I tend to only use Pandora in situations where I can’t use iTunes, which then means I just try to recreate my finely honed playlists designed mostly for reading. So of course for re-reading The Hunger Games, I needed to create a portable station with which to read along. When I started plugging tracks from the [AMAZING] Songs From District 12 and Beyond album, I began to pay attention to every song Pandora played to see if the lyrics would fit the narrative, characters and world of The Hunger Games Trilogy. I keep being shocked at how eerily this mix of indie folk, bluegrass, etc has captured so much of the texture and tone of the stories. As an interpretive experience, I love discovering those songs that sound like one character speaking to another, or maybe just songs that certain characters would listen to if they could. And I especially love when the artist name, album or cover art evokes the mood as well.

Here’s some lyric highlights from songs that have come up, (and were findable on youtube). There are many, many more. The name of my Hunger Games station on Pandora is called ‘Run to the Woods’ I dig it.


Mother’s Sick by Horse Feathers from Words are Dead

-Mother’s sick. She’s gone mad.
A daughter’s tricked, she’s been had.
Life just don’t always fold up neat.
Sadness will come in different sheets.

As blue eyes state, on your father’s face,
hides some grace.
All those years your youth has stole.

Have You Ever by Brandi Carlile from The Story

-Have you ever wandered lonely through the woods?
And everything there feels just as it should
You’re part of the life there
You’re part of something good

-Have you ever stared into a starry sky?
Lying on your back you’re asking why
What’s the purpose I wonder who am I

Flowers and Blood by Marie Sioux from Faces in the Rocks

-I’ll shoot me a gun made of leaf and branch in this here town
And eat me a bowl full of secret and mud, yes, i will
I’ll eat eat me a bowl full of secret and mud, yes, i will
If you build up a new me of flowers and blood — say you will
Build up a new me of flowers and blood — say you will

How Long by Eilen Jewell from Letters from Sinners & Strangers

-The darkness is deep, but night will end
‘Cause truth crushed to earth will rise again
How long will it take, you want to know
How long, not long because you reap just what you sow

Sing your Song by Johnny Bertram from Sing Your Song

-If you wake up in the morning to find
your things all gone
sing your song
And if you bed down in the darkest cave
of fear and fright
shine your light
Don’t let yourself pretend
that this is the end

- If you’re standing on the battlefield wearing blood,
the lines are drawn
sing your song
And if you’re stuck in situations far out
beyond your control
Let them go




Sing Out by Mason Jennings from Blood of Man

-I’ve been a rolling stone since the devil first came to me
No light upon my feet, so much that I couldn’t see
I was a hurricane till the hurricane called my name
Into the eye of the storm out of the cold, cold rain

-Sing out, sing for the wounded heart
Sing for the lives we’ve lost




Love Song for Buddy by Headlights from Wildlife

-We’re all gonna die tomorrow
Waiting around for your friends to come down and join you

-Don’t you want to say you tried?
Don’t you want to say you tried to the ones you love?

You can open the pdf here: Expecto Pater–Kj Swanson.
Or, if you’re not in the mood to read 27 pages about a late ’90′s children’s fantasy novel, here’s some Powerpoint presentation highlights instead. Enjoy!





















**The actual reason I wrote this paper was to help me decide my third tattoo text.

“Baudrillard says …”

“according to Thomas Campbell’s hero’s journey…”

“signifier”

“the Walt Disney Corporation”

Also, of note, of all places, Mark Driscoll came up three times. (Is nowhere safe?)

We had a great time, and thanks to the fact that my friend Sarah moved to ABQ last fall, Ian and I actually got to travel beyond the 5 block radius of the Hyatt Regency. We were not forced to eat at Maloney’s three nights in a row. Hallelujah. Here’s the list of panels I attended and some notable papers.

