Month: March 2008

five song friday, listen up!, mixed media, music musings, music suggestion

5SF: march 14

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We have made it through another week, and it’s time for our weekly five song Friday. I am personally glad that it is Friday, because this week has been less than fun (mostly school related stuff). Either way, I am just looking forward to a good weekend, but then again, aren’t we all?

Let’s bring out the jams, shall we? This week has some off the wall bits, where some of the songs are a bit different than my “normal” tastes. Every once and a while, I am struck by a really strange song, and I love it because of its strangeness. Two such songs caught me recently, and I felt it fitting to put them together today. I am also bringing the pop hardcore this week, so strap yourself in, and let’s go!

Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova – This Low
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_314_glenmarketa-thislow.mp3]
After seeing the quirky, sweet, and romantic movie Once, I was so taken by the music, that I had to snag the sountrack right away; but that wasn’t enough. I found out, that when coming together to make music for the film, Hansard and Irglova (who won an Oscar for their song Falling Slowly from the film) actually wrote more songs, which were released on a separate CD called The Swell Season, which I promptly snagged as well. This song comes from the Swell Season, and is amazing. It is almost like a David Gray track infused with a bit of Damien Rice. I love the whole CD completely, and I am so glad that I finally saw this movie, and got the music. Great stuff, I tell you. If you like this song, make sure to check out the rest…

Jo O’Meara – What Hurts the Most
Today’s “throwback track” is from none other than Ms. Jo O’Meara, who may be better known as the lead singer of the smash pop sensation, S Club 7. While S Club only really had a couple (or maybe only one?) of hits in the US, they were pretty huge overseas, and I would definitely say that I count myself as a fan. I chose this song, because of all the buzz that has been swarming around about Cascada’s version of this song, which I like, but I figured that most people probably haven’t heard this version, and I feel that Jo’s version is far superior. I have her solo album, and it is quite good; I hope that she does more in the future. She is a great singer.

Jesse McCartney – Leavin’
He grew up! That is what I said when I saw this video. I checked out Jesse’s new song, because I was amazed to find out that he actually co-wrote the mega-hit Bleeding Love, which was the best selling single of ’07 in the UK! I really like that song, and actually think it is pretty well written, so I wanted to see what little Jesse was up to these days. Well, I have to say, that I really like the vibe and the beat of this song, and even though I wasn’t a fan before, I am eager to see what he has up his sleeve for his upcoming record. If it is more stuff like this, I will definitely be picking it up.

Hot Chip – Ready for the Floor
Holy shit, this song is soooo freaking catchy. The first time I saw the video, I had a natural WTF reaction (because seriously, these kids are a bit weird), but I was instantly pulled in by the hook in this song. It so catchy and fun to listen to, and really makes me want to get up and dance about. While the repetitive part that starts the song could be left out (IMHO), the rest is fabulous electro that has made me pay attention to a group that I would normally (continue to) ignore (I’ve heard some of their other stuff, and it is not my cup of tea). I will be checking out their most recent album because of this song, but even if I don’t like it, I am in love with this song, and have been listening to it non stop all week!

The Presets – My People
Alright, I will warn you… before you watch this video, realize that the video is really fucking creepy, and totally the stuff of nightmares. Nightmares that you have while you are on psychotropic substances. Regardless of the strange video (which does sort of suit the song), this song is dark, pulsating, and enjoyable. It took a couple of listens, but even after the first listen, there was something about it that made me want to hear this song again. This is a grower, but it is one of those rare ones that really intrigues you at first, because there is something special about it, something that makes you want to investigate further. It reminds me of LCD Soundsystem a bit, but it makes me think of the stuff that I like about them.

