To Mexico

Today seems a bit surreal. I'm going to Mexico tomorrow, so I won't be posting in a week or so. Stay tuned though!

It's such a strange (a good strange) feeling to go through your ordinary day and have something so wonderful brinking on the horizon--something great to look forward to. I've been thinking about it for months, but now it's finally here. The average day today was just getting through the routine so tomorrow can come. But, oh, how glorious it feels to walk out of work doors knowing that you'll be obligation-free for a while!

I'm going to throw some pictures of a previous vacation I have stored on my computer. I'll narrate. I thought I'd give some viewing footage before I abandoned my blog for a week.



Sunset...



St. Thomas...



Clouds...



Sun...



And of course, my brother and I, back in 2005. Woa, long time ago...

Stay tuned for Mexico pictures and comments...

The Landlord

The internet video entitled The Landlord circulated a lot within the past few months, but I figured I'd include it in my blog for those who were not exposed to it. Will Ferrell stars with a three year old girl (that's my guess), and they argue over paying the rent.

Watch The Landlord on www.funnyordie.com.

I just think it's interesting how this new form of media is catapulting stars, and especially, ordinary people to new heights that they never could before. Anybody can get recognized on YouTube if they make a catchy clip that receives a lot of viewers. No longer does one have to long for stardom--they can strive for it right in their own homes. That's wild to me.

I'll also include a video clip from YouTube that Diana showed me once of two people singing acoustics. They're really good. Check them out. This also emphasizes the point I made above, for the internet helps people get recognized now.

Happy Birthday Di

Today is my mom's birthday, so I'd like to give a quick shout out to her. I love her so much; she is such a great mother who has shaped me in so many beautiful ways. She has a wonderful presence that I love so much; she's a bright light and energy for me. Wish her a happy birthday, and I love you Mom! Be a person today!

Pan's Labyrinth

Laberinto del Fauno, commonly known as Pan's Labyrinth to English speakers, is a recently released movie focusing on a child's fantasy world during the Spanish Civil War. The movie is entirely in Spanish with English subtitles, but even still, the movie is worth watching due to content. There are not that many subtitles that ruin the movie, as your eyes continuously scan over the screen and get tired from watching. It's worth the reading.

I'll be honest: I did not completely understand the movie as I was watching it beyond the surface details of the plot. If you have not watched the movie and want to see it, you might not want to continue reading.

I did not understand the significance of each of the fantasy characters, like the fawn, the fairy, or the creepy, skin-hanging monster that held its eyeballs as hands. I did catch the significance of the arrogant Captain, who would always closely shave his face and admire himself in the mirror. I thought that was well done to explain his conceited character.

My first thought was... this is bizarre. But, I began to think about "bizarre," for aren't the bizarre movies the most intriguing, perhaps the ones we remember most, perhaps the ones that make us think a little--the best even. When The Wizard of Oz debued in 1939, I'm sure it look wild, different, and "bizarre" to its viewers, but it has become one of the most famous movies of all time. The movie was not necessarily pegged to a children's audience even though it focused on fantasy, just like Pan's Labyrinth. There was much more beneath the surface of a twisting plot of creatures, monsters, and a pseudo-world that we've never imagined. I think that, like The Wizard of Oz, this movie will stick around and have similar impacts, despite various mixed reviews from the crowd. Most people have raved about it though, from what I've heard. Even the guy at the movie counter told me to rent it as soon as it entered Hollywood Video, and I thought he was a little crazy.

I started to see other reviews and comments on the movie by searching Google and imdb. I found this quote which helped me make more sense of the film: "This is the story about a young girl... and the fantasy world she created, to survive the harsh reality... This movie teaches us how children survive the real world, which they are not prepared for, and how adults forgotten this ability, disregard it as nothing, missing its "power" (imdb.com).

Exactly. I can't say it any better than that. I find the child's imagination so powerful, yet we trump it as it only begins to grow and expand. The child's mind is so strong that I do believe it could create some world like this, but some of the plot lines don't match up with this above theory that she created the world to get over the traumas of her own life. Like how did she save her mother with that creature under the bed? And does this mean that she really dies at the end, not going to a "kingdom?" I guess that would make sense because she reunites with her father...

Can anyone comment or fill in my blanks here? What did you all think of Pan's Labyrinth? Give me a good movie review.

Music Industry

Earlier, I posted about Pink Floyd and how I wish that other bands would focus more on creating a universal music piece as an album, not necessarily focusing on the specific track. But, I can understand why many, many recording artists are putting so energy into the one hit song as opposed to the album as a whole. The music business is a dying industry.

Every month, Rolling Stone features an article at the beginning of the magazine that focuses on the status of the music industry. I always quickly eyeball it, but it's really coming to ridiculous measures.

Rolling Stone facts from this month's magazine:

-Album sales have fallen 25% since 2000.

-Digital music sales are up 2,930%, yet it does not make up for the lack of album sales.

-US total album sales in 2000: 785.1 million.
US total album sales in 2006: 588.2 million.

-Digital single sales in 2003: 19.2 million.
Digital singles sales in 2006: 581.9 million.

-36% of American record stores have closed since 2003.

-"We have a business that's dying. There won't be any major record labels pretty soon."

Yikes.

The statistics aren't shocking, for music downloading is becoming common for people of all ages. The world is becoming digital, not necessarily focused on physical "things" like CDS when one could carry an iPod that could account for 50 CDs. I just feel bad for the music artist who has to cope with the loss of income.

Instead, artists have to sell themselves in other ways, like with image, music videos, merchandise, and, especially, touring. Ticket prices are sky-high now. It seems ridiculous how much ticket prices are becoming! It's all understandable, but it really does suck.

A great recording artist, Beck, said "It's not technically an audio thing anymore. It's something else."

He's right, but I'm sad that it's come to this level because isn't that what music is all about--the music itself??

This shift in demand causes horrible "artists" to surface. Look at the whiney punk bands that go for image like Fall Out Boy (yeah, they're real badass), or the over-sexed teenage girls like Britney and Christina in their hayday. Music never used to be about appearance, but that's almost everything now. Image. Music is image.

Music does adapt over time, and different artists leave their stamp on history. Different artists leave their influence, and music is never the same after that point. Elvis, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, The Grateful Dead, Miles Davis, James Brown, The Beatles, etc.--they all shaped music history, as did many, many more. I just feel that we're taking a destructive route (even though we really can't help it), but I hope that some souls do exist out there who can still keep music on a good track--ignoring image and creating original, true music that is not just concerned with creating a catchy chorus that can sell well with iTunes.

Reactions?

Ang from Africa

Ang has returned back safely from Africa; I spoke with her yesterday. I'm sure she will have some excellent stories to relay to us whenever you get a chance to speak with her. I can't imagine the humbling experience she must have had, but she will let us know and spread her Africa wisdom.