SWTX2012 Panels & Papers of Note

Gender and Sexual identity 1: Queer(ying) American Popular Culture
Young, Out, and Proud: the History, Development, and Impact of Young Homosexual Characters on Television
Robin Haynie, University of Texas at Tyler

Graphic Novels, Comics, and Popular Culture 1: Superheroes
Superinjuns: An examination of Two of Popular Culture’s Native American Stereotypes in Marvel Comics’ X-Men
Kristin Riggs, Texas State University

Religion 3: Interpreting Religion, B
Faith Plus One: Jesus People, Contemporary Christian Music, and the Question of Authenticity, 1970-today
Krystal Humphries, Texas Tech University

Stephen Colbert and Stephen King: Catechists for a Secular World
Kathleen Heininge, George Fox University

Science Fiction & Fantasy: Screening and Sing-along
Joss Whedon’s ‘Dr Horrible’s Sing-a-Long Blog’ and Buffy the Vampire Slayer S6E7 ‘Once More With Feeling’

The Apocalypse in Popular Culture: Literature of the Apocalypse-The Hunger Games
Teenage Love, Dystopia, and The Hunger Games
Heather Braun, Macon State College

Computer Culture 2: Apps, Blogs, and Social Networks
Hipstamatic, an App for Nostalgia of the Recent Past
Maria de Panbehchi, Virginia Commonwealth University

God 2.0: Religious Groups, People of Faith, and Social Media Use
Amanda McClendon, Independent Scholar

Myth and Fairy Tales 1: Disney’s Consumer Culture
Cooking with Class: How Food Represents Status in Ratatouille
Jason Feldstein, New York University

Game Studies 5: Culture, Play, and Practice
Fallout 3 and Yesterday’s World of Tomorrow
Rowan Derrick, University of Wyoming

Religion 5: Women and Religion
Be Quiet, Already: Evangelical Popular Culture’s Misogyny Problem
Melanie Springer Mock, George Fox University

Blogging for God: Women, Christianity Today, Sojourners, and The Christian Century
Kendra Weddle Irons, Texas Wesleyan University

Game Studies 7; Culture, Play, and Practice
The Mouth of the Cave: The Challenges of Player Doubt in Computer Game Narratives
Jennifer DeWinter, Worcester Polytechnic University

Harry Potter Studies 4: Colloportus! Harry Potter and Class
Work in a Magical World: Revisiting the Stratification of Castes in the Harry Potter Series
Lindsay Clifton, Youngstown State University

Harry Potter Studies 5: Protego! The Relationships of Harry Potter
Making Up Wizards: Technologies of the Body in the Magical World
Deana Day, University of Pennsylvania

Expecto Pater: Reading Harry’s Journey of Identity in Prisoner of Azkaban through a Theological/Psychological Lens
*Me! Kj Swanson, The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology

Computer Culture 4: Theory and Vision
From the Page to the Screen: Towards a Model of Interactivity in Reading Practices
Jenna Pack, University of Arizona

The Apocalypse in Popular Culture 4: The Apocalypse as Positive and/or Negative
‘I’d Shake Your Hand But I Don’t Want to Set a Bad Example’: Contagion and the Display of Global Paranoia in Contemporary Epidemic Films
Julia Echevarria-Domingo, University of Zaragoza

‘Not With a Bang But With a Whimper’: Dollhouse’s ‘Thought-pocalypse’ as Cautionary Capitalist Tale
Erin Giannini, Independent Scholar

Food and Culture 11: Alcohol and Nostalgia in American Popular Culture
Don’t Drink the Bath Water: Moonshine and Filth in the Lower Class
Sarah McMahon, University of Colorado Denver

Cosmos, Wine, and Shots of Tequila: The Urban Girl’s Fairytale
Tiffany Fitzgerald, University of Colorado Denver

Science Fiction & Fantasy: Guest Lecture
Thinking Dothraki: An Evening with David J. Peterson, Language Creator for HBO’s Game of Thrones

Film & History 2: Ethnicity, Gender. Politics, and Film History
Dealing in Absolutes: Experiments with Music and Animation in the works of Walt Disney and Oskar Fischinger
Ian Klein, Columbia University (my co-conferencer!)