So there’s your five songs for this week! I hope that you enjoyed some, or all, of them! As always, let me know what you are listening to, and hey, tell me what you thought of these songs. Perhaps you have suggestions that you want me to check out?? They might make future incarnations of 5SF, so you have to let me know!! I hope everyone has a great weekend.

civil rights, get involved, happenings, is it just me?, listen up!, politics, that is so gay, tragic, venting, well?, wtf?!

another wacko religious fanatic gets the mic…

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I don’t know if you have all heard about this Republican representative named Sally Kern, and the speech that she gave about her views on homosexuality, but it is apparently all over the interwebs. I heard about it last week, but didn’t really feel a need to shine a light on yet another hateful rant that someone felt the need to give showing their bigoted views against homosexuality. However, after seeing the following clip, I felt compelled to say something:


First things first, I honestly feel that Sally Kern has every right to say whatever she wants; that is her right as a citizen of this country. However, as a state elected politician, there is a time and a place for everything. She represents people as a leader, and as such, she should keep her personal religious beliefs restricted to her religion. If she disagrees with homosexuality, that is fine, but speaking out, as a politician and a leader, and saying that homosexuality is worse than terrorism and that our “agenda” is to indoctrinate 2 year olds and to infiltrate our schools in spreading homosexuality, is spreading not only hate speech, but blatant lies as well.

Clearly, she is confused. Clearly, she has her facts wrong, and it becomes rapidly apparent when you hear just how deluded she is in stating the aforementioned items as fact. Yet, again, she has the right to say it. However, as a public figure, and as a representative, it isn’t her place to preach such hate. If she wants to open up her own church and spread as much religious fanaticism as she wants, so be it, but there is no place for elected people to be spreading such misinformation, and passing it off as fact.

I am frustrated by this woman, mostly because of the video above. She clearly has been called out, yet refuses to acknowledge that what she has done is spread misinformation, while representing herself as an elected public figure. I just think there should be some boundaries, and she clearly doesn’t agree. I personally hope that this is the, as she put it, “death knell” in the coffin of her public service career. Nutjobs like this belong in backwoods churches and not public office. Unfortunately, it is this type of message that leads to the killing of gays and lesbians, like the young boy who was murdered for wanting his classmate to be his valentine. It is sickening to be reminded by little things like this, that we live in a country where the people that hate us so vehemently don’t just live outside of our borders.

I personally think that it is sad that people have such little value in living their own lives, that they must find reasons to attack others. That they must find so much hate inside themselves, that they feel compelled to spread lies and further hateful ideas about certain people that they don’t “agree” with. I feel sorry for people like Sally. It must be difficult to live in a world where you are so clouded by the religious beliefs that you have chosen to use in shrouding you from truth, so much so, that you really and truly believe such ridiculous things as she said. Furthermore, I think that other Christians, more than we gays, should be (and probably are) completely ashamed that someone so clearly deranged is speaking out and representing them. It is just incredibly frustrating that people can wrap themselves in the Bible, and then become the biggest possible hypocrite in the world, by calling you a faggot at the same time. Where’s the love that your religion preaches Sally? Clearly, it isn’t in you.

Sally, you are worse than we. We don’t harm America; people like you do. Your speech shows an inability to learn or grow, and a mindset that fuels the very terrorism that you are so against. People like you are, and will remain, one of the biggest problems that plagues this nation. I sincerely hope that this is the last time that you are given the mic, and that soon, you will no longer be representing your religious fanaticism as an elected official.

In order to lighten the mood a bit, here’s a lovely clip from Ellen, who called Sally:


I love Ellen so much… she makes me proud to be a part of the gay community. I wonder how many Christians would say the same about Sally.

all about me, mixed media, show the love

ready. set. BRAWL!

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You may or may not know this about me; I am a pretty big video game nerd. I have been playing video games for as long as I can remember, and still play to this day. I currently have the Wii, an Xbox 360, a DS lite, a PS2, and a working original NES to boot!! While games have come a long way, the basic principle behind them hasn’t (at least for me); it’s all about having fun.

For whatever reason, I have always been drawn to cartoon fighters, and as a kid, I can remember MANY Saturdays at the local Putt Putt Golf and Games, where I would play hour after hour of Street Fighter II (still one of the best fighters ever made, IMHO). My goal was to get as good as I could, so that I could compete and stand a chance against those other kids that were somehow magical at the game.

Well, times haven’t changed… this weekend saw the release of perhaps the most anticipated game for the Wii system; Super Smash Bros. Brawl. For those that are scratching their heads, wondering what I am talking about, Super Smash Bros. is a fighting franchise that was created by Nintendo, and utilizes their unique characters in hand to hand fighting combat, which pits favorites like Mario against other beloved characters.

