Tag: wtf?!

is it just me?, listen up!, mixed media, music musings, well?, wtf?!

for some, believing clearly isn’t enough…

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Let me start this post by saying that I generally love the UK’s X-factor; after all, they gave me one of the loves of my life, Mr. Shayne Ward. Not only that, they followed him with the amazing Leona Lewis, who’s Bleeding Love is a song that I still have in heavy rotation; months after I initially heard it. However, with all that good, there too can come some bad. Even though I heard that this year’s winner Leon Jackson was to cover When You Believe, the amazing song from the Prince of Egypt that was originally sung by none other than the divas Mariah and Whitney, I had somehow avoided hearing his version, that is, until recently. It came on U-Pop the other day, and I listened, in order to hear the magnificence that the UK had chosen to win X-Factor. Instead of being impressed, I was horrified.

Not only does he clearly lack the same level of talent that Shayne and Leona possess, but his singing voice doesn’t even seem to be at a level higher than amateur. Not to be mean to the poor kid, but seriously, this is just a bad cover of an otherwise great song.

This brings me to my other gripe: Whomever chose When You Believe as the song that the winner would sing is either a sadist, or just an asshole; because if you are going to do a song that Mariah and Whitney did beautifully, the only way to do it successfully, is to do it better (which that, in and of itself, would be a difficult task indeed). Even without the powerhouse divas singing the original, what on earth were they thinking handing this enormous song to an “undiscovered talent”? Wow. To me, this is just a recipe for disaster, and makes a situation that only sheer luck could bail them out of. Unfortunately, the likable, and in my opinion, much more talented brother-sister group Same Difference did NOT win X-Factor, so we cannot know whether or not their version of the song would be superior to Leon’s; but one thing I do know, is that his version is almost un-listenable. But don’t just take my word for it, see (or rather, hear) for yourself.

First, I give you the Mariah and Whitney version; which is in my opinion, a flawless pop song. It is well written, and their voices compliment each other beautifully. Also, need I even mention that it is fucking Mariah and Whitney, which again, begs to question why one would ever try to cover something that big, unless they KNOW for certain they can do it better?


Now, check out Leon’s version of When You Believe (sorry, but the real video can’t be embedded). I can’t believe they went there, to be honest. I guess it is a little like Leona’s version of A Moment Like This (which is quite terrible as well, but she has managed to distance herself from it quite well), if you have heard a superior version of the song several years in advance of some practical nobody doing a sub-par version of it, what is the fucking point of them doing it at all? There are TONS of songs out there he could have covered; so why this one?


Oh well, we can never know what prompts these producers to rehash the same pop trinkets on other shores, but I can hope that future incarnations of shows like X-Factor, and even the dwindling American Idol, can manage to pull out some better songs, suited for the potential winners. If they are going to stick with sending these poor singers out there with rehashed, sub-par covers, can they at least pick some songs that they would be better suited for? Clearly, in this case, that did not happen at all. I just don’t think that we should have more tragedies like this one, littering the airwaves, and making my ears cringe when I hear them. Clearly, believing that you can sing the song better does not mean that you actually can. Poor Leon…

is it just me?, listen up!, music musings, well?, wtf?!

there’s differing music tastes, and then there’s…

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Okay, so I may be the only one that doesn’t “get it”, but is M.I.A (and other artists like her… are there any?) serious? I wonder this, because her second CD was recently listed as the number one of the year by Rolling Stone magazine. Seriously? Have they heard it? Because every single thing I have heard from her is truly awful. When I first heard of her a couple of years ago, I seriously thought that it was a farce; I thought that she was doing an act, and sounding like shit was the punchline (or worse: is she making fun of the cultural music that she is so poorly imitating?). I am further convinced that it is all one big joke, by the amazing eye-raping that you get when you go to her website (don’t say I didn’t warn you. ouch!). What freaks me out the most, though, is that regardless of whether or not she is doing this seriously, is that people really see it is something great. I just don’t understand it. Am I missing something?

