Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
My Life (In 200 Words)
Today, I woke up to look for tickets to a WWE event coming here to New Orleans via Ticketmaster.com. Why? Because I enjoy wrestling. Do I watch it every week? No, matter of fact, it usually seems boring (it's not like I can't watch nearly everyday if I really wanted to see it). Wrestling is as popular today as it ever has been, and yet, I long for the wrestling of the 1980's. Not because it was better per say, actually, it was a little cheesier. I just miss it. I was a child then and now I'm almost old. I rented old wrestling tapes just to get the feeling I felt then. It didn't work. I loved watching my hero, Hulk Hogan, rule the ring and always win against the bad guy. I can even still watch him (he just inked a deal with the wrestling organization Total Nonstop Action); but at 56, Terry Bollea wrestling just makes me feel bad for him. I don't care, he can do what he wants. I just don't feel certain things that I felt like I kid. Some days, feeling like a kid again would be the greatest thing I could feel.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Saturday, October 31, 2009
No Freaking Way!
The greater New Orleans area gets sublime shopping events periodically. None of which is greater than the Friends of Jefferson Parrish Public Library semi-annual book sale.
I was quite fortunate to be able to purchase the greatest selling album of all time on vinyl for a mere two American dollars. Michael Jackson - "Thriller"
It's a great record, no doubt. But the more I hear it, there is no way any other pop record beats what Rolling Stone Magazine called the "Greatest Album of All-Time": The Beatles - "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
Sorry Michael.
I was quite fortunate to be able to purchase the greatest selling album of all time on vinyl for a mere two American dollars. Michael Jackson - "Thriller"
It's a great record, no doubt. But the more I hear it, there is no way any other pop record beats what Rolling Stone Magazine called the "Greatest Album of All-Time": The Beatles - "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
Sorry Michael.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
David Bazan and the Quest for Truth
As much as I'd like to write a biting piece about the brilliance with which David Bazan writes and performs his songs, I do not have the time to do so. I do, however, recommend anyone wanting to know more about the song-stylist to read this article about his new album (Curse Your Branches) and why he is no longer into Theism:
Bazan (cont'd): I left church with the question in my mind — "Does God pursue us?" This was in like 2002. I thought, "OK, I understand the Gospel, but I want to find out if God pursues us." It's a very Calvinistic, God-sovereign idea. And I thought, "If this is real, if Christianity is real, I need to feel some kind of intrinsic motivation." There's this bullshit parable about a pastor who goes to a guy's house who's stopped attending church. The guy has a fire going, and so the pastor picks up with the little tongs a lump of coal, and puts it on the end of the hearth. And so they're talking and the pastor asks "Why aren't you going to church?" The guy says, "Oh, I'm just reading the Bible on my own." And so the pastor refers back to the coal that has since burned out, because it wasn’t close to the fire. And I just thought, "If there's a real mystical energy that’s coming from this being, from this belief, then the coal just has to keep burning regardless. The surrounding coals can't be the driving force keeping it alive." And when I realized that, I thought "My gosh, I've been making profound assumptions my entire life that need to be examined before I move forward." And that was basically it.
I mean, for me, I just want to get some distance. I mean, is it OK for a guy just to get some real distance? It takes years to do this. And in Christianity, the answer is, "No, because if you die tonight …" Even in C.S. Lewis's The Great Divorce, he talks about how timeline-obsessed Christians are. Christianity builds in all these motivators — you've got to figure it out now, you don't have the time. And that was one of the first things that I rejected.
[*Link to the full article by clicking the quote.]
Bazan (cont'd): I left church with the question in my mind — "Does God pursue us?" This was in like 2002. I thought, "OK, I understand the Gospel, but I want to find out if God pursues us." It's a very Calvinistic, God-sovereign idea. And I thought, "If this is real, if Christianity is real, I need to feel some kind of intrinsic motivation." There's this bullshit parable about a pastor who goes to a guy's house who's stopped attending church. The guy has a fire going, and so the pastor picks up with the little tongs a lump of coal, and puts it on the end of the hearth. And so they're talking and the pastor asks "Why aren't you going to church?" The guy says, "Oh, I'm just reading the Bible on my own." And so the pastor refers back to the coal that has since burned out, because it wasn’t close to the fire. And I just thought, "If there's a real mystical energy that’s coming from this being, from this belief, then the coal just has to keep burning regardless. The surrounding coals can't be the driving force keeping it alive." And when I realized that, I thought "My gosh, I've been making profound assumptions my entire life that need to be examined before I move forward." And that was basically it.