The preceding game to Brawl, Super Smash Bros. Melee, was introduced to me by my friends, who have been addicts of the game for years, since it’s release on the Gamecube. Needless to say, they are far more advanced in skill than I possess for Smash Bros., but that doesn’t mean that I don’t enjoy playing against them. I see myself as that little kid again, standing there, watching the other kids dominate at Street Fighter II, waiting for my turn to unleash my skills against them. It took a long time, but I finally became one of those kids that could win every now and then; and so shall it be for Smash.

Since we got the game on Sunday, we have been playing like mad. It is cool too, because this is a game that James and I both enjoy, so we can play together. This weekend, one of our friends is having a Brawl get together at his house, and I have got to practice my skills all week, so that I will have a chance to win at some point during the night.

Overall, my impressions of the game, are that it exceeds all previous expectations that I had. While the Wii is not a high-definition gaming system, the graphics of Brawl are beautiful and very, very well crafted. I am definitely impressed. I am also very happy with the addition of the new characters, specifically Pit (Kid Icarus!!!!!!!!), as well as the Pokemon Trainer, who I am playing as well (currently, we haven’t unlocked Sonic, but I am eager, after playing as him at my friends’ house this weekend). I am glad that this game is finally out, and I am glad that we get to enjoy the game with our friends. Now… I can’t wait for Soul Calibur IV and Street Fighter IV to hit Xbox 360 later this year! It’s looking like a great year for fighting games!

all about me, home improvement

updates are interesting… aren’t they?

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It seems like everything and nothing happens these days in my life. There is waking up, driving to work, work, driving home from work, watching TV/passing time until bedtime, sleep, and then repeat. However, these past few weeks, we have been dealing with the house being in total upheaval over the floors in the office being replaced, and I have nearly broken my back to get things back in order.

First was installing the hardwood floors. This is something that is, in theory, easy to do. Easy to follow instructions, and relatively inexpensive if you do it yourself ($700 for a 12×10 room). Yet, the manual labor… whoa. It is on a level of it’s own. It isn’t enough that you have to hammer and things like that, but you have to be bent over unnaturally to do so. That just KILLS a back; and given my history with major back trauma, it has done me in.

To top all of that off, we decided, “hey, now is a good time to paint the office, since nothing is in there, right?”. So we painted two walls a chocolate brown, and the two other walls a baby blue-ish color. The result is an amazing looking room, if I do say so myself. I am in love with the results, but I hated the process.

As if that wasn’t enough, I also decided that it was the perfect time to build a new bookcase/shelving unit for our electronic components and video games. That was a chore too. But, like everything else, it is finished!! I am going to try and get some pictures up in the next little while, so check flickr for those. Aren’t home projects so much fun? Yeah… when they are DONE.

five song friday, listen up!, mixed media, music musings, music suggestion

5SF: march 7

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Welcome to the first five song Friday of March, y’all. I have a HUGE amount of frustration with computers today, because my home PC has decided that it doesn’t want to work correctly; which I suspect is the cause of a virus or something malicious. I don’t know where it came from, but I want it fixed… NOW. To top that off, I come in to work, only to deal with one of the slowest computers ever… my work PC is a crap. I need a vacation… but that doesn’t mean that I don’t have music for you, because I do! So on to better things, eh?

Taken by Trees – Sweet Child ‘o Mine
Recently, I was driving home, and I heard this amazing version of the classic, hair metal anthem, Sweet Child ‘o Mine; as covered by Taken by Trees. Instantly, I felt like I had heard that voice before, and I discovered, through some googling when I got home, that the singer was the female vocalist from the Peter Bjorn and John song, Young Folks. I have to say, that I really love this acoustic version of the song, and I am a sucker for a great cover; and this is definitely a great one indeed. (a word about the video: I have no idea how it relates to the song, or if it is even the real video, but it is what I found on youtube. Unfortunately, when you buy something on iTunes, apparently, it isn’t yours, and therefore, you can’t have it as an mp3. So I couldn’t use my song that I rightfully purchased as an mp3, and therefore, I have to post the video. Thanks iTunes!)

