Time once again for one of my favorite segments on le Blog, "Song Lyrics I Really Don't Believe" enjoy and have a happy weekend.
"Why can’t I breathe whenever I think about you?" --Liz Phair
(Two questions: 1. Are you talking to a plastic grocery bag, while wearing a plastic grocery bag? 2. Do you only think of your beau when you are underwater? If the answer is no to the two above questions, then the conclusion I can come up with is that you are a moron. You need to learn to breathe and think at the same time. J.Lo stuggled with this and staying real so you aren't alone)
"I believe the children are our future..." --Whitney Houston
(YA THINK!?)
"I wanna soak up the sun..."--Sheryl Crow
(No you don’t. Look at you, Sheryl Crow. You are 46 going on 32. If there is one thing you don’t do, it’s soak up the sun. Bronzer yes, sun no.)
"You can stand under my umbrella..." -Rihanna or however that is spelled
(Now that’s love. I wasn’t sure if Rihanna really liked him before that, but now that she has graciously offered to let him stand under her umbrella, then I totally know it’s LOVE. Rihanna, I doubt you use an umbrella. You probably have a music-label intern in a Gucci poncho that is carried above you by your body guards. And singing “you can stand under my intern...ern...ern...ern” doesn’t have quite the same ring to it).
"I remember when I lost my mind..."--Gnarls Barkely
(Dear Gnarls Barkley: If you can remember when you lost your mind, then you probably didn’t lose it. Maybe you misplaced it. Or maybe instead of singing about it you could make some little posters for “LOST MIND” or call some friends, see if you left it at their place.)
"How can we be lovers if we can’t be friends..."--Michael Bolton
(Michael I don’t want to be the one to explain this all to you in detail, but I’ll give you a hint: tequila.)
Friday, January 30, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Undead Attack!
Anyone else hear the story about the hacked road signs in Austin warning drivers about Zombies?HILARIOUS.
Watch the news clip where they make it a very serious story...loved it. Made my day.
Thank you for that, Austin.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Challengers
I finally got around to getting some new guitar music. I am sub par at transcribing songs myself so I scour the internet to find people who do it for me. To them and their musical ears I am grateful.
One of the songs that I decided to try is a personal favorite, “Challengers” by The New Pornographers. At first glance (and first listen) it isn’t a challenging tune; four or five chords in repetition. No picking patterns, no alt tunings, a song that looks straightforward on paper. Cake walk. But the first time I tried to play it was a total disaster. Turns out the strumming, timing and chord changes were more bizarre than I had considered and I stumbled around them like a drunkard in a fun house.
Frustrated and embarrassed even as I had attempted it alone, I put it up for another day.
I pulled it down again last night and decided to take another look at it, this time to consciously think about the song itself and not just the familiarity of the chords and words. To actually take the pieces that seemed so straightforward and let them work out what they are together. It sounds obvious but it isn’t what I was doing or how I often approach things.
I’ve been playing guitar since I was 15 but I plateaued about five years ago. I haven’t done much to get any better; I’ve stayed at a level of comfortable status quo. I can get by. I haven’t challenged myself to be stretched, to reach for new thoughts or progressions and so when one comes along that will challenge me, I very often put it off or dismiss it for an easier version.
So after some thought I tried to be deliberate in my strumming. I started slow. I didn’t event try to sing; I hummed. I restarted and restarted. And slowly I got all the pieces.
"Another vision of us we are the challengers of the unknown..."
One of the songs that I decided to try is a personal favorite, “Challengers” by The New Pornographers. At first glance (and first listen) it isn’t a challenging tune; four or five chords in repetition. No picking patterns, no alt tunings, a song that looks straightforward on paper. Cake walk. But the first time I tried to play it was a total disaster. Turns out the strumming, timing and chord changes were more bizarre than I had considered and I stumbled around them like a drunkard in a fun house.
Frustrated and embarrassed even as I had attempted it alone, I put it up for another day.
I pulled it down again last night and decided to take another look at it, this time to consciously think about the song itself and not just the familiarity of the chords and words. To actually take the pieces that seemed so straightforward and let them work out what they are together. It sounds obvious but it isn’t what I was doing or how I often approach things.