Life's Rehearsals

I'm reading this fantastic book, recommended to my by Savannah, and it's called The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera.

I'm completely engrossed in it, fascinated by the crisp language that Kundera uses to describe mundane reality. He puts things so well, so precise to how life is. I hope that this is not my only blog on his writing. His writing inspires me to want to write someday, yet it makes me feel inadequate, as if I could not produce something as spectacular and meaningful as he does. Perhaps if you read only a chapter of his writing, just a paragraph or two, you'll know what I mean.

Below, I've selected a paragraph that I've read over and over, reviewing its words. How often have we had this thought? But he puts it in perfect language that we understand, helps us make sense of our world.

Kundera writes, "We live everything as it comes, without warning, like an actor going on cold. And what can life be worth if the first rehearsal for life is life itself? That is why life is always a sketch. No, 'sketch' is not quite the word, because a sketch is an outline that is an outline of something, the groundwork for a picture, whereas the sketch that is our life is a sketch for nothing, an outline with no picture."

But isn't that the beauty of life? What would we learn if we did not make mistakes or fall from our actions? Not everything in life can be thoroughly planned or designed, and that gives the thrill and excitement to it. What is life without the random encounters, the spontaneity?

Rollercoasters

Yesterday, Jess informed me that a teenage girl in Kentucky got her legs chopped off at the ankles at Six Flags while riding the Superman ride. A cable snapped and cut her legs off right above the ankles; she couldn't lift her feet up in time. Yikes. Here's the article.

At the end of last semester, I went with two friends to America's Rollercoaster Capitol of the World: Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. We took a road trip there to go on all the rollercoasters we could handle in one day: I have never felt so nauseous from riding amusement park rides!

The craziest rollercoaster I've ever encountered is called the Top Thrill Dragster. You shoot to 120 miles per hour up a ninety degree angle incline, while twisting, and then shoot down another ninety degree angle, while twisting, of course.



While I'm a huge rollercoaster fan, this ride scared me. I tried to go on it twice while I was there and was ultimately unsuccessful. The line was very long at one point, and the ride broke down later in the day. The coaster travels so fast that they cannot allow bags or personal belongings to come in the line of the ride because they cannot store anything with the cars traveling so fast. You would have to buy a locker outside the ride (which seemed like a money-making scheme that I did not want to play into).

Look at this image here. Is this the thrill we're seeking? It seems almost like a death wish to me.



But it makes me think: How far will we go for a thrill? There is some danger involved, but it's rare that we hear about stories like the 13 Kentucky girl with her ankles chopped off. But what if it was one of us?

Don't you ever think about that when you hit the climax of a ride, the highest point right before you drop, or when you're twisting and turning on a corkscrew and wonder if the rickety ride will actually dismantle and crash to the ground? Or is that why the rides are so scary, because they involve that threat of danger? But we are powerless to stop them, and we chose to get involved in the danger ourselves.

The theme park industry does rake in bags of money, but I think it's too risky of a business to get involved in, just because of the first story I mentioned. I wouldn't want to be involved with law suits and disfigured bodies at my fault and expense. I don't think we ever think we'll be the victim of a random accident, so we take the plunge because we never hear about the horror stories.

Once, when I was in sixth grade, I was stuck on the Boomerang ride (popular to any Six Flags parks). I got stuck right before the ride releases the car to go backwards. I was stuck for forty five minutes in a backwards position with a person I really didn't know who was freaking out and squeezing the life out of my hands on that sweaty, sweaty day. So much for a fun field trip. But I could have been just as much of a victim as this thirteen-year-old girl, yet I still drives hundreds of miles to face the scariest rollercoasters in the nation. Am I crazy, or am I just living?

Is it too much to be so fearful of rollercoasters, as I've stated above, and just to take thrills in life and do it? Look at rollercoasters like a symbol for life: there's always some danger or thrill involved, but if we never choose to ride, then we're never going to experience those highs and thrills. We'll just be sitting on the sidelines, saying we "saw" the ride, but never tried it.

(At the bottom, I'll put a picture I took from Cedar Point. See how beautiful the park is with the water in the background!)

I say strap me in, feel the wind on your cheeks as you accelerate, and feel the tension at the bottom of your stomach as you drop faster than you're used to. We should ride the rollercoasters, right?

All Along the Watchtower

"All Along the Watchtower," originally written by Bob Dylan, has been covered a numerous amount of times by various artists. The most popular versions have been covered by Jimi Hendrix and Dave Matthews Band, but U2, Prince, Neil Young, The Grateful Dead, Elton John, Eric Clapton, Everlast, Gov't Mule, Lenny Kravitz, Pearl Jam, Phish, Rusted Root, etc. Obviously there are many others.

Dylan initially recorded it as a folk song, his traditional and popular style of music. Different versions have adapted this song to many styles from rock to R&B. When Dylan first wrote the song, it was not as big of a hit as when Jimi Hendrix re-recorded it with a new electric sound.

Recently, I read an interview in Rolling Stone in their 40th anniversary issue. Bob Dylan spoke of the success of Jimi Hendrix's song which inspired him to play it more. He was not upset with the new version, but it made him rethink the song and encouraged him to play it more. He never thought that the song was that much of a hit until he heard other versions which gave the song new life.

Jimi's version includes solos with his electric guitar, while Bob jams out on his harmonica. Wikipedia's entry on "All Along the Watchtower" informed me that Jimi used a cigarette lighter for solos in the song to make the erratic, electric noise. Cool fact to know.

Wikipedia also explains the lyrics, which I will paste at the bottom of the blog:

"As with many of the lyrics to the songs on this album, the words to 'Watchtower' contain biblical and apocalyptic references. The Watchtower is a term used several times in Old Testament and is the name of the official magazine of Jehovah's Witnesses. In Minneapolis, where Dylan spent time in his younger years, it is often claimed that the inspiration for 'The Watchtower' is a famous local landmark in Prospect Park, Minneapolis.

The song depicts a conversation between two people, a 'joker' and a 'thief', about the difficulties of getting by in life ('There's too much confusion'). The joker is concerned about losing his property, while the thief observes that some individuals among them aren't taking life as seriously as they should: 'There are many here among us who feel that life is but a joke.' It has been said that Dylan was complaining about record company executives cheating him out of royalties and making themselves rich[citation needed] with the lines 'Businessmen they drink my wine/Plowmen dig my earth'. The joker then suggests that time is running out, which may hint of their own mortality or foreshadow a change in society. In the last verse the viewpoint of the song switches abruptly. The ruling princes stand guard in a watchtower over their women and servants as an unnamed pair approach amid ominous sounds."

