New Post

So Monday, I started writing a post that detailed the events of The 81st Oscars. Blueh. Boring. I never finished. Basically I talked about how sexy the host Hugh Jackman was, a posted a link to THIS PICTURE and how he was Australian and how the other sexy Australian actor Russel Crowe apparently wasn't sexy anymore. Then I posted a link to THIS PICTURE in regard to russel crowe. It was supposed to be funny. it wasn't. Then i went on very long-windedly about the oscar nominees and winners and some such. basically the highlights of that were... um... I talked about how Penelope Cruz wasn't written off of 30 rock before her Oscar Nomination, which is good because Amy Adams was written off The Office a week before her Oscar Nomination last year and the The Office folks felt like sheep. SO: there is a huge blog condensed and highlighted in a paragraph. if anyone who didn't see the Oscars actually cares about the Oscars, there is infinitely better coverage ANYWHERE ELSE online. So go anywhere else.

The much more elegant, enlightened, thoughtful topic I want to talk about now is how weird I feel in the handicapped Bathroom stall. I went in one of those today, that what got me thinking. Every time I use one of them, I always wonder "what if a handicapped man actually needed to use the restroom while I was in it? He would think I was Politically incorrect. Or that I had no respect for his situation" He'd get pissed. When I'm in the stall, enjoyaing all the luxuries and open space, I always think about what i would say if I walked out of the stall and there was a man in a wheelchair just sitting and waiting, staring up at me with one of those faces. You know the ones! I also always imagined him tapping his foot, but that's probably unrealistic. I also always thingk he's gonna like, punch me, or beat me up, or axe me. But really, I obsess over it the whole time. It almost makes me want to use a differnt stall, and on occasion it has, but for the most part, if i see an open, large, luxurious, handicapped stall, I use it. With the other stalls, I feel so cramped (no pun intended) and also my knees hit both walls. I also feel like if there si some sort of disaster or some deranged post office worker comes with a gun, I will have a much lower chance of escaping if I'm in a cramped stall. I don't know why, but you can't honestly tell me you've never thought the same thing.
But anyway, I get out of the stall and the upset handicapped man is staring at me, tapping his foot or some such, and he says "So..." and I say " um, I'm sorry, I never thought I would actually meet you" and then he says "why not? there are plenty of us around"
ME: No! thats not it, I just...
HIM: you think they make those stall just so people like you can use them without hitting both your knees on the walls?
ME: no, sir, i just-
HIM: or maybe you think that we can fit just fine in the other stalls, hmm?
ME: well, no.. it's just, all the other stalls were full...

This would probably be my first excuse. But in actuality, it's a weak one, because odds are, the stalls weren't all full, and odds are he came in and saw that and knew full well they weren't full. And odds are that if I start off telling a lie, then he will never trust me.

HIM: No they weren't full. I came in just now and saw you shut the door-
ME: well, not full per-sey, but I feel weird sitting in a stall next to someone...
HIM: There was no-one else in here.

This would also probably be true because I spend most of my time in obscure parts of the
Gunther Trades building at night during rehearsals, so there probably would be no-one else there... including that stupid handicapped man (not stupid because he's handicapped, but just.. you know!)

ME: well, I mean, it's just really roomy in there, you know?
HIM: No, I don't, I spend all the extra room in there getting out of my wheelchair *cough* and taking off my leg braces *wheeze* and then remembering my dead puppy
ME:...oh, oops.
HIM: oops won't cut it buddy, I'm gonna axe you so good.
ME: oh... ummm... *runs away*

At this point I realize I can just run away and he can't catch me because he is in a wheelchair and he needs to go to the bathroom.

Abilify?

So today, I saw a commercial . for the Anti-depressant / Bi-polar medication 'Abilify.' Wow. What follows is an un-edited, exact transcript of the commercial that actually got aired on T.V. The first half of the commercial merely states that if your anti-depressant alone isn't enough, talk to your doctor about adding Abilify. Then they go straight into this, in the same sing-song, everything-is-going-to-be-alright tone of voice. But if one actually listens to the words, they will fast realize that everything, most definitely, is not going to be alright on Abilify.

