November 2011 | Page 3 of 4 | Kate's Point of View

Turning It Up to 11 on 11.11.11

On November 11, 2011

In honor of the date, 11/11/11, NPR’s ALL Songs Considered featured a list of songs where you’d turn up the volume to 11 while listening. I was completely entertained listening to their songs and thought I would create my own list.

In no particular order, here are 10 songs where the volume should be cranked up to 11 as soon as they start playing. And I’m completely willing to admit that some of these songs are not good, but I still love hearing them!

Smells Like Teen Spirit, Nirvana

Get Off, Prince

Rocky Top, Osborne Brothers

Baby, I Got Your Money, Old Dirty Bastard

Ditty, Paperboy

California Gurls, Katy Perry, Featuring Snoop Dogg

Thursday, The Features

The Sounds of Science, Beastie Boys

99 Problems, Jay-Z

P.Y.T., Michael Jackson

What I’ve Been Checking Out This Week

By Kate

On November 11, 2011

In animals

Here are some of the things I’ve been clicking on this week:

Wonder Boy live in a 111-year-old row house we fondly call The Big Blue House. Technically it’s a three-story home but the attic space, while technically finished, is lacking amenities like insulation, heat or air. Right now the space is used for storage but coveted by both Wonder Boy and I for its potential. I love the attic office space featured on Sparkling Glitter. Space is used efficiently but there’s room for everything.
Cincinnati-based animal rescuer Save the Animals Foundation is having a holiday drive called the 12 Dogs of Christmas. They are trying to find homes for 12 dogs in time for the holidays and the pictures they have of the various dogs are so, so cute.
One of the best blogs I’ve seen in a long while is Kitten Covers. The site features album covers redone with kittens instead of people. On the one hand, my affection for the site might come off as a little Crazy Cat Lady. But! I also think it’s really clever and features cats in clothes. In my book any animal that is dressed up is funny.
I’ve been in a book club for 5 years now and whenever we meet there is wine involved. Or, in my case, beer. This tote would be a great way for all of the ladies to carry their books to book club meetings.
Finally, proof that listening to a little Notorious B.I.G. is nothing but good.

Spotting the Hipster

By Kate

On November 10, 2011

In uncategorized

Spotting the Hipster Lately, I’ve been accused of being a hipster. I’m pretty entertained by this, mostly by thinking how horrified my hipster college friends would be if they knew. Sure, I’m married to aboy who wear black plastic glasses and rides a Vespa, but does that make me a hipster?

When I was in college, my friends and I were obsess with online quizes. I decided to take a quiz to evaluate my hipster quotient (thereby disqualifying myself from ever being truly cool enough to qualify as a total hipster) and according to tha random internet author of this quiz, honeysuckle17, I am a Subtle Hipster.

You’re pretty hip, but not in a ridiculously over-the-top kind of way. In fact, you probably look like a regular person generally and almost blend in with the masses, but you wear a few subtle signifiers of your hipness. In fact, hipsters probably don’t realize how hip you are until you get into conversations about music, movies, and politics. You’re at a healthy level of hipness. Rock on. Don’t try too hard.

I think this means I can still wear my collection of ironic t-shirts, sport my many pairs of converse and rock out to indie music you’ve never heard of, but still enjoy some Katy Perry without worrying about hurting my reputation. It also means I can be amused by the Hipster Moving Checklist and laugh at hipster jokes like “How did the hipster burn his mouth? He ate pizza before it was cool.” (Thanks Beard!) and this one about water:

Library

By Kate

On November 9, 2011

In photography

Last weekend when I went out shooting photos, I found several things that inspired me outside of my local library.

This picture of a seed pod is one of my favorite. I don’t know how I could have gotten the focus more right.

I also love the raised type of the book return slot.

I love when I find things that are solid but decaying, like this handrail with shipping paint.

Illusions

By Kate

On November 8, 2011

In photography

I love when I take photographs of things and the end result, without fancy editing, looks different from the actual object. It’s like magic.

I recently went driving around the city looks for things to photograph and found myself on a playground. There were rings children could swing from, but my photographs of the rings look much more sinister … more like handcuffs.