I don't think some people think that Bob Dylan wrote the initial song because Jimi Hendrix's version is more popular and sounds more similar to popular music of our time. In fact, Jimi Hendrix was a HUGE Bob Dylan fan. Today I watched Classic Albums on VHI on Electric Ladyland, and his band members were commenting that Jimi always carried a small book of Bob Dylan's lyrics with him that he would consult daily. When anyone would mention Dylan, Hendrix's posture would change, for he had total respect for the man. Hence, he covered "All Along the Watchtower" almost as a tribute to Dylan, although many people prefer Hendrix's electric version versus Dylan's folk, acoustic original track. In an online poll, 76.3% of participants prefer Jimi's version, while 23.7% prefer Dylan's original.

What do you think? Who has the best version you've heard so far?

Lyrics to "All Along the Watchtower:"

"There must be some way out of here," said the joker to the thief, "There's too much confusion, I can't get no relief. Businessmen, they drink my wine, plowmen dig my earth, None of them along the line know what any of it is worth."

"No reason to get excited," the thief, he kindly spoke, "There are many here among us who feel that life is but a joke. But you and I, we've been through that, and this is not our fate, So let us not talk falsely now, the hour is getting late."

All along the watchtower, princes kept the view While all the women came and went, barefoot servants, too.

Outside in the distance a wildcat did growl, Two riders were approaching, the wind began to howl.

Graduation

My brother graduated from high school yesterday at SPAC, where I graduated from high school. SPAC is a large venue that hosts music celebrities from Dave Matthews Band to Green Day to Backstreet Boys over the summer season, but the large venue works for my school since we have so many students in it. My class was 650; my brother's was 660 this year.

I felt a bit older yesterday, walking around and watching all of the young graduates in their caps and gowns as they snapped pictures with friends they might not ever see again, but I was so far from that place and time. In a sense, that's a great thing, for I have become much more intelligent about multiple things in the process, life lessons that I'd never take back. But I couldn't help but yearn for that carelessness, that innocence where life wasn't really all that serious yet. You had college years to look forward to, bullshit classes to take, friends to make, memories to instill, and more learning tasks in the process.

I looked at it on a different side too though: I hope that I can be a part of the graduation process when I become a teacher. I hope that I can lead lines and be a part of this ceremony for my students, as it is important to many young adults. Plus, I really want to wear the regalia!

Now that I've graduated from college too, I definitely feel a bit older, even though I am at a height of 21 and am actually still very young. I still haven't reached 22, the year when my friends say that they really feel old. 21 is the age that you look forward to reaching, and once you get there, you never look forward to turning a year older ever again. I'll let you know how it feels in September.

Graduations were fun for me though; they were not depressing and sad. At each one, I was so energetic and excited to be at the boring ceremony and goof off with my friends. I hardly listened to the speakers, not remembering any of the "thoughtful" moral lessons they wanted to teach us, except I do remember Chuck Shumer telling us all to "go for it!" which seems that it lacks any hint of deep thought. Above I have the picture of my best friends and I at last May's college graduation. But I'd rather remember the beach balls surfing around the crowd, the jokes from my friends about cap decorations or public speakers, the camera shots in between minutes of daunting ceremonial speeches, tassle fights, loud and obnoxious singing, and, of course, watching Ang harass a professor to wear her fluffy cap:



Yesterday's ceremony, as much as I reminisced on my own graduations, made me feel a bit sad, yet happy, to see my brother graduate. He's just a little guy; he still seems so young to me, but he's really growing up. He's very smart, not just about science and math, but about life. He is much more wise than I was at his age. I just feel sort of like the parent does, I guess, proud but sad to see him grow up. He was the cutest guy in his cap and gown... He looks like such a grown man, but I can still see the child in him.

I only hope that he can move on and make such great friends as I have, share some crazy college memories and experiences with a new crowd of people, and adapt some diverse views and understandings of the world beyond our hometown. I hope that he can have great friends like I have; I feel that this picture below represents us well. Not to mention, this is the background of my computer. I like to see it a lot. This is the last picture we took before we moved out that day of senior year, and I think the positioning is symbolic. I love them all though.

Lyric Unconscious

My away message today said: Have you ever been singing a song, and then you stop to realize the actual words you've memorized and have been singing, but you never realized how strange those lyrics were before...?

This idea was inspired by my car ride home from work yesterday as I belted out the lyrics to a Trapt song. Even though Trapt is this "new age rock" that is not all that great, they remind me of my freshman year at college when I met some of my best friends. We took two road trips to see them play, just because we had nothing else to do, and we almost got injured from crowd surfers and mosh pits.

Anyway, I was belting out the lyrics to "Still Frame" alone in my car in the middle of traffic (subtly wondering if cars stopped next to me are watching my one-woman-show), and I stopped myself to think about the actual words I was singing. I guess I just memorize songs from the beats and then sing them on cue because I like the sounds of the song. I realize that I don't really focus on the lyrics as much as I should.

The lyrics go, "Please help me cause I'm breaking down, this picture's frozen and I can't get out..."

I stopped and actually thought about that statement. I guess it's not the worst idea in the world, being trapped inside of a picture, but it just seemed so ridiculous to me. Even though I've been singing the line for like four years, I never realized the strangeness of the point of the song.

I'm sure there are other songs that are FAR, FAR worse, but this is my first encounter in a while.

Does anyone else sing like this, or do you have songs that have really embarassing lyrics that you have absolutely memorized? (Be proud; I am).

Fourth Meal?

Is a fourth meal really necessary?

Taco Bell has been advertising their "fourth meal" slogan, perhaps capitalizing on their number one source of income: late night taco binges from teenagers. I know, I've been there, but I think it's disgusting that this country is seriously eating four meals, and I'm not just talking small meals, but hefty, over-sized, deep-fried meals from fast food restaurants like Taco Bell.

I can see why other countries loathe us, with our overconsumption of everything (especially food). Our portion sizes are much larger than we need and are smothered with more ingredients we need. We submit ourselves to pleasure, and we result in an over-obsese nation in the process.

On one hand, we get super-skinny teenagers who suffer from bulemia or anorexia due to media and societal pressures to be hot (which is sexy and skinny), but the environment offers so many fattening food pleasures that one would be driven mad to be surrounded by such food bliss and torture oneself not to eat it. On the other hand, we have an increasing number of obese and overweight people, both children and adults. We have weight problems all over the place.

Why didn't this happen before? Is this because our country is in a stable place that can offer such delightful foods, especially when the cheapest foods are the most fattening? (Dollar Menu...) When a salad costs at least two times the amount of a cheeseburger and fries, it's almost easier to save money and pack on the weight, but your self-esteem will surely suffer from your enviornment.

Overall, I just think that fast food restaurants are becoming ridiculous. We're eating too much fried, fast food that is absolutely unhealthy and unnecessary. I don't think that some are a problem; I just think that it's getting a bit out of control. The commercials make me want to gag too...

