mid-week open forum...

Before Ms. Mitten's left the studio she was kind enough to leave me with this...

Mitten S. Kitten's (iTunes) Celebrity Playlist

1. Axel F. (Beverly Hills Cop Soundtrack)-- First song I ever learned to play on my keyboard.

2. Lion's Share (Natalie Merchant)-- A great voice with a powerful message. Speaks of truth, justice, and eating lamb.

3. What’s new pussy cat? (Tom Jones)-- I put this one on and my wobbly person cringes.

4. Black Cat (Janet Jackson)-- Sexy hip-hop diva who can rock!

5. Opposites Attract (Paula Abdul & MC Scat Cat)-- My song of the 80's. Reminds me of an old boyfriend arrg from the wrong side of the tracks.

6. Jack & Diane (John Cougar Mellencamp)-- ditto. Still a fun song that takes me back to my crazier days when I was poor, livin in the streets and drinkin.

7. Buttons (Pussy Cat Dolls)-- This is when I call my friends to the floor…Boots, Kitty, Fluffy Marie and we shake it!

8. Three Little Birds (Bob Marley)-- Always gets my mouth watering…three little birds on my doorstep?

9. Cheese Please (Chris Stapleton)-- Finally, they’re catching on and starting to play real good music about important things.

10. Memories (from Cats)— So beautiful. Can’t go a day without it…

Mitty's Fall Haiku

Good Morning,

Yesterday (Sept. 23) at 5am was the official beginning of Fall. Today I’ve invited a special guest to join me in the studio Mitten S. Kittens…Ms. Mittens has appeared previously on this site and this morning has been kind enough to share with us some poems from her Fall haiku collection:

A Tribute to Fall

Sunbeams bath my perch
Birds still poop in the feeder
Snowy silence soon

Oh wrinkly raisin
Nestled deep in the carpet
Hidden gems of barf

Yellow leaves they fall
On grass still green yet crunchy
I like tuna treats!

Lily’s arms droop low
Off to sleep I fight it now
Offer her my cheese

Licking my toes clean
I smell cheese, cheese, cheese cheese cheese!
No worries about my butt


yeaaa, Mitty! (clap, clap, clap)

Happy Monday,

Amanda

common mistakes in dancing

Good Morning,

After reviewing the tape...I've noted someone's pretty jazzed about her dancin' (word up! : ). So, I've decided to let this energy run its course. It is very rare that I find recreational opportunities that I enjoy this much. Today i thought I'd offer my thoughts on what makes for good dancing.

To be a good dancer I think you/we first need to be able to recognize some of the common mistakes in dancing.

1. Overdoing it.

Think Aunt "whoever" doin the "frug" (i.e. froog) or your 10 yr. old cousin doin the "Running Man."

...that's having too much energy.

2. Underdoing it.

Simply put. The white man's overbite... (insert demonstration)

3. No originality.

It’s okay to know you have one solid move. Even advised to go to it when you’ve lost the beat. But it is the mark of the inexperienced dancer if it shows up over and over...You’ll know when you’re doin it because you’re givin it that sexy look you do into the mirror…

4. Too much originality.

Your sexy move. You’re thinkin’ "I’m gonna save this baby with my raw sex appeal!"…STOP. It is THE move that gives us that raw sex appeal OR it is the one that will earn you merciless teasing from friends and family.

5. Going for it too soon.

...trying to coin a signature move. A signature move is like the 80’s moon walk...Dad, remember before you go for the crotch grab and sideways leg kick…it took MJ many months of work with a choreographer...it's okay just to navigate the floor and keep the beat.

This last one's for the wedding folks. While doing my research this morning, I checked in on a Wedding Planning website. I discovered the Best Man/Best Person has 6 pre-wedding duties to the Maid of Honor's 14. Hmmmm...in the effort to maintain my title and help balance this out...I've appointed myself "Head of boogie down productions" once the formal dancing stops at my brother's wedding.

