante - something I've considred doing - but hey, if thoughts count, then...)


Dear Guys,
Saw the mugging picture - and I just wanted to say that I, your fan, am so sorry that happened to you! What trauma for you all! Sure, you're just a band from michigan, and I'm just a girl from st. louis that taught rob how to say pineapple in french when you came to Mississippi Nights, but since you've all signed my record cover of your CD and seemed so effusively and unassumingly charming and kind, anyone who mugs Tally Hall mugs me a little.
And that's just not cool.
My thoughts are with you and your black eyes and bruises.
Sincerely,
~Lori

And lastly, a quote from Les Miserables:

"The bishop approached him and said, in a low voice, ‘Do not forget, ever, that you have promised me to use this silver to become an honest man.’ Jean Valjean, who had no recollection of any such promise, stood dumbfounded. The bishop had stressed these words as he spoke them. He continued solemnly, ‘Jean Valjean, my brother, you no longer belong to evil, but to good. It is your soul I am buying for you. I withdraw it from dark thoughts and from the spirit of perdition, and I give it to God!'"

Lsats, not so much

I don't want to be a lawyer. Now to find a way to fund life without law(school).
I leave you with some Mraz lyrics, b/c i like'em:

Gypsy MC
I'd like to give a shout out to all the g-y-ps and
Individualize because I am an MC. I can because I care
Cause my family's there cause I, cause I
Cause I appreciate the mentality of music
Saving all my sentences unless of course I'm smoothly spoken
Quiet type the kind to watch out for
No man of the clan perpetrating the scam
Sure I'm the boy with the fallopian voice
Straight from the sleeve of any wizard of choice
I got the reason to be roamin' out the coverage area
Send me the bill if all my lovin' is scarin' ya

Dare you to dream the way that I believe
Got the skill to go commando in any fatigues
I got the best damn band in the music scene
Oh I can even flow solo or just let it be
Because of the love
Oh the self-realization is the ifs ands & buts
Cause you gotta know your name before you play-a the game
Keep a level-headed check on your health and stay sane
Address the tack on the track put the needle on the record and
Prepare for playback
Sajak
Could I buy another vowel I need another clue
And I could also use a towel
And how goes the medium tempo
Slaying all the teachers like the class of '84
And down low you know that my fidelities low
And I would never hurt a fly with my flip-flops on
Got control
Even keep a clean toilet bowl
2000 flushes blue and it's still going strong
Do I do what I do for the sake of the song
Comin' through on the radio it's for you
This is proof my own story's a spoof
I'll always be a gypsy or forever be aloof
And if you never get to liking me it's okay too
Well you've made it this far so pay a toll at the booth
And move on
Yeah I got top score on Donkey Kong
Move on
Move on
Move-a-move-a-move-a-move-a move on

True or false? I can be a sensitive man
With sensible plans for the everyday woman
And I can keep you eating out the palm of my hand
Because the dope that we smoked was grown on my land
The words I burn they don't come from a can
The movie in my mind will be the winner at Cannes
So take your chance a plot of full or part-time romance
Clever as a bell don’t measure up to whatever
Cause it don't matter how tall, how fat, or how small
The equal opportunity is open to all
The casting call the line forms down the hall
All you need is ID that shows that you're legal
But people with egos well you better not go
Cause you know I don't need those
And if there is a problem that I really oughta read
Post it on the web care of R-K-O-P
It's easy like me but a bit less the sleazy
Go heavy on the melody and add a little cheese
And if you can't stand the kitchen, get the hell out the heat
To meet with the geek all you need is a
Heart beat beat beat beat beat beat beat

And remember that fame
Fame is nothing more than loving someone
And that fortune is nothing more than loving what you do
Is nothing more than loving you

[I’m here at a very big hole]

Well, I'm type A positive and just the way I like it
Right away I'm satisfied with my food before I try it
Can't deny it to save my life, I'm never lying
To brave this mic without the same thing twice
Is actually an act to staying up all night
With the mood just right
And the purchase of a flight from the west coast
To the northern lights
It's aurora borealis' company that I'm tight with
Despite all the things that you've heard
I'll admit that most is true and I'll be keeping my word
By doing double-duty on a search for new verbs
I report to work early to deliver the worm
With a back well covered by the buddies of ease
And no way in hell that I could ever catch a disease
And breaking all the codes on the latest machines
Well I'll even let you download me for free
I'm free
I'm free

Just remember that fame
Fame is nothing more than loving someone
And fortune is nothing more than loving what you do
And in the eyes of love
Love will overcome
Love will overcome
Well love
Will over
Over overcome
It's true
Cause look what you've done to me
To the gypsy

Magic shuffle - rounds 1&2

I like the first round.
I had to do 2 rounds just to prove to myself that I wasn't creating links in my mind in order to make this make sense.