I haven't eaten McDonalds since 2005 and I will keep going. Boycott.

I used to work at Taco Bell, which I won't get into too much here at this time, so I know something about the industry. I put in a solid year there, and I'll still eat the food (minus the baked beans and the taco meat). Taco Bell is my favorite fast food restaurant (the only one I rarely frequent), but I can't get over their fourth meal campaign. I know that it's making them money, but it really emphasizes my point of overconsumption. Check out their website to see what I'm talking about. It's completely targeted to teenagers.

SNL made a phony commercial making fun of the points I rant about above. They have a fake restaurant called Taco Town which plays on these stupid commercials and the ridiculousness of new menu items. They're so ridiculously fattening; I wish they came with nutrition facts on the actual item. Watch the video, it's hilarious. I must have laughed throughout the entire bit. It's only a minute. Is it really that far from reality?

Maybe I'm being a bit dramatic, but I can't help it, that's my personality. What do you think about my rants, or just the larger point of overweight America and the fast food industry?

Natalie Merchant

I listen to a different CD each day throughout my long drives during work. Today, I listened to 10,000 Maniac's In My Tribe. A very mellow and at times upbeat mix of sounds, but ultimately, the CD is driven by the voice of Natalie Merchant. There's just something mesmerizing about her voice... It's very different than other female voices: deeper but feminine, strong with range. Her voice is unique like Tracy Chapman's, but I definitely prefer Natalie's sound.

I think if I could adopt any singer's voice (if I had a wish to somehow to trade my lack of singing talents with another person), I would definitely pick Natalie Merchant. It would be fun to take a person with such a ridiculous high-to-low range, but I feel like my personality suits more of Natalie's mellow and emotional voice.

If you could adopt any singer's voice, who's would you choose?

Lately, I've been obsessed even with her hits like "Carnival" (which are actually in my profile right now) and "Kind and Generous," but she also has other amazing songs, much that I like on her MTV Unplugged CD. Check it out. Here are lyrics from "These Are Days:"

These are the days
These are days you’ll remember
Never before and never since, I promise
Will the whole world be warm as this
And as you feel it,
You’ll know it’s true
That you are blessed and lucky
It’s true that you
Are touched by something
That will grow and bloom in you

These are days that you’ll remember
When May is rushing over you
With desire to be part of the miracles
You see in every hour
You’ll know it’s true
That you are blessed and lucky
It’s true that you are touched
By something that will grow and bloom in you

These are days
These are the days you might fill
With laughter until you break
These days you might feel
A shaft of light
Make its way across your face
And when you do
Then you’ll know how it was meant to be
See the signs and know their meaning
It's true
Then you’ll know how it was meant to be
Hear the signs and know they’re speaking
To you, to you

I'm Not There

Apparently, a new theme of making movies of older musicians is growing rapidly, as you can see from recent new movies like Ray, or with incoming new movies like Janis Joplin's or Elvis' new movie. This trend has been done before though; it's not just something unique of the times now, but I think that since many of these types of films are being successful at the box office, movie-makers are going for it, memorializing the hottest stars of the past.

With this in mind, a new movie is coming out on Bob Dylan's life, but this movie seems to be more commercial than others. I think this will be the case due to the actor line-up to play Bob Dylan. The crazy thing is, there's not just one Bob Dylan in the movie, since it chronicles his life span. They have multiple actors (and actress) playing Bob. Here are the list of cast members set to play Bob Dylan:

Christian Bale
Cate Blanchett
Richard Gere
Heath Ledger

Opinions? I'm not that satisfied with Gere or Ledger... I wonder what they all look like when they're done up in costume. I hope that their characters can flow together, because they all seem to have different acting styles and act in different genres that might disrupt the movie. I could be wrong. I'm not eliminating that possibility. I'm just interested to see how this is going to turn out later on...

The movie should be released within 2007, and it is called I'm Not There. Check it out at imdb.

Elvis Movie

They're going to make a movie on Elvis, and they have cast Jack White of the White Stripes as the lead role.

On one hand, he can play a pretty mean guitar, but on the other, he has never acted before. I wonder if he can do Elvis' moves. I guess he kind of looks like him; maybe they could have casted a better look alike.

Good choice or bad choice?

Ice Cream Truck

Last night at Emily's going away party, we heard Mr. Ding-a-Ling making his rounds around the neighborhood. We started talking about the ice cream man: how much he used to cost, problems getting money from parents, and favorite flavors.

A common staple was the baseball glove with the small bubblegum in the mit that lost its flavor within minutes. Firecrackers were good. I liked the Flinstones push-up pops too. If I did get the dollar, I would have had to get the Chaco Taco, which unfortunately is not sold anymore at local Taco Bells. The Chaco Taco was discontinued when I worked there circa 2001.

Did you know the ice cream truck prices have jumped into the $2 range? Is that crazy or realistic?

What jingle did your truck play?

What were/are your favorites with the ice cream man?

Poetry of Jim Morrison

Poetry can be pretty revealing, can't it?

Last Christmas, I received Wilderness: The Lost Writings of Jim Morrison. I was looking over some of his poems, and some of them really tell a lot about who he was. I will cut some examples in the blog. Let me know what you think it says about him.

~~~~~~~~~

a quality of ignorance,
self-deception maybe be
necessary to the poet's
survival.

~~~~~~~~~

Why do I drink?
So that I can write poetry.

Sometimes when it's all spun out
and all that is ugly recedes
into a deep sleep
There is an awakening
and all that remains is true.
As the body is ravaged
the spirit grows stronger.

Forgive me Father for I know
what I do.
I want to hear the last Poem
of the last Poet.

~~~~~~~~~

If the writer can write, &
the farmer can sow
Then all miracles concur,
appear, & start happening
If the children eat, if their
time of crying was Mid-
Night

The earth needs them
soft dogs on the snow
Nestled in Spring
When the sun makes wine
& blood dances dangerous
in the veins or vine

~~~~~~~~~

What are you doing here?
What do you want?
Is it music?
We can play music.
But you want more.
You want something & someone new.
Am I right?
Of course I am.
You want ecstasy
Desire & dreams.
Things are not exactly what they seem.
I lead you this way, he pulls that way.
I'm not singing to an imaginary girl.
I'm talking to you, my self.
Let's recreate the world.
The palace of conception is burning.

Look. See it burn.
Bask in the warm hot coals.

