ASK Musings

No matter where you go, there you are.

Daily Archive: 07/05/2017

Sunday

7

May 2017

0

COMMENTS

Body Kindness by Rebecca Scritchfield

Written by , Posted in Reviews

Three Stars

Best for: People looking for a personal growth book that wraps all of the big ideas into one fancy-feeling book.

In a nutshell: Different ways of looking at how to treat yourself well – body, mind and spirit.

Line that sticks with me: “Think about whether the choice will matter to you in a year.”

Why I chose it: I was in one of those stores that sells a lot of cool-looking things for the home (pillows, candles, clever cards), and this book looked and felt like a fun read.

Review: There is nothing wrong with this book. In fact, I think that 22-year-old me might have gained a lot from reading it. I like the author’s focus on being kind to yourself and not focusing on a lot of things we cannot do (there’s no “don’t eat after 10 PM”-style rules). I like that she doesn’t just look at food and movement, but at feelings and even our values.

I just didn’t feel like there was anything new in here save for the fact that it’s all together in one book. If you’re relatively young, or have never read any sort of personal growth book but are having some struggles with your life, you could certainly do worse than this book.

Sunday

7

May 2017

0

COMMENTS

What I’m Reading – May 7, 2017

Written by , Posted in What I'm Reading

It has been a bit of a week, so I know I’m missing some critical events from the last week.

Horrific Legislation and Executive Orders

“Under the amendment, states would have the all-clear to waive the ban preventing insurance companies from denying coverage to patients based on pre-existing conditions. That means companies could also deny preventive health care services, like mammograms and gynecological exams, to these patients, which many sexual assault survivors in particular rely on following an attack.” Under the GOP’s health plan, sexual assault could be considered a pre-existing condition (by Marie Solis for Mic)

Fight Back

“The phone banks began lighting up almost immediately. But to the great dismay of DHS officials, it appears many callers took the agency’s words at face value, and are making use of the hotline to report encounters with criminal aliens…of the extraterrestrial variety.” Homeland Security is not happy with your calls about space aliens (by Esther Yu Hsi Lee for Think Progress)

“St. Louis police did not initially share many details about Crawford’s death, his father, Edward Crawford Sr., told the Post-Dispatch Friday morning. But he does not believe his son’s death was intentional. ‘I don’t believe it was a suicide,’ he said, adding that investigators were ‘being hush-hush.'” The Protester [Edward Crawford] From The Famous Tear Gas Photo In Ferguson Is Dead In An Apparent Suicide (by Tamerra Griffin for Buzzfeed)

Poverty

“Other reported incidents of shaming include a child in Alabama whose arm was stamped with “I need lunch money”. Canteen workers have been instructed to throw out the meals of youngsters unable to pay. That children from poorer backgrounds have to deal with such degrading tactics speaks volumes about wider attitudes and a toxic political climate around poverty.” Lunch-shaming in schools has no place in the battle against child poverty (by Mary O’Hara for The Guardian)

Schadenfreude

“The collapse of the festival became a national punchline. Those involved believe McFarland and his co-organizer Ja Rule started out wanting to deliver on their promises — an ultra-lux experience on a private island formerly owned by Pablo Escobar, with famous models dancing on yachts, bottle service at beachside concerts, and hidden treasures accessible only by jet-ski. But all agree they knew or should have known well in advance it wasn’t going to work.” “Let’s just do it and be legends, man” (by Gabrielle Bluestone for Vice)

 

 

Sunday

7

May 2017

0

COMMENTS

Hamilton: The Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter

Written by , Posted in Reviews

Five Stars

Best for: Those who have been sucked into the Hamilton zeitgeist; those who are interested in learning more about creative genius.

In a nutshell: Annotated lyrics to Hamilton interspersed with stories from the development of the show and spotlights on original cast members.

Line that sticks with me: “I think it’s unfair o ask actors to go onstage and expose themselves with anything less that what he calls ‘ultimate support.’”

Why I chose it: Because it’s Hamilton.

Review: I enjoy musical theater. I’m not a fanatic, but I have been known to sing along to On My Own from Les Miserables in my car more times than I can count. I put the Thoroughly Modern Millie soundtrack on in the background when I’m working. And I own the original cast recording of Hamilton on vinyl (along with Patty Lupone’s Evita).

I came to the Hamilton phenomenon a little later than most, but before some others. I’ve still not seen it, but I have tickets for the tour when it arrives in Seattle in February 2018 (on Valentine’s Day, actually). I ran around giddy when the Mixtape ended up released at 9PM instead of midnight (yay west coast!), and of course I watched the PBS special.

This book was a delight to read. I started it on Saturday afternoon and finished it up after lunch on Sunday. I didn’t want to put it down. The notations on the lyrics provide lovely insight into the choices an artist makes, but the real story lies with the chapters that follow the development of the show, from a concept album through the full-blown Broadway blockbuster it is today. The stories about the original stars provide some insight into people who all of a sudden are household names in a way that many stage actors never are.

But what I think I found most interesting were the stories about the nitty gritty – the costume design, the stage production, the choreography. My husband has maybe listened to the soundtrack once, but even he didn’t mind when I kept interrupting him with a new amazing nugget I’d learned about the behind-the-scenes world. And the section about “It’s Quiet Uptown” – devastating.

I can’t imagine that anyone who is interested in the musical hasn’t at least added it to their to be read pile, but if there are any holdouts, there’s no need. Check it out.