How does the world see you?
Rocky Raccoon - Beatles
Suddenly Seymour - Little shop


Will I have a happy life?
Gypsy in My soul - margaret whiting
Look what you've done - jet


What do my friends really think of me?
Sonnet 29 - Rufus Wainwright
Wisemen - James Blunt

Do people secretly lust after me?
Her or me - Miss Saigon
Ugly Boy - Bat boy the musical


How can I make myself happy?
Sur le Pont D'avignon
No stopping us - jason mraz


What should I do with my life?
I can cook too - Wonderful Town
Everybody's got something to Hide...- beatles


Will I ever have children?
Say it Isn't so - Michael Feinstein
Blue jeans - marc broussard


What is some good advice for me?
A Little Bit In Love - Wonderful Town, Leonard Bernstein
Don't stand so close to me - police


How will I be remembered?
A Whole New World - Disney's Aladin
Honey Don't - beatles


What is my signature dancing song?
If I needed Someone - the beatles
Ripchord - rilo kiley


What do I think my current theme song is?
What's it Gonna Be - EnVogue
Somewhere that's green - little shop


What does everyone else think my current theme song is?
Don't Take Your Love From Me - Louis Prima and Keely Smith
can't buy me love - michael buble


What song will play at my funeral?
Getting Better - The Beatles
All I want for christmas is you - mariah


What type of men do you like?
Boys Remix - britney spears
I can't turn you loose - otis redding


What is my day going to be like?
Intuition - Jewel
octopus' garden - beatles

Vacation for a living (add LSATS)

So I'm taking the LSATS in June. June 12th to be exact. I'm excited to have a goal for myself that will be culminating shortly....I'm sure I can work in 2+ hours of study a day. even while I'm vacationing for a living.
I'd like to take off after the LSATS and move to DC and just swing dance until France (which I havn't heard about BTW), and maybe I can. Others have done this...bohemian hipster types. I could for a summer, espesh if mer is living in DC.
Ok, got to practice the guitar.
highlights:
-sylvia plath's diaries are suprisingly awesome and not at all depressing
-I beefed on the street while falling, and totally tore up the palm of my hand
-hung out w/ an old robinson boy, he was trashy, no suprises there (must find a way to meet not high school people...where are the upwardly mobile in this town? The ones who didn't all go to "Missouri State"???)
- Reading a moveable feast - its pretty good...interesting. Not particularly pulling at the strings of my heart, but I dig it.
-I'm working at testimo's now...it seems fun! I hope I can be a good salesperson.
-I also wish that i could work on a campaign here...I'll bug some more people about that sooon enough.

peace out.

Tales of guys who will hurt people for you

A+ to you fellas.

"Take care of me - I'm only a wounded pigeon on the cold, unfeeling streets of life. But if anyone looks at you the wrong way in a bar, I'll kick their ass."

Pretty funny blog, love the useless conspiracy theorizing almost as much as I love the quote.

Another quote from my main lady, Shirly MacLaine:
"MacLaine notes that Sinatra was protective of all of his friends, and particularly of her. "He was a happy man when he was able to come to my rescue. 'Oh, I just wish someone would try to hurt you so I could kill them for you,' he'd say when he was trying to express his feelings of friendship."

I'm noticing a theme.

More on guys beating people up, Johnny Knoxville:
"Knoxville apparently didn't appreciate the assault, "so I punched him a couple of times then I went for his friend," Knoxville said. "You know, I just wanted a drink."" Tittle Tattle

Trashy post, yes, but snaps to you, guys who will hurt people for me (I'm using "me" loosely, but you get what I mean).