IN THE MOOD TO MAKE A LIST

THINGS I LIKE:

• coffee
• tea
• babies
• writing in pen
• chalkboards 
• natalie portman
• napping
• hugs
• snow
• thunderstorms
• bikes
• the smell of fall, spring, and right before it rains
• books. holding them, smelling them, turning their pages. i will never have a kindle.
• laughing to the point of pain
• avacados
• baths
• live music

THINGS I DO NOT LIKE:

• being talked down to
• rollercoasters
• spiders
• junk mail/email
• when people say "awkward" when a situation really isn't that awkward
• driving
• passive aggressiveness
• sweat pants that say "pink" on the butt
• jersey shore, glee, tv in general
• all video games execpt for nintendo 64

I would say this post is pointless, but I enjoyed writing it.

Erin

What I'm listening to: Interpol - Antics
What I'm Watching: Grey's Anatomy Season 1 (no comment)

"With fuel prices rising and the cost of food at an all-time high, experts have said Americans have far less cash to recklessly fritter away. However, many have reportedly managed to continue splurging on stupid shit by finding ways to make their wasted dollars go further."

-The Onion

BEST ALBUMS OF 2010

Yes it's March. I realize that year countdowns usually occur in December or January... But you have to realize that I do what I want, always, and all the time. So here is my vote for the 11 best albums of 2010 as counted down on my radio show last Saturday. 11 because I just couldn't say no to Born Ruffians.

1. Teen Dream - Beach House

2. A Mouthful - The Dø

3. Die Stadt Muzikanten - Woodpigeon

4. Oh Scorpio - The Films

5. Broken Bells - Broken Bells

6. Postcards From the Friendly City - Have Gun Will Travel

7. The Besnard Lakes are the Roaring Night - The Besnard Lakes

8. Gorilla Manor - Local Natives

9. Hidden - These New Puritans

10. The Suburbs - Arcade Fire

11. Say It - Born Ruffians

What I'm Watching: National Geographic: Solitary Confinement 

DOGTOOTH

I just watched a really surprising movie. I had no idea what I was getting myself into with Dogtooth. It's a Greek film about a family who keeps their 3 young adult children fenced in on their property in the countryside and controls their knowledge of the world. Only the dad is allowed to step outside the fence to go to work. If a word enters the household that the kids don't understand, the parents invent a definition for it- for example, the mother explains to her son that a "zombie" is a small yellow flower. The only outsider allowed on the property is a security guard from the factory the father manages. She is paid to satisfy the sexual needs of the son and she must ride in the car blindfolded on the way to and from the house. This outsider's presence creates a kink in the family's idyllic invented world and that's where the trouble begins.
The story is nonchalantly disturbing; some kind of alternative horror film. I found the intentional non contextualization effective in a frustrating way. When a movie makes us guess or draw conclusions, we get a bit annoyed and on some level just wish they would show us or tell us what they mean. But then you see a movie that does all the work for you and it's crap. For me, this was a fantastic movie. I would recommend it to a person who is really into movies. But probably not to the average blockbuster movie goer. Be forewarned of the sexual content. Be prepared to think.

Morning Teleportations

SODIUM BICARBONATE

A very cool chick I know recently started a zine. A zine is a small, independent publication...I don't really know what else to say about it. This one is called Nuts and the writers are all female. The content is open to whatever the women of Northern Michigan University want to write about! I think it's very cool to have an alternative publication to the school newspaper that is totally out of the university's hands...way to go Lucy! All women of NMU are welcome to write for it, so let me know if you have an idea and I'll help make it happen. Here is the article I wrote for the first edition:
 
My younger brother loves to refer to me as a "dirty hippie." Real hippies would probably disagree with his assessment, but he's not completely unjustified. I'm a vegan, I care about the environment, I own a tie-dyed shirt, I once went a week without showering, etc. My latest "hippie" activities involve a love affair with baking soda. Since last May I've abandoned toothpaste, shampoo, face wash, laundry detergent, deodorant, and many other standard household items for one little orange box of powder. It's extremely simple.

Toothpaste: Dip wet toothbrush in baking soda. Brush. Rinse. Tastes a little salty, but does a great job. Gargle for breath freshening.

Teeth Whitening: Combine enough hydrogen peroxide with baking soda to make the consistency of a paste. Brush with it 2-3 times per week.