I mean, for me, I just want to get some distance. I mean, is it OK for a guy just to get some real distance? It takes years to do this. And in Christianity, the answer is, "No, because if you die tonight …" Even in C.S. Lewis's The Great Divorce, he talks about how timeline-obsessed Christians are. Christianity builds in all these motivators — you've got to figure it out now, you don't have the time. And that was one of the first things that I rejected.
[*Link to the full article by clicking the quote.]
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Thursday, October 01, 2009
And I think, could I do this?
http://www.babble.com/CS/blogs/strollerderby/archive/2008/04/01/6-Ways-to-Sell-Your-Baby.aspx
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Why Kanye West Is a D-bag
I hate to write about this, but apparently the entire world is stunned at Kanye West's comments to Taylor Swift after she won the ever-so relevant MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video this past Sunday evening. Why? He constantly talks out of his ass. He is an ass! West proceeded to get on stage, grab the microphone from Swift and interrupted her acceptance speech with, "I'm sorry, but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time."
Really, did Kanye even watch that crap? She's shaking her ass in leotard for that stupid "if you liked it you should've put a ring on it" song. I suppose if it was a better or perhaps more innovative video, his insertion might have been valid. Yet, that video seems like it would cost no more money to make than any other video being played today. There is not anything original about it. Trust me, I've seen it. Don't get me wrong, I get why he likes it. Beyoncé is hot; the video is hot. Perhaps she even has some musical ability, but for Kanye West to say that video is one of the best of all time is just asinine. And what's worse is he had to say it during Taylor Swift's speech! That is why Kanye West is a d-bag.
Even on his blog, although he apologized which garners him a little redemption, he still spewed his crap to his musically clueless fans (yeah, that's right, if you buy his records, you have been duped):
"Beyoncé's video was the best of this decade!!!! I'm sorry to my fans if I let you guys down!!!! I'm sorry to my friends at MTV. I will apologize to Taylor 2mrw," West continued on his blog. "Welcome to the real world!!!! Everybody wanna booooo me but I'm a fan of real pop culture!!! No disrespect but we watchin' the show at the crib right now cause...well you know!!!! I'm still happy for Taylor!!!! Boooyaaawwww!!!! You are very very talented!!! I gave my awards to Outkast when they deserved it over me...That's what it is!!!!!!! I'm not crazy y'all, i'm just real. Sorry for that!!! I really feel bad for Taylor and I'm sincerely sorry!!! Much respect!!!!!"
That video is so basic, there isn't any basis for his comments. He is obviously biased toward his friend. And he claims to be real? What the hell does that have to do with anything? What's good is good. I don't recall if Kanye won any awards last night, but I'm glad he did not. Perhaps he might deserve one for a video he did this year. But because he is suck a dick, I wish him very little success.
I sound bitter, I know. I'm just annoyed that people revere a guy who seems like such a prick.
The story and picture can be found at Billboard.com
Really, did Kanye even watch that crap? She's shaking her ass in leotard for that stupid "if you liked it you should've put a ring on it" song. I suppose if it was a better or perhaps more innovative video, his insertion might have been valid. Yet, that video seems like it would cost no more money to make than any other video being played today. There is not anything original about it. Trust me, I've seen it. Don't get me wrong, I get why he likes it. Beyoncé is hot; the video is hot. Perhaps she even has some musical ability, but for Kanye West to say that video is one of the best of all time is just asinine. And what's worse is he had to say it during Taylor Swift's speech! That is why Kanye West is a d-bag.
Even on his blog, although he apologized which garners him a little redemption, he still spewed his crap to his musically clueless fans (yeah, that's right, if you buy his records, you have been duped):
"Beyoncé's video was the best of this decade!!!! I'm sorry to my fans if I let you guys down!!!! I'm sorry to my friends at MTV. I will apologize to Taylor 2mrw," West continued on his blog. "Welcome to the real world!!!! Everybody wanna booooo me but I'm a fan of real pop culture!!! No disrespect but we watchin' the show at the crib right now cause...well you know!!!! I'm still happy for Taylor!!!! Boooyaaawwww!!!! You are very very talented!!! I gave my awards to Outkast when they deserved it over me...That's what it is!!!!!!! I'm not crazy y'all, i'm just real. Sorry for that!!! I really feel bad for Taylor and I'm sincerely sorry!!! Much respect!!!!!"
That video is so basic, there isn't any basis for his comments. He is obviously biased toward his friend. And he claims to be real? What the hell does that have to do with anything? What's good is good. I don't recall if Kanye won any awards last night, but I'm glad he did not. Perhaps he might deserve one for a video he did this year. But because he is suck a dick, I wish him very little success.
I sound bitter, I know. I'm just annoyed that people revere a guy who seems like such a prick.
The story and picture can be found at Billboard.com
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