YES!!!

World Music Network (the home of Rough Guide) has finally put out a CD of Mongolian music. From their label "Introducing" they have put out a CD introducing Hanggai from Inner Mongolia (part of China).

You can hear it at Amazon:
Hanggai

Wordless Tuesday

I am a Jedi.

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Half-Price Books Spoils

Wordless Wednesday

New Rough Guide

There's a new Rough Guide that was released today:

Rough Guide to the Music of Hungarian Gypsies

You can listen to samples on Barnes & Noble's website

I'm happy :-)

Happiness . . .

I just got a 729 CD shelf. It makes me happy.

But it looks so empty . . .

This is shelf #1.
Right now, I'm storing some of the musicals and more "girly" movies that the guys just don't have the guts to watch. If you click the picture, it will get bigger and you can read the names and titles of what I have on my happy, happy CD shelf.

This is shelf #2.
See Oklahoma? Don't mention that to Lori unless you want her to burst into song.

Shelf # 3.
Even with a few books on it, my CD shelf still looks empty.

Shelf # 4.
Here are all my new CDs. I still have two left to listen to (never mind about that- I just listened to them!). It is happiness. I got "Living Room" by Paris Combo, a CD of Gypsy music by Kalyi Jag, two more CD's from Chava Alberstein, Huayno Music from Peru II, The Rough Guide to Portugal and Vietnam, and more.

Shelf #5.
Here are my CD's from China, my first Chava Alberstein CD, and two others. I need to put Amalia in the Fado section.

Here's the other part of shelf # 5. It's my collection of music from India, and Bulgarian female vocal music that I got for $5.98 at Half-Price Books (I love that store). I have nothing else like it. I think I like Bulgarian music.

This is shelf # 6.
Here is mine (and Lori's) collection of Te Vaka. Lori really likes Te Vaka. Then I have my Huayno music from Peru, and the very happy Music of the Twsana people along with others.

Shelf #7
Here is my collection of Far East music. There are many beloved CD's pictured here.

Shelf #8
On the left is my collection of Fado, the lone Rough Guide to Italy, and a compilation of music from Mediterranean countries. On the right side is my Gypsy music, my wonderful, happy Gypsy music. There is one Cd of Russian music, but it has a few Russian Gypsy songs on it.

Shelf #9 contains miscellaneous Cd's. See Kokopelli's Cafe? I found it in some old music of my Dad's. I believe it was bought for track number 5, "Night of the Chupacabra"

This is shelf #11.
Here is all my Greek music. I like Greek music.

#12
Here is all my Mongolian, Tuvan, Tibetan, and Central Asian music. I feel I need more. They tell me I need more, too. Can't you hear them?

Shelf #13
Here is my Celtic collection, one Swedish Cd, and one Norwegian CD. I really like Clannad's "Celtic Voice"

Here is shelf #14. Woot Monkey, Protector of the CD's, resides here. If you don't mess with Woot Monkey, he won't mess with you. You have been warned.

Here are some of my classical Cd's, and my Dvorák collection on shelf #22. My family should have known, and should not have been surprised at my great love of Gypsy music.

On shelf #26 (!), I have the Christmas music. Things look pretty much normal, until you see "Nomad Christmas"

Santa and Friends

I've been making a Santa or one of his little friends out of clay around this time of year for three years now. Last Sunday, I just completed this year's Santa.

This is the first Santa that I made in 2004.

He's got a few problems, but he was pretty good at the time.

This is his buddy, Fernando the Snowman, also made in '04.

Fernando thinks he's pretty cool.

I made this little guy in 2005. Pretty cute, isn't he?

Before you agree, wait until you see Santa '05.

Yes, he's blindfolded . . .

. . . and tied up.

It's really a cut-throat place in the North pole. Every few years, the Elves revolt, and overthrow Santa from the Candy Cane throne. It's not called the Candy Cane throne for nothing.

This is Santa 2007. With muscles of steel, and stubbornness to match, he easily won this year's elf revolt.

He is the Hulk Hogan of the Santa world.

________________________________________

Of course, being bigger than your opponents always helps.

The Nose

Slug Love

Here's the happy little slug couple that I caught:

See how happy they are.


And see how much they love each other.





Now, they are a happy family of 13+ (I think . . . ).









I wish that I could show you a picture of them up close, closer than what I have here, and of better quality. Then you could see their little slug eyeballs, and fully appreciate the cuteness of the slugs. They really are kind of cute, for slugs.