Double Dutch: Transforming Female Jewish Identity in Verhoeven’s Black Book
Ruuard Dykstra, University of Western Ontario

Film & History 3: Medieval History/Contemporary Film
Crusade, Jihad, Film: The Encryption of Despair
Robin Vose, St. Thomas University


Templars, Witches, and the Holy Wars: Religious Critique in 21st Century Medieval Period Films
Benjamin Villarreal, New Mexico Highlands University

Dec 1991–Disneyland: Age 12, so didn’t have to pay

**

Spring 1995–Disneyland: Went as a performer with high school so didn’t have to pay

Summer 2003–Disneyland & California Adventure: Signed in for free by my cast member friend

Dec 2010–Disneyworld: Gifted graduation $$ from beloved friends, and a free week’s stay at the resort as a guest of Spiro who was shooting a wedding there.

Jan 2012–Disneyland & California Adventure: On Disney Promotion’s dime.

** Somewhere in there Erin, Richard and I went in middle school, but I can’t remember the circumstances. I just know we screamed like maniacs on every fantasyland kiddie ride, and received many disturbed looks as a result.

So this time, with Spiro and I headed down, I alerted Ian that we’d be in his ‘hood, hoping he could take a day off and join us at the park. He could and he did. THEN Jonathan decided to make it his birthday weekend trip, and flew down too. He and Ian are both annual passport holders!

With some help from another Disney cast member friend, we got a discount on a second night, as well as an extra evening at the park the night before. Fantabulous.

Ian told me that gnereal statistics for visitors to the park is 8 attractions in a day. With 3 hours Wednesday night and 11 hours the next, Spiro and I hit 28 ATTRACTIONS. We rocked it!

Highlights:

Star Tours-The Adventures Continue: The new Star Tours 3D adventure was sock-off-knocking. We rode it 5 times. Each time was different. With a series of 5 sections of multi-options, there are 53 possible different ride combinations. We went to Hoth, to Tattoine, underwater on Naboo, and a bunch of other places. And the 3D was so sharp, it never felt like 3D.
Pirates of the Caribbean: the recent film franchise has captured my heart (minus the last two) and it makes the ride all the more captivating. It’s a slow, take-in-every-detail ride through politically and historically incorrect scenes, but oh the charm of it all! Yo ho ho!

Animation Academy: Ian showed us this hidden gem. It’s tucked into a building in California Adventure that looks like something just for kids. But when we walked in, we were immersed in a giant room paneled with giant screens of classic animation and concept art, with select songs playing to accompany them. We sat on the carpeted floor of the air-conditioned room for over 20 minutes while scene after scene of magical Disney memories performed for and around us. I could have sat there all day. There’s also great activities inside, including having your voice stolen by Ursula in her Grotto and discovering your true Disney identity in the Beast’s enchanted library. Amazing.

Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage: the old 20’000 Leagues Under the Sea submarines have been transformed to take you to Nemo’s coral reef, and it’s wonderful. This is one case where using video projection on a “live action” ride really works, and I felt like I was really discovering an undersea world. My mouth was agape the whole time.

Monster’s Inc.–Mike & Sully to the Rescue: This is a kid’s ride at California Adventure, and it is wonderful. It feels like you’re in the jazzy, pastel-colored, hi-jinxy, romp of a world that is the film. And there are smells! Of all things to find on a kid’s ride, when we crashed through the sushi restaurant, the smell of wasabi is unmistakable. Loved it!

The Disneyland Hotel rooms: Spiro had been to the hotel less than 2 years before and remembered the sad, 70’s décor. It’s all gone! The hotel has been redecorated with imagery from Mary Blair’s work, my favorite Disney artist. Also, the standard rooms are about the quality of a business class hotel, which is much nicer than I anticipated. But the most magical moment of all was this: Spiro and I had just got into our room and were getting organized. I turned a switch on the lamp between the beds, but instead of a light coming on, I heard the very quiet notes of a music box playing Cinderella’s “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes.” I said ‘Spiro! Listen!” But she said “Kj. LOOK.” Behind me, the wooden headboard, which stretched between both beds and featured a giant carved-out castle, had lit up with twinkling fireworks. Our headboard was a magical, singing, sparkling, twinkling nightlight!