"Call your doctor if your depressions worsens, you have unusual changes in mood or behavior, or have thoughts of suicide: Anti-depression medications can increase these in children, teens and young adults."
Okay, awesome. My depression medication will actually increase my risk of being depressed and committing suicide. But only if I'm a child, teen or young adult. at least there's still middle age and elderly.

"Elderly dementia patients taking Abilify have an increased chance of Death or stroke" So much for elderly.

"call your doctor if you have high fever, stiff muscles, and confusion while on Abilify, as these may be signs of a life-threatening reaction. Or uncontrollable muscle reaction, as these may be permanent."
wonderful! I get to take my depression medication, become more depressed, and then be permanently disfigured. hooray. I don't see any cons to this medication so far.

"high blood pressure has been reported with Abilify and medicines like it. And in rare cases increased blood pressure has lead to death or stroke."
Hang on, The medicine increases blood pressure, and the then increased blood pressure can lead to my death... That doesn't seem like it would be caused in any way by the medication.

"Other risks include dizziness upon standing, seizure, impaired motor skills, and trouble standing"
Jeez, if i had trouble standing, I'd be depressed too. luckily, iIve just heard of this great medication, Abilify...

"talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of taking Abilify, If an anti-depressant alone isn't enough."
Wow. i can only think of two doctors who could possibly think prescribing this to anyone would be a good idea:
Dr. Nick Riviera

And Dr. Leo Spaceman (spuh-CHEH-men)


And they are both fictional.












The link for the video is HERE.

I will also try to add it to the blog:

Also, I would like to post a quiz that I made for you guys. Just a little fun thing for my readership.
Which Of These Names Is A Medication And Which Is A Name From Middle Earth:

http://www.quiztron.com/tests/tolkien_or_medicine_quiz_129329.htm

Under Appreciated

So I was talking to Erika yesterday evening, and we were discussing how awesome Nina Nastasia was, and then we realized how whenever we play any song by hers out loud, no-one comes up and says "oh, Yeah! I love Nina Nastasia too!" and that got me thinking about how under appreciated she actually is. She's an amazing musician and has incredible albums, but no-one seems to know about her. So, I decided to make a post devoted to the three things in each category I feel are the most Under-Appreciated. Today's Caterogy: MUSIC. (More To Follow)

To clarify, this isn't going to be some "I'm gonna just post indie bands so people will know how musically aware I am." Or "I'm just gonna type in a bunch of Wes Anderson movies or old AFI top 100 movies" No. I won't put down The Shins or Arcade Fire or Joanna Newsom. And I won't say movies like Rushmore, Plan 9, or obscure HBO-films. This isn't a post for me to gloat in my 'unique tastes of millions' but rather, hopefully get people to be able to hear a song and finally say "Oh! I love____________too, They're really great"

So, to begin, I will make my music list. the top 3 musical artists I feel are the most under-appreciated.

MUSIC

1) Nina Nastasia - Reccomended listening 'Our Day Trip'

She may look like a Nordstrom attendant, bu she is an amazing musician. She has a slightly haunting voice, but very earthy tones. She makes me think of an overgrown backyard seen through one of those grey, smokey filters. In March of last year, she opened for Swell Season, the actual band from the movie ONCE. She is, by far, the most under-appreciated musician I know of. As I said, people should hear her songs and say to eachother "oh! I love her!"

"Nina Nastasia's rare gift of a voice is an intimate, winged presence that is able to either freeze or melt your heart; that can powerfully soar and twist, or brush ultra-gently against you, suddenly summoning goose bumps. Mojo commented on its ability to "suck the air out of the room". Picking over themes of love, longing and loss, childhood, dreams and human dramas, her beautifully concise, hook-laden songwriting and the spare arrangements of her band have a certain gritty, rustic charm and intensity. Simultaneously tough and fragile, her songs crackle and smolder with an intimate emotional honesty and a dark undertow."

