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.
Well, 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!
Every four years, we get an “extra day”, and how great is it that it is also a Friday this year? Perhaps the extra day is a sign that I am coming out of my music lull, because I have some fresh stuff for you today. I am also going to bring you some fantastic beats from Mother Gem herself, regardless of all the haters out there. Let’s get to it, shall we?
JES – Around You
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_leap_jes-aroundyou.mp3]
When I downloaded JES’s most recent compilation CD Into the Dawn, I had NO IDEA that she was the amazing voice behind one of my favorite dance songs to have ever been recorded, As the Rush Comes by Motorcycle. After listening to her record, I completely love how many of the retooled down-tempo chill tracks completely showcase the ache in her voice. It is a little bit Portishead and a little bit Kosheen; and a lot of greatness. There is something about this song that just begs to be played over and over. It is simple and a perfect song “for the bedroom”, if you know what I mean…
MGMT – Time To Pretend
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_leap_mgmt-timetopretend.mp3]
This is one of MANY songs that I have heard, and been like, “eh”, and then never got back to it. Then, I hear it on the radio, and I am all, “wow! I kinda love this!”. So yeah. I really enjoy this song, mostly, because it really sounds like it has a huge influence from the amazing Peter Bjorn and John, whom I love. I love the electronic distortion, and I really dig the beats. This is definitely a fun track, and one that is getting attention; and even some more from me!
Styrofoam – Couches in Alleyways (feat Ben Gibbard)
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_leap_styrofoam-couchesinalleys.mp3]
Whoa. I was driving home yesterday, and I was flipping through the radio stations, and I heard this song. At first, I didn’t hear the singing, because it was near the beginning, but I remember thinking, “this is really good… sounds a bit like the Postal Service”. Then, much to my surprise, the lead singer of the Postal Service Ben Gibbard’s vocals came through my speaker. Holy cow! Who is this? I thought. Well, turns out, Styrofoam, who has done a couple of remixes of Postal Service songs, released a record a while back, and this great song is on it! He has a new one coming out soon, and I look forward to hearing it when it arrives. Great random find.
The Faint – Glass Danse
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_leap_thefaint-glassdanse.mp3]
A good buddy of mine was telling me about The Faint the other night, and I promised that I would check them out upon his recommendation. Glass Danse was the first song that played when I went their myspace (which, isn’t that the only thing myspace is good for? music? anyway…), and I instantly loved it. I haven’t really gotten too much into their other stuff as of yet, but this song sounds a lot like Shiny Toy Guns with a touch of the Killers. This song has a lot of intense electronic energy, and a lot to get you going.
Leslie Hall feat. Elvira – Zombie Killer (revisited)
Alright, now I must bring the love to the Mother Gem, as promised. I know very well that this will not be everyone’s cup of tea, and that is fine, but I must tell you, that I love me some Leslie Hall. As I blogged about earlier, I saw her last weekend, and she is glamorous and fabulous in so many ways. I have been listening to all three of her CDs all week long, and I have been having such a great time with each one. She is hilarious, and has this talent to her act that is just refreshing and delightful. This song is hilarious, and even has guest vocals from none other than the amazing Elvira Mistress of the Dark!! Leslie warns us… The zombies are seeking beat-box revival… you must shoot them in the brains! How can you beat that?? A song about zombies featuring Elvira? I can’t believe I am privileged enough to type that previous sentence. Amazing. SHAZAM! If this makes you smile at all, you should check out more from the fabulous Leslie Hall… she is a midwest diva/tiger-colt, and she is hear to bring the freshest jams in all the land to you. Sweet lady rapper, sing your songs to me!! I want to be a junior gem!
Well, I hope that everyone is having a great leap year day, and I hope that you enjoyed the music!! As always, let me know what you are listening to… I really do take all of those suggestions and listen to each one! Have a great weekend everyone!
It isn’t often that I come across a product that is so amazing, and wonderful, that I feel the need to go on and on about it. However, that is the case with Burt’s Bees Carrot Nutritive Lotion. First, I’ll give you a little back story…
I have had Keratosis Pilaris for literally, as long as I remember. It is also known as “chicken skin”, but is nothing more than bumps on the skin, which usually occur on the upper arms. It isn’t very noticeable, but it is frustrating, as it manifests itself kind of like acne on your arms. Also, it prevents your skin from being soft and smooth, and is generally, very frustrating. I was worried that it would be an issue when I decided to get tattooed on my arm, but luckily, it isn’t (that would have really upset me). The condition itself is extremely common, and lucky for me, I fall into the category of those that have it.