I wonder this, because my taste in music varies widely; I love folk, pop, rock, jazz, hip hop, dance, and to be quite frank, I would say that I can find something that I like in practically (not really much in the realm of rap) every genera of music. Sure, there is a lot of stuff out there that I don’t like, which is natural, and usually, I can see why someone else might like it, where I do not. That being said, rarely do I think to myself, “now how on earth could ANYONE listen to this, it’s awful!”, when I hear something. Usually, I just think, “well, that’s not for me; it sounds pretty bad to me“. On those rare instances where I do have the first thought, the accompanying music almost always comes from a completely obscure artist, and not from someone that would ever make a end of the year top albums list. Also, said artist that freaks me out by their awfulness, usually has no redeemable songs that would ever make me think otherwise; I try to give everything a chance, and sometimes, more than one chance.

Take LCD Soundsystem for instance. I LOVE that song Tribulations. It is fucking amazing. It blew my mind when I heard it, and I literally played it on repeat like 67 times in a row. However, the rest of the stuff that they have isn’t my cup of tea; in fact, to me, most of it is quite bad. Yet, they tend to be heralded in a similar way that M.I.A. is. However, the praise that is heaped on them makes more sense to me, because of the redemption that comes from that song Tribulations, because I can see the brilliance in it.

M.I.A. has no redemption for me; there is nothing that I have heard from her that could be considered good. In fact, there isn’t anything from her that I even consider to be serious; like I said, I sincerely think the whole thing is a farce. Yet, I know people that love her, and heap praise on her. I. Just. Don’t. Get. It.

Perhaps, one day, she will come out and say that this whole thing truly is a farce, and will get a big laugh at those that fell so hard for her. If that did happen, that could be my redemption for M.I.A. Until that time comes (which isn’t likely, because she is probably serious), I will still be standing here, scratching my head, wondering how in the hell people consider that good, let alone good music.

Are there any artists out there that make you scratch your head, wondering what in the hell other people hear, when all you hear is a complete offense on the eardrum? I can’t be alone in my thinking here. Thoughts?

"pointless", mixed media, music musings, the catch-all-egory, venting, wtf?!

damn you itunes!!!

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Yesterday, iTunes decided that it would delete ALL of my playlists.

ALL of them.

So, last night, I took a good 4 hours to back up over 16gb of music, and to remake every one of my playlists. It took forever. Sometimes, computer programs really have a mind of their own; I just hope that it doesn’t decide that it doesn’t want my playlists again, or I might find another program to use for managing my music.

Sort it out, iTunes!

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we regret that we must now interupt your regularly scheduled blogpost…

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For whatever reason, I have been “in it” again lately.

I actually stayed home sick from work yesterday, and slept until 5:30pm. It still blows my mind that I could sleep all night and all day. I feel like Rip Van Winkle, without the silly long beard. I feel better today, and I am glad that I took the sick time… but it is definitely reflective of how I feel lately.

I am fed up with my classes. My statistics professor apparently would rather trick us, rather than actually quiz us on what we are studying. That is the only explanation that I have for her behavior, and method of asking questions on information that is not covered. Additionally, my absent anatomy teacher is frustrating, but not something I am really complaining about… less fuss if you ask me. I just don’t want trickery on tests; which would be my complaint. Overall, my first semester back in college has been a weird one. It is going to be a long road. I have already registered for next semester, and I hope to god it is much better than this one was.

Speaking of God… apparently, praying for rain the night before the weather service calls for rain makes it rain. Cool. Perhaps I shall pray for the sky to be blue tomorrow, or for air to have oxygen in it. Maybe that’s how we should do all government things… just pray for what we already know is going to happen, and then be like, “See! God is listening! Pray some more, and everything will be right as rain!”. Gah… what a douche you are, Sonny. It is just frustrating that people like him have so much money and power.