-fatcatrecords.com (http://fat-cat.co.uk/fatcat/artistInfo.php?id=108)



2) William Fitzsimmons -recommended listening: 'Funeral Dress' and 'It's Not True'

He may just look like another bearded, lonely singer-songwriter. But he is definitely not simply that. His music is soft and heartfelt. You can hear the pain in each of his whispered words as it rolls out of his mouth, scratching the gravel on its way. There may be comparisons to Iron & Wine. But please, don't. He is not the same. Albeit, he deserves the same attention that the aforementioned has received, it is for a completely different reason. He can create a mood in a single note. A whispered prologue. I have never heard a musician play and sing with more heartfelt honesty as William Fitzsimmons.*

" Thinking that this would be just another album by the run-of-the-mill indie guy with a guitar, I had my doubts on whether or not it would be a pleasant experience. I thought that this album would just be one man’s problems thrown into a bleak musical affair. But, oh, is it so much more than that. Empathy, sadness and hope quickly overwhelms you as you listen to this album song by song. Simply put, this album is a beautiful masterpiece. “After All” starts off the album with a piano solo and a man’s confession about how much he loves his wife and his desperate plea to get her to return. The album continues with this same mood for a few songs until you get to “If You Would Come Back Home,” which provides a rhythmic drum beat and beautiful vocals.

Right about now, you’re probably thinking that this is just some sad guy speaking into a mic telling the world his story. Well, truthfully, it is, but, William’s voice is one-of-a-kind and is a pleasure to listen to. His lyrics are fine poetry, to say the least. "

-Michael Black (www.reviewsinrepeat.com)

*-barring Colby Stead, who's fanbase is because of how open and heartfely he is. (that isn't a bad thing, I am a fan myself) But there is a difference between singing with honesty and having group therapy.

3) Loreena McKennitt -recommended listening: (Album: The Visit, The Book of Secrets) 'The Highwayman' 'Dante's Prayer'

Loreena McKennitt is a Canadian musician who plays a contemporary blend of folk and Celtic. I suppose some may categorize it as New Age. Don't. It's ethereal. As the title for one L.A. times article said "If You Must, Label Her `Enlightened' Pop music: Loreena McKennitt... sings ethereal material, but don't pigeonhole the harpist as New Age." And I agree completely. Her music is gorgeous, yes, ethereal, sure, moving, completely. And yet she is still nearly un-known. She has been commissioned to write music for several Canadian t.v. miniseries' and narrated and wrote the theme to a Disney Movie. Yet, alas, no-one knows her. I suppose part of the problem is there isn't a real huge market for Ethereal Celtic harpists. But once you hear her, you'll say "well, why the H not?"


"McKennitt's recordings always have the quality of a spiritual sojourn; her songs are those of a seeker, whether she's setting Yeats, Scripture, or her own words to her compositions. It's this that attracts people to her music."
-unknown

"McKennitt's skills at composition and orchestration are still at their peak. As usual, the showcase here is her incredible voice and her thoughtful, literate lyrics; but also as usual, what sets her apart from the pack of Celtic new-age fluff-makers is her warm and full instrumental backing. Stringed instruments and eclectic percussion predominate, and often McKennitt will see fit to pass a particularly good theme through a number of different instruments. The instrumentals "Marco Polo" and "La Serenissima" are particularly good examples of this. On the other hand, "The Highwayman" is this album's "Lady of Shalott" - a long narrative set to music. In this case, it works a bit better, and there's real drama there... quite an accomplishment."
-Brandon (http://www.progreviews.com/reviews/display.php?rev=lm-tbos)

"I was given this album years ago. Whilst my taste in music has changed with time, there is nothing that will surpass Loreena's haunting voice and beautiful music."
-Jeremy (www.emusic.com)


ANYWAY... this concludes part one of the Under Appreciated. The runners up for the top three spots were:

-The Finches
-Jens Leckman
-Heather Duby

Check them out too, please.

Photoshops I Did Myself

Here is a picture I made on Photoshop. I've been photoshop crazy the past little while.



So... Theres a photoshoppy picture I made that I am proud of.
and America, I need your help.

I need your honest opinions in order to help me. I'm gonna put up a few photos here and I would ask that you all tell me with ones you like the most. Preferrably which three you like the most. I have a poll in the upper right corner of my blog (look and see) that you can rate on, or, if you don't have a blogspot I.D. then just leave a comment. Thank you.

The first Image, (A) is the the photoshop picture. (A) is the Walk one,



(B) Birdhouse
(C) Trees
(D)New York Street
(E)Ski-lift
(F) Woman in NYC

Anyhow, Thank you very much, and please comment.