These Are a Few of My Favourite Things 11/11/22

 1) This Cover of TLC's Waterfalls

From TLC's second album CrazySexyCool, released in 1994, "Waterfalls" was released as a single in 1995 and spent 7 weeks at number one on Billboard's Hot 100. And you can plainly hear why: it's so goddamn good! It's genuine and sincere, with lyrics that can only been drawn from personal experience, and stays away from the death knell of being preachy; then it gets bumped into a whole other level of epic with a rap verse by Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes (RIP). 

And then in 2021, Deathcab For Cutie released an album, Georgia, with the first track being a cover of "Waterfalls."

I can't think of a more unlikely crossover: 90's R&B with alto voices and smooth horns, to post-millennial alternative/rock with Ben Gibbard's higher pitch, and his electrified guitars and keyboards.

But it works.

It works really well! The mournful sentiment of the original message "I know that you're gonna have it your way or nothing at all/but I think you're moving too fast" is distilled in the song with a pulsing guitar opening the track making me imagine drops of water incessantly falling. The sound builds, like only Deathcab can do, to become this rushing, unstoppable confluence of noise bringing to mind the inevitability of our own actions and decisions, and how our choices are both affected and create ripples beyond our knowledge and power. 

Deathcab decided to forgo the hip hop verse, perhaps wisely? It make me curious as to what a collaboration with these masters of sound and someone fricking wild from Rap and Hip Hop would be like. What's André 3000 up to these days?

2) Parker Fountain Pens

The r/fountainpen subreddit is, frankly, an intimidating, gate-keeping space on the internet a showcase of love for ink, and fountain pens of all types. My love affair with fountain pens started when I was in grade five, working on my history homework with a pen pilfered borrowed from my older sister. Whatever she had in her possession I wanted because then I could be as cool as her (she never understood this obvious concept). It was a Parker Jotter Fountain Pen, with a metal nib, a metal cap, and a slim dark blue plastic body that unscrewed for an ink cartridge. I don't love fat, bulbous fountain pens that weigh a ton in my hand; the sleek streamlined design of the Jotter makes me think of a wand whipping magic down onto a page. The superior qualities of a fountain pen should speak for themselves, but just in case some philistine is truly ignorant:

Ballpoint pens are gummy, gooey cheap pieces of shit. Value your words. 

Ain't nobody's thank-you card looked this nice with a scraggly chewed ballpoint pen

3)The Royal Opera House's World Ballet Day Livestream

World Ballet Day is the 2nd of November, and every year the Royal Opera House Ballet Company in Covent Garden, London livestreams their morning company class, and then rehearsals from specific pieces they're working on. It's an incredible inside view to the athleticism, labor, and love that makes up professional ballet. Everyone starts out at barre in their sweats and down booties to quickly warm up their muscles and joints; gradually deepening their pliés while the instructor sprinkles out pointers, and suggestions over the amazing live piano player rippling out pieces with the perfect tempo from goddamn memory. They'll move onto floor exercises and you see everyone get progressively sweaty and breathless (it's less sexual than I'm making it sound, but not by much) as they jump, twirl, and stretch limbs to new heights.

I actually love the casual leotards, sweat bands, and short shorts (always on the male presenting dancers) more than the polished costumes and makeup of a staged performance. The aesthetic of it all makes it somehow more accessible to me. Also, I am constantly amazed how the choreographer, or director, can find something to improve. To my untrained eye everyone already looks perfect, and then this dude (sometimes dudette) in their baggy yoga pants says something poetically foggy like "Yuhui, just make sure you really stretch the forearm on those last four beats," and Yuhui will nod with understanding; the amazing pianist will go to the exact measure of music referred to and, as far as I can see, they do it all over again exactly the same, with the director exclaiming "YAAAAASSSS"

So, basically, ballet is black magic fuckery.

4) Beeswax Candles

'Tis the season to start enjoying the warm glow of candle light. As previously stated, I'm onboard with scented candles, but I am super picky about the scent. Partly this is because most scented candles, like ballpoint pens, are cheap, heavily laden with chemicals, and this all really shows up in the "scent." Any uwu blogger will not hesitate to rhapsodize about the healing benefits of beeswax in all forms (and the stuff reportedly does seem miraculous and magical, but I'm hesitant to proselytize until seeing some citations and data).

Based on my own experience I'm happy to confirm that beeswax candles have the most lovely, subtle, and natural scent. They're like pillars of sunshine preserved to get me through my seasonal depression.

5) Cooksmarts Panko Crusted Salmon Recipe

I've used Cooksmarts for over 10 years now, and it's garnered me that deeply satisfying reputation at work of being a "foodie." In the lunchroom at my old job people would constantly say "wow, that looks good/fancy/smells so yummy!"

Cooksmarts baby.

One of their best recipes of all time is this roasted salmon with a crunchy crusty panko topping. It looks super fancy, and very adult; something I would serve at a dinner party and accept my Martha Stewart Impersonator crown. BUT it's insanely easy to make. For this variation probably the most time consuming part was slicing the brussels sprouts. 

I love Cooksmarts for their veggie-leading recipes, their portioning (my eyes tell me that 16oz is a single serving of spaghetti, but Cooksmarts reminds me that it's actually 2oz), and how easy it to adapt recipes to my household's preference.

I do not love Cooksmarts for ruining restaurants for me. Each time I sit down to a $20 chicken sandwich my immediate thought is I could've made that, and I could've made it better.

What are some of your favourite things this week?