I'm Confused

No, really...I am. Yesterday I was doing some "research" online (well, not real research...hence, the quotes)... actually, I was just looking for some ideas for Theme Days to bring to a meeting next week for my summer camp job. For the past 10 years that I've worked there, we've recycled many of the same Theme Day ideas and I was just looking for something new. Well, I came across a 2002 article from the Austin Chronicle and I was a little baffled by the ideas thrown out there for Theme Days for SCHOOLS.

Here's a snippet:

Raver Day - Sideways cap, large pants (UFOs a plus); Boys: button-down white shirt; Girls: anything that shows your midriff. And lots and lots of "kandy."

So, apparently, "Kandy" is not just a city in Sri Lanka...Kandy can also be the trippy glowy friendship bracelets that ravers exchange at raves. Hmmm...who knew? Maybe you did and I'm just out of the loop. See Wikipedia, since we're not talking official research or anything. I love this line from the Wikipedia article, though:

"Candy ravers may or may not use recreational drugs."

Sorry for the digression...back to why I'm confused. Ok, I'm confused about why you'd 1-encourage girls to come to school with bare midriffs, and 2-suggest the "kandy." Maybe it's just the teacher in me, but isn't this going a little too far? Why have the kids, essentially, "celebrate" the acid culture? I'm assuming the Austin Chronicle article is talking about high school kids here, not college kids...which would be a very different story...one I'd probably not be concerned with.

Here's another one...I love this idea too (does my sarcasm come across?):

Pimps & Hoes Day - Girls: short skirts, too much make-up; Boys: flamboyant suits, big hats with feathers, and canes.

Again....a school, in a sense, is sponsoring this, as if it's a commendable lifestyle? It's one thing if a kid dresses up as this for Halloween or something---on their own, at home, with parents' permission...But a school would basically be saying "C'mon everyone, let's be Pimps and Hoes!!"

Aren't schools supposed to be setting an example? I'm not naive to think that high school kids don't know what pimps and hoes are or that they aren't dressing overly provocative on their own, but why encourage the lifestyle by putting it out there for a school-sponsored event.....what purpose does it serve? Just my 2 cents.

Feel free to weigh in on any of this........by the way, I didn't find anything but the usual camp theme day ideas, ya know--Hawaiian Day, Costume Day, Crazy Hat Day, etc.--so I'll keep searching. If you've got any ideas for me, let me know!

Many Hearts Find One Home

This weekend (Feb. 16th - 18th) is Penn State's annual 48-hour Dance Marathon, aka THON. The theme this year is Many Hearts, One Home. 2007 marks the 35th anniversary of THON. It is also the first year it is being held in the Bryce Jordan Center to accommodate the growing number of participants and families. For the last several years, it had been held in the smaller campus venue, Rec Hall. The money raised goes to the Four Diamonds Fund, benefiting Penn State Children's Hospital at Hershey Medical Center.

I was extremely fortunate to be a part of THON '99 as a member of the CCSG THON Committee. I worked in communications with the dancers of the University's 19 Commonwealth campuses.

Above is a picture of me at the Four Diamonds Carnival in November 1998. Standing in front of me is Tanner, who was diagnosed with Cancer. Our committee sponsored his family for THON through the Adopt-A-Family program. The carnival was when we got to meet Tanner, his brothers, and their mother for the first time. All the work and time that went into preparing for THON weekend was well worth it.

When THON weekend finally came, each committee member had shifts to cover on the floor, supporting the dancers and having fun with the kids. Nothing could prepare you for the feeling of being on the floor...no matter how many people tell you about it ahead of time. It's just one of those things you have to do for yourself. If I could give you three words to sum up what it's like being on the floor (especially during Family Hour), they'd be FUN, EMOTIONAL, INSPIRATIONAL. THON was an absolutely amazing experience...one that I will never forget.

You can support THON by making a donation. To see what THON is all about, you can view tons of pictures and the live webcast.

THON -- For the Kids...Go State! Beat Cancer!

Eddie Vedder to Sing With The Doors Again?

The Doors were inducted into the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame back in 1993. Eddie Vedder filled in for the late Jim Morrison at the induction ceremony, singing three songs (Roadhouse Blues, Break on Through, & Light My Fire) with the remaining band members. I happen to have the audio of this performance on an old Pearl Jam bootleg CD that I've had for more than 10 years now. At the time I first heard the Vedder-led Doors songs, I remember thinking how much he sounded like Jim Morrison. In my opinion, he did a great job covering the songs by paying homage to Morrison without copying his exact style.

