Below is about a project my Aunt Carolyn has started to raise money for ovarian cancer research. This is a very personal and important cause and any donation is appreciated. For further information or how to send donations, contact me at jbkish at gmail.com.
The journey to defeat ovarian cancer starts with a penny.
Dear Family and Friends,
Ovarian cancer is known as the silent killer, detection comes late and treatment is limited. Less than 50% of its victims survive five years. Regrettably the survival rate has improved only 8% since 1975. I am one of the fortunate women. With the best available medical care, lots of love from family and friends, and many prayers, I have been living with this disease for 6 years.
Now I want to help others. My project is called Carolyn’s Pennies and the goal is to raise 1 million pennies. To raise additional funds I will be selling # 2 pencils. Throughout the years my Mom always included a # 2 pencil in care packages to her grandsons. Upon her death Erik wrote and read a poem called, Pearl’s Pencils. Selling #2 teal colored pencils gives me the opportunity to honor my mother and to help women with ovarian cancer. All funds raised will go to ovarian cancer research
I am excited about this project and need your help. Please help me reach my goal by sending your pennies, or checks made out to Carolyn’s Pennies. You may order pencils, 1 for 100 pennies ($1.00) and/or send donations.
For further information or how to send donations, please email at the address below.
Please help spread the word, together we can fight this disease.
Thank you for your help.
Email: Jenn jbkish at gmail.com
“DANIEL JOHNS MAKES APRA AWARDS HISTORY
Daniel Johns made history at the 2008 APRA Awards held in Sydney last night when he won the prestigious APRA “Songwriter of the Year” award.
This latest achievement makes the Silverchair frontman the first songwriter in the 26 year history of the APRA Awards to receive this honour on three separate occasions (he also won in 1995 with bandmate Ben Gillies and then in 2003 for his work on “Diorama”).
In addition to winning “Songwriter of the Year” Daniel’s composition “Straight Lines” (which he co-wrote with The Presets’ Julian Hamilton) was named the APRA “Song of the Year” and the “Most Played Australian Work”.
“It’s a serious honor to be recognized by your peers in the music community” Daniel Johns said “Writing songs means everything to me so to receive these awards for the art of songwriting feels particularly special.” “
And a picture…because he’s beautiful…

For those of you who don’t know yet…I got another tattoo! This one is the dancers from Silverchair’s album cover for Neon Ballroom. Some of you may be rolling your eyes, but I am so happy with it.

If you are paying attention you can see that the dancers are flip flopped. When the tattoo artist was putting the stencil on my hip, we noticed the other way did not flow as well on my body. The thing that I hate about some peoples tattoos is if they float, it needs to go with your body - taking into account size, position and location.
For me, tattoos should be meaningful and sort of like a time line. It can be a piece of art, a reminder, an expression of love or just something beautiful - but it is absolutely entirely personal. So yes, maybe when I’m 45 Silverchair won’t be my favorite band but I know that for almost 12 years of my life so far I’ve looooved them! Neon Ballroom is my favorite album, I am the most emotionally attached to it - it got me through some tough times (lame, I know). And the tattoo itself, you wouldn’t know its a “silverchair tattoo” if I didn’t tell you.
As for the experience - I love it! Getting my tattoos has been the bravest things I’ve done, and I’ll always have them. My second one took close to an hour, after about 20-30 minutes I hit a euphoric high. I was conscious of my breathing and every line she was making. To calm myself down the whole time I was singing The Beatles “Blackbird”. I had feelings of excitement, nervousness, fear - but never regret or a second thought.
I had been promising Mindy a Tori Amos mix for months - I finally have done it. It took me a while to really perfect it. I was nervous because Tori does have so many songs, and so many good ones. But also, as amazing as she is, shes not for everyone. You have to ease some people into her. Another important thing to consider is softer Tori vs harder Tori. I wanted to show how fun she is but also how gorgeous her and her piano are alone. I also tried to spread out evenly throughout all her albums. When making a mix you could do it a few ways….
A. Make a mix of their singles and or big hits.
B. Make a mix of your own favorite songs.
C. Make a mix of songs that you think the person you are making it for would enjoy.
I believe you need to balance out all these options to make the perfect mix. So here is mine…I am proud of it

1. Cornflake Girl
2. Big Wheel
3. Spark
4. Silent All These Years
5. Beauty of Speed
6. A Sorta Fairytale
7. Caught A Lite Sneeze
8. Iieee
9. Precious Things
10. Winter
11. Cooling
12. In The Springtime Of His Voodoo
13. Dragon
14. Here, In My Head
15. Upside Down
16. Doughnut Song
17. Pandora’s Aquarium
Comments?!
I put up a new page! The “Clocks” tab will now show you some of the clocks I have been making and selling. I currently have a bunch up at Chef’s Table in Fairfield, CT but will soon be setting up an online store on Etsy.com. Everything is still in the rough stages but I am proud of my artwork and am excited about all the possibilities!