6. Having Bad Chi.

All dancing partnered or not is social dancing so avoid overlooking dance floor feng shui. Know you have bad dance floor energy when you find yourself dancing alone in a corner or placed next to a speaker (I’ll put ya there...i will).

Okay, I know this is probably a little too much information for one day. You have places to go...choreographers to see so I will just end with a helpful hint for YOUR diligent hip-hop practice.

Helpful hint:
If you lose the beat, don’t try to catch it. It will come back to you.

Oh yes, AND I almost forgot. drum roll please. here's the "wham bam finish" with some energy! not a ton but it's/i'm getting better. i hope.


http://homepage.mac.com/amv12/iMovieTheater14.html
(for Windows)

http://web.mac.com/amv12/iWeb/Site/jerryskids.html


Happy Monday!

Amanda/A-Lo

Wham Bam Finish!

Well, this week I had planned to be my wham-bam finish. I took my last hip hop lesson on Saturday and was quite certain I could nail that routine by Monday! Unfortunately,...there was the Friday trip to the laundr-o-mat, trash, recycling and "emergency" apartment cleaning...so my energy was a little low this weekend.

Instead of my wham bam finish (...watch out folks cause i knooow i got one in me : ) I wanted to share what i've been using as my "mantra" lately.

These are the words of

Lisa Sandin (a fellow disabled homie) taken from her NPR "This I Believe" essay:

"I am my words, my ideas and my actions

I am filled with love, humor, ambition and intelligence.

This I believe, and

Like you I am a fellow human being and like you I am so much more than a body."


Also, I had a little dificulty recording this week thanks to Mitty Mix-a-Lot. They say there's one in every crowd : ) No, no, she's a great cat. She makes me smile : ).


http://web.mac.com/amv12/iWeb/Site/mitty.html

http://homepage.mac.com/amv12 iMovieTheater13.html (for Windows users)


AND wedding folks FYI: I learned something called "The Cupid Shuffle." It is the latest "Electric Slide." (arrg) There is faaar too much stepping/moving for me to be involved but i am qualified to teach!

First Lesson:
step, step, step, step (right)
step, step, step, step (left)
step step step (forward) then...
walk yourself around (preferably not to the bar or restroom)

annnnd REPEAT!!!

Hope you have a Happy Monday.

Amanda

Indomitable Spirit

And this week I learned, simply put, there is NO CRYING in hip hop dancing! But before we get to my moves...




“I’m as busy as a one-arm pirate in a wallpaper factory!”

That’s a comment I overheard the other day after I’d hung up the “handicappable” tag and was making my way
to the doors of the public library.

I couldn’t quite catch up with the busy patron and his ladyfriend...

So, this morning...i still have my thought(s) and questions. : )

My thought:
I too enjoy some good disability repartee, but if you’d like to use disability references in your humor
please do so mindfully.

When did pirates start hanging out in wallpaper stores?

Disregard the fact that I don’t think the factory foreman would be dumb enough to let the pirate hang the product before he sold it…

there’s also the small problem of if he has one arm…would they really have him hanging wallpaper?

No.

I think you would have a strong case for assignment to other duties if your reasonable accommodation is getting another arm.

Who thinks of these things? Probably the same person who says "why that new boat cost me an arm and a leg!"

why not your liver and your spleen!

okay, the arm and the leg are something easily imaginable, something visual but…why not something more valuable like your eyes and your teeth!

people say "I would give my right eye-tooth for that…" okay point to your eye-tooth? What is that? (okay, it's your "canine" tooth. i just checked. who would want that? show me a store/dealer where i can plunk down a tooth...i might get me a Ferrari or a tractor)

Anyway... and now for my hip hop moves...

You can click on the link(s) below for the results of Hip Hop Lesson 4 (only 1 more to go).

http://web.mac.com/amv12/iWeb/Site/Lesson4%20with%20mitty-mix-a-lot.html


http://homepage.mac.com/amv12/iMovieTheater12.htm (Windows users)

it's okay to laugh. i'm laughing too...well, mostly. : )

Happy Monday,

Amanda