Exit Five

Shameless plug for my friend Dave in LA

2006-08-10T21:49:00.000-04:00

I realize the thought of snakes on a plane is rather trivial right now, but a movie with Samuel L. Jackson going medieval on some reptiles may provide welcome respite from current events.

While you eagerly await the movie's release next Friday, I highly suggest picking up Snakes on a Plane: The Guide to the Internet Ssssssensation by noted author, jetset playboy and all-around great guy Dave Waldon. Dave pays much-deserved props to the fans on the Internet who made the film a hit--well before its release.

Do yourself (and Dave) a favor and buy a copy (or ten) today!

Best critical summation of Gwen Stefani I've ever heard

2006-06-17T12:21:00.000-04:00

At the gym, I overheard the lady next to me say this about "What You Wating For?":

Can we listen to another song? I don't understand what she's saying. All I hear is "Watch a whale, watch a whale, watch a whale..."

Happy Birthday, Mom

2006-04-15T13:08:00.000-04:00

On the drive to Atlanta this weekend, I was reminded of the time I was flying from Atlanta to Louisville and experienced terrible turbulence. When our plane suddenly dropped, the first thought that came to my mind was wanting my mother.

When the plane finally landed, my mother and stepfather greeted me as I hurried off the plane. I told her about the terrible turbulence and, like a child, wishing that she were there to hold and comfort me. She smiled and told me that when people are scared, they think about the people who are most important to them. She was right.

When I'm scared, I think about her. When I'm happy, I think about her. Not a moment goes by when I don't think about her. In my dreams, I call upon her to be with me, knowing that she can't be there when I'm awake.

Happy birthday, Mom. I love you.

Cryin' Songs

2006-04-08T11:55:00.000-04:00

A while ago I posted a list of my favorite songs to sing in the car. Here's a new list: songs that make me weep like a baby when I listen to them:

1. "Hallelujah" - The Jeff Buckley version. With all due respect to Leonard Cohen, Buckley recorded the definitive version during his tragically brief career.

2. "Just One Smile" - Dusty Springfield

3. "In A Manner of Speaking" - Martin Gore

4. "All I Want Is You" - U2. I don't care if even the most die-hard U2 fans dislike "Rattle and Hum"--I love this song.

5. "(What Did I Do To Be So) Black and Blue" - Billie Holiday

6. "Crazy" - Patsy Cline

7. "Michelangelo" - Emmylou Harris

8. "Black Boys on Mopeds" - Sinead O'Connor

9. "We Float" - PJ Harvey

10. "Don't Worry Baby" - The Beach Boys. I know, this seems too upbeat to be a tearjerker, but the beautiful vocal harmonies, especially the yearning in Brian Wilson's voice, simply reduce me to tears.

11. "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me" - The Smiths. It's sacrilege for a diehard Smiths fan like myself to admit that "Strangeways, Here We Come" is my least favorite Smiths' CD. This is the one song from the CD I adore.

Songs to Sing in Cars

2006-03-12T20:08:00.000-05:00

I've been working on a mix for a friend of songs that are perfect for singing along to in the car. While working on this mix, I compiled my own list of songs that I have been known to belt out whilst stuck in traffic:

1. "Wuthering Heights" by Kate Bush. Warning: this should only be attempted when in the car alone, with the windows up, to prevent potential hearing loss in innocent bystanders.

2. "It's a Heartache"/"Total Eclipse of the Heart" by Bonnie Tyler. Which song depends on whether I'm listening to a 70s station or an 80s station at the time.

3. "Blue Dress" by PJ Harvey

4. "Maps" by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. I can also do a great rendition of "Black Tongue," but it is way too dangerous to perform while driving.

5. "Surrender" by Cheap Trick

6. "The KKK Took My Baby Away" by the Ramones. If my long-lost friend Andy Mercer happens to be reading this: Andy, this song's for you.

7. "The Ballad of Lucy Jordan" by Marianne Faithfull. Because I WILL ride in a sportscar through Paris with the warm wind in my hair before I turn 37.

8. "Kiss" by Prince. Because I am Nattie, and I am funky.

9. "Crazy" by Patsy Cline. Life is unjust in that Britney Spears is allowed to sing a song with "crazy" in its title.

