MONTHLY REVIEW: October

Happy Halloween!!! Tonight might be the scariest night of the year, but the month of October was definitely "spooktacular"!!!

MUSIC

If you didn't listen to us the first time, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of Canadian Anjulie's self-title debut album now! In the past month we've heard a couple of her song on the radio and in a couple television shows! Next big thing...?

Paramore had us screaming for more after hearing their cover of ZONINO! favorite Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody".

James Hunter's album, The Hard Way, was a rediscovered favorite after a song popped up on a random playlist. If you haven't heard this amazing artist yet, its time to treat yourself.

We can't keep out feet off the pedal after listing to country sibling band Jypsi's latest single "Mister Officer".

Country legend Patty Loveless covers the heartbreaking "Busted" on her most recent studio album with repeat-button results.

Before we leave Nashville, another country band, Little Big Town, caught our ear with their inventive yet faithful version of "Go Tell It On The Mountain", available only online, for the time being.

The incredibly gifted guitar duo of Rodrigo y Gabriela will blow away anyone who even looked at the instrument; it's hard to believe their recordings do not contain any other components!

BOOK

Jhumpa Lahiri's 1999 debut, Interpreter of Maladies, a collection of short stories, had us hanging on every beautiful and effortless description.

You Shall Know Our Velocity, a story of two friends traveling the world and giving away money, by Dave Eggers, will make you want to figuratively do the same.

Colombian author James Cañón's debut novel, Tales From the Town of Widows, sheds light on an ongoing political and societal issue all the while celebrating the human (and feminine) spirit.

Comedic writer David Sedaris once again slays with his latest collection of short true-life stories, When You Are Engulfed In Flames.

MOVIE

The hilarious Julie Delpy wrote, directed, and starred in the quaintly beautiful film 2 Days in Paris, about a relationship on the brink...of something.

And ensemble cast for once doesn't wreck a movie! Watch The Taking of Pelham 123 and see names like Travolta, Washington, Turturro, and Gandolfini play like a team for the excitement of pretty good story!

RECIPE

Serve some greasy Fries Cuatro Queso and spicy Pumpkin Cider at your next fall gathering...Sunday football marathon anyone?!?!

Throw in some apple bites too, or save those for your spooktacular Halloween party!

WEB

You thought it was bad when you bumped your mailbox backing out of the driveway? Check out these wrecks on That Will Buff Out.

In the same vein, There I Fixed It celebrates homemade solutions that give professional repairmen (and women) job security.

Artist Jan Vormann creates the uniquely ingenious "installation" artwork and displays her creations on Dispatchwork.

Still don't have a costume idea for Halloween?!?! There's still time! Check out WTF Costumes for some inspiration.

Sick of the new fall line-up already? Don't have time in your busy schedule to watch a full television show? Check out FilmCow and laugh at these hilariously random animated shorts.

YOUTUBE

Ever wonder why those Disney kids are so squeaky clean and wholesome? The Onion's Today Now "news" program has the answer!

Can a team of preteen and teen girls jumping rope bring an entire arena-full of basketball fans to their feet? You bet they can!

The Black Eyed Peas' summer hit "I Got A Feeling" just got better. Be sure to see what some creative communications majors at UQAM in Montreal were able to pull together in just over two hours.

TV

We got a little nostalgic this month with an Oil of Olay ad from 1989. Remember it?

Elmo and Rosita teach us how to sneeze in this Sesame Street spot in cooperation with the Ad Council.

WORD

After methodically palpating the mind of the serial killer, the psychologist determined his chimeric mind was an emporium of evil.

WORD: chimeric

Potentially appropriate for the season that is upon us, this adjective is used to describe something fanciful or imaginary in nature. Stemming for the monster in Greek mythology, the chimera, shown at right in an drawing by illustrator Tina Ponzetti, which was composed of the parts of many different animals, the word brings to mind a childlike world where anything is possible, perhaps even confusing.

Under the fort he built in the living room using couch cushions and old bed sheets, Mathias created a chimeric world where there was no homework, split-pea soup, or dish-washing chores.

Waking abruptly from his nap during the sales meeting, Leon recalled with a smile the chimeric dream he just had in which his boss was suddenly sucked out the window in freak and tragic accident.