Face wash: Sprinkle baking soda in hand. Gently apply to wet face in circular motion. I've had my fair share of frustrating skin, especially in the past year. I've tried plenty of harsh chemicals, lotions, and crèmes. Nothing has worked better so far. My skin is clear and smooth (most of the time!) and my morning/night routine has been significantly shortened.

Shampoo: This one is probably the hardest to commit to. Those who know me might be saying "yeah, of course you can get away with that Erin, your hair is only a quarter inch long." This may technically be true, but short hair is a recent development for me, and I spent many months with super long, super thick hair and baking soda worked fine for me. Here's the logic: Normal shampoos strip away all the oil from your hair. This seems like a good thing, because who wants greasy looking hair right? Unfortunately our scalps/hair are meant to have some oil to remain healthy, and when you strip it all away using synthetic shampoos your body responds by simply producing more to compensate. This leads to more and more washing-maybe even every day for some people- to avoid having "greasy" hair. So I'll get to my point: Baking soda is a natural cleaning agent and removes odor and grime from your hair while leaving a healthy amount of oil behind. After about 2 weeks of baking soda washing, I noticed that my hair was a lot less greasy, and anymore I only wash it about 1-2 times per week. It's awesome! I just pour some on my hand, massage into my scalp, and rinse. If I'm feeling really motivated I'll even do a diluted apple cider vinegar rinse afterward to condition.

Deodorant: Surely there are more complicated ways to make homemade deodorant. But I like to walk the line of "socially appropriate." My method is to wet my fingers and under arms just a little bit. Dip fingers into baking soda (separate container then the one for my teeth!) and rub under arms.

Laundry: Again, there may be a fancier way of doing this, likely involving pleasant smelling oils and the likes. My tactic for laundry these days is to toss baking soda in willy-nilly. It's probably anywhere from ½ cup to 1 cup per load if I were to measure it.

Cleaning: Baking soda is great for cleaning the sink. No bleach necessary! Water + baking soda + sponge. You can clean almost anything.

At $3 for a 4 pound box, I defy you to find a cheaper alternative! Plus, when people find out you don't use deodorant or laundry soap your "poor college student" image gets major cred. Trust me.

My final plug: Baking soda is a great way to reduce the amount of chemicals you expose to your body and the environment, cut down on consumption of plastic and other packaging waste, save some money, save some time, and make some space in your cabinet. I think what I'm trying to say here is that baking soda is the bomb! Arm and Hammer should probably be paying me for this article.
 
Erin

What I'm listening to: Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
What I'm watching: I Like Killing Flies

TOP MUSIC LISTS

TOP TEN ARTISTS

1. 1. My Morning Jacket
2. The Shins
3. Modest Mouse
4. Bob Dylan
5. Circa Survive
6. Iron and Wine
7. Beach House
8. Animal Collective
9. The Black Keys
10. The Decemberists

Honorable Mentions- Radiohead, The Smiths, Mates of State, Interpol, The Strokes, Fleet Foxes, Wilco

TOP 20 SONGS (ten was impossible)

1. Such Great Heights - Iron and Wine... don't judge me!
2. I'll Take Care of You - Beach House
3. Panic Switch - Silversun Pickups
4. Librarian - My Morning Jacket
5. Kicking Your Crosses Down - Circa Survive
6. Boy With a Coin - Iron and Wine
7. Fluke - Mates of State
8. We Used to Vacation - The Cold War Kids
9. There is a Light that Never Goes Out - The Smiths
10. House of Cards - Radiohead
11. The World at Large - Modest Mouse
12. Eli the Barrow Boy - The Decemberists
13. For Reverend Green - Animal Collective
14. New Slang - The Shins
15. The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth
16. Taper Jean Girl - Kings of Leon
17. Black River Killer - Blitzen Trapper
18. Some Red Handed Slight of Hand - Cursive
19. White Winter Hymnal - Fleet Foxes
20. The Ruminant Band - Fruit Bats

Honorable Mentions: Maggie's Farm by Bob Dylan, Calm Like You by The Last Shadow Puppets, Weekend Wars by MGMT, Running up that Hill covered by Placebo, Let Go by Frou Frou

Coming soon: My favorite albums and songs of 2010
Listen to Eat Your Beats tomorrow on 91.5 fm Radio X 9-noon!

Erin