Other than the rain, I would like to thank God for my ipod, and just music in general, because without it, I would truly be lost. That, and the fact that my new DVD player plays region 2 DVDs… I am loving Spaced so much right now. Also, I am really looking forward to my 31 days of music in December. I am really enjoying getting my 31 CDs ready for the list, and I hope that everyone will find at least something to enjoy.

Hope you are all well out there in blogland… I’ll see you tomorrow for your 5SF. Take care!

listen up!, venting, well?

so yeah…

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If when arguing with someone, and you say something completely batshit crazy, and they say, hey, that’s completely batshit crazy, and then you resort to referring to the fact that they are struggling with depression as some sort of counter crazy argument, that pretty much makes you an asshole. It really highlights the fact that when you are wrong, and someone says that you are wrong, even if that person says it in a pissed off way, the only way you can make yourself feel better is to bring the other person down in the lowest way you can think of. That’s pretty pathetic if you ask me. I’ll admit that I say things pretty strongly, and sometimes out of anger, but I don’t attack people’s genuine medical issues. I’m just saying.

If you want to argue, argue the issues. If you think that I am wrong, tell me why, and back up your claim; don’t attack my depression, and say that I am crazy because I am depressed. Doing so makes you look like an insensitive asshole. But, perhaps that is what you are going for… who knows. All I know, is that I don’t have to put up with it. And, this may be news to you, but, believe it or not, A LOT of people agree with my views. In fact, we like to call them facts. If you don’t like that, go back to putting your head in the sand. Darling, frankly, I don’t give a damn.

(yes, I know that the person that I am talking about will read this, and probably have something smart assy to say, but like I said, it shows your true colors, man, and if that’s what you want for yourself, bring it.)

is it just me?, listen up!, politics, venting, well?

New Orleans, Kansas, and another veto?

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Apparently, Bush has gone out to visit Kansas today, specifically to check out the destruction that occurred in that small town that was pretty much wiped off the face of the earth. While I do feel bad for the people that were affected in this small town of 1600, one question just keeps poking at my brain; have we completely forgotten about New Orleans?? I mean, Katrina displaced and killed a hell of a lot more people, and in many parts of the city, the place is still the equivalent of a third world country! Where is the priority to restore their utilities, homes, businesses, schools, lives, etc? There are still people living in used FEMA trailers for crying out loud!!! I am all for helping the people in Kansas, but I can’t believe that this outcry of attention to rush to their aid hasn’t at least sparked some attention at the complete opposite way Katrina was, and is still being, handled. I would like to see some more light shined on that “little” problem we seem so happy to forget about and sweep under the carpet. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, really, considering these are the actions of a sociopath we are talking about. I just wish things could be different, for this country. Is that too much to ask, Mr. Bush?

Additionally, I read that Tony Snow has already said that Mr. Bush is already planning to veto the newly revised bill the Congress and the House are working on. WTF, you asshole? Remember, you said you would compromise!? This just proves that what I have said all along is 100% correct: you are not willing to compromise. You have your own set of priorities, and you don’t care at all what anyone else says, you want us in Iraq forever. What’s worse, is that you, Mr. President, DO NOT care about the troops, and you are a big, fat, stinking hypocrite!!!!! You accused the Democrats of politicking (they are politicians, remember?) with this bill, when you are doing the same thing. If you really support the troops, why not get your head out of your ASS, fly back to Washington, and actually represent this nation, Mr. President? The nation is speaking loudly, yet you continue to turn away and refuse to listen. This is so infuriating, to know that so many voted to give such an evil, vindictive, know-it-all so much power. Apparently, the goal of the Bush presidency was to do no good, and that is a goal that has definitely been achieved. I can’t imagine what those in Congress and the House are going through, because it is only so long that you can beat your head against a wall before your head starts to bleed. Ugh. Keep the fight, people!! He is definitely WRONG!

hmm interesting, is it just me?, mixed media, music musings, near and dear, that is so gay, the catch-all-egory

mismanaged monday meandering

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Alliteration, bitch, WHAT!?

