This is fun, and it really gets particularly good around the one minute mark.
I think I may like this one (Theme from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly) even better.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Saturday, December 26, 2009
The Power of an Inspirational Teacher
I think you'll enjoy this video:
These are the students in the Chorus at PS22, Staten Island, NY. This is not a magnet or fine arts school, but a typical big city public school, with a different group of fifth grades making up the chorus each year. Wow! The faces and the body language! Note the two girls on the right side of the aisle playing their imaginary pianos during the introduction. No doubt these kids are involved and loving it.
You can read more about the chorus and their instructor, Gregg Breinberg, in this ABC News article: Music Class Is Hit With Kids, Online Viewers
The chorus was formed in 2000 and Breinberg started blogging about their activities a few years ago. If you scroll to the bottom of the home page there are many links to past performances. They've been on various TV programs and performed at major special events, but I had never heard of them. Of course, I live under a rock. Had you heard of them before now?
These are the students in the Chorus at PS22, Staten Island, NY. This is not a magnet or fine arts school, but a typical big city public school, with a different group of fifth grades making up the chorus each year. Wow! The faces and the body language! Note the two girls on the right side of the aisle playing their imaginary pianos during the introduction. No doubt these kids are involved and loving it.
You can read more about the chorus and their instructor, Gregg Breinberg, in this ABC News article: Music Class Is Hit With Kids, Online Viewers
The chorus was formed in 2000 and Breinberg started blogging about their activities a few years ago. If you scroll to the bottom of the home page there are many links to past performances. They've been on various TV programs and performed at major special events, but I had never heard of them. Of course, I live under a rock. Had you heard of them before now?
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Free Entertaiment at the Expense of Your Family and Friends
There are a thousand things I should be doing right now, but this somehow seems more important. Have you seen the fun OfficeMax site where you can turn yourself and your friends into dancing elves? Check out this one of Fran, my mother and me getting down with our bad selves at JibJab ElfYourself. Yeah, I know, pretty impressive. Try to wipe that image out of your mind.
You can have hours of fun at this site, creating "elves" who can perform five different dances. Email your creations to anyone who needs a good laugh. Or put them on your blog. Or post them on Facebook for the world to see.
You can have hours of fun at this site, creating "elves" who can perform five different dances. Email your creations to anyone who needs a good laugh. Or put them on your blog. Or post them on Facebook for the world to see.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Saturday, November 14, 2009
It Just Dropped Out of the Sky and Came to Rest in Our Neighborhood...
...right at the top of our driveway, to be exact. At about 3 this afternoon, I happened to look out our bedroom window, did a double-take and then grabbed my camera. Within five minutes the balloon was deflated. Another five minutes and it was packed in the trailer and gone. I almost missed this wonderfully unexpected sight!
Sunday, September 20, 2009
A Nod to Bob - A Nod to Palindromes
Another video...the easy way out when I don't have time to blog. Palindromes + Weird Al Yankovic + Bob Dylan = good stuff. For more palindromes go to http://www.rinkworks.com/words/palindromes.shtml
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Fall! Leaves, Apples, and Gourds
Some great sites for Fall:
Remember that old song?
The falling leaves...
drift by my window...
I feel a craft project coming on...
so I must go...
...or something like that. I know the first two lines are right. Here's a project for you if you just don't know what to do with all those pretty maple leaves that will be falling soon:
...and if you are like me and don't know a maple leaf from a ginko, here's a nice leaf identification guide from the Missouri Botanical Garden:
Gourds: In my spare time I would love to learn how to do this:
Aren't those beautiful?
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Interview with Michael Snyder, Part Two
As promised, here's part two. Read to the end to find out how to enter for a chance to win a signed copy of Return Policy.
RH: You’re sitting in Starbucks and three authors walk in and ask to share your table. They are:
MS: -Hmmm, I’m tempted to say Grisham or King, so we could get all the refills we want. But I think I’m going to go with Hornby, Russo, and Coupland. When we ran out of writerly things to talk about, we could have an arm wrestling contest.
RH: A character in your book is serving raccoon at a candlelit dinner. Red or white wine? Side dishes? Condiments? Background music?
(This photo has absolutely nothing to do with the interview, but I just find that pictures heighten interest, don't you agree?)
RH: You’re sitting in Starbucks and three authors walk in and ask to share your table. They are:
MS: -Hmmm, I’m tempted to say Grisham or King, so we could get all the refills we want. But I think I’m going to go with Hornby, Russo, and Coupland. When we ran out of writerly things to talk about, we could have an arm wrestling contest.
RH: A character in your book is serving raccoon at a candlelit dinner. Red or white wine? Side dishes? Condiments? Background music?
MS:-I’m really glad you went with raccoon as opposed to inebriated basset hound or badger! So I’m thinking red Kool-Aid, white vinegar, with a side dish of a large takeout pizza. The condiments would have to include dental floss for sure. The background music would obviously be the theme song to the old Daniel Boone series.
(This photo has absolutely nothing to do with the interview, but I just find that pictures heighten interest, don't you agree?)RH: Any new titles/projects that you are currently working on that you can tell us about?
MS:-My current novel-in-progress is called A Stand-Up Guy. It attempts to answer the question, “What if a stand-up comic resolved to only tell the truth in his act, no matter who gets hurt?”
