I Spy

When I see her on Gossip Girl as Georgina Sparks...

I always remember her as the girl that made me want to fake a life as Harriet the Spy the entire third grade...

She's always been after a good story.

Heart it Races Cover - Architecture in Helsinki

Um... someone knows how to have a good time. Quality of sound ... eh. Quality of life ... couldn't be better. In Paris, dancing about, creating jams, meeting new friends. This is how it is done people.

Dr. Dog

Look what the dog dragged in... Coming to SLC on Feb. 4th!

http://hipsterarresteddevelopment.tumblr.com/

Be careful out there...

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Harry Potter Post Secret?

harrypotterconfessions.tumblr.com

(Weird? But I still kind of like it?)

Yes.

Yes.

Jealous.

I don't understand why you insist on putting your comments over their eyes/faces...It's not a real post secret.. Those aren't your real parents so.. you don't need to block them out. And you can't conceal Snape's identity... I know the man behind the blackout.

I AM NOT A ROBOT

And it makes me wonder... what would I look like covered in black glitter. 

That Time of Year

... To publicly say how I inwardly feel ...

Question... why is grateful spelled (or called) GRATE-FUL? ... I am full of Grate ??? That doesn't seem right, now does it? Like, I am full of grating feelings? Because that doesn't sound pleasant or kind. I am full of a love to grate cheese? I guess it has a certain appeal... like the fact that it is the prelude to making a homemade baked potato or pizza... I guess that could be nice. I imagine that you are actively trying, with your telepathic powers, to send me the message that grateful derives from the word gratitude. Brilliant. Well, to whomever went and invented the word "grateful" 400 years ago (it's more than 400 years, isn't it?), where do you think you get off just chopping up words like "gratitude" and topping them off with "ful"? It's very confusing! Now four hundred years later you have one very troubled person that is trying to make sense of it all. What I am trying to say is that I don't think that is what they meant when they said, "shave off the fat" because now you've left us with this very strange predicament... that I am not sure whether we are saying that we are full of gratitude or full of grating feelings... two very different things.

I'm not just bringing this up because it's annoying that people often make the spelling error "great-ful"... Really, the phrasing "great-ful" does not make sense either.. I am full of greatness. Now that is just egocentric. If you were saying my life if full of greatness... then I suppose that could be OK. Now "THANKFUL", that's a word that I can really get behind. No ambiguity there. It is what it is. I am full of thanks... and I say things as they are. I am sorry Grateful, but I may always have a beef with you. You simply can't compare to Thankful.

Now I've completely run out of time to say those things which I am thankful for... unfortunately I will have to give thanks some other time(s).

I Scrabble

Like Words with Friends... but better?

.

It's not Emo if a cat says it...

Big Reds

Some days, you've just got the reds. And you're so glad that at least one person gets it...

2 Guys - 1 Flute

It just so happens that I am a closet flautist, which I understand puts me in the nerd category. So sue me. 

Anyhow, of course I had to check out this underground world of flute entertainment: 2 people + 1 Flute. And I get it... right now you are thinking "I'd rather be dead than watch two people play one flute. That's the type of thing for squares." Fair enough, but I'm tellin' you... the guy's face is priceless. I don't think two nerds have ever been so happy to play a flute together.

Impressive, but not as impressive as this:

It said that she was three. When I was three I was running around naked and climbing trees... Last year I stopped running around naked, but I still climb trees.

Call It Off

I would give up my Harry Potter series to be in that crowd....

Ches-Please!

-- RACHAEL --

-- YAMAGATA --

-- TOMORROW --

THE DAY HAS COME!

And Imma go with my two favorite people!

I mean... My two favorite people!

Lisa... I hate that you are missing this. Come back to us soon.

These Are My Confessions

This one is for my lovely friend Lisa Williams Anderson. She manages an inspiring blog, Amarillo y Crema, that has everything beautiful and perfect that I want in my closet or home. It's been far too long since I have seen her because our lives keep taking us to all these different places, but she still is one of the nearest and dearest.

She sent me a little chain to say 7 random things about myself. Last time I did one of these I said 20 facts about myself... that I had actually stolen from characters of my favorite TV shows/movies (the Office, Arrested Development, 30 Rock, and Forrest Gump) but this time I'll keep it honest. I will be honest about 7 lies that I have told... how does that sound???

1.) Over the summer I made some friends while I lived short term at an apartment. When they came over they saw my roommate's paraphernalia from Palestine (she had done a study abroad in Israel) and they inquired who in the apartment was from Palestine. I volunteered myself and said that I was 1/2 Palestinian. Fortunately I was taking an Arab-Israeli-Palestinian conflict class at the time so I sounded pretty well informed. He bought it Hook. Line. And Sinker. I'm still the girl from Palestine.