So yeah, lots in my head today. Here we go.

  • I am still sort of reeling from the news that my friend is positive. He hasn’t told me, but I want to talk to him. Not sure of how to do that without seeming totally conspicuous. Perhaps I will use another friend as a contact. We’ll have to see where this goes.
  • I am not attracted to Ray Lamontagne at all (way too shaggy), but I definitely love him. His music is awesome. I am seriously all, Damien Rice who(?) now. HA!
  • I can’t believe that this article was written recently. Seriously, a checklist to see if your husband is gay? So basically, if your husband hates gay people, or, if he likes them and surround himself with gay people, he must be gay. Well, that is pretty much everyone, the gay haters, and the gay supporters; we must all be gay! WTF? I would like to believe that times are becoming more progressive, but people still holding these antiquated views of homosexuality really show that we have a long uphill battle ahead. Now, while I am sure that it is very difficult for a woman to discover that she is married to a gay man, I don’t like that the gay men are painted as some sort of predatory manipulator that is trying to take advantage of the marriage situation, just to make himself feel better (without regard for his wife’s feelings). That is just BS, and we all know it (at least, we should). Being gay is hard, and admitting it and living it is even harder; but getting married because you aren’t okay with your homosexuality isn’t some sort of manipulation game you are playing with, it is obviously way more complex than that. I just can’t believe that there is a checklist that reinforces all of those stupid stereotypes. Ugh, I would like to think that we are normalizing homosexuality, but things like this are just creating more stigma. Bleck.
  • I really don’t know how I feel about this. I mean, it is good that Barbara Walters is bring attention to something that really goes unnoticed (that is, until someone is beaten to death because they are transgendered) and something that is utterly shunned, but I don’t know what the impact on these kids will be. First of all, a HUGE kudos to the parents who support their children; I hate those so-called Christians that throw their children out because they didn’t come out exactly like “God made them”, i.e. “normal”. At least there are parents who are supporting their children. I guess my concern, is that exposure as transsexual really does put them at risk for those nutsos that really would want to beat them to death for who they are. I just have hope that people can change, you know? I just want the world to be more tolerant; is that so much to ask? Until the answer to that question is a resounding ‘no’, I will be concerned for people that deal with situations like being transgendered, and even for those that have the unfortunate circumstance of being gay in a very homophobic area. Be careful!
  • I painted two paintings last night. I think that it is definitely one of the first times I have painted something, and was very pleased with the initial results. It came out exactly as I imagined, and I haven’t second guessed the project at all. I am kind of floored with my lack of criticism, to be quite honest. I will put some pictures up, hopefully this afternoon. I can’t wait to hang them up!! It also reminds me of my utter wish that I could do creative things for a living… but alas, I do live in the real world, not the dream world where I get to do things I enjoy for a living…
  • Finally, a HUGE WTF for this story. I mean seriously… not one spider, but TWO SPIDERS were living in this kid’s ear. That freaks me the fuck out. My grandma was just telling me the other day that she cleaned out her boyfriend’s ears, and got a pea-sized amount of wax out (EW!) because he NEVER cleans them. WTF?! I am very weird about stuff in my ear, and I am just shivering thinking about a spider being in there. Yikes!

Yeah, so um, yeah. That’s what’s going on with me right now. How about you?

is it just me?, listen up!, politics, venting, well?

democrats, you caved too soon

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UPDATE: Perhaps I spoke too soon… Either way, they need a good continual reminder to stay strong. Rock the house Pelosi!

First of all, the Democrats need to grow some balls. I can’t fucking believe that they went through the whole process of proving a point by putting the time line requirement in that bill, only to drop it when Bush vetoed it. WTF?

