So as we all probably know by now, Bon Iver won two awards last night at the 2012 Grammy's:
Best Alternative Album
&& Best New Artist
But New? Bon Iver's album 'For Emma, Forever Ago' (which absolutely swept the nation) came out in 2007.. when I was still in high school.. 5 years ago. I'm very happy for him, and that true talent is being nationally recognized, but as seen in the following excerpts from an article in the Huffington Post, Bon Iver is just as hesitant about the whole thing as we are about this truly delayed award:
Bon Iver's Acceptance Speech:
"It's really hard to accept this award. There's so much talent out here... and there's a lot of talent that's not here tonight. It's also hard to accept because you know, when I started to make songs I did it for the inherent reward of making songs, so I'm a little bit uncomfortable up here."
From an interview with the New York Times back in December:
"I don't think the Bon Iver record is the kind of record that would get nominated for a Grammy. I kinda felt like going up there and being like: 'Everyone should go home, this is ridiculous. You should not be doing this. We should not be gathering in a big room and looking at each other and pretending that this is important.' That's what I would say."
And from a blog post last summer critizing MTV for being about "the dollars":
"Why do we NEED this shit so bad? Why don't we just have MUSIC? DO music? soul? I don't know."
All I have to say is, what a humble guy. It is so apparent how truly genuine and humble Justin Vernon is about not only his music, but his career and outlook on life. He has always been my favorite musician and these quotes really sum up the reason why.
Congrats, Justin and gang. 5 years later, you still deserve it.
The Simple Salad @ Winslow's Home on Delmar, simply delicious. Props to my girl Caitlin Whyte for the restaurant selection and wonderful evening ;) So delicious that I took my dad back the very next day..
The Staves opening @ The Pageant before the Civil Wars. Girl crushes fasho.
Mason jars make everything better.
Had a fun day with the roommates and some guy friends four-wheeling and shooting clay pigeons at our friend's place 20 minutes outside of Columbia, until poor Marisa lost her phone on our four-wheel ride and we went on a two-hour unsuccessful search for it.. the day was worth it though? And I hit my first two clay pigeons!
Some of my favorite memories have been at my best friend Amanda's farm four-wheeling and swimming in the lake and trying to learn how to dive (and instead belly-flopping) and having evening bonfires and really spending quality time with people. I used to say that I wanted to have my honeymoon there.. Now I don't know if I'd go that far, but I really would love to have a farm when I'm older. There is just something so peaceful about being away from all the hectic craziness in city life that really brings out the inner-most best in people..
Crusader King Louis IX statue in front of the St. Louis art museum
This is what happens when I can't fall asleep..
Memorial Union looking very peaceful on this brisk January day.
Meg made adorable cocktails with sweethearts in honor of Valentine's Day! What a sweetheart..
This is my excuse for being lame on Friday nights.. How could you pass up these two books, a fluffy duvet, and Christmas lights?
As if the Starbucks' Valentine cups weren't cute enough.. Check out these adorable gift cards. Who wants to be my Valentine?
Dinner: turkey, avacado, spinach, swiss cheese, a fried egg, and salt & pepper on wheat toast. Egg-static about this turnout.
Starting off this snowy Monday morning right with a delicious smoothie for breakfast.
{{My recipe}}
-Big handful of mixed frozen berries (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries!)
-1 whole banana
-Organic vanilla yogurt
-Splash of POM juice
-A tad of flax seed for a fiber boost
&& Try it in a bowl topped with granola of your choice to add a crunchy dimension!
Three Cardinals outside of my window on this snowy morning. Beautiful. Cardinals always remind me of my Grandmother and Grandfather's house. Their bird feeders outside of the kitchen window in the backyard always attracted so many of them and we would stare out the windows watching them forever.. Hummingbirds too. I really treasure little childhood memories like these.
Just finished watching the documentary The Human Experience (recommended by a friend who is going to work in an orphanage in Peru shown in the film in May, pretty cool right?) about two brothers searching for answers: Who am I? What is my purpose? Why am I here? What is the meaning of life?