I’ve been playing guitar since I was 15 but I plateaued about five years ago. I haven’t done much to get any better; I’ve stayed at a level of comfortable status quo. I can get by. I haven’t challenged myself to be stretched, to reach for new thoughts or progressions and so when one comes along that will challenge me, I very often put it off or dismiss it for an easier version.
So after some thought I tried to be deliberate in my strumming. I started slow. I didn’t event try to sing; I hummed. I restarted and restarted. And slowly I got all the pieces.
"Another vision of us we are the challengers of the unknown..."
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
I Wanna Dance Wit Somebody
Last night I ended up having an impromptu dance party with Katie, Liz B, a large exercise ball and old Whitney Houston.
Other people were there too.
Like Jay-Z and Beyonce.
And we also played Marry-Boff-Kill for easily two hours.
A fabulous game if you ask me.
I am easily entertained; this I know. But for a long time I didn't dance enough (much to the chagrin of people like Caroline, for whom my mad dance skills contain high entertainment value), didn't play enough, wasn't comfortable enough to go with being stupid like that. I was too self-conscious.
And to be honest I'm still not completely comfortable with it, but I'm trying.
Other people were there too.
Like Jay-Z and Beyonce.
And we also played Marry-Boff-Kill for easily two hours.
A fabulous game if you ask me.
I am easily entertained; this I know. But for a long time I didn't dance enough (much to the chagrin of people like Caroline, for whom my mad dance skills contain high entertainment value), didn't play enough, wasn't comfortable enough to go with being stupid like that. I was too self-conscious.
And to be honest I'm still not completely comfortable with it, but I'm trying.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Weekly Ponderosa
Haven't done a weekly ponderosa in a while so sit back, relax and enjoy the buffet.
A redneck cashier in a fabric store correctly used the words cantankerous and minutia in a conversation with me that lasted less than two minutes. That is awesome.
Monday night Katie and I really wanted ice cream but the grocery store was closed. I stopped by a quasi-sketchy BP station and found they had three kinds of Ben and Jerrys. I picked up two pints and placed them on the counter. The cashier rang up the first then looked at me and muttered, "rich lady." I don't know either.
Ani Difranco is playing at the Orange Peel in March. Anyone? She's always good...
Friday night I met Cara and Margarita at Zambras for tappas, dessert and Spanish wine. A chill girls night out was necessary. Then Margarita and I stopped by the shop and drank moonshine with Adam and Brad while we talked about travel, pranks and whistles. Quite the jump in conversations and environments.
Women talk to themselves. A lot.
This is what my high school principal looked like. Seriously.
A redneck cashier in a fabric store correctly used the words cantankerous and minutia in a conversation with me that lasted less than two minutes. That is awesome.
Monday night Katie and I really wanted ice cream but the grocery store was closed. I stopped by a quasi-sketchy BP station and found they had three kinds of Ben and Jerrys. I picked up two pints and placed them on the counter. The cashier rang up the first then looked at me and muttered, "rich lady." I don't know either.
Ani Difranco is playing at the Orange Peel in March. Anyone? She's always good...
Friday night I met Cara and Margarita at Zambras for tappas, dessert and Spanish wine. A chill girls night out was necessary. Then Margarita and I stopped by the shop and drank moonshine with Adam and Brad while we talked about travel, pranks and whistles. Quite the jump in conversations and environments.
Women talk to themselves. A lot.
This is what my high school principal looked like. Seriously.
Now that I have my Sundays back I'm relearning them. I'm rusty at Sundays.
In a world so full of gadgets and high tech stuff, I love how much bright sunshine still has the ability to change things. So simple and yet so powerful.
For some strange reason, strangers feel the need to ask me what size I wear and then scoff, mock or make a snide comment when I answer them. I've actually had people become offended. Recently I've actually thought about lying and saying I'm bigger than I am. I don't understand this. I am the way I am, leave me be.
Yesterday my IT guy was wrapped in syran wrap by my coworker and they were giggling like little girls. Thank you for that.
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