Weezer – Dope Nose
Today’s “throwback song” comes from the amazing Weezer, who are one of my all time favorite bands. The other day, I heard Dope Nose, which prompted me to listen to the entire Weezer catalog, and I can definitely say, that they are still a favorite. I am very anxiously looking forward to a new Weezer CD, rumored to be released some time in the coming months. I have enjoyed rocking out to Weezer this week, and especially love this song. Rivers Cuomo is the man; and is quite cute as well.

Kate Rusby – Awkward Annie
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_37_katerusby-awkwardannie.mp3]
This song reminds me a bit of my Christian rock days, because a lot of those bands have a similar folk/fiddle & banjo-driven type of rock that I really love. Kate adds the soft voice with an Irish twinge, both of which just send me over the edge. I love the Celtic influence in her songs, and I have really been enjoying this random find. I picked this song from the album of the same name, because it was the first song I heard (it’s the first on the record), and it’s the one that really reeled me in.

Vampire Weekend – Oxford Comma
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_37_vampireweekend-oxfordcomma.mp3]
Warning: they say fuck in this song, so I guess that counts as NSFW for some; just a heads up. This song comes from a reader’s suggestion (thanks!), for me to check out Vampire Weekend’s self titled recent release. I have to say, that I really couldn’t get into the whole CD totally at first, but there were moments where I was like, “oooo, I like this!”. Oxford Comma was the first of those moments, and since then, I have liked them a little more with each listen. It was definitely a great suggestion, and one that I was pleased to check out. Thanks again for the suggestion, and now, I am pleased that I get to pass that on to you!

September – Can’t Get Over
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_37_september-cantgetover.mp3]
Finally today, I bring you an uber-gay dance track from a Swedish dance diva, who is named for the ninth month of the year. I recently stumbled on her CD, and downloaded it instantly when it was described as “pop/Euro-dance”, which the little gay clubber in me can’t get enough of. Sure enough, September totally delights, as this song can definitely be described as fierce! This song is the perfect dance anthem to end this frustrated Friday, and I am glad that it puts such a big smile on my face.

Well, that’s it you guys… another five songs for you. I hope that everyone found something to enjoy this week, and make sure you throw some suggestions my way!! Have a great weekend!

concerts, happenings, mixed media, music musings, near and dear, show the love

sara bareilles @ the tabernacle, 3/4/08

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Sara Bareilles @ The Tabernacle, ATL 3/4/08
On Tuesday, James and I headed out to the Tabernacle to see the lovely and amazing Ms Sara Bareilles. As expected, she was simply amazing. I am glad that we left right after she performed (she was opening for James Blunt, who frankly, I had NO desire to see), because we met her in the parking lot!!! It was great seeing her again, and even better being able to talk to her again. She is not only an amazing performer, but she is the sweetest person ever.

I am going to see her again with my buddy Deb in April, and I can’t wait. She is headlining that show, so I know that it is going to be even better than Tuesday was. I have to say, that the James Blunt fans really weren’t my crowd, and I was pretty annoyed at the level of talking that was apparent during Sara’s performance. Several of her quieter songs were inundated with talking; which was pretty annoying. Oh well… she was still amazing, so it didn’t really distract too much. I wish that we would have gotten their earlier, because apparently, James Blunt fans are prompt, and we couldn’t get very close. I took some pictures (on flickr now), and a little video, which as of this moment, have had issues getting on youtube. I am going to give it a go again tonight, so I will update with some video; especially the performance of my personal favorite of her songs, Between the Lines. Wow. It was amazing.

A huge thanks to Sara Bareilles again, for being such an amazing performer, and totally bringing it in concert. If you haven’t seen her, you owe it to yourself; she is the real deal. I also appreciate her listening to this fan gush about how great she is!! Meeting her again made my night! Now, I can definitely say, that I am even more excited about the next show in April!

is it just me?, listen up!, public health, tragic, venting, well?, wtf?!

really… are people really this stupid?