You're too young to be old
You don't need to be told
You want to see things as they are.
You know exactly what I do
Everything

~~~~~~~~~

Accomplishments:

To make works in the face
of the void
To gain form, identity
To rise from the herd-crowd

Public favor
public fervor

even the bitter Poet-Madman is
a clown
Treading the boards

Rural Pictures

To illustrate my point about beautiful rural environments, as blogged below, here are some personal shots of places I love.



The lake during October break (10/15/05).









Ithaca with my friends (1/28/06).

City or Town?

Meandering through downtown Albany today, I was debating with myself over the pros and cons of living or constantly surroundings oneself in a city environment versus a rural environment.

With cities, I think I have a love-hate relationship. I love the culture and creativity you'll come across in a city. There's more exposure to art in its various forms: paintings, music, slam poetry, sculptures, graffiti, etc. You run into a lot of people who have both positive and negative influences on you, despite whether you actually talk to them or not. They may anger you as they cut you off and honk their horn, they could yell at you from a street corner and make you feel funny inside, or they could could offer a compliment or greeting from God (by which, all I have experienced lately).

For my job, I have to walk around the city, and as I was walking, I slowly took in my surrounding environment. I smelled the pungant aroma of hamburger wafting from an open door, the strong smell of cigarette smoke from business men and women on a break, the smell of gasoline from a passing car, or the foul scent of garbage surfacing from an unknown area. I heard the clanging of metal on metal from construction workers, the yell of one person to another, the orchestra of cell phones ringing off the hook, car horns screaming at one another, the loud bass of a passing car blaring rap music, and the clock bells ringing from the local court. I see a mess of people, business men in black suits, teenage girls strolling over conversation, policemen dishing out parking tickets, flustered mothers clasping their children by the hand, homeless men loitering the alleys with canes and shopping carts, and mobs of people flocking outside the doors of tall office buildings as they sip on their cigarettes, perhaps dreading their return to the Nth floor. I feel the heat on me, perhaps stronger from the increased amount of cars in pollution in the air, but I can definitely smell the difference between city and rural.

Smell triggers the most memory and calls the strongest reaction in the human brain. Whenever I enter the city, I am conscious of the change in smell. The city air tastes and smells worse than in a local town. For this, I appreciate and enjoy a rural enviornment more. It feels healthier to my body, cleansed, remote, and calm.

I don't think I'd ever really want to work in the city. The combustion of cars makes me claustraphobic and angrier from increased road rage from fast, rebellious drivers. I would not want to work on a high floor in a tall building. Recently, I watched World Trade Center, and even though I know about the tragedy from living through 2001, the movie actually made me think about what a collapsing building physically looks like. As I stood waiting for the elevator today on the 8th floor, I couldn't help but stare at the ceiling and imagine the plaster begin to crumble as I felt the building shake beneath my feet. That loss of stability must be terrifying. This paragraph is more a sidenote than actual comparison between city and town, because, frankly, tragedies can happen anywhere. I wouldn't base my opinion on something like 9/11.

So, overall, I think that I would stay with rural or town. I love the peace you get from a quiet home, when you can sit on the back porch and listen to the crickets at night or the birds in the afternoon or late morning. I like being able to ride my bike under a mile away and being surrounded by forests or a small stream, away from the noises of everyday life and traffic. I think that my brain can expand its thinking when it is not overwhelmed with external noise and energy; I would rather have fewer neighbors that I knew well or not at all than to be surrounded by many that I'd rather not know in my life. I love the surrounding trees, bushes, flowers, and animals that are in my environment. I wouldn't pass that up to live on a tall floor in an apartment building in the city.

I like going into cities occasionally, but I cannot be in them too long. I wouldn't consider myself a "country girl," more suburbanite who likes to experience both worlds. I can't live without the city, for how else would I travel or experience music festivals, concerts, or art shows? I can't live without the town, for how else would I be able to center my energy into a calm, relaxed state?

I side more with a rural home, but I'll compare my relationship as a vanilla coke: the vanilla is the city, the flavor to the coke which is the base of the drink. Without the city, my life would have no flavor.

Pink Floyd

Look around and choose your own ground.

I learned a great deal about Pink Floyd today that I'd like to ramble about here. Rolling Stone wrote a fantastic article about them in their April issue of this year. Fantastic.

I knew that the band consisted of four men: David Gilmour, Roger Waters, Nick Mason, and Richard Wright. I also knew that Syd Barrett, an original band member later replaced by Gilmour because of a mental deterioration from extreme drug use, basically formed the band and gave it its initial sound. I couldn't imagine losing such a core to something so fundamental like a band. It's no wonder that they coped with their loss of Barrett by writing various songs to him, like "Wish You Were Here" and "Shine on You Crazy Diamond:"

"Remember when you were young,
You shone like the sun.
Shine on, you crazy diamond.
Now there's a look in your eyes
Like black holes in the skies."

The band members had to cut ties with Barrett, for his energy was becoming harmful and disturbing. Pink Floyd wouldn't have lasted with his strange energy. Instead, they used it as a source of inspiration. Within the past year, Barrett has passed away. Rolling Stone even featured an article on him during that time. The band members never remained in contact with him, so his passing must have felt extremely strange and distant.

After Syd was forced out of the band, they put out Dark Side of the Moon , a tribute to him (especially the title itself). Saying that it's one of the greatest albums of all time is not really an original statement, but I do believe so. I wish that more albums had such unity, such creativity and originality. I feel that, lately, we're losing that in music.

Anyway, I was interested when I learned how Dark Side of the Moon originated. The album focused around one central question: What are the forces in modern life that alienate people from one another and from their hopes?

The answer? Look at the tracks on the album. Look at the lyrics. Mikal Gilmore (writer of the article) writes "Together they came up with a list of disturbances that included aging, violence, fear of death, religion, war, capitalism, and madness."

This album has such a drive behind it, such great ideas that they want to convey and express to others. I wish that more music had such a purpose. I love the drive for Pink Floyd to get us to think and question the world around us, not just venting on a break-up with an ex. Not only do the lyrics deeply engage the feelings and ideas, but the sounds really evoke a reaction. Such a beautifully crafted album... No wonder it has sold over 35 million copies and lated on the Billboard charts for 591 straight weeks after its initial release.

If anyone gets the FUSE channel, watch the hour special on the creation of Dark Side of the Moon. It's really trippy, and it's intense to see how something so brilliant was actually created. Gilmour walks you through how it was recorded--those crazy sounds and beats... It's such an experience.