It was an amazing trip, which also included a glorious birthday meal at Steakhouse 55 to celebrate Jonathan’s birthday, and much, much screaming and laughter. Spiro made a great little video blog, and it features the magical headboard. And in case you miss it, there’s another video of that too (you have to turn that one up loud to hear it).





Thank you Disney, for kicking off my year of enchantment! And all in the span of 48 hours!

Okay, so technically, this one doesn’t have an answer yet, but watching in syndication, I could always tell by whether Saturn was opaque mustard colored or dark orange with glowy spots, that it was a very early show or not. (The other major clue of course being the uniforms: tight-fitting with diagonal lines on shoulders or sturdier with more blocked black on shoulders. And OMG I forgot they actually had some attempts at the old-school mini skirt uniforms in early seasons. Even stuck one on Counsellor Troi for some reason). What I can confirm is that all of season 1 has classic mustard Saturn (and the uniforms are still the skin-tight bellboy numbers from season 1).

2. How long did Tasha Yar last?

I always found it odd that such a major character as Tasha died in such a cheap-looking episode, but did she make it past season 1? The answer is no. She bites the dust with only 3 episodes till the end of the season. And frankly, I was fine with that. For a Federation Starfleet officer, she was incredulously intolerant and judgemental of other cultures and it annoyed me. (I didn’t notice this till re-watching).


3. When does Dr. Polaski replace Dr. Crusher?

I forgot I had this question until BOOM, season 2 premiere, there’s Dr. Polaski. I’m only 4 episodes into season 2, so I don’t know when she’ll dissapear or how they’ll explain Dr. Crusher deciding to quit her job as head of Starfleet Medical, but I do know that I just plan hate Dr. Polaski. Sorry world. And sorry Diana Muldaur. Your status as an Original Series actor makes you cool, but Polaski’s caustic attitude and sense of superiority over Data make her the Debbie Downer of NCC-1701-D.

4. OMG the heat between Picard & Crusher!

This is more a realization than a question, but I’ve discovered that from episode 1, the writers were being none-too-shy about shipping Captain Picard and Beverly Crusher. I’ve always known they had important history regarding her dead husband, and that they were close, but by S1/E2 “The Naked Now” (ahem) you’re bsically expecting their wedding to be the season finale. While I don’t know the nuance of how they further deflect or develop their relationship, I’m pretty confident that it was toned down to a mutual respect, not mutual turn-on, by later seasons.

4. When does Guinan show up?

This one was a shocker. I’ve always associated Guinan with the second half of the series (in my mind the stronger half of its run). But BAAM, first episode of season 2, there she is! AND this made me realize that 10-Forward never appears in the first season; it’s presence as the social center of the Enterprise debuts in season 2. Which, as far as I can discern, makes it possible to believe that Guinan has been there from the get go, we just never were in 10-forward to see her. I like that.

5. When does Geordi Laforge become Chief Engineer?

Another visual marker of early shows is LeVar Burton’s red uniform rather than his engineer-gold. Answer: Season 2 episode 1 (lots of changeover occured-all for the better I think). There’s no explanation for why he got promoted but we hear that his promotion was recent.

6. When does Worf become Chief of Security? (and when does he starting looking like a Klingon instead of a Q-tip?)

After Tasha’s death in season 1, Worf is made acting security chief but wears red till the end of the season. But season 2, he’s finally in his classic gold look. Also, S2/E1 is when his traditional Klingon thing he wears changes from fringed gold fabric to baddass silver metal. What remains to change is letting his hair grow out like a normal klingon instead of his current, unfortunate golf-sock look.



7. The Beard?

When does Riker become a man? Again, the goodness that is the passing into season 2/Episode 1 brings Riker into the facial-haired First Officer we all know and love, not that smooth-faced-loose-cannon-Kirk-knock-off from season 1.

