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Saturday, 30 May 2009

Tuesday, 21 April 2009

  • Currently
    Weezer (Red Album)
    By Weezer
    see related

    A snippet.

    This was the description of the Facebook group "Music Can't Die, but People Sure Can Try To Kill It." I've been trying for years to translate those thoughts onto paper, like this guy did. Enjoy.





    Music is everywhere.

    It's in our schools, it's in our car, it's on our computer, it's on our TV, it's in our moives, it's at our church.

    Music at it's core is an art form.

    Art is the expresion or display of emotion, ability, a story or an idea to create or release emotions for one's self or others.

    There are many different forms of art.

    Spoken Word, Pictures, sculptures, Music, Acting, film, dance, writing.

    The list goes on and on.

    Music, as an art form, is made to do four things.

    Not always all four, but always at least one in order for it to be art.

    1)To express emotion
    2)to create emotions in others
    3)to tell a story
    4)to display ability.

    If someone makes music without one of those four intentions it can't be considered art, and, in turn, it can't even be considered music.

    When music, or any art form for that matter, is created with the sole intention of making money, it can no longer be considered art, which means it can't be
    considered, by definiton, music.

    "Music" like the Jonas Brothers, Soulja Boy Tell 'em, Lil Wayne, in fact a lot of rap today(Not all of it. Just quite a bit of the main stream radio played rap. I love rap. I'd say the rap I listen to is really good, and I listen to a lot of it. Just thought I'd clarify.), Miley Cyrus / Hannah Montana, Britney Spears, *NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, Camp Rock, High School Musical, the Pussy Cat Dolls, Avril Lavigne, Mariah Carey. Jesse McCartney, Spice Girls, Ricky Martin, Vanessa Hudgens, The Cheetah Girls (Notice how much of the things I'm listing are Disney)

    Now don't get me wrong. I'm not saying as soon as an album makes money it's not music anymore, or that an artist can't want to make money. what I'm saying is that when the only reason you put out a record or a single is to make money you've stripped it of being art, which means it's no longer music.

    If you're a fan of any of the "artists" I mentioned, I'm sorry if I've offended you, but that's how I feel. If what you like to listen to is all under the catogory of "I want my money" then I don't really think you can call yourself a true fan of music.

    What really bothers me about these "artists" is this.

    Here are a list of some of the best selling artists of all time.

    The Beatles, Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, Queen, The Who, Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, Eminem, Nirvana, 2pac.

    Do you think when the Beatles wrote "A Day in the Life" they were thinking about money?
    When Pink Floyd wrote "Another Brick in the Wall Part 2" were they thinking about getting paid?
    When the Rolling stones wrote "Gimme Shelter" Were they thinking about the money?
    When Queen wrote "Bohemian Rhapsody", when The Who wrote "Baba O'Riley", when Bob Dylan wrote "Like a Rolling Stone", when Bob Marley wrote "I Shot the
    Sheriff", When Eminem wrote "The Way I Am", When Nirvana wrote "Rape Me", when 2pac wrote "Only God Can Judge Me" were they thinking about the money?!?!

    No. I really doubt it.

    In 20 years These artists will still be on top, and if somebody asked me to name a Jonas Brother song I'd say "Jonas who?"

    If all the first batch of "artists" I mentioned care about is making money, then they're just gonna keep releasing the same crap over and over again, and people are gonna keep buying it, but after a while people are just gonna forget about them. So I hope when they die richer than hell, but forgotten, that they're happy with that.

    The point of this group is for people to express their opinions on music and the state it's in today, so go ahead and tell us what bands or artists you think are worth listening to rather than what the industry is trying to shove down our throats.

Wednesday, 11 March 2009

  • Currently
    Rise & Fall, Rage & Grace
    By The Offspring
    Stuff Is Messed Up
    see related

    HA! Gotcha!