Maybe what draws me the most to Pink Floyd is the incredible lyrics. They are such talented writers; their words are so wise that it inspires me to want to create something so profound. Maybe. Here, I'm ending with "Breathe," for I think the lyrics really illustrate their gift as lyricists:

Breathe, breathe in the air.
Don't be afraid to care.
Leave but don't leave me.
Look around and choose your own ground.

Long you live and high you fly
And smiles you'll give and tears you'll cry
And all you touch and all you see
Is all your life will ever be.

Run, rabbit run.
Dig that hole, forget the sun,
And when at last the work is done
Don't sit down it's time to dig another one.

For long you live and high you fly
But only if you ride the tide
And balanced on the biggest wave
You race towards an early grave.

Elevators

PET PEEVE: I cannot stand when I'm waiting for an elevator, I've pushed the button, and someone else also needs to use the elevator but has to press the already-pushed button anyway.

Am I inadequate with pushing buttons? If the button is already lit, doesn't that mean that it's going to go to that destination, or do they need that deep assurance?

Constantly, I am going up and down elevators at my job. I cannot stand business men and women who continuously do this. As you can tell, I become extremely frustrated; maybe I take a bit far, but it really hits my nerves. Hopefully I don't snap someday.

Wishlist

Below are Pearl Jam's lyrics to "Wishlist."

If you could only be one wish in this list, which would you be and why?

I wish I was a neutron bomb, for once I could go off
I wish I was a sacrifice but somehow still lived on
I wish I was a sentimental ornament you hung on
The christmas tree, I wish I was the star that went on top
I wish I was the evidence, I wish I was the grounds
For 50 million hands upraised and open toward the sky

I wish I was a sailor with someone who waited for me
I wish I was as fortunate, as fortunate as me
I wish I was a messenger and all the news was good
I wish I was the full moon shining off a camaros hood

I wish I was an alien at home behind the sun
I wish I was the souvenir you kept your house key on
I wish I was the pedal brake that you depended on
I wish I was the verb to trust and never let you down

I wish I was a radio song, the one that you turned up
I wish...
I wish...

Sopranos Continued

After hearing other interpretations, my first impression is not the best. My dad offered an alternative idea that I would like to share.

When Bobby and Tony were sitting on the boat during the first episode of this season, they were talking about death. One of them says, "What do you think it's like when you die?" and the other replies "Everything pauses. You don't even see it coming. It all goes black."

So, that could be Tony's final moment.

The ending was serene, just like he would want it. He's with his family, eating, happy. That's got to be his final moments on Earth. Everything was slow motion.

What do you think?

Final Sopranos Episode

By requset of Sheila, I am here to comment on last night's episode, the final episode, of The Sopranos.

If you have not viewed the last episode, don't read the following.

This morning, I was watching The Today Show, and they featured a segment called "Ending without a Bang." Basically, that describes the ending, which cut to black before any action happened.

Honestly, I felt that this whole season dictated the the ending of the show. NOTHING HAPPENED! There was little action, more meaningless conversations leading to no major climaxes or problems. The biggest point of drama was when Christopher, Bobby, and Sal got shot. Otherwise, the plot wasn't far from allowing me to doze off as I anticipated bigger scenes to unfold.

So, with nothing really happening throughout the whole season, I could hardly be surprised when nothing happened at the culmination of, not just the episode, but the entire series! But, I could see why they chose this ending for a variety of reasons.

First of all, this leaves open the possibility for a movie. I would not be surprised if they took this route. The box office would crawl with Sopranos fans. Second, many other films, series, and books have left off their plot with a "create your own ending," which could be the case here if they do not choose to do a movie. They set up the scene well enough for many arguable point of view for what was to happen in those final moments. Personally, my heart was beating through my chest, but I did feel disappointment when I was lead to no conclusion, not even the one that I was dreading in those moments.

The Today Show mentioned that, minutes after the show, angry fans mobbed the HBO website with angry notes and messages (that should be interesting, so check it out today), but there was so much activity on the website that it basically froze. Who could not understand? The most highly anticipated finale of the year ended at a standstill, or as The Today Show puts it, without a bang.

Lastly, I think the "create your own ending" idea isn't always a bad one. For some reason, I think that many Sopranos fans are disappointed and angry about them substituting this for the ending. One person told me that it's a "cop out." I just think that fans want a little more closure. If anyone was a Six Feet Under fan, that show left complete closure, carrying out the lives of each character. I felt satisfied, closed with that show. With The Sopranos, I feel highly the opposite. I feel a lack of resolution, a bit of confusion.

But maybe this is exactly what they wanted. This is one of the most highly acclaimed television series of our time. Maybe they wanted to cause a stir like this. When Seinfeld ended, they used a controversial final episode that left many angry and disappointed.

When people tried to guess the ending, I thought that no one could have pegged it. A TV show with this much popularity has to come up with some original ending that fans could never have dreamed. This elevates suspense and makes the show the awesomeness that it is. So, maybe this isn't such a bad thing after all, or is it?

What do others think of the final episode?

Bands Reuniting

This summer, Rage Against the Machine and Smashing Pumpkins have both reunited. Which is more exciting, in your opinion?

And, what other band would be amazing if they reunited?

Nighthawks

This is one of my favorite paintings: "Nighthawks" by Edward Hopper.

Brilliant, and telling.

Haven't we all felt like this at some point, in public or not? I wonder what he's thinking about...

Inside the Actors Studio

One of my favorite shows is Inside the Actors Studio. I watched two episodes yesterday with Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Dustin Hoffman. I love seeing the evolution of artists, many of who come from normal backgrounds.

What great episodes have you all seen?

Some of my most memorable episodes are Dave Chappelle, Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Connelly, Angelina Jolie, Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, Kiefer Sutherland, Mark Whalberg, and, most importantly, Robin Williams. If I ever advise anyone just to watch one show, watch Robin Williams. I think he's on something when he's on the show. He bounces from one side of the stage to the next. He's a nutcase, but that's why I love him.

One thing I wanted to comment on from last night's show with Julia Louis-Dreyfus was when an audience member asked her, "What do you want to be remembered for?" What a loaded question, huh? It makes us think, well, what do I want to be remembered for? Think about it for yourself. You may not know the answer now, but maybe someday. Anyway, Julia first responded with being a good mother to her children, then she said that she wants to be remembered for making people laugh. I truly like her as a person after watching her. She has such a great, funny energy that draws me to her as a comedic actress. Who can ever forget Elaine Benis' dance?

Also, Dustin Hoffman spoke about why actors do what they do. Why do they act? He asked a friend of his, a long-time actor right before he died, and he got up from the table they were eating at, stared him in the face eye-to-eye, and said "Look at me, look at me, look at me, look at me." Now that's powerful. I think it's true. I think most of us want them, some sort of recognition. That's one way to be remembered, but not all of us want that.

