You Don’t Own Me!

This is one of my favorite movie songs.

I made my first Pizza!

The girls are all gone this weekend to see their families. This worked out well as I’d been wanting to try my hand at making a pizza. However, there are often people in the kitchen and if things went wrong with the pizza, well I would look, well, kinda stupid. This was the perfect opportunity to try this out. It actually came out really well. I documented it all with photographs.

Step 1: The Ingredients

Along with the, errr, cooking aids…Gotta have something to munch on while you wait…

I soon realized I didn’t understand the directions. Off to my room I went to find my dictionary.

What?! Some of these words aren’t in this dictionary. Off to the common room I go to find the very, very large dictionary.

Okay, we’re ready to rock n roll.

I unrolled the dough and left it on the wax sheet. I put it on a cooking sheet. Then I put olive oil on the edges. The directions didn’t say to do so, but who needs directions anyways!?

Next up, the salsa.

I’m becoming a bonnified Martha Stewart already! Minus the insider trading, obviously.

Then I put it in the oven. I was pretty sure that this what the directions wanted me to do– put it in the oven senza the mozerella cheese. Then I waited for a vague amount of time.

…took it back out and inspected my genius masterpiece. Moving along very nicely, I see.

Next came the real grunt work. I cut up the mozzarella cheese.

I bet you weren’t expecting this one! I’m quite clever, you know…

Not too shabby, not too shabby at all. Next up, oven time. Time to face the Forno. Haha! I’m so witty.

Let the time of reckoning begin.

My Very First Pizza: Part 2

That’s more like it!

Mmmm…piizzzaaa (insert Homer Simpson voice here).

Ciao!

Me.

My Life as a Playlist

I once read a blog post written by a friend/acquaintance of mine. He wrote that he creates a musical collage of songs he’s listening to each month. Basically, an audio journal. I thought it was such a great idea that I started to do it, too. This also helps me to organize that songs that I constantly hit the back button for. They’re a little out of chronological order. They’re usually a month behind. Currently the February/March playlist has actually been created between March and April. I can remember when I added almost every song. I remember why and what was going on and how I felt. I hate being interrupted when I’m in the middle of creating my monthly mix. I once turned down being asked to brunch by someone I liked (read: crush) because I was in the midst of creating my monthly music mix. He probably either thought I was: crazy, a jerk, weird, or lying. He may have been right about 2 of the 4.

I thought about creating the playlist and putting it on here, but I’m not sure yet. It’s kind of personal and yet, it’s not that personal…I mean, they are all public songs and most of them are decent. Although, there is more pop music than I would like to normally admit to. This month there is a lot of classical music, which just makes me feel kinda boring. I mean, saying something like, “Wow! Mendelson’s Octet in E Flat Major, Opus 20! SOoo good!” might seem a bit odd. Because um. Does anybody say that?

Well, except for this one time on the Burgh Report when a conversation began about Luke commenting that he had never seen the Pittsburgh Symphony perform until he went to Amsterdam (“un po” embarrassing for the city and Luke but c’est la vie). Anyways, people began to talk about various times they were at the symphony and their favorite pieces, etc.

Actually, Mendelson’s Octet in E Flat Major, Opus 20 really is good. I was always brought up around music- my parents listen to classical and jazz, I play piano and drums, my brother used to play trumpet, and I have been a concert afficionado (sp?) since about the age of 15. Manny Theimer is one of my favorite Pittsburgh characters. I met my anarchist ex-bf at Brave New World- something that still makes me laugh. Oh, Brave New World… Speaking of which, here is a picture from their old shop. The group playing was rather strange and I never quite “got it”. They were japanese pop-punk girls who wore super-hero costumes.

I believe that one of them then married one of the usuals who went to see them play. I know this because there is a blog I’m fond of named 7 Inch Slam. The writer of this blog is a very good writer, knows his stuff about obscure punk music, and has great pictures of food that they either cook or eat at restaurants. He has been drunk most times I’ve met him. However, what would the obscure/elitist punk scene be without bottles in brown paper bags and the odd smell coming from behind the cash register where the owner put his sandwich two hours ago– right before he got into a conversation about the set at a smoky bar the night before. It just wouldn’t be quite the same at all.

I’ve also come to decide that math and music are two of a very small group of universal languages. I like the latter more than the former. I’ve actually missed not having the option of playing a piano while I’ve been here. At Duquesne, if I feel inclined and have some free time, I can go to the Music School and play piano in a solo room and be left alone. No one comments on my playing (a pet peeve of mine) or corrects me or interrupts. I don’t know what I would do without music. Here is some youtubage of the Octet. Just in case you now feel the need to listen to it.

Now I’ll ask you: what songs would describe the month of March for you?

Pace.

Me.

Here I come, Menver!

My business partner sent this link to me or maybe I saw it on Chris Briem’s blog, I can’t remember. Either way, it turns out that Denver is referred to by some of its residents as “Menver”, because it has so many men. I really need to hop on a plane to Denver this summer.