THIS JUST IN: I just sold TWO clocks! The Bob Dylan one and a Beatles one. I have offically made money from my art!
:)



Finally American Idol got their grubby little hands on the Lennon/McCartney song cataloge. Even though this year’s contestants are very talented, I was nervous.
Sheyesha - Gotta Get You Into My Life - NO.
Chickeze - She’s A Woman - Ok.
Ramielle - In My Life - Boring, but ok.
Jason - If I Fell - eh, maybe.
Carly - Come Together - Yes!
David C. - Eleanor Rigby - YES!
Brooke - Let It Be - No!
David H. - I Saw Her Standing There - No!
Amanda - You Can’t Do That - Yea.
Michael - Across the Universe - Yes!
Kristie - Eight Days A Week - NO!!
David A. - We Can Work It Out - regrettfully, no.
Overall, I was not impressed. The stand out performances for me were definately Carly, David Cook and Michael Johns. I couldn’t even look at the tv during Kristie’s ho-down Dolly Parton on speed version of Eight Days a Week and my poor little David Archuletta…HE FORGOT THE WORDS! AND made it sound like Stevie Wonder’s version…um no. Speaking of words wrong - David H. got a bunch wrong but you wouldn’t know it if you weren’t listening carefully - he didn’t stumble, he’s just dumb. Kristie Lee Cook was soooo bad that even PAULA didn’t like it.
Needless to say, Sean and I were not happy - we were texting after every performance. Dear Top 12…you’ve got to step it up and apologize most of you need to apologize to The Beatles. Thanks, Jenn Kish.

Paul McCartney.
The funkiest of The Beatles.
Evidence: Why Don’t We Do It In the Road?
Enough said.
But discuss.
p.s. - iProng Magazine #5 with Lifehouse on the cover is published. I did an album review for Coconut Records - Nighttiming on page 29.
Sara: did you see the Lindsey Lohan Marilyn pics?
Jenn: YES! I don’t want to talk about it…but I will…


The famous “Last Sitting” with Marilyn Monroe was shot by photographer Bert Stern in June 1962, just six weeks before Marilyn’s untimely passing. These photographs are by far and away my favorite ones of Marilyn ever! I have always wanted to recreate them for my own Marilyn project, but never thought I had enough strength to actually do it justice.
So…Lindsey Lohan has posed as Marilyn Monroe to recreate these photographs with Bert Stern (the only! redeeming quality about this whole thing!) I suppose I see the parallel - actresses, a battle with substances - but the difference was Marilyn fought her own demons and struggled for years, Lohan does it to herself. Her story is not one of tragedy rather than stupidity. And if I weren’t even to take HER personally into it, the photos are a dry, emotionalness reenactment. She looks like a zombie trying to do its best Marilyn impression. And THAT is the biggest flaw, its Lindsey Lohan TRYING to be Marilyn. Failed. I would have rather seen someone like Scarlett Johansson do these shots, a real actress. And what is with the wig?!?! AND THEN she has this to say about both Marilyn’s and Heath Ledger’s death…
“They are both prime examples of what this industry can do to someone,” says Lohan.
When it is pointed out to Lohan, who has been in rehab three times, that the possibility may exist of a similar fate for her, the young actress replies with a tinge of annoyance: “I don’t know. I’m not them. But I sure as hell wouldn’t let it happen to me.”
I can’t even respond.

This may be a bias rant, but this is why I have my own blog!
I got to decorate the front display window at my work, and I think its adorable!
(Yes, I am a total nerd and take pictures of corny decorations. but its cute!)
Take a look!
So, Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!







The Beatles are STILL winning awards! Ringo is so goofy but he had to represent. My question is where was Pauly? The tribute to The Beatles by Cirque du Soleil and some of the cast of Across the Universe was fantastic. “Let It Be” gave me chills and made me teary eyed.
I got weepy twice actually, again when Kanye sang “Mama”, amazingly enough he got through it pretty well. As great as Kanye is and how he is a formitable man in the music industry, it does not give him the right to be a total jerk. He just bosses everyone around and says how he is going to be the best recording artist of all time. But he did walk off with four awards, so he should be pleased. I LOVED it when Vince Gill burned him. “I was just given an award by a Beatle…Kanye, can you say that?” OHH SNAP!
As much as I didn’t want her to win, Amy Winehouse’s acceptance of the record of the year award was touching. That album is amazing and pretty much flawless but she is our anti-drug. I wish she would get her act together.
John Mayer represented Fairfield during a performance with Alicia Keys but was snubbed for the male pop vocal performance by Mr. JT. Foo Fighters won for best rock album, I really though Daughtry had that one, but was pleasantly surprised! ”Love (The Beatles)” produced by George Martin & Giles Martin won for best compliation soundtrack - as well it should have! Flight of the Conchords won for best comdey album for ”The Distant Future.” The most awkward moment of the night had to be Keely Smith and Kid Rock’s performance of “Witchcraft”…Kid forgot some of the words, and it was just a strange match up.
My mom fell asleep half way through and asked what she missed. I told her, “Kanye and Amy Winehouse won stuff, people gave awkward presentations and acceptances and the Beatles are still freakin’ rad.” Pretty much sums it all up.