Democrats! Listen up! You are our voice! So stop slinking back into the corner when big bad Bush says no! You should have sent the exact same bill back to his ass, and said, HERE is our compromise. In fact, they should have tacked on a few more million dollars for the troops, and then sent it back; that would prove the point that this isn’t about the money for the troops, it is about ending this war. Point is, it doesn’t even matter about this bill, as there is funding for the war through at least July; this is a supplemental bill. If the Bush administration wanted the troops to have the things this bill allocates, it would have been in the national budget that he sent to congress for this year. It wasn’t, hence the need for said bill.

Now, I want to say this to the congressional and senatorial democrats: You need to stand up for the politics you believe in, and stop letting Bush walk all over this country. I am appalled that they caved so quickly.

I am, however, trying to cling to the tiny bit of hope that by trying to sneak in different requirements, and actually require that a real plan for ending the war be developed, they are still focused and unwavering in the conviction necessary to end the war. Additionally, these requirements will hopefully stop people from reusing this “we can’t pull out, it would be disaster!” nonsense, as a slightly different plan will be in place. I am not happy that we are settling for “benchmarks” and requirements to report back to Congress as an alternative to getting the fuck out of there, because frankly, it doesn’t matter how long we stick around; the democracy we are shoving down their throats is not going to take unless THEY develop and accept it. We cannot continue killing their people and policing their civil war, and truly expect them to have an epiphany one afternoon and start being democratic. I am, however, truly excited to see that there are democrats and republicans starting to come together and work together on this. THAT is progress; even if it isn’t the level of progress I would like to see.

If the thing that needs to happen is that Iraq needs to be split into different factions, regions, states, or even countries, it is something that they have to work out. We can provide them the help, money, support, etc. that they need, but we cannot truly expect them to take it or for them to change if we occupy their country, and continue fueling a civil war.

I am so sick of this bullshit. I wish that all of this would have never happened. I wish Al Gore would have actually been able to take the presidency he won. Perhaps we would be in a totally different state of being right now; but unfortunately, that is moot. The fact is, that we need to accept that things have gone batshit crazy, come up with a plan to get the fuck out, and GET THE FUCK OUT OF IRAQ. Pussyfooting around and playing politics (BOTH SIDES), is obviously doing more backpedaling than anything, and it needs to stop. Regardless of what is going on in DC, we are still at war with Iraq (and WHY?!). Every day that this war goes on is a day wasted. And it is getting really, really old.

hmm interesting, is it just me?, listen up!, politics, well?

funding vs. veto: where to really point your finger

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Mr. Bush, if you veto a FUNDING bill, then YOU are the one that is denying the troops funding. The bill is giving them money, and for that money to forward, YOU have to okay it. Since you haven’t come up with any plan other than “this is unacceptable” and “we aren’t leaving”, I suggest that you realize how hypocritical it is for you to continually say you support the troops when you take actions like this. The blame for the troops not getting the funding they need, and are being offered by the Congress, lies solely on your Mr. President. Your veto is a strong statement; it says loud and clear that you cannot accept responsibility for anything as complicated as rational thought and rational decision making, and that you, above all, do not support the troops, and do not want to give them the funding they need and deserve. Passing the buck here isn’t going to work. (link)

I for one hope that Congress doesn’t back down. I say, that if Bush does veto it, then that’s fine, just make sure that people realize that he had a funding bill sitting in front of him, one that would have given the troops the funding they needed, and he turned it down. HE turned it down. Ridiculous. But then, so too is the logic these people use, right? I for one am sick of this mess. Either give them the funding they need, and be realistic and realize that the American people want to actually get out of Iraq, or be your usual “head in the sand”-self, and pretend that you are the “decider”. I just hope that this time, credit is given where credit is due, and this isn’t blamed on the Democrats (who, again, are offering funding). Offering a funding mechanism that the President turns up his nose to and refuses is NOT taking money away from the troops, at least, not on the part of those offering up the dough. THIS JUST IN… Apparently, Bill O’Reilly is the voice of those idiots I was speaking of, that think that this has anything to do with the Democrats “holding up funding”:

Americans fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan are caught in the middle of a nasty political brawl between President Bush and the Democratic party. Democrats led by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Speaker Nancy Pelosi want a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq. The president says that’s a foolish military strategy and will not do it, so the Democrats are holding up military funding. (source… I know it is hard to link fauxnews, but that’s where the idiocracy is…)

Hey Bill, sweetness, um, Bush is holding up the funding, the Democrats are trying to give them the money. And it isn’t just the Democrats, it is the Congress. Be a peach and gain some perspective, mmmkay?
Also, this is hilarious how completely daft these people are:

Harry Reid is wrong to force a timetable and try to cut funding at this moment. He and Speaker Pelosi are putting American troops in a very bad position.