Sergio del Limonar

RECIPE: Apple "Bites"

Having a Halloween party this weekend? Celebrating a grandpa's new set of dentures? Both? Here is the perfect appetizer for your function:

Ingredients:

-apples
-slivered almonds

What to do:

1) core the apples
2) cut the apples into quarters
3) carve out another concentric right-angled wedge to the outer one (just look at the picture)
4) place slivered almonds in the inside of the above cut as if it were a mouth with teeth

Sergio del Limónar

BOOK: When You Are Engulfed In Flames

I love to read but I often find that the time I have for pleasure reading is limited to short intervals, usually less than twenty minutes at a time. This is most likely why I am drawn to short stories. I can digest them in brief moments of leisure and not feel badly if I am not able to pick the book up again for a few days.

Humorist David Sedaris is a genius at composing a short story. He's even better at it when I centers around his own life. All of previous books, ZONINO! worthy in their own right, follow him on adventures as a child in North Carolina with his excentric parents and siblings, in university in Chicago, living in New York City in his twenties, and France as an adult. When You Are Engulfed In Flames is no different.

Filled with fresh stories and misadventures, Sedaris continues to entertain with real-life ridiculous situations and mundane observations of his bizarrely ordinary life. Always using his unique style of story-telling, Sedaris often times begins like a rambling old relative you get stuck sitting with at your family reunion. But you keep listening because you know, if nothing else great uncle old man river with eventually swear or tell you one of your cousin's is adopted; sticking with the aimlessness is always worth it!

One of my favorite vignettes from this collection is a story of how, while on an airplane, Sedaris almost chocked on a throat drop, projecting it with a violent cough into the lap, or more accurately crotch, of his sleeping aisle mate. As Sedaris states in his story, "under normal circumstances" he could have dealt with this awkward situation maturely, the way two adults should. However, before falling asleep the woman sitting next to him had caused a little tiff that the whole plane was privy to. Cue hilarity!

Sedaris's multi-part story, saga really, of how he eventually quit smoking (and drinking and marijuana) is especially humanizing and guffaw-inducing. Reading this book, it is hard not to feel a permanent smile creep across your face. I wonder what people thought of me, the weird smiling guy on the bus, while I was finishing up a quick story on my ride to work?

Sergio del Limónar

WEB: Filmcow

From the ingenious and twisted mind of Jason Steele (I don't know anything about him, but do you like how I made it seem like he was known?) comes FilmCow, an animation studio of sorts that creates short cartoon films starring unicorns, homicidal cats, sad singing ferrets, sexual sock puppets and other disturbingly hilarious creations.

Upon first viewings it may appear that these are the ridiculous ramblings of a couple stoners in their mother's basement with nothing better to do than laugh at their own immature humor. But then you start to laugh. A lot. And, after questioning your own adulthood, you realize that Charlie the unicorn is a work of comedic art, llamas with hats are funny - no matter what murderous acts they may involve themselves with - and Detective Mittens really is a "scary ****ing cat."

The website has a tab where you can view the many films using either QuickTime, YouTube, or download directly to your iPod or iPhone. So really, you have no excuses to watch!

Buzzy

TV: Swine Flu on Sesame Street

It seems like people are starting to drop like flies falling victim to the Swine Flu (A/H1N1 virus). Perhaps offices, health care workers, and school teachers should start a pool at there places of work and the last one to get sick gets a prize!

"Have you seen how frail Edna is looking today. $10 says she's out by next week." I can hear it now!

Until then, keep yourself healthy by following these simple rules set forth by the ever relevant and intelligent muppets on Sesame Street. You know they taught you the difference between "near" and "far" - now they can teach you the proper way to sneeze too!

Sergio del Limonar

MUSIC: Rodrigo y Gabriela

As a beginning guitar player, watching Mexican duo Rodrigo y Gabriela makes me want to make like a rock star, smash my six-string dramatically to the floor, and be done with the whole endeavor. Hailing for Mexico City, Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero have definitely "paid their dues" as artists. Originally part of a failed heavy metal band they formed as teenagers at home and later as street performers in Dublin, Ireland, the two "guitarristas" are making a mark on the international music scene.

Combining styles ranging for folk and flamenco to hard rock and bossa nova, the music produced is like nothing else. Using only two guitars, both musicians take on different but equal roles in manipulating their instruments to create melody and harmony lines, as well as percussion.

My favorite Rodrigo y Gabriela song, "Tamacun," comes off their self-titled debut studio album. (Also included on this same record are covers of Metallica's "Orion" and Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" for metal fans who want a different take on some rock classics. Their most recent album, 11:11 is composed of eleven original songs all in their familiar and outstanding style. Be sure to check out the lightning-fast "Buster Voodoo."

Sergio del Limónar