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I saw this on towleroad this morning, and it seriously pissed me the fuck off:

Last night on Big Brother 9’s live feed, gay housemate Joshuah attempted to educate James, Chelsia, and Sharon on the ins and outs (so to speak) of gay sex. He also spreads some misinformation about protecting oneself from HIV:

“I do bareback with my boyfriend. We’ve both been tested for HIV and we’re both negative so it’s cool. I only do that with my boyfriend. I don’t do that on a random one night stand. That’s too risky. If you’re a top it’s okay because you can’t really get HIV from being the top because you’re penetrating them…”

I just want to know; are people really as stupid as this, or is this dumb ass alone in his thinking? Well, clearly, he isn’t alone, as the rates of infection continue to increase amongst gay men, which is not only disheartening, but it is disturbing. Yet, I still cannot even fathom why people are still this moronic about something as HUGE as HIV! Why on earth are people stupid enough to believe that you can’t get HIV if you are a top? Where did this moronic idea come from, and why is it, that gay men STILL believe it?!?!

It blows my mind. I have worked in HIV prevention for many years, and hearing shit like this just sends me over the edge. A part of me wants to say, “people just CAN’T believe that, because clearly, people are smarter than that… aren’t they?”, but I know that people really are this stupid. What has to happen to you for you to get it? Do you have to get IT? I just don’t understand how something as serious as HIV is taken so lightly, especially after it has been around for so very long. It is baffling.

So I’m going to put this out there, for all the morons: YES Virginia, you CAN get HIV if you are a top. Wear a condom you idiot, because clearly, you aren’t smart enough to know better. Wake the fuck up, and realize that this thing is called a goddamned epidemic for a reason.

/rant

get involved, is it just me?, listen up!, that is so gay, tragic

how many times must this be said before it actually changes?

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In this clip, Ellen speaks about something very real and very dangerous, and unfortuantely, something that affects us all; HATE:

Seeing this clip (thanks to vanyel) makes me wonder AGAIN, why this isn’t common knowledge, and it makes me wonder how many times we are going to have to say this before it actually changes. I feel horrible for that boy’s family, and for any other family that has been devastated by hate. I am sick of hearing “that’s so gay”, and letting it go, because it isn’t funny. Ellen is right; being gay is not funny, IT’S NORMAL, and until we get that to be the message that everyone hears, things are just going to continue. I never thought I would want to be normal, but that’s exactly what would be the best thing for gay people; acknowledging that we are actually normal.

Is it so much to want to live in a world where you aren’t hated because of who you love? I would like to think that it isn’t too much to ask at all. I am just sickened by all of the hate and cruelty that is taught in this world, and how it is being passed on to our youth.

home improvement

installing hardwoods in the office

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putting in hardwood floors in the officeWell, as I mentioned earlier, we had the floors torn out of our office, and had the joists completely rebuilt, with a new subfloor to boot. James and I talked about getting carpet in there, since we didn’t think we could afford hardwood floors; especially after the $3500 it cost to have the floors fixed. Well, after I met with the carpet installers, James felt that we could install the hardwoods ourself, and save a bundle of money. Initially, I was VERY skeptical, but after we talked about it, I agreed to give it a go.

So, earlier last week, we started installing the hardwoods in the office. We bought these really beautiful pre-finished oak hardwoods, which ran us about $700 total for all of the wood. It is a “lock and tap” system, where you lock it in place, and then use this wicked looking nailer to permanently hold the wood in place. James started out doing it by himself, but I agreed to help out yesterday.

We started about 2 o’clock, and worked right up until 9:30. We finished just in time to return that wicked nailer back to Home Depot, and by the end of the day, we were exhausted. I don’t know how people do that for a living; intensive labor doesn’t even begin to cover what we did. Today, my back is incredibly sore, as are my legs and my arms. We worked our asses off, but the end result, is a beautiful new hardwood floor in our office for a fraction of the price we would have payed someone else to do it. I am glad that it is over, but like MUCH of our other home improvement projects, I really don’t think that I would do it again. Now, I have to paint the office, and James is going to install the baseboards and quarter round, and we will have our office looking better than ever! AND, it will have a STABLE floor for once.

Seriously, though, I took some pictures of the joists that were “holding up” the floor when they pulled the subfloor off, and I cannot believe that we didn’t fall through before now. It was insane. I am so glad we did it, and I am so glad that the hard parts are over. Now, to do the little parts, clean up, and REST. I am wiped out! It is time to take off my weekend warrior hat, and get some rest; my back deserves it! I’ll get some pictures of the office once it is painted and everything truly is done… until then, the above picture gives you an idea of what we had to do!