Now, I have tried pretty much all kinds of lotions and a lot of things short of a prescribed treatment (which friends of mine have tried with little success), and I was sure that I would never be able to have smooth skin on my upper arms. It doesn’t REALLY bother me, but it is just one more frustration iron on my fire, you know? Well, recently, I bought a bottle of the Burt’s Bees Carrot Nutritive Lotion, only because I loved the way it smelled (it smells like carrot cake!). Much to my surprise, after using it for a week or so, I noticed a DRASTIC improvement in my keratosis pilaris! It isn’t totally gone, but the skin is definitely way smoother, and the condition has noticeably diminished. I wasn’t even looking for another possible treatment, but it seems that I stumbled on to it in this great product from Burt’s Bees! As such, I thought I would do an official product endorsement from me to you, because if you have dealt with the frustration that KP has brought me, then you should get yourself a bottle today.
I have loved Burt’s Bees’ other products for a while now, and I absolutely love that they are almost 100% natural, so it really makes me happy that this product came from them. Even if you don’t have KP, this lotion is really great on dry skin, and as I mentioned, it smells almost good enough to eat! I hate that perfume-y smell that a lot of lotions have, so the carrot cake-like deliciousness of this lotion is a welcome change.
Thanks for making such a great product, Burt’s Bees. People with keratosis pilaris take note; there isn’t a cure, but Burt’s Bees Carrot Nutritive Lotion will definitely impact the noticeability of your condition! It works great for me! I give this lotion and enthusiastic thumbs up (see, like in the picture!), and the duanemoody.com seal of approval!!!
I have talked about my continual battle with depression on this blog before, and today, I saw something that I felt compelled to discuss. First of all, I should mention, in case it isn’t “known”, that I take a SSRI for my depression. I have for a long time, and often times, I wonder if it even works, because I still find that I go through bouts of moderate to severe depression. Well, after reading this, I can’t help but wonder if the medication is actually “treating” the depression.
In the article, they discuss a study that was done to compare the “clinical effectiveness” of several SSRIs (mine is listed), in order to see if the benefit of the drug was more than a simple placebo. What’s interesting, is that they found that across the board for those drugs that they looked it, it wasn’t (except in cases of extreme depression). This makes me wonder about the drug that I take every morning to “prevent” my depression; especially since, as I mentioned, it hasn’t actually gone away at any time during the course of my “treatment”.
I am not saying that I don’t believe the drugs have any benefit. Even the placebo effect is proven to have a benefit, and that may account for some of these findings. However, I do think that it is easy to wonder, that if you take drugs to help with a problem, and the problem doesn’t seem to want to go away, then perhaps those drugs aren’t working for you. The article also mentioned that trying therapy first would probably be a new recommendation; but I did that, and still ended up taking medication, a medication that I am now even more curious about.
I know that the medication must have some benefits. I don’t have anxiety as intense as I did before I took (at least I don’t think that I do). I also know (through the magic of therapy), that my depression is more likely than not, tied to my anxiety. So, if the medication is working on the anxiety, but it doesn’t have an effect on the depression, what does that mean? Should I be taking a different class of medication to deal with the depression as well? Or, am I “better” than I was before, and I just don’t know it? Maybe the drugs are working, and I just don’t know the difference because I have been taking them so long? I find myself riddled with questions right now.
This is something that I think might be worth exploring further. I may make a doctor’s appointment to find out more about what may or may not be a better option for me.
One issues I do have, is that the article goes so far as to say that the medications “don’t work”, citing it is below clinical significance. That is to say, that just because it wasn’t statistically significant, they have proven that it doesn’t work; which really doesn’t make sense, if it did work on the minority of those “not-statistically-significant-so-forget-them” patients. This is where the cynic about clinical research in me steps in, because I always question its reliance on numbers, and a lack of perspective on the individual that may benefit… In the case of a drug that MAY benefit some that has very few side effects (for adults), why would they declare that it simply doesn’t work, just because it doesn’t work more often than not? Additionally, if it doesn’t work most of the time, why have they waited until now to tell people that are taking it?
What’s your take on this? If you take one of these medications, is this going to effect your future treatment? Does it concern you that your medication may not be doing what you need it to? What do you think?
Well, I am here to bring a review of a concert that displayed such epic-ness, that can only be contained by the sheer will of itself. The concert of which is speak, was none other than Leslie and the LYs, Saturday night at eyedrum.
Leslie Hall hails from Iowa, representing her other Midwest divas, and brings the jams while she flashes her sparkle jems. She is the self-professed mother gem, and comes out of the night, as a purveyor of fantastical gem sweaters and slick beats.