2.) I once told someone that I spent a significant amount of my high school years in the Provo detention center. She also believes me still...

3.) Someone was asking me the other day if I was here in Provo for school. I laughed and said no, but that I spend my summers as a river raft guide and rock climbing instructor. Then, I save up my money so that in the winter I can travel. I think that was just me trying to project my fantasy life onto my real self.

4.) After moving out here, on my first day AT CHURCH, we were supposed to say something interesting about ourselves. I really hate that game so I decided just to make something up of course. I told everyone that I play the banjo. Fortunately they haven't asked me to prove it yet. It's not entirely a lie... I have strummed one before... same thing.

5.) As I child growing up in the 80s/90s.. it was still the generation where people spanked their kids as a regular form of behavioral conditioning. I also was the youngest child so if someone didn't want to take the blame for something (and you never really do, right?) they usually pinned it on me. It's like the old Native American story of the two boys, one who walks the muddy, steep road and one who walks down the flat, dry road. I believe it has made me stronger. But anyways... there came a point were an opportunity arose to place some revenge into action. It came about when I had found a packet of gum under my sister DJ's (I'll just blend my two sister's initial together for the purposes of identity protection) bed (don't ask what I was doing under her bed, okay...). So... thinking no one would miss it seeing as it was just there collecting dust... I gripped my little hand around the 5 piece spearmint package (you know know the ones that I mean?)  and I ran off with my prize. For the next day I enjoyed each of those 5 pieces... so much fun. THEN, things turned serious. Come to find my sister did detect that her gum had gone missing (who'da thought...?). She had even gone as far as reporting the theft to my parents! I'll remind you... it's that tiny package of gum... the one that says 15 (I just realized that the keyboard has a dollar sign, but not a cents sign.. what's that about?) cents on the side. Anyhow, my parents insisted that someone confess to stealing the gum. Fat chance. The power struggle escalated until we four Beasley children, including my sister DJ, found ourselves in a line-up, oldest to smallest, being interrogated by my Papi. Even though everyone knew I was  culpable, my dear father set the stakes: unless the villain came forward, all parties involved would receive a spanking. ALL parties... that includes DJ. I'm sure my dad thought that my heart wouldn't let me go through with it, that I would be some sort of of colored martyr for my siblings. Not so. That day all Beasley kids got a spanking... and I got revenge. Yeah, I felt sort of lowly afterwards.  Sorry about that... that became a long a winded story. That portrays me pretty poorly. I swear I'll never steal your gum and I'll never lie to get you in trouble. But if it's innocent and funny, I make no promises.

6.) As a joke, when I was in third grade I wrapped myself around the inside lining of the tire swing (yeah...  snuggled in there like a snake). My teacher was on yard-duty so I had my friend run and tell her that I was stuck in there real good, no chance of getting out. When Mrs. J came over and saw only my head popping out of the tire swing... the lady was a little panicked. She promised me she would get me out and she raced off to get help. As she made it across the yard, I slithered out of the swing and ran after her yelling, "Wait! It's just a joke!"... I felt kind of bad about that one, too. You can see that I've been up to these shenanigans for awhile.

7.) Lastly... I'm running out, which is a good sign, right? Uh, ok, so I grew up watching the Labyrinth. Think of it as a weekly ritual. So needless to say, David Bowie was a big part of my influential years. Once, my aunt asked me if I had a crush on the Bowster (i.e. apple of my eye). Aaaand, I told her "no". That was about as untrue as they come folks. I definitely had eyes for David Bowie... and while were at it... I carried a picture of Will Smith around in my pocket when I was five. I found it in a magazine... didn't let it go.

So... you get it, right?

WHAT?!

And then my head exploded....

Jesse's Girl

So funny that this video actually makes me hurt a little bit inside... especially because Avril's taking it away in the background.

I'm seriously worried about the future... not because of the global economic downturn, not because of the exploitation of the earth's resources... not even because of the disintegration of morals. I'm concerned because future generations will grow up without this darling duo in their lives. Everyone should have the right to grow up on Full House and the Cosby Show.

Baby Dr. Dre

Dr. Dre was a baby once!

"That's why I get the older ones... cuz they're more mature and they got money and stuff!"

OK. 