8. Chief O’Brien, whereart thou?

Oddly enough, he’s in the series pilot. He’s in a red uniform, and pretty much just one of the many random officers doing stuff in random episodes. But he pops up from time time. He gets a bit more focus by S2/E1, though still just a reoccurring fellow officer. But what does occur is an odd stream of north country transporter chiefs, most notable being Lt. Commander Argyle. Was this the one area where they wanted to do homage to TOS- Scottie, Argyle, and eventually (but when?) O’Brien? Weird.

8. How the hell did Wesley Crusher earn the right to fly the Enterprise?

Don’t get mad. I too love dear little Wesley Crusher, but seriously, how did they justify having a 14-year-old at the helm of Starfleet’s flagship? Well, there it is in S1/E5 “Where No One Has Gone Before”. The Traveller, a character I was surprised to see appeared so very early on, has a nice chat with Picard to tell him how Wesley’s special yet-to-be-revealed abilities need encouragement and training, thus leading Picard to give the child prodigy the status as acting-ensign. It works, and that’s one character arc (what the Traveller knows that we don’t yet) I like knowing was there from the beginning.

General Thoughts After Season 1

It’s interesting to realize what episodes are premieres or finales, that I always thought were just run-of-the-mill episodes: did you know that the random Counsellor Troi having a baby episde was a season premiere? I didn’t.

Further, I didnt give it a special note, but I am paying close attention to Deanna Troi’s transormation from weridly-coiffed gray jumpsuit wearing exotic Imzadi, to fluffy-haired, uniformed, friendly Deanna that I actually like. (yes, I know the episode where she tests for officer status, but I don’t know when it happens of course). As of season 2, her non-Starfleet outfits look more business-appropriate and her hair is thankfully down more than it is up.

I’m sure there’s more, but these are the AHA moments I’ve been having while watching in 23 minutes blocks while I eat lunch in front of my my computer. And, no hyperbole intended, the days where I wake up knowing that today is a day I get to eat lunch while watching Star Trek, are days I sigh inwardly and say “I’m so lucky to be alive.” TNG has always been a home away from home. I love the beige walls and mahogany paneling of those hallways more than I love most foods. FACT.


**The existence of this largely fandom-hewn post is most likely the result of my passion for this blog, whose author unfortunately will probably not read this post because of the TNG spoilers. Tragic interweb irony at its best.

For the House Candles, they had to fit the House colors, evoke an essence of the House Founder, but mostly, fit the atmostphere of the common rooms. (Yes, Ravenclaw is a Hanukkah candle, but I think the scent is perfect).


Gryffindor
Mulled Wine:
A seasonal favorite the inviting aroma of Fruit with a touch of clove and other spices warms the spirit.









Hufflepuff
Golden Spiced Pear:
A savory blend of warm pears, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla bean.








Ravenclaw
Festival of Lights:
A blend of savory spices, rich cinnamon and sweet potpourri to celebrate the season.









Slytherin
Rainforest:
Fresh, slightly moist air with hints of exotic flowers and greenery.








Argus Filch
Moonlight Harvest:
Hints of pumpkin and spice from the kitchen window float on the cool breeze of an autumn night.




Madame Poppy Pomfrey
Country Linen:
Imagine a weekend at a cozy bed and breakfast with warm sunshine, crisp cotton sheets, and the sweet scent of spring flowers.






Professor Pomona Sprout
Beautiful Day:
Life is good with this happily enchanting mix of sunny fruits, pretty flowers and spicy herbs.







Cedric Diggory
Sun and Sand:
A tropical beach breeze of sweet orange flower, lemony citrus, fresh lavender and powdery musk.







Victor Krum
Siberian Silver Fir:
From snow-covered arctic peaks, discover the unique crisp freshness of pure Siberian silver fir oil.






Seamus Finnegan
Root Beer Float:
The delicious aroma of old-fashioned spicy sweet root beer and creamy rich vanilla ice cream.