In the film, Jeffrey and Clifford live as homeless people on the streets of New York for a week that ended up being the coldest of the year, work in an orphanage in Peru with abandoned, abused, sick, and disabled children, and live in a poor African community in an attempt to search for the answers to these overlying questions. Here's the trailer:
“Never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany was legal."
Martin Luther King Jr.
As seen from this quote in this trailer, the documentary explores the idea of human suffering and destruction, but also the overpowering idea of hope. In a world where there is so much bad, we tend to overlook how much good their is. This goodness is seen in the people living in these "conditions of suffering," yet some of the children and people that the documentary shows are some of the happiest people ever. And just when I thought my desire to finally go Africa couldn't get any worse...
If my blog post didn't convince you, hopefully the fact that the film received 30 awards will...
{Some of my favorite quotes from the film}
"I look at those memories. I look at those moments. Everyone lives differently. When you go somewhere out of your own comfort zone, out of your own realm, and you enter someone else's, that's learning." Jeffrey Azize
"Many young people do not have a meaning and purpose to their life. They're looking to say, does my life matter? Do I have a unique contribution to make... when you recognize that you have a real mission, an indispensable contribution to make, then you embrace life, you celebrate life in a completely different way." Anna Halpine, World Youth Alliance
"Where many, many young people today are saying, 'I need to experience in some sense that my life matters." The more mature person is not the person who has all the questions settled. No, the mature person is the person who enters ever more deeply, ever farther and farther and farther into the mystery and into the wonder." Anna Halpine, World Youth Alliance
"Even in the deepest suffering, there is significance. There is a meaningful process of positive possibilities. We have to recover the language of humanity. We cannot understand suffering without it... there's this struggle in life in every class of people... it's what we do with it that matters." Dr. William B. Hurlbut M.D.
Also, check out this AWESOME video (props to A Gray) featuring Adam Gardner from the band Guster (mah boys) and his wife Lauren Sullivan who started the organizationReverb. Reverb helps musicians on tour cut down their waste by making their tours more Eco-friendly, what a combo :)))
Some things that Rerverb has done to help the tours go green: --reusable aluminum water bottles for everyone backstage --water stations for the fans to refill their water bottles with --recycling, compost, and landfill stations behind the stage, on the buses, and in crowds --plates and utensils all made from plants which are biodegradable and can all be composted --organic products and merchandise --local and organic food for the band members --biodegradable fuel for tour trucks --rechargeable batteries
Last fall, a couple friends and I went to see Adam speak at the Journalism School at Mizzou before we went to Guster's show that night. Adam talked about all of the steps that Reverb was taking to help musicians be more environmentally friendly, but it was also cool to hear how excited the musicians were to be a part of it. Some of the musicians include Dave Matthews Band, U2, Jack Johnson, Sheryl Crow, Janelle Monae, O.A.R. and Guster, and this seems to be a growing movement.
However, you don't have to be a musician to do all of this, you can do it, too. Even though many of you readers are probably college students and thinking you can't do much about it at this busy stage in your life, YOU CAN!
Do you recycle at your college home? It's so easy. Stop by HyVee and pick up the blue recycling trash bags and fill them up with all of your recyclable items and wah-lah! Or a trick a friend taught me tonight, throw all your recyclables in the recycling dumpsters at one of the residence halls, easy as that. I won't go on and bore you with all of my suggestions, but just remember, every little bit counts!
A couple nights ago, I had a dream that all of my hair started growing back, except for one small spot on the top of my head... in the shape of a heart. It was a wonderful little dream if you ask me. And speaking of hearts, it's almost Valentines Day, and that means The Vow is almost out. Calling all my single ladies, who wants to see it with me this weekend? The Notebook and Dear John come together... I can't wait.
Also, Channing Tatum (The Vow) and ZOOEY DESCHANEL and BON IVER (ummm, it's "bone ee-ver") hosted Saturday Night Live tonight!! If I wasn't celebrating Mizzou's big win against KU (with Andy's custard and a little bowling at Galactic Fun Zone), I would have tuned in. What an epic trio. Can't wait to watch that episode online!
Aaand speaking of Bon Iver, (this blog post is just transitioning from one thing to another so well..!) I just re-watched this video tonight:
Blood Bank + California + Sunrise Show (my dream in a nutshell (dreams? this blog post has officially come full circle)).