During her show, Leslie dances, she grooves, and she moves her way into your heart, clad from neck to toe in skin tight gold-goodness. She’s a “sequined tower of eternal glamor, pounding out the sexy with a sparkly hammer”.
I have wanted to see her for a while now, and I am glad that I got the chance to this weekend. Basically, if you haven’t heard of her, she is an internet phenomenon who has been doing some great stuff on youtube. Her songs are great, and she makes me laugh out loud more than many can. Saturday night was an amazing night, and I will always remember it as the night that I fell in love with Leslie Hall.
The show itself was an amazing spectacle of ginormous proportions, and here’s a little rundown of how it went down…
The opening act was absolutely DREADFUL, which consisted of a whole hour (seriously) of really loud distortion and guitar “playing” by a tall black dude in a wig. Then a Bjork-wannbe came on and spoke some gibberish, while her other friend (with a fake third arm) “played” a base guitar and created even more loud distortion. It was loud, and uncalled for. I asked the bartender if they were for real, and all he could say was, “well, they’re up there… it doesn’t get much more real than that.”. Agreed.
After that monstrosity, this cute trio that reminded me of TLC busted out two great songs, only to hurry off stage after finishing. It was a refreshing sound after that nonsense from before; but I would have liked to have heard more. No matter… by that time, I wanted my Mother Gem more than ever.
Then… the gold one herself took the stage. Now, I have seen her videos and heard some of her songs, but I had no idea the show that Leslie Hall puts on. Flanked by her accomplices, the LYs, she grooved and jammed for over an hour. It was amazing.
People in the audience called out for Leslie, myself included, and she gave us a feast of beats, rhythms, lady jams, and scissor kicks. She fucking performed the hell out of everything she did, and was completely hilarious and amazing throughout. I don’t know if I have ever had that much fun; seriously.
After the show, she greeted fans, and signed autographs. I got bunches of pictures of both the concert, and the after meet and greet. (click on the photo to go to flickr, and see what you missed out on…). I ended up getting both of her CDs at the show, and I must say that have been lapping up the jams all day.
You must do yourself a favor and see the mother gem herself, Leslie Hall, when she comes to a town near you. She is a goddess, and she is coming for you… I myself cannot WAIT until she comes back my way. SHAZAM! SHE IS GLAMOROUS!
So I mentioned it, but didn’t really elaborate on it, but our floors are now fixed. We have had issues with our floors since we bought this house, mostly due to crooked contractors and a not-so-truthful home inspector. Well, we had re-supported them in the past, but the office was just getting worse and worse, so we decided to rip up the floors and start from scratch.
This week, they came in, and built new joists in all of the affected rooms under the existing floor, but the office was so bad, that they had to literally start over. The floors were ripped out, and new joists were built and a new subfloor was laid. Needless to say, it has been a very stressful experience. What’s interesting, is just how bad the floor was… the joists that were holding up the floor were not even attached in some parts, and were literally a ticking time bomb; it was only a matter of time before someone fell through. I am glad that we took care of it sooner rather than later.
We have been talking about what kind of floor we want to do in the office, and James seems to think that we can put in hardwoods ourself, so reluctantly, I am going along for the ride. I am excited, however, that we are going to paint the office a new, more interesting color, and that we will be getting hardwoods in a room to add value to our house. Let’s hope that it is as “easy” to install as the directions indicate (seriously though, they make it sound easier that tile installation; which we have done successfully in the past).
I have been without my desktop since they tore out the floor in the office earlier this week, so I haven’t been able to get any of the pictures of the devastation up on flickr, but I am going to try and rectify that soon; since we we be having a subfloor and nothing else, I might as well set up my computer so I can use it.
Oh well… home renovation can be very stressful, but the end result is always welcome!!! Stay tuned for more updates, and hopefully, some pictures to see the progress!!! Wish us luck… and PATIENCE. We are going to need it!
First of all, let me apologize for two things: one, I am still in a music lull, and haven’t really found that many new things to share with you. Second, we had the floors in our office torn out and replaced this week, and as such, I am without my computer, so even the few things I could have shared are locked on my unplugged computer. No matter though, I still have five songs for ya, and regardless if they are new or old, they are at least something for you to check out!
Hayden – Bad As They Seem
I booked tickets to see the upcoming Feist show at the Tabernacle, and I was pleased to see a name I hadn’t seen in YEARS. apparently, Hayden is opening for her, and for those that don’t know Hayden, this is the first song of his that I ever heard. When I was in high school, we had a satellite, but not cable, and at the time, Much Music was the music channel that we got (instead of MTV). As such, I got to know several Canadian acts (like Our Lady Peace), and Hayden was one of them. I used to have a couple of his CDs, but they fell victim to that crazy period where I thought I should get rid of everything that I wasn’t listening to on repeat. I downloaded his most recent CD last week in order to see if I still liked him (and to get ready for seeing him with Feist), and I have been pleased with what I have heard. I can’t find a video of anything new, but if this song sounds good to you, you should check him out. He reminds me a lot of Ray LaMontagne with his darker, more somber folk, but I quite like what I have heard, and I am glad to have been reacquainted with this old favorite.
