I’ll Make Me a World in Iowa 2010

Saturday, January 30, from 10:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M. is the 12th celebration of I’ll Make Me a World in Iowa.  I remember when they could fit everyone in the State Historical Museum. That venue has been outgrown and then some, the Polk County Convention Complex now holds the crowd.  This all started in 1998 when PBS encouraged communities to come up with programs showcasing African-American people and culture.  Because in February 1999 PBS broadcast an “I’ll Make Me a World” mini-series.  Good thinking!  Admission to I’ll Make Me a World in Iowa 2010 is free and includes continuous performances on 3 stages - more than enough entertainment and education to keep you busy all day!

We don't have the PBS series I'll Make Me a World.  We do have African American Lives 1 and 2
Source: I’ll Make Me a World in Iowa

And We Can't Forget These - Songs from Commercials

Remember those great old commercial jingles? Well, parts of them.  Like TV theme songs, we seem to remember just the first part.  Here are some bonus words!
"Halo everybody Halo, Ha-lo is the shampoo that glorifies your hair!" Sung at my house by getting louder and screechier with every word.
"See the USA in your Chevrolet, America is asking you to call."  Not visit, call. Weird.
"Hot dogs, Armour hot dogs, what do kids put on Armour hot dogs?"  Peanut butter, apparently.  At least according to the jingle.
Now don't you feel knowledgeable?  For more jingles, check out:
Great songs of Madison Avenue

Making the Jewelry

You've started making your own beads, haven't you?  I knew you would. We have bags and bags of books that instruct you, our valued customers, in the art of concocting exquisite creations.  No kidding, you can make some nice-looking jewelry We even have books about how to sell your baubles after you construct them.  This book appeals to me, since I'm a packrat with a house full of stuff:  Beyond the bead : making jewelry with unexpected finds.  Put those junk drawer denizens to good use!

Jewelry-Making books

Yet More Songs! Lyrics Galore!

And you thought we were finished. Silly you. How could we drop the subject without exploring some of the most pernicious tunes to ever take over your brain. Cartoon show theme songs!!! Once you start thinking "Flintstones, meet the Flintstones", it's all over. We have a Hanna-Barbera Songbook that features lesser known cartoons too.  Such as Wally Gator, "a swinging navigator in the swamp."  Elsewhere you can find gems such as "I'm Popeye the Sailor Man", and "This Is It" from the Bugs Bunny Show. That song is one of my favorites. "Overture, curtain, lights, this is it, the night of nights. No more rehearsing and nursing a part ..." Of course I've always had the words wrong, but that didn't keep it from monopolizing my inner turntable. Those two songs appear in Big Book of TV Theme Songs and All-time TV Favorites.  So many books we have for you!  Sing away!

Beady - in a Good Way

What could be more fun than making your own beads?  'Beading' or 'jewelry-making' is all the 'rage' right now.  How cool would it be to start out with your very own one-of-a-kind beads?  It can be really easy - I made one all by myself.  Took a scrap of gold wrapping paper, cut it in a loooong triangle, rolled it up, put a little glue at the end.  It's gorgeous.  Just think what those of you who are actually talented and coordinated could produce!  Plus you could use up some of the scrap material you have laying around that's too pretty to throw away.  I know you've got that stuff.  Have fun, use it!
Making polymer clay beads

Fabulous fabric beads : create custom beads and art jewelry

 Easy beading : jewelry, beadmaking, decorations

Greek Myths and Cheese

Remember Greek Mythology from your grade-school days?  All those wacky gods turning people into insects, trees, and I think a cow was in there somewhere.  Admit it; you're just as fuzzy on the details as I am.  Now with the reboot of Clash of the Titans coming out soon, I'm sure you'll want to update your knowledge.  Sidebars:  A. Don't you think the use of 'reboot' rather than 'remake' is trendy of me?   B. Why on earth would anyone want another version of the stale gorgonzola that was the original?  Yeah, the CGI will probably be fantastic but it won't have the personality of Ray Harryhausen's work.  Back to Greek Mythology 101.  We have many many excellent books for you, even written for adults!  So now you can read all the stuff they left out of the books you read when you were 11.

Greek Mythology
The complete world of Greek mythology
Myths of the ancient Greeks
The library of Greek mythology
Gods and heroes : the story of Greek mythology
Greek mythology for everyone : legends of the gods and heroes

Completely Different: TV Theme Songs - You Know You Love Them

Did you know the I Love Lucy theme song has words?   "I love Lucy and she loves me...."  Guess what the next line is - c'mon you can do it!  "We're as happy as two can be..." I wonder if they changed it when they had Little Ricky.

Bonanza's song starts out "We got a right to pick a little fight bonanza!" Okay then.

When I was a girl we used to sing the theme song to Bewitched.  It went: "bewitched bewitched bewitched  bewitched  bewitched... and so on and on.  Surprisingly, these were not the right words. "Bewitched, bewitched you've got me in your spell."  Not as bouncy as our version. For more hi-larious lyrics, you can take a look at  The best TV songs ever!                                   

Haiti

I can't even imagine the devastation there.  The earthquake was the strongest to hit the Haiti in some 200 years.  Since Haiti is attached to the Dominican Republic, why did the earthquake effect only Haiti ?  Apparently just the vaguaries of nature - the Dominican Republic did experience mild tremors. The same earthquake fault that lies under Haiti also runs through the Dominican Republic. Geologists warn that this quake – at the Enriquilla-Plantain Garden Fault – may have added strain elsewhere and more quakes are possible. The only thing we can do is to supply what support we can.  To make a donation to the Red Cross and earmark it for Haiti, you can go to this site. American Red Cross - Haiti Relief and Development

Source:  Christian Science Monitor Jan. 13, 2010

Avatar and Expedition

I just read (well, looked at the pictures in) the book The art of Avatar : James Cameron's epic adventure and was pleasantly surprised to see that one of my favorite illustrators - Wayne Douglas Barlowe - had contributed to the look of the film.  The movie is gorgeous and I thoroughly enjoyed it, but the planet is not all that alien.  The intelligent species looks a lot like us, and most of the flora and fauna bring to mind Earthly equivalents.  It is all wonderful and imaginative.  But if you want to visit a truly alien planet, Barlowe's Darwin IV is the off-world ticket to buy.  The aliens aren't even symmetrical.  Some of them have holes all the way through their body and other aliens can fly through them. Give yourself a treat and savor this book slowly.

Expedition : being an account in words and artwork of the A.D. 2358 voyage to Darwin IV