10. "Pretty Vacant" by the Sex Pistols. If I were Johnny Rotten, I wouldn't attend the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, either.

Don Knotts: 1924-2006

2006-02-26T09:42:00.000-05:00

All I'm saying is that there are some things beyond the ken of mortal man that shouldn't be tampered with. We don't know everything, Andy. There's plenty going on right now in the Twilight Zone that we don't know anything about and I think we ought to stay clear.

Barney Fife

I read the news today, oh boy...

2006-02-25T12:17:00.000-05:00

- Iraq Extends Security Clampdown

- South Dakota lawmakers pass anti-abortion law

- Bird Flu Reaches Swiss Border

I'd love to turn you off.

"Chimney falls and lovers blaze"

2006-02-17T01:35:00.000-05:00

"Thought that I was young
Now I've freezing hands
And bloodless veins
As numb as I've become
I'm so tired
I wish I was the moon tonight"

- Neko Case, "I Wish I Was the Moon"

"We are like sculptors..."

2006-02-10T08:58:00.000-05:00

Constantly carving out of others the image we long for, need, love or desire, often against reality, against their benefit, and always, in the end, a disappointment, because it does not fit them."

Anais Nin

Things to Do Before I Turn 35

2006-02-03T16:00:00.000-05:00

1. Get a tattoo (either below my neck or on the lower part of my back that says "On ne naît pas femme : on le deviant" ("Woman is not born: she is made" - Simone de Beauvoir).

2. Spend a hedonistic weekend in Amsterdam (I'll leave the interpretation of "hedonistic" up to you).

3. Learn how to ride a bike (sad to say, I haven't learned up to this point).

4. Learn how to bellydance.

5. Make a good German Chocolate Cake like my grandmother.

6. Visit City Lights bookstore in San Francisco.

7. Re-watch "The Exorcist" (that movie so horrified me when I was little that I still haven't seen it a second time).

8. Drink a really expensive wine, scotch or whiskey (just to see what it tastes like).

9. Visit my friend Dave in LA.

I have until June 11th to complete this list. Any other suggestions?

And Your Bird Can Sing

2006-02-01T01:35:00.000-05:00

It's late, I have a lot on my mind, and I can't sleep. Right now, I'm listening to one of my favorite songs off of the Beatles' Revolver. Ironically, John Lennon thought it was one of the worst songs he ever wrote. Let's be honest, though: Lennon's worst songs are better than some bands' best songs.

This is the song that I listen to when I need to summon up the courage to leave something behind, be it a bad situation or a negative relationship. In the movie of my life, this is the song that plays while I walk away from the heel who broke my heart, head held up high, never looking back. The guitar riff is so liberating; it propels you forward, like a gust of wind.

Many have speculated that the lyrics are about Mick Jagger's "bird" at the time, Marianne Faithfull. To me, the lyrics are ambiguous enough to apply my own significance. They remind me that even when I feel most insecure, I have something of worth inside me that some people can't appreciate. They're too wrapped up in their "prized possessions" or own selfishness that they can't see or hear me. As long as I remain true to who I am, I will persevere; I'll be round.

The song itself was underappreciated by its own creator, which is why I'm so partial to it. It was considered a knock-off, yet, to many people, this is their favorite Beatles song. We see the worth in a song that Lennon himself deemed unworthy.

You say you've got everything you want
And your bird can sing
But you don't get me
You don't get me

You say you've seen the seven wonders
And you bird is green
But you can't see me
You can't see me

When your prized possessions
Start to weigh you down
Look in my direction
I'll be round, I'll be round

When your bird is broken
Will it bring you down
You may be awoken
I'll be round, I'll be round

You tell me that you've heard every sound there is
And your bird can swing
But you can't hear me
You can't hear me

(Lennon/McCartney)

Coretta Scott King: 1927-2006

2006-01-31T07:58:00.000-05:00

Kids today... sigh...

2006-01-25T20:52:00.000-05:00

"I'm not convinced there is an ultimate slippery slope," he said. "Just because we're not sure where this could end doesn't mean we should do nothing. We're never going to stop drug use or end violence, but that doesn't stop us from trying."