I want to insert my favorite questionnaire from the end of the show, generated by Bernard Pivot. Answer them for yourself, even though you're not on stage! I once asked my friends on the spot, and it was really cool to see their responses. I hope to do it more with people, just to get a feel for who they are.

What is your favorite word?
What is your least favorite word?
What turns you on [creatively, spiritually or emotionally]?
What turns you off?
What is your favorite curse word?
What sound or noise do you love?
What sound or noise do you hate?
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
What profession would you not like to do?
If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?

Compliment 1

I was talking with Jess online the other day about something that I really want to start doing.

I think that people should give more compliments to one another. Often, I think nice things about people, but I never share it with them. Wouldn't that be nice if we told each other positive things that we felt about them? I might start randomly complimenting people on my blog, because I know how much it really makes my day when something says something so simple and nice about me.

I'll start with my grandmother. I saw that she recently commented on my blog, and I just want to say, quickly, that she is such a happy energy to be around. I love singing and dancing with her. She makes the best food, and I hope she can teach me how to cook wonderful Italian food someday too.

Bob Dylan

As I'm rapidly reading this summer, I just finished a biography of Bob Dylan entitled Down the Highway. I immensely enjoyed the book, as I heavily adore Dylan as an artist.

My main concern, not with the book but with the content, was that Bob is and was consistently unfaithful. Even before he was at all famous, he was cheating on his girlfriend with multiple women. And then, with his rise to fame, cheating was ridiculously easy, as he drove in a large fanbase of women who were lining up to be with him.

To tell you the truth, that really effected my perspective on Bob Dylan. I think it's a common understanding that any artist or famous person has easy access to sex and drugs, but I guess I just hope that some people can resist the many temptations that Hollywood has to offer. Maybe I sound a bit crazy, perhaps because I have not tasted the delights of fame, but I would like to believe that people can be faithful out of the goodness of their hearts.

Am I being too harsh on Dylan, or can we not blame him?

Honestly, how can we say that it is okay for Dylan to cheat if we condemn people in our personal lives who stray from their partner? Don't we look down on that in society? If a friend tells you that his/her boyfriend/girlfriend cheated on him/her, wouldn't you, commonly, advise to ditch the relationship? So why would it then be okay for a superstar?

Despite my quick rage against Dylan's behavior, I very much still respect him as a wonderful creator and artist. He is a beautiful lyricist, song-writer, and painter (I recently learned from the book). A very multitalented man, he is consistently creating more and more artistic creations that baffle my mind. He is brilliant, and still performing, nonetheless. I can only wish that I could generate so much creative energy to put to productive use that I could, too, create such beautiful masterpieces as he has.

I will end by attaching a painting of his, a self portrait:

Ang in Africa

Today, Ang is embarking for Africa. Actually, her flight is leaving right now as I post this message--ironic. I am sure she will come back with some incredible stories and memories, but just think of her for the next few weeks so that she has a safe and healthy return.

Janis Joplin Movie

I also read today that a movie is coming out about Janis Joplin, entitled The Gospel According to Janis. Check it out on imdb. They have Zooey Deschanel lined up to play Janis. Zooey was Will Ferrell's love interest in Elf.

Is this a good choice or a bad choice? Right now I'm not the happiest, but I don't know who else I'd rather play Janis. I guess I'll have to wait and see how she portrays Janis. The Biography channel created an excellent documentary of Janis' life. I hope this movie owns up to it.

So, who do you think would play the best Janis Joplin?

Under the Bridge

In a recent Rolling Stone article, the infamous David Fricke interviewed "guitar gods," the top three being John Mayer, Derek Trucks, and John Frusciante.

In my opinion, it's all about John.

What I found the most interesting was John's brief commentary on Jimi Hendrix (an influence to John) and creating "Under the Bridge."

John says, "'Under the Bridge' was an attempt to do a song in the style of Jimi Hendrix's prettier songs--'Castles Made of Sand,' 'Bold as Love.'"

He goes further into how he actually came up with writing the music behind the lyrics created by Anthony Kiedis.

"Castles Made of Sand" might be one my favorite songs, as it offers a smooth, melodic beat accompanied by such strong lyrics, eventually breaking out into an incredible guitar solo that makes you feel an entirely different feeling from the beginning of the song. "Under the Bridge," similarly, takes me through different emotions from the calming, steady beat, and repititious chorus, then delivering into a heavier elevation, a culmination of energy with the joining of voices singing strong together. Somehow we can all relate to these shifts in emotion, shifts in sounds, or just simple lines in the lyrics. Both songs are legendary.

When I think of "Under the Bridge," I recall a moment from Anthony Kiedis' autobiography Scar Tissue. The vocal notes required of Anthony to sing for that song are the lowest of any song they have ever recorded. Anthony struggled for weeks, continuously trying to record the track, but he simply has a higher voice than the written notes. After many attempts, they finally recorded the track. "Under the Bridge" became an instant hit, climbing the charts to reach single-status, a song that would now be required of them to play while on tour. Anthony recalls getting stage freight (something foreign to his outgoing personality), for he feared singing the low notes to a live audience on the spot. When his cue to begin singing came, he froze--but the audience chimed in, singing all the words instead of him. Anthony played it cool and let the audience take the lead. I can't imagine the incredible feeling that artists must feel when an audience can recite your entire song's lyrics back to you.

Watch the music video; it's very cool. Check out young Anthony with long hair.

Sometimes I feel
Like I dont have a partner
Sometimes I feel
Like my only friend
Is the city I live in
The city of angel
Lonely as I am
Together we cry

I drive on her streets
cause shes my companion
I walk through her hills
cause she knows who I am
She sees my good deeds
And she kisses me windy
I never worry
Now that is a lie

I dont ever want to feel
Like I did that day
Take me to the place I love
Take me all the way

Its hard to believe
That theres nobody out there
Its hard to believe
That Im all alone
At least I have her love
The city she loves me
Lonely as I am
Together we cry

I dont ever want to feel
Like I did that day
Take me to the place I love
Take me all the way

Under the bridge downtown
Is where I drew some blood
Under the bridge downtown
I could not get enough
Under the bridge downtown
Forgot about my love
Under the bridge downtown
I gave my life away

Girl Talk

Does anyone remember Girl Talk?

I remember having late-night sleepovers, playing this game with my friends and thinking how marvelous it was. It was the most scandalous game, at the time, and I can't imagine what takes its place today.

A couple days ago, I was cleaning out my room, and I stumbled across this falling-apart cardboard box, heavily decorated with excited 90s pre-teens. Look at their outfits. Look at how excited they are. This game was amazing.