         Ok, it's been way too long since I put out a decent piece of blog, and I half-heartedly apologize for that.  It's my junior year of high school, which means I got a bunch of things to juggle at once.  Baseball is in full swing too, but we're not playing up to our full poitential.  I'm not worried though, it only matters if we peak by the time the district tournament comes around.  Another reason I don't write as much here is because of this amazing thing called facebook!  Yes, I check that every single day, at least once, and forgot what life was like without it.  But since I am mentally uncapable of writing anything serious these days, I'll just post a video.  And I've put a bunch of good stuffs on the playlist.  It'll keep you occupied for at least a little while.





Friday, 09 January 2009

  • Currently
    Weezer (Blue Album)
    By Weezer
    see related

    Time to take a poll.

         Here's a question for everyone to answer on their own blogs.  What are some of your favorite song lyrics?  There are several that are always bouncing around in my head, but here's a few on the top of my head, in no particular order (most of these can be found on my playlist)--


    • "Believe" --Staind
    • "Second Chance" --Shinedown
    • "Let it Die" --Foo Fighters
    • "On A Plain", "Heart-Shaped Box" --Nirvana
    • "Unknown", "Who Can Be Against Me" --The O.C. Supertones
    • "Red Rain" --The White Stripes
    • "Lose it Again" --Everyday Sunday
    • "Confrontation" --Otep
     

    I probably left out a bunch more that I like, but there ya go.

    Your turn.




    Fire in the disco,
    byT(e)




Tuesday, 30 December 2008

  • Currently
    Consolers Of The Lonely
    see related

    2008

         Personally, I don’t particularly appreciate how things turned out this year.  Call it growing pains or whatever, but I should stop setting my goals so high, it’s kind of depressing to fall well short.  In terms of academics, athletics, terms of anything, I just don’t feel like I accomplished anything worthwhile this year.  It also seems like I have to put in the extra work to get to places others can get to just by showing up and doing it on a whim.  Here’s some highlights that I bothered to remember--



    “You can clean your kitchen, baby.”

         One of the few things that gives me true happiness is music, whether it be by playing it, listening to it, or anxiously awaiting for the next album by one of my favorite bands.  So it would make sense to keep my ipod stuffed in my ears nearly every minute I’m awake.  Our family goes to a new church now (thank goodness), and I’m currently involved in the youth group band and the adult band.  I won’t have it any other way, these sort of projects always keeps me occupied, which is probably for the best. 
        


    “I can see Russia from my house!”

         I think 2008 was a great year for just about everything media related.  Awesome movies were awesome, great bands put out some donkey-kicking records, and surprisingly, just about everyone was involved in the election, thanks to the new media, particularly those great SNL skits.  Yeah, my man didn’t win, but in the end, it won’t matter much anyway, seeing how our country is going to go down the tubes one way or another. 


    “You are a freakin retard.”


         We did pretty darn well this year.  Our exact record escapes me, but I think we ended up with 2 losses.  Not bad, but I know we could’ve gone undefeated easily.  On our end of the year stat sheet, one of our losses was wrongly pinned to me when it should’ve been pinned to the starting pitcher for that game, but it doesn’t matter much anyway, it’s just a number. 





    “BEN! QUIT HIDING MY CRUTCHES!”



    When the baseball season ended, my plan was to get in prime shape for my Junior year and earn myself a spot on the varsity roster.  This is why I live day-by-day, every time I plan for something, I end up worse off than if I just watched where I was going in the first place.  On my brother’s birthday, (and my parents anniversary, too) I *ahem* fell down the stairs and sprained my ankle pretty badly.  I was on crutches for a short while, then hobbling around in a protective boot for a longer time.  I just got cleared to start working out again, and now I’m way behind in terms of getting in shape, and making varsity looks even harder than it did before.


         Those are some things that come to the top of my mind, here’s to 2009 being decent.



    byT(e)


Wednesday, 24 December 2008

  • Currently
    Fight Club: A Novel
    By Chuck Palahniuk
    see related

    The Politically Correct Night Before Christmas

    'Twas the night before Christmas and Santa's a wreck...
    How to live in a world that's politically correct?
    His workers no longer would answer to "Elves".
    "Vertically Challenged" they were calling themselves.
    And labour conditions at the North Pole
    were alleged by the union to stifle the soul.