Pace.

Me.

BlogherShip

I have been given a Bloghership for this summer’s Blogher Conference. The conference is in San Francisco, July 18-21st. I have to record audio in exchange for the price discount. I have never focused just on audio recording, so I am going to be teaching myself how to do this as well as buying some new equipment. I think the equipment should come to about 100-150.00. This probably negates the idea of a scholarship. However, having concrete equipment like this is always a useful thing. Trust you me.

I’m hoping that the Blogher conference goes well. The people I was supposed to go with are now unable to go, so I will be representing Pgh on my own. Perhaps I should take a Terrible Towel with me? Or not.

I had been supposed to do a panel with two other people, one of whom cannot go. I haven’t heard back from the other. Perhaps I will meet some other people there who want to put together an informal panel.

I wish technology conferences weren’t all on the West Coast and expensive. I really need to find a big name sponsor…as well as buy a Mini Cooper…both of which won’t be happening this year.

That’s about it.

Pace.

Me.

Writings on the Wall

I was talking to someone last night. They have been taking pictures of graffiti from the different political era’s around Italy. They were recently in a neighborhood named Garbatella in Rome. Garbatella is near Testaccio and Pyramide. It is an area that was previously industrial and now is being yuppie-ized (not a bad thing in this case). I used to go to a gym near the Garbatella stop because my friends in the first month lived around there and told me about it. I’ve explored quite a bit around this area, too. I like it a lot.

I’ve always liked looking at Graffiti murals and drawings, although tags annoy me. I was thinking about this person’s photography as I was surfing the ‘net. I decided to search for graffiti blogs. I came across this picture on this blog. I think a lot of people I know feel this way.

Speaking of change, graffiti, and politics, the B-Line (which runs to Garbatella) is from Mussolini’s era. It is still covered in graffiti, whereas the “A-Line” is sparkling and white. Here is a picture of the B-Line. I tried not to look *too* touristy while taking the picture which explains the mediocre quality.

The B-Line extends to the E.U.R. area of Rome– the part of Rome best known for its fascist architecture.

According to WikiSlice:

“The Fascist regime that ruled in Italy between 1922 and 1943 developed an original architectural style, characterized by feast and the research of a link with ancient Rome architecture. The most important fascist style site in Rome is the E.U.R. district, built in 1935. It was originally conceived for the 1942 world exhibition, and was called “E.42″ (“Esposizione 42″). However, the world exhibition never took place due to Italy entering the Second World War in 1940. The most representative building of the Fascist style at E.U.R. is the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana (1938-1943), the iconic design of which has been labeled the cubic or Square Colosseum. After World War II, the Roman authorities found that they already had a gem of an off-centre business district that other capitals were still planning (London Docklands and La Defense in Paris). Also the Palazzo della Farnesina, the actual seat of Italian Foreign Ministry, was designed in 1935 in fascist style.”

<snip>

“A 2-line subway system operates in Rome, called the “Metropolitana” or Rome Metro. Construction on the first branch started in the 1930s. The line had been planned to quickly connect the main train station (Termini) with the newly planned E42 area in the southern suburbs, where the 1942 World Fair was supposed to be held. The event never took place because of war. The area was later partly redesigned and renamed EUR (Esposizione Universale di Roma: Rome Universal Exhibition) in the 1950s to serve as a modern business district. The line was finally opened in 1955 and it is now part of the B Line.”

<end quote here>

I take the A-Line to Termini, then switch and take the B-Line to Bologna- about 30-40 minutes each way. Here are some pictures from this oh-so-exciting daily journey.

I’m not sure why this picture is so big.

My School

They are building another metro stop outside of my school. It doesn’t seem to be moving much faster than it probably did under Mussolini’s reign.

Pace.

Me.

Why I’m here.

I am the artist formerly known as Agent Ska. I am formerly an activist with too much energy and too little patience. Too many things to say and too few places to say them. Too many ideas and no idea where to put them all.

Too much stuff and too few places to put it.

Last night, I had a conversation which reminded of things I’d been doing before. Things before the crazy news opinionated writing. Work I was creating; positive, creative work.

As much as I miss my old blog, I think I want to create something new. Something where I can organize all of my stuff and not worry about upsetting people or wondering whether it will end up in a newspaper (not such a bad worry, as these things go).

I’ve always had a lot of stuff: in my room, my brain, my backpack, anywhere that can hold stuff- there’s usually stuff there. Jumbled, semi-organized, some of it important, some not. Some of it needs to be thrown away when I take the initiative to do so, some I never want to throw away.

People have often said, “There’s STUFF EVERYWHERE!!! CLEAN IT UP!”. While they are right, I often find that this aggregation of seemingly disparate “stuff” is where I get my ideas and my personality.

I want a blog where I can really try to organize it all. This isn’t a theme blog– it’s not about Pittsburgh Politics or my Italy trip or other various themes.

It’s about all of my stuff…because it’s everywhere. And I like it like that.

Peace.

Me.