Friday, December 13, 2002

Poem poems

It's 11 p.m. and I have this strange headache. I can't remember the last time I had one, and something's telling me it's because I've been in front of the computer for hours. Nine, exactly. But I just had to post this: I think those subway poems are really neat. Inspired by London’s Poems on the Underground, the MTA began posting poetry in subway cars in 1992. I feel like an idiot whenever I'm in a train with a Poetry in Motion poster because I always, always tend to look up and read it again and again. It's like how I always watch the numbers go up on the elevator even if I just get off on the second floor. Anyway, my favorite is last year's Beware of Things in Duplicate:

Beware of things in duplicate:
a set of knives, the cufflinks in a drawer,
the dice, the pair of Queens, the eyes
of someone sitting next to you:
Attend that empty minute in the evening
when looking at the clock, you see
its hand are fixed on the same hour
you noticed at your morning coffee.
These are the moments to beware
when there is nothing so familiar
or so close that it cannot betray you:
a twin, an extra key, an echo,
your own reflection in the glass.

from "Daily Horoscope", Dana Gioia (1950)

Oh oh! And this year's This Is Just to Say:

I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox

and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold

William Carlos Williams (1962)

{High and Dry, Radiohead} - And what did the two chimps do in the wicker basket?
Strike that

Yay. Watched Flower Drum Song yesterday. It was lovely. I've forgotten how truly beautiful Lea Salonga's voice is. Casting was really good: all the actors (Jose Llana, Sandra Allen, Randall Duk Kim, Jodi Long, etc.) really fit the characters. Alvin Ing, who played Wang Ta in the original Flower Drum Song, played Chin. The only spoiler was that we missed the prologue. My sister's friend, who had our tickets, was stuck in traffic. It was embarrassing, but we were ushered very discreetly to our seats.

I was supposed to see Mamma Mia last Saturday. Unfortunately, I woke up a little late (just as the show was starting), so I wasn't able to make it. Anyway, it was a company luncheon thingy and I was feeling a bit anti-social.

My boss just faxed me additional transit strike info. I hope it doesn't push through. New York's transportation system is really one of the things that makes it work. It'll be total chaos. I'd have to take a cab, a ferry, maybe elbow a person or two thousand at Pier 11, and walk to my building. And 299,672 people will be doing the same. What a perfect time to be not psychic and schedule my day off today instead of Monday.

{Why Can't We Be Friends, War} - Who did the Kodak version?

Sunday, December 08, 2002

The Perfect Mix CD

So, I stayed up all night making the perfect mix cd. It took me four hours. Well, I had to arrange the tracks just so. And then I had to drop some and add some, rearrange, and then I'd remember a song that I just had to put in. I actually only wanted 20 tracks, but then it has to end on the perfect note so I snuck one more track in. Oh, I wish I could be like that guy who gives mix cds away to anyone who wants them (you'd think I'd remember to save the URL, but nooo) but unfortunately, I'm not in that place right now (i.e., I'm broke). So here is the track listing and um, yeah, think: DIY

1. Center of Gravity - Yo La Tengo
2. Accident Prone - Boldstar
3. The Shining - Badly Drawn Boy
4. Rollercoaster - Dear Nora
5. She is Staggering - Polaris
6. Je T'aime Moi Non Plus - Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg
7. Give Me A Reason to Love You/Glory Box - Portishead
8. Sweepstakes Prize - Mirah
9. Silently - That Dog
10. Black Bear - Flin Flon
11. Motorbykle - Cynthia Alexander
12. Just Like Henry - Dressy Bessy
13. Look of Love - All Girl Summer Fun Band
14. Mint Car (acoustic) - The Cure
15. She Don't Use Jelly - Ben Folds Five (The Flaming Lips cover)
16. You and Me Song - The Wannadies
17. Drug Buddy - Evan Dando and Juliana Hatfield (Lemonheads cover)
18. Crimson and Clover - Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
19. Ooh La La - The Faces
20. Why'd You Want Me? - The Jesus and Mary Chain
21. Happy Together - The Turtles

What would you put in The Perfect Mix CD?


{Happy Together, The Turtles} - I love the parts where they go papapa...