Mio Babbino

This is what happens when you wipe media out of your life for 18+ months... you find out that a child progeny has been discovered and you went about completely unaware of it all.  Come to find she nearly won America's Got Talent (Not that I watch that show anyhow...), sung at that National Christmas Tree Lighting, and has been on OPRAH (Queen of America)... I am so lost. The first thing that I heard her sing was O Mio Babbino Caro... (really I was just in search of Joshua Bell's Romance of the Violin... it's my favorite). I thought her voice was dubbed. I was pretty certain, but it turns out they have proof... the girl can sing. How is it that something so perfect could come from a person? Such a little one, too...

I think she should marry Jean-Baptist Maunier and they can have perfect children that preform by the age of 4... shave off a few years. He's a little old for her, but once you get to a certain age...the number doesn't matter anymore.

 

Or maybe the'll just have a kid that can do this:

Rivers and Roads

The Head and The Heart:

I saw them awhile back with Iron and Wine. I had never heard of them before... but ever since it's been a head over heals kind of love.  I would marry any off them. Need me to repeat it?

NUGS

Why would you not nugget?!

Graceland

I love Paul Simon... I truly, truly do. But I am unquestionably partial to the Tallest Man on Earth's cover of Graceland. In love with it. You know how they say that you know you're in love when you can't imagine your life without the other person and you want them by your side at your worst and your best... That's exactly how I feel about Graceland. I couldn't live without it.

 True Love.

XX, not XY

So ... yeah... Maybe I didn't expect the XX to be so... "Hot Topic" (??). It's grandma's ancient "don't judge a book by it's cover" advice. I'm glad that the first time I was introduced to them, it was simply an audio introduction. It's fair to say that if I had been shown a picture I might have thought... "Eh... I think my Thursday/Angles and Airwaves days are over...". That's not to say that on the occasion I don't revisit a song or two by My Chemical Romance or the Used. Everybody loves a good throwback now and again. Regardless of it all... the XX... their music = so sexy. 

<-----  And if these guys can 

come out with a

 new CD every year,

 then I think that 

the XX can slap

something together....

(I'm pretty sure that Radiohead will be touring until the day that my great-grandchildren die...)

Vendetta

My brother, Jon Beasley, made this.

First Aid Kit

I think that my boots seriously flew off when I first heard her voice... I know I am probably behind and these girls must be so 2010, but I'll still be listening to them in 2012 when they come out with their new CD, The Lion's Roar. If you are more behind than I am, they are a sisterly duo coming to us out of Swenden. Johanna and Klara. 

Orginally I was browsing for some nice Fleet Foxes listening... but to my surprise I tripped over this perfect cover of Fleet Foxes' Tiger Mountain Peasant Song.

They're kind of like female versions of Simon and Garfunkle... except they're both probably taller than Paul Simon. How cute that the little girl loves it so much she pays homage with her pink umbrella!



Lykke Like

Yes... I know. Lykke Li... been there, done that. I promise I'm about to get over this kick in 2 hot seconds. This is the last one. Pretty much what I take away from this is that I worry to much about what people think... I wish I could be a little bit free with myself like she is... or like she seems. Maybe not dance around with a tape recorder... but somewhere in between me now and her then.

Will You Still... (Lykke Li)

Mama Mia, Papa Pia! Melts me like butter... spins me like a cotton gin. 

Lykke Li + Bon Iver in da' park

These are the moments when I resent that I can only play the flute... such a classical, refined instrument... Not exactly your groove in the park, rock the city in you arms kind of experience.

Lykke Li is so funny and strange... I really dig her grooving at the beginning of the song and  conducting them at the end.

Metals

Feist's new CD does a lot for me... a lot more than 1,2,3,4 and that lot. I couldn't tell you that I have a favorite and be honest about it. It's a solid line up that has managed to keep me quite enamored. I will say that I am a bit partial to The Bad In Each Other, Anti-Pioneer, and Graveyard.

These videos make me want to be living out on a farm in the mountains. This exact farm, actually. And instead of a Golden Retriever... let's replace it with a French Bulldog and Chesapeake Bay Retriever. Now... Lets make it so that this farm is now magically placed just 20 minutes outside Seattle (I would be just as happy if it was settled outside of Paris or New York). Throw in a horse, my favorite people, and ol' village, south-of-France neighbors that exchange homemade goods with you and you have yourself a mix of my dream lives. And can I just be Leslie Fiest while we're at it? I'll settle for her or Charity Thielen. 