Nicole Atkins – Neptune City
Now, those of you that pay attention will notice that this isn’t the first time that I have mentioned Ms. Atkins, but to be honest, she is deserved of more attention, IMHO. I randomly popped her CD into my car player this morning, and I was instantly reminded why I sang such high praises for her initially; I really love her sound. So, what better song to include today? This one has a strange-ish video, but it is definitely a beautiful song. I love her voice so much, as it sounds like it is from another era. She sounds so weathered and has this professional quality to her that I just adore. Be sure to check out her CD, which made my top 31 of 2007; because it’s great.
From the Movie Across The Universe – Let It Be
Wow. I watched Across the Universe last night, the movie-musical that uses Beatles songs to tell the story, and I was simply and utterly blown away by the arrangement in this gospel re-tooling of Let It Be. It is already an amazingly emotional song, and paired with the visuals, and the powerful singing that they used in the movie version, it is hard not to get a little tear in your eye when you watch it. I loved a lot of the versions of the Beatles hits that they used in the movie, and I would definitely recommend seeing it if you are fan of musicals. A very interesting movie with some great remakes of great old songs. Just a note, there is some graphic violence in this video, so just be warned.
Bjork – Declare Independence
This next song is a bit of a weird one, which, if you know Bjork, pretty much goes without saying. It is off of her most recent album, Volta, which is definitely good, but didn’t hook me in the way that I thought it would. While I really love the album, there are a few songs that distracted me, and as such, my attention wavered. However, recently, I randomly saw this video, and was again, impressed by Bjork’s ability to not only craft some amazing music, but she also has this uncanny ability to use video to take it to the next level. This is one of those songs that the video takes it totally to another plain; I absolutely LOVE this video, and I believe that it is almost necessary for the song. It is inventive, and moving. It totally captures the call to “declare independence”, and really does it well. Bjork may be a little misunderstood, even by me, but there are some times where she totally nails it for me, and this is one of those times.
Janet – Feedback
Since her CD leaked this week, I figured it would be appropriate to post this naughty little pleasure of mine. I will admit that I wasn’t impressed at all when I first heard this song, but it has REALLY grown on me. It is quite a nice little dance number, and the video is just so weird that I couldn’t avoid posting it too! I have hopes that the album is good (she has had some stunners and some duds in her past), and if it is anything like Feedback, I am sure that it will grow on me. I do have to mention, that perhaps my FAVORITE thing about the video is how she is all Mario Galaxy at the beginning. Maybe Janet should make a deal with Nintendo? Either way, this is a guilty pleasure of the moment, for sure.
Well, that was interesting! I can’t believe that I pulled that out of my hat! I hope you enjoyed this week’s five song Friday; there are some great ones in there! Hope everyone has a great weekend!
I was going to write a product praise post today, but I have decided to instead focus on a very important word: consideration.
It is a small word, but it has huge implications. In a relationship, a strong bond of communication and the continual use of consideration are paramount.
But consider this… small lapses in judgment that occur more often than not, that continually challenge your partner’s belief that you actually consider them. What do you want to do to make it better? Do you simply apologize, and hope that he can understand that you acted without thinking (again)? What if he doesn’t want an apology, because he knows that it will only be followed by future apologies?
I just wish that I was near the top of the list. I don’t have to be number one, but I do need to be on the list. I want to be considered, and more than just an after thought. I don’t mind mistakes, and I can handle a misstep here and there, but continually asserting that consideration is being utilized, while example after example of it being missing are being presented, just isn’t going to get better with a simple I’m sorry.
You actually have to want to change. I want to be more considerate, because I know that I am far from perfect myself; but I hope that you do too.
Why do relationships have to be so hard sometimes? If there are any solutions that are out there, I am all ears.
Tonight’s APWBWGTTD was a lot of fun. It was cool meeting Brody, and talking with him, Barry, and Rebekah most of the night (as well as everyone else, who’s names I am surely forgetting… sorry)! I, for one, am super glad that APWBWGTTD has been resurrected. I really need to start getting out again; it has been far too long, and I have become far less social. Here’s to trying to get out more!
It isn’t often that I come across a product that is so amazing, and wonderful, that I feel the need to go on and on about it. However, that is the case with 