This impassioned quote comes from one Joel Ready, a 17-year old junior from Maryland. Taken out of context, this quote sounds like Ready is talking about an issue that has as much urgency and complexity as stopping drug abuse or ending violence.

But no. Ready is not vexed by such matters. His ire is focused on a much more pertinent issue: butts. Namely, books about butts, body issues and other challenges to teen self-esteem.

You see, Joel is on the Orwellian-named "reconsideration committee" at his high school that reviews challenged books. Two challenged books, The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler and Born Too Short: The Confessions of an Eighth-Grade Basket Case by Dan Elish, were considered OK by the majority of the committee. Joel thought otherwise and wrote letters to the superintendent of his school, arguing that the books were "immoral" and "against the values of Carroll County." The superintendent, no doubt impressed that a 17-year old kid was so knowledgeable about the values of the whole county, took the books off the high school library shelf. Though the books were eventually returned, he threatened to keep them out of the middle school library.

Since I have a degree in Library and Information Science, this story immediately interested me. However, what is even more interesting is that it was a student, not a concerned parent or a conservative school board that ultimately led to the books being withdrawn.

Many of the books that I checked out from my high school library contained the same "profanity" and "vulgarity" that raised Ready's objections. Truth be told, that's why I checked them out in the first place! But the thing is, while reading some of those books (Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo, Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five, Catcher in the Rye) the illicit thrill of reading dirty words was overshadowed by the discovery of the larger, more revelatory themes that the books conveyed. I was lucky to have school librarians who trusted that I could read these controversial books, make up my own mind about them and get something valuable from the experience. I was also fortunate to have excellent teachers who discussed these books with us without condenscension, but with true interest and enthusiasm.

It would be too easy to dismiss Ready and his complaints. He sounds quite intelligent. And considering his embrace of community values and the ability to toady to his superiors, I dare say that he would have a bright future as an Attorney General in a Republican administration.

At the same time, I feel very sad for Joel. He truly feels that he is somehow helping his peers. But how is removing everything you find objectionable off library shelves helping anyone? Does Joel think that he is representing the values of his community--or is he trying to enforce what HE thinks those values should be?

What saddens me is that Joel is not willing or ready to have the same experience I had growing up, reading "banned books" that changed my life. He won't experience the intense conversations with friends and teachers about these books, even ones that some of us didn't particularly like or agree with.

But maybe there's hope. I have copies of those books I read in high school; I'm thinking about sending them to his high school's reconsideration committee. Maybe, if he read them, he would reconsider, too.

Exit Five: Now Open

2006-01-24T13:07:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Exit Five: your one-stop destination for discussion of all things Northern Kentucky, Cincinnati--and beyond.

I'm Nattie Hattie. Maybe you've read my posts on the Drinking Liberally in Cincinnati or Wine, Wenches, Books and Biznatches blogs... then again, maybe not. But it's not too late to get to know me.

I live right off the aforementioned Exit Five in Newport, KY. Originally hailing from Central KY. (Richmond, to be precise), I am fascinated by the cultural differences not only between Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, but also between Northern and Central KY. In the seven years I have lived in this area, I still feel somewhat of an outsider to Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati. Still, being an outsider does have its advantages in that you can take an open, unprejudiced view of your surroundings.

Sometimes it seems that there's more than a river separating Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati. And, as someone who appreciates things about both sides, I started this blog as a way to try to bridge the cultural gap between the two.

In addition to discussing news and topics pertaining to Northern KY/Cinti, I'm bound to gab about my other interests, both personal (politics, pop culture, feminism) and professional (quality assurance, usability, accessibility). If any of these interest you, too, by all means join in the conversation.

Please keep in mind that this exit is still somewhat under construction, and may undergo some changes over the next few weeks. I welcome your feedback on the look and functionality of the site.

Finally, I want to give mad props to Michael Wilson, who pimped the Exit Five template (and purchased the domain name for me as an Xmas gift); Julie Hucke (a.k.a. J. Star, who took the photo of the Exit 5 sign on 471 N. (in a speeding car, no less); the unknown individual responsible for the spray-painted heart on the Exit 5 sign; and last but not least, to y'all.