"Love Is The Weapon That Destroys All Evil"

I cannot seem to get over the story of these two men, or those of hundreds of other Rwandans. Their expressions are overwhelming and from this photo alone, I feel that I learn a valuable lesson about the ability of a human to have a holy heart. This is certainly not a scene that you could fake. Could you stand next to the killer of your brother in a comfortable and loving embrace, holding his hand, smiling... and see the once-a-killer at your side... flooded with peace and relief? I find it so incredible and humbling, that those who lost their family members, now are so happy to allow those attackers forgiveness and peace. Jimmy Cowart traveled to Rwanda and reports these stories of a nation and people that know what it means to lose, to suffer, to heal, and to forgive:

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/11/07/my-take-if-rwandans-can-forgive-killings-we-can-forgive-the-waitress/?iref=allsearch

It helps me think a bit more about my own heart. Am I patient with people? Do I remember that my forgiveness is linked to their repentance? The article talks about how those involved in the genocide did not feel at peace until they knew they were forgiven. Really, I think in our society we make people resent themselves because we emphasize their little errors and inconveniences. Cowart talks of how we seethe when someone takes our parking spot or a waitress is delayed in filling out drink. And I think... we aren't always so discrete about our frustration. Often the scene is us not leaving a tip, flipping the bird, or complaining loudly so they can hear. Instantly a person's unintended error or inconvenience has become the mark on their day that reminds them that they aren't cutting it. I wish I could be like these two men in the photo, Innocence and Gespard. I wish I could be the person to put my arm around my brother's killer and bring him back from a lonely place. I can't make that promise when I haven't been in Gespard's shoes... but I think I can start with reminders to have a little more compassion for the people in my everyday encounters.

Convoluted Ramblings

I wasn't sure if I really wanted to post this so I held on to it awhile and just stored it away, but I don't know... I kind of like it. There some heavy stuff in it; it gets a little graphic. There are some scenes of animal abuse. That is something that is not okay in my book .. it shouldn't be okay in anybody's book, really. Yes... I judge you by how you treat animals. If you can disconnect from their feelings (the animals), then you probably will disconnect from mine and not have a difficult time dehumanizing people. Fact, I really don't like spiders. It's completely involuntary... and I wish I wasn't so girly in this way... but they terrify me to be completely honest. It's not quite Ron Weasley status, but there was a time when my dad asked me to mow the grass in the mass of eucalyptus trees at his house. I got about halfway down into the thick of those trees, looked up and realized that I was practically encased in a bubble of spider houses... with lots of large spider residents. At that point... my body froze and I maybe struggled to breath a little bit... Until I let out that humiliating shriek of terror. My dad, expecting me to have chopped off my hand on the blade or something... was a little disappointed when he had to usher me out of the orchard and bring me back to life, so to speak. I have since learned to control my terror in those instances when I encounter the arachnid kind, but they still evoke the fight or flight adrenalin pretty quickly. Though, I would love to end the confrontation as quickly as possible and fight my way out of there (i.e. squash that sucker), at the same time, I can't bring myself to kill them, ever.. I guess on grounds of infestation I would rethink my policy. It bothers me that I would find it permissible to kill them just because they are smaller than I am... and I can't really see their face... and they have more legs than I do. I'm no psychic or traveler into the minds of spiders... but I know very well that the little guys have feelings because I see them get scared when you trap them in a cup or go at them with a newspaper. So if a spider is worth treating with a care... our bovine friends and all the others deserve a little TLC. Too far... I know... I'm a freak who just wrote a short essay/opinion piece on Spider Rights!

I think I should take a moment to address humanity to balance out my rant. I like how the film shows the ills of life and how we went from simple cave painters to all these advancements in relationships, for good and for bad. Now.. I don't want to say that cave men were Eden-esque people... I'm sure they had their off days, domestic disputes, tempers and what have you... If they had guns or bombs... maybe they would be out blasting each others horse/bison/antelope paintings to bits.  I think one reason that there is so much conflict is because we can't tell the difference between Heaven and Hell half the time. Of course humanity has its obvious moments of self-indulgence sin or heroism, an at those times the distinction seems rather clear. However... sometimes one man's hero is another man's villain. One man's holy mission is another man's threat of evil.  In defense of your rights, you might interfere with the rights of another. I'm not saying there is no distinction between light and dark. I'm saying God knows the difference, but humans often do not. And even when people insist they're acting under His direction... it seems that they all end up pursing very different things. I think of Israel and Palestine, where both have been wronged (I would say one side much more than the other, but that is neither here nor there for the moment...) and both have conflicting interests. They both consider their agendas to be honorable and right, but they manage to be in complete opposition of each other. It leads me to believe that maybe we don't know the difference between heaven and hell as much as we think.