Can anyone explain to me how PROPOSING FUNDING is CUTTING IT? Or better yet, how it is DENYING funds??? Wow. Can’t. See. Past. Own. Bullshit. Wow, we really do have a long way to go if these are the people that are running the world. Perhaps there needs to be another “i” and one less “n” in running… (ruining anyone)?

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300, daylight savings time, flickr musings, and one BRIEF word about AI

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First of all, 300 opens today, and I want to start by saying that I have been waiting for this movie since I heard it was even being made. Needless to say (not to say how it happened, or when I have seen it… tee hee hee), I was completely blown away. The visuals are visceral and intense. The bodies of the men and women in this movie go beyond toned, and into the realm of sculpture. The acting is top notch, and the cinematography is at a minimum breath taking. This movie truly is an orgy for the eyes. The fighting and the special effects used in this movie put much of the other stuff I have seen to shame. I also find it completely fascinating that this is loosely based on a real battle, the Battle of Thermopylae, where king Leonidas, king of Sparta stood to protect his people. These men held an amazing level of courage and insane sense of loyalty, if you ask me, and it is eloquently portrayed in this film. As someone who loved Sin City, knowing that this was based on (as well as worked on by him as well) Frank Miller’s graphic novels of the same title, I was not only excited to see this, I was extremely pleased that the movie delivered, and I loved what I saw. Frank Miller is a force to be reckoned with, and if this is the type of thing we can expect from his projects in the future, I commit to have my eyes and ears peeled to whatever move he makes next. 300 is everything I hoped it could be, and more. The actors are beautiful (seriously, Gerard Butler is hot, but in 300? I mean, goddamn. And you lesbians… Uh, Lena Headey? WOW! She also wins the award for women’s lib in this movie). The fighting is epic. The special effects are unreal. The movie, is a beautiful triumph. Full 6 out of 6 stars (, folks; this one is NOT to be missed. You MUST see this in the theaters for yourself. This is what movies should be like. Wow.

Daylight savings time (DST)… seriously… Why do we do that anymore? I know, I know, gain an hour of daylight in the evening, shift it in the morning later in the year; but based on the headache that it is causing a lot of people this year, I ask, what is the point? There has been a criticism of the importance of this practice since its inception, and I just wonder if this criticism deserves more investigation. I for one don’t think that it serves much of a purpose, because it is really only one hour. Eventually, the day grows longer or shorter, regardless if time jumps forward or backward that one hour. So why worry about it?

Also, I wanted to put the word out, that I created a flickr group called Holy Cow!!!, and hope that you will join me. Now, I usually don’t get that excited about flickr groups and whatnot, but I am excited about this, because I came up with idea, basically, because of the lack of such a group. I think that it is cool to have a flickr group where we can put photos that we find astonishing, and even post those of our own that make us go “holy cow!” when we see them! Isn’t that fun? If you aren’t a member of the group, now’s your chance, go here and join up! I want to see how many people and how many awesome photos we can get involved.

Finally, and I promise this will be brief; HOW IN THE FUCK did Sanjaya Malakar make it into the top 12??!?!?!? I am serious people, I am not trying to be mean to the kid, but he can’t hold a candle to anyone on the show. If you don’t care about American Idol, please disregard this vent, and go on with your day. Thank you.

Well, that’s about it for me. Have a good weekend everyone! I am going to see 300 again tomorrow! You should too!