    Four reindeer had vanished, without much propriety,
    Released to the wilds by the Humane Society.
    And equal employment had made it quite clear
    That Santa had better not use just reindeer.
    So Dancer and Donner, Comet and Cupid
    Were replaced with 4 pigs, and you know that looked stupid!

    The runners had been removed from his sleigh;
    The ruts were termed dangerous by the E.P.A.
    And people had started to call for the cops
    When they heard sled noises on their rooftops.
    Second-hand smoke from his pipe had his workers quite frightened.
    His fur trimmed red suit was called "Unenlightened."

    And to show you the strangeness of life's ebbs and flows,
    Rudolf was suing over unauthorised use of his nose
    And had gone on Geraldo, in front of the nation,
    Demanding millions in over-due compensation.
    So, half of the reindeer were gone; and his wife,
    Who suddenly said she'd enough of this life,

    Joined a self-help group, packed, and left in a whiz,
    Demanding from now on her title was Ms.
    And as for the gifts, why, he'd never had a notion
    That making a choice could cause so much commotion.
    Nothing of leather, nothing of fur,
    Which meant nothing for him. And nothing for her.

    Nothing that might be construed to pollute.
    Nothing to aim, Nothing to shoot.
    Nothing that clamoured or made lots of noise.
    Nothing for just girls, or just for the boys.
    Nothing that claimed to be gender specific.
    Nothing that's warlike or non-pacifistic.

    No candy or sweets...they were bad for the tooth.
    Nothing that seemed to embellish a truth.
    And fairy tales, while not yet forbidden,
    Were like Ken and Barbie, better off hidden.
    For they raised the hackles of those psychological
    Who claimed the only good gift was one ecological.

    No baseball, no football...someone could get hurt;
    Besides, playing sports exposed kids to dirt.
    Dolls were said to be sexist, and should be passe;
    And Nintendo would rot your entire brain away.
    So Santa just stood there, dishevelled, perplexed;
    He just could not figure out what to do next.

    He tried to be merry, tried to be gay,
    But you've got to be careful with that word today.
    His sack was quite empty, limp to the ground;
    Nothing fully acceptable was to be found.
    Something special was needed, a gift that he might
    Give to all without angering the left or the right.

    A gift that would satisfy, with no indecision,
    Each group of people, every religion;
    Every ethnicity, every hue,
    Everyone, everywhere...even you.
    So here is that gift, it's price beyond worth...
    May you and your loved ones, enjoy peace on Earth.





    Merry Christmas everyone!

Saturday, 20 December 2008

Friday, 19 December 2008

  • Currently
    The Ascension
    By OTEP
    see related

    Expert Says Headbanging Is Dangerous

    What is society coming to? This is too funny.  Again, I'll actually write about something meaningful soon, been kinda busy...

    Fire in the disco,

    byT(e)



    Thinking of headbanging at the next concert you go to? Well, according to Dr. Andrew McIntosh, you should bring a neck brace with you.

    Dr. McIntosh, a biomedical and injury expert at the University of New South Wales, performed a study and found that headbanging in time with heavy metal or hard rock music can lead to serious head or neck injuries.

    "Perhaps AC/DC should play something more appropriate, such as Moon River," McIntosh jokingly tells The Herald

    Enlisting the help of researcher and heavy metal enthusiast Declan Patton to watch fans at metal concerts, the two reported that "An average head banging song has a tempo of about 146 beats per minute, which is predicted to cause mild head injury when the range of motion is greater than 75°. At higher tempos and greater ranges of motion there is a risk of neck injury."

    "To minimize the risk of head and neck injury, head bangers should decrease their range of head and neck motion, head bang to slower tempo songs by replacing heavy metal with adult oriented rock, only head bang to every second beat, or use personal protective equipment," McIntosh reports.

    Translation: At the cost of looking like the biggest dork in the room, wearing a neck brace to the next concert you go to could very well save you from some unnecessary neck pains the next morning.

Wednesday, 10 December 2008

Saturday, 06 December 2008