Over time, there has been innumerable losses and injustices. Today, there are a lot of people that we wish were here. Different disasters have claimed people in our lives or stages of our lives, but there is a lot of beauty in the redemption and revival after a loss. I've been researching the Rwandan genocide and the nation's recovery from that trauma.  You would never wish such an experience on anyone and there certainly are hundreds of thousands of people that we wish were here. However, the demonstration of love and healing in the country after the civil war is incredible. Their general ability to forgive is a standard for the world. I hope those people who lost their lives during the conflict can see how their people continue to "redeem themselves", as one Rwandan woman put it.  I'm sure that while wrapped up in the violence and chaos, they didn't expect for Rwanda to be recovering like it is today or for peace to ever be restored. But I guess it shows that whether our world is being chopped down, blown up or ran out... our world still has a future. It can recover and it can produce good again, maybe even something better. I worry sometimes that those whom are targets of crimes and violence forget their own humanity. I don't know which is worse, to not recognize your own worth and humanity or not recognize another person's. They both seem pretty damaging in their own ways. It means a lot to see these people reestablishing worth at both ends.

This is just a little clip of Rwanda today and an example of the people's ability to forgive.

Can I Haz My Brother Back?

-

Jonny always plays this song... and he plays it pretty well I might add. I don't know if I listened to the song and I missed him or if I missed him so I listened to the song. The ol' chicken and the egg scenario. But all I can say is January can't come fast enough. Soon enough a blizzard will blow that boy back into town and this place wont seem so half-empty no more. Until then, I'll be saving your seat in Provo.

-

Hep Cat Power

She's one interesting lady... I wouldn't hate having a lunch with her one fine day.

I Grow Too

I'm on a Little Wings kick... and I don't know if I can get off. I'm just really feeling this video.

Little Wings' Song "New Topanga"

Do you think they wrote this after watching a marathon of Boy Meets World? And... someone needs to tell me how they got that cotton candy out in dem woods...

Little Wings + Feist

When don't I want peacock for dinner... I want to go to there. 

Time To Get My Wings

I've been thinking about it for to long... This summer?

Chesapeake (Bay Retriever)

Remember this??

She's back with this...

She's coming in November (Rachael Yamagata, that is)...nothing's going to keep me from that show. And not only is she sounding so so smooth... she is looking pretty foxy to boot.

May I also add this clip of her singing elephants...because quite possibly I've never in all my life been so obsessed with a song. Even more than Northbound 35 by Jeffery Foucault, more than Tiny Dancer (?)... It threatens the reign of Let Down and it even roughs up Something (!..Did I say that?!).  I've always thought, in a very selfabsorbed and naive way, that she wrote this knowing me in some sort of way. So did 50 million other people...but still.

10 Cow Prisoner

It must be nice to know you're worth 1,000+ prisoners....

...don't worry there's more where that came from. You know what I'm sayin' Israel?

Muggle Musings

Now I only need to decide if this room is meant to be my future child's... or my own.

Hounddog

Not the best version, certainly, but still, no one shreds it like Big Mama, not even the King himself.

Hold On

He's not half bad sober, too.

Wait

It is no secret who the muse was for Heath Ledger's the Joker...

Faux: The Phoenix

I'm back! And you don't recognize me?  In another life I conversed with the cyber world through my blog maisouimaggie.blogspot.com... and then I went off to a new and magical world for awhile.  A much better one, really.  Somehow I found myself pleased as punch among the riled streets of Houston, TX.  Spend a day on the corner of Glenmont and Rampart... preferably on a Sunday night... and you'll know what I mean.  Talk about the hustle and the bustle baby.  I was a missionary for the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints... and let me tell ya'... life was a dream.  I loved eating way too much food because it made Hna Nolasco happy; I loved riding my bike in the Houston downpour while wearing a skirt and a helmet and then wearing Hna La Torres' clothes while she dried ours; I loved listening to Angel's riddles; I loved family night with La Familia Baten and La Familia Portillo... I loved seeing each of the people I met get progressively happier... I loved it all. I don't want to leave anyone out so I'll just stop... but I'm telling you... I miss that place like mad.  Not to worry though, I'll be running back to H-Town in no time... Aug. 19th to be exact.  I just can't stay away.

So I decided to stake down some fresh internet digs with this new resurrection.  I'm not all that witty anymore, I feel, so this could be a short lived attempt and a quickly recognized failure... but I'll have a go at it.  However, it might be best to revisit my old blog if you're looking for a bit of humor... Really... that's all I have to say... an introduction to ... I don't know what really.