Then, I went rummaging inside to see what stunts one must perform in this game. The game goes through personal questions to crazy stunts, like calling boys of course. You could pick up Girl Talk Cards, which somehow match up with your personality or future, foretelling that you "love animals," "will become a doctor," or "knows what she wants." When I played this, I bought every word on those stupid pink triangles. The naivity of pre-adolesence. I guess simple pleasures aren't always so bad.

And, you can't forget the infamous zit stickers. I have so many packs left of them (we must have either been really daring or really wussy). Any ideas of what to do with them?

Did anyone else play any other silly board games?
(I was also a huge Dream Phone fan, by the way...)

Sopranos

Tony Soprano: honorable legend or ruthless villain?

Childhood Artwork

I wonder what Salvador Dali's childhood artwork looked like.

(Sheila says that it might look like Ang's, who drew crazy colorful shapes, 6s, and question marks. Maybe Ang is secretly an artistic genius.)

Extreme Sequels

Why aren't movie producers and writers becoming more creative? Why do they continue to drag out movies with sequels and even more movies following the original? Is it really necessary? Why can't we just create new story lines? Is it getting too out of control?

Other movies went too long:

The Land Before Time
Austin Powers
Friday the 13th
Alien
Nightmare on Elm Street
Cruel Intentions
The Skulls
Bring It On
Big Momma's House

only to name a few...

To emphasize my point, just look at this summer's movie relseases alone:

Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Hostel: Part II
Oceans Thirteen
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
Evan Almighty
Live Free or Die Hard
Halloween
Mr. Bean's Holiday
Rush Hour 3
The Bourne Ultimatum
Resident Evil: Extinction
Shrek the Third
28 Weeks Later
Spiderman 3

Celebrity Baby Names

How bad can they get?

· Apple: Gwyneth Paltrow & Chris Martin
· BreAzia Ranee: Olympia Scott-Richardson
· Bluebell Madonna: Geri Halliwell
· Camera: Arthur Ashe
· Coco: Courteney Cox & David Arquette
· Daisy Boo: Jamie Oliver
· Gaia: Emma Thompson
· Heaven: Lil' Mo
· Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily: Paula Yates & Michael Hutchence
· Jaz: Steffi Gram & Andre Agassi
· Maesa: Bill Pullman
· Moxie CrimeFighter: Penn Jillette
· Poppy Honey: Jamie Oliver
· Rainbow: Ving Rhames
· Sailor: Christie Brinkley
· Sosie: Kyra Sedgwick & Kevin Bacon
· Tu: Rob Morrow
· Zola Ivy: Eddie Murphy
· Zolten: Penn Jillette

Courtesy of this website.

Rolling Stone News

So, I am a huge fan of Rolling Stone Magazine. You'll see me put in a lot of news, thoughts, and ideas generated from reading a monthly magazine. I'm a bit behind this month since I've been away at school, but now I'm catching up. I've included some top news stories from last year that completely appalled me. I thought I would share them with you, and see if you had any reactions to what our world is coming to.

Air Guitar

"My T-Shirt Rocks"

"AUSTRALIA -- Government scientists have announced that they have developed a high-tech t-shirt that turns the strumming of an air guitar into music. Motion sensors built into the elbows of the 'wearable instrument shirt' pick up arm motions and relay them to a computer, which reproduces them as guitar riffs. One arm strums, while the other produces chords. 'It's an easy-to-use virtual instrument that allows real-time musicmaking--even by players without significant musical skills,' says Richard Helmer, the lead engineer of the project."

-Rolling Stone Magazine, Dec. 2006

Personally, I am a huge fan of the air guitar. I have been known to rock out, occasionally, as if I am Slash, John Frusciante, or Tom Morello. Alyssa Helme and I even had a crazy jam session during a previous Superbowl. I even taught Lindsay Nelli how to rock in the dirty basement of a house on Lincoln.

As much as I love air guitar, is this the best way to spend government funding? Or is it really something special and incredible?

Global Warming: Polar Bear Cannibals and No Seafood

"Huge Freaking Hole in the Ozone Layer Gets Even Larger"

"ANTARCTICA -- The hole in the ozone layer reached record proportions this year, expanding to more than 10.6 million square miles. Man-made pollution combined with a polar cold snap to widen the hole, which is now larger than North America. That's bad news for people living in the Southern Hemisphere, where the hole increases exposure to the sun's cancer-causing radiation. Scientists now say it will take sixty years to restore the hole to its 1980 level."

"Glaciers Retreat"

"THE ARCTIC -- For the second year in a row, sea ice on the Arctic Ocean shrank, sparking concerns that the world faces record levels of melting. [...] In the United States, the first half of 2006 was the warmest on record, and hot weather sparked the worst wildfire season in decades, burning 9.4 million acres. In the Antarctic, atmospheric temperatures are rising three times faster than the global average. In the Caribbean, warmer seas have caused a record loss of coral reefs. And in Alaska, climate changes are depleting food supplies and turning polar bears into cannibals, forcing them to kill and eat each other to survive."

"Will the Last Tuna to Leave Please Turn out the Lights?"

"CANADA -- A four-year study by an international group of ecologists and economists has concluded that the world will run out of seafood by 2048 if marine species continue to decline at current rates. Overfishing and pollution have already caused nearly thirty percent of all fished species to 'collapse,' reducing them to less than ten percent of their historic levels."

-Rolling Stone Magazine, Dec. 2006

Fast-Food E. Coli Ice

"That Explains the Free Refills"

"TAMPA, FLA" -- For her science-fair project at Benito Middle School, seventh-grader Jasmine Roberts decided to compare ice from self-service machines at five fast-food restaurants to water from the bathroom toilets. Her finding: three of the five ice samples were dirtier than the toilet water, which contained lower levels of E. coli bacteria."

-Rolling Stone Magazine, Dec. 2006

Ew. Fast-food chains have to be making a lot of money. Why can't they allow appropriate sanitary conditions? Isn't it someone's job to check certain things like this?

I wonder what restaurants are skeevy. I'm backing Taco Bell (since it's my love), but I might think that with the explosion of McDonalds, they have to be in there. There are so many of them to not screw up every now and again in the cleanliness department.

Maybe next time I "just get a cup for water" and secretly steal some diet soda, perhaps I will go without the ice.

Uprising

Phenomenal picture, added courtesy of Mrs. Megan Bottle, who, by the way, is going to be an amazing English teacher. She is a very sweet girl with bright energy. Anyway, she took this picture at Ithaca's Alternative High School, where students create artwork like this on their hall's walls. So impressive. I wish I had talents like this.

Cover-worthy?

My first question...

Do you think there are certain songs or bands that should just not be covered?

For example, in the past year, two bands have covered Pink Floyd. Scissor Sisters did a rendition of "Comfortably Numb," and Korn recorded "Another Brick in the Wall."

Maybe I'm biased, but they both sounded too tacky--like they were trying too hard.

Note to All

The first post is always difficult, just like beginnings to any piece of writing are always a difficult task. I could have started out with an opening line that is memorable like A Tale of Two Cities, but let's be real, I don't want to be Dickens.

So, my purpose here is to post my random thoughts, comments, ideas, pictures, lyrics, news, etc. that floods into my head and spill it out to all of you (or just letting it out somehow). Writing is therapeutic, but I hope that you all respond to my random pictures and posts, even if you just type a word or two.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy what I am about to create. I am allowing you to enter my own little world, so enjoy exploring....

I might want to warn you: I'm a little weird, but aren't we all?