There are now rumors of a 40th anniversary Doors reunion this year, even though two remaining band members (Robby Krieger and Ray Manzarek) have already been performing under the name The Doors of the 21st Century, led by singer Ian Astbury (of The Cult). Apparently, drummer John Densmore would not participate in the collaboration with Astbury, seemingly because he doesn't feel Astbury lives up to Jim Morrison's standard. Well, that's how I took it after reading an article from Starpulse. Read for yourself...see what you think.

However, Densmore had only compliments for Eddie Vedder (after working with him in the past) saying that the reunion would be possible if Vedder signed on to the project.

"Eddie Vedder? My God, there's a singer."

~Doors drummer, John Densmore

So, who knows what will happen? I would love to see this collaboration take place, being a fan of both The Doors and Eddie Vedder [Pearl Jam].

If you haven't ever heard Eddie Vedder's peformance with The Doors at the RnR Hall of Fame induction ceremony, here are videos of two of the songs:

Break On Through




Light My Fire

Lost...woo hoo!

Yay! Lost returns tomorrow night. It feels like it's been forever and a day............oh wait, it has. All I know is...there better be some questions answered because I can't take it anymore. And, Kate, gosh darnit, pick a man....Jack or Sawyer...who's it gonna be?

Some questions I want answered...

Is there really a polar bear on the island?

What's with the black smoke?

What do The Others have to do with this whole situation?

Where is Walt and will we ever see him again?

Is entering the numbers into the computer really keeping them alive?

Who is Jacob and what is this list of his?


p.s. don't forget that Lost is now on at 10 EST!

My TMJ

I hate my TMJs (temporomandibular joints). Actually, I hate my left TMJ more than my right...and it definitely hates me.

This hate/hate relationship started when I was in high school. The last day of school during my sophomore year, I woke up not able to open my jaw much past an inch. So basically I went to school that day feeling like a freak. My mom made me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich because it was soft and easy to chew. But, at the lunch table that day, I didn't feel much like eating. I ripped off little pieces of the sandwich and shoved them through the one-inch opening I could muster. Needless to say, that day sucked.

Since then, I've had bouts of TMJ pain every so often....times of stress or a "certain" time of the month may make it worse. Part of the problem for me is that I have a very small mouth, which my dentist has confirmed on numerous occasions, especially when they can't get the adult-size films to fit in my mouth for routine x-rays (that's always a fun visit). I've learned to cope with it, for the most part, by avoiding too much gum-chewing and by staying away from hard breads and large sandwich rolls.

My dentist fitted me for a night-guard that is supposed to alleviate my jaw-clenching when I sleep, which makes my TMJ pain worse.......oh, yeah, jaw-clenching? Yet another part of the problem. However, I've stopped wearing the night-guard because it was actually making the pain worse and I was waking up feeling as if my jaw was pushed out of alignment; plus there were clicking noises when I'd eat. So, no more night-guard for me.

Although the clicking has stopped, the pain in my left TMJ continues...at times, it feels like a really bad earache. I've been doing some jaw exercises and putting a hot compress on the area to help reduce the spasms causing the pain. Needless to say, I don't think this will ever completely go away for me. I've been reading up on this a lot lately, and other contributing factors weighing against me are that I'm female, I have hormones, and am already prone to neck pain.

Anyone else deal with TMJ pain? Please offer any advice!

Downtown Harvest

It's not very often that you come across a local band that is easy to get into right away, especially the first time hearing them...many times, the band sounds a little rough. If they are just starting out on the scene, unfortunately they might be soon forgotten.

However, that is definitely not true for the band, Downtown Harvest. I saw them last Friday night and they were actually really good. They are not a cover band; they play their own music. They have a very refined, tight sound. What is most amazing is the fact that they've only been a band since 2002, but they sound like they've been playing much longer than that.

If Downtown Harvest ever comes to your neck of the woods, make sure to check them out.....they're well worth it! On a side note, they will be playing at Penn State's Dance Marathon (aka THON) on February 17th. You can read more about Downtown Harvest and preview some of their music on their website, here.