I’ve also described it this way… “A classic tale of girl meets boy, boy catches girl stealing.”
The story’s really not as funny as I’m making it sound. It should have plenty of jokes and humorous observations, but hopefully will have a pretty big heart beating inside between the pages as well. (And maybe even a few more mixed metaphors like the one I just doled out there…)
MS:-My current novel-in-progress is called A Stand-Up Guy. It attempts to answer the question, “What if a stand-up comic resolved to only tell the truth in his act, no matter who gets hurt?”
I’ve also described it this way… “A classic tale of girl meets boy, boy catches girl stealing.”
The story’s really not as funny as I’m making it sound. It should have plenty of jokes and humorous observations, but hopefully will have a pretty big heart beating inside between the pages as well. (And maybe even a few more mixed metaphors like the one I just doled out there…)
RH: What is a word or phrase that you need to be careful to not overuse in your books?
MS: -It really changes with every book. I know in the first draft of Russell Fink it seemed like every character grinned and nodded a lot. So it was like I was writing about a cast of maniacal bobble-head dolls.
And my wife is always catching me misspelling the word “from.” I spell it f-o-r-m, which obviously changes the meaning quite a bit.
RH: Do you listen to music as you write? If so, whose music brings out the best in you?
MS: -Absolutely! When I first started writing, I could only listen to a handful of albums—namely, Jonatha Brooke’s early stuff, Miles Davis’ Ballads & Blues, and a couple of Keith Jarrett solo piano things.
Thankfully, my muse has grown more agreeable and I can listen to pretty much anything I like now. For some reason lately, I’ve been on a Wilco kick. Ryan Adams is getting a lot of play as well. And a newish band called Roman Candle.
RH: Is there something that you wish an interviewer would ask you but never does? Feel free to ask and answer it here.
MS: -It really changes with every book. I know in the first draft of Russell Fink it seemed like every character grinned and nodded a lot. So it was like I was writing about a cast of maniacal bobble-head dolls.
And my wife is always catching me misspelling the word “from.” I spell it f-o-r-m, which obviously changes the meaning quite a bit.
RH: Do you listen to music as you write? If so, whose music brings out the best in you?
MS: -Absolutely! When I first started writing, I could only listen to a handful of albums—namely, Jonatha Brooke’s early stuff, Miles Davis’ Ballads & Blues, and a couple of Keith Jarrett solo piano things.
Thankfully, my muse has grown more agreeable and I can listen to pretty much anything I like now. For some reason lately, I’ve been on a Wilco kick. Ryan Adams is getting a lot of play as well. And a newish band called Roman Candle.
RH: Is there something that you wish an interviewer would ask you but never does? Feel free to ask and answer it here.
MS:-“How can you be so incredibly rich AND good-looking?”
Frankly, I’m a little bummed (not to mention surprised!) that you didn’t ask. I’ve read and reread these questions numerous times and still can’t find it. I’m trying to forgive you.
RH: Have you ever won a prize in a contest?
MS: -I suppose you mean writing contests. Obviously, I’d prefer not go into detail on my long and storied legacy as a body-builder, a cake decorator, a moose hunter, and the world’s-fastest-nail-clipper.
A few years ago a short story of mine was named the editor’s choice in a literary journal called Relief. Also, My Name Is Russell Fink was nominated for the Book of the Year (2009) by Christianity Today—Marilyn Robinson actually won the award. Can you believe she beat me?
RH: Please direct us to your blog/website. Can you direct us to any websites where we can read some of your short stories/writings?
MS: - www.michaelsnyderwrites.com
I have just paid someone to update my website and blog. So hopefully I’ll be adding content worth reading in the very near future!
And of course, I’m noodling around with some regularity on Facebook and Twitter.
Frankly, I’m a little bummed (not to mention surprised!) that you didn’t ask. I’ve read and reread these questions numerous times and still can’t find it. I’m trying to forgive you.
RH: Have you ever won a prize in a contest?
MS: -I suppose you mean writing contests. Obviously, I’d prefer not go into detail on my long and storied legacy as a body-builder, a cake decorator, a moose hunter, and the world’s-fastest-nail-clipper.
A few years ago a short story of mine was named the editor’s choice in a literary journal called Relief. Also, My Name Is Russell Fink was nominated for the Book of the Year (2009) by Christianity Today—Marilyn Robinson actually won the award. Can you believe she beat me?
RH: Please direct us to your blog/website. Can you direct us to any websites where we can read some of your short stories/writings?
MS: - www.michaelsnyderwrites.com
I have just paid someone to update my website and blog. So hopefully I’ll be adding content worth reading in the very near future!
And of course, I’m noodling around with some regularity on Facebook and Twitter.
RH: Do you need another dog?
MS:-Only if it promises to either a) educate, or b) quietly dispose of, my current dog.
RH: What are you thinking right now?
RH: What are you thinking right now?
MS:-“I wonder if Rhonda remembers she owes me ten bucks…”
Ahem...at this point I abruptly ended the interview. I could tell you that Michael left me with these words: "Rhonda, you ask amazing cool questions. And you’re one of the best aunts in the business." Yes, I could mention that but it would be self-serving, so I won't.
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