wow, i'm going to start this by saying: is it me or was shrill a little too eager to come out from the backstage? gurl be feelin like the diva she ain't! I hope to god it's not because she's the token black diva this season. As if shrilly needed any more unecessary pimpage. Anyone notice how Anoop wasn't even shown on camera until he welcomed smokey robinson into the LA mansion for around 1.78263 seconds?
anyway, unto the reviews:
Matt Giraud (Let's Get it On):
I love this song! haha! The dancing and the fan-hand-shaking was awkward, but I really liked the vocals for what it's worth. I mean, this guy is still not as endeared to me (whuts?) as other singers, but this week made me respect quite a measure. he just looked like he struggled at the start, and was a little too growly in the beginning, but he played it well. Still not JT and not MB. He's good
Pauler: sexy cool vibe? uh no... whattabout awkward/corny?
Kris Allen (How Sweet It Is):
First two songs, two songs that I love. And even better, two songs that I love performed very well! Kris is quickly becoming my favorite male performer, after Gokey (HA WHAT A JOKE). Seriously though, coming from the nice ballad to this fun song, this guy just knows how to market himself. haha. so, just read my comments from last week regarding how he sounds like a professional. Sure, sometimes his intonation/enunciation was a little cheezy, and his side mouth was more obvious this week (making for a sort of slight kind of annoying thing) but still, this guy is gooood. safe, with flying colors yo. His wife is too cute.
And Simon, I like that he's not too cocky.
Scott McIntyre (You Can't Hurry Love):
Ryan Seacrest: I can see the baby grand behind you...
ugh. seriously. when will this guy let go of his friggin tuneless, muzak-quality ballads? His voice is seriously nothing spectacular... in fact, I'll even go out on a limb and say that his timbre is borderline annoying (I can't tell if it's nasal, or unrounded, or whatever).
Wait, what's that? You're saying that his rendition of you can't hurry love wasn't a ballad arrangement? you don't say... I never would've guessed.
Aw, blind guy got dissed... not simon's going to hell. well, he is anyway, but you know what I mean. GO SIMON. SAY IT LIKE YOU SEE IT.
yeah paula, give Simon a box of rainbow colors... right after the blind guy sings pauler. good job pauler. so smart pauler.
Megan Joy Godess of the Awkward Dancing (For Once in my Life):
I really feel like this girl is ont everyone's cup of tea, but I swear, I love the raspy jazzy attitude in her timbre. I feel bad though that she was good in the beginning, but then she ended up being all dancy and epileptic. I still love this girl though, and my heart so greatly feels that she deserves another chance.
and surprise surprise, irrelevant judge made a relevant comment when she mentioned "my guy" as being a good song for her. brava, you actually have a brain!
Anoop (Ooh Baby Baby):
OMG I FRIGGIN LOVE THIS SONG. Sadly though, Anoop wasn't able to channel the love in the verses for me.... but when he came to the chorus, oh anoop, despite your thick eyebrows and awkward college-student vibe, you almost kinda did it! Again, refer to the greatness that was LaToya London when she did this song. There's that sensuality/pleading that the song needs. yo.
His version was, honestly, very meh, and I was tempted to tune out sometimes. *le sigh* I don't know where the judges pulled out what they said. It didn't work for me
Hey guys, remember what Victor Melling in Miss Congeniality said? "a brief shining moment, and then that mouth." --> irrelevant judge, that one's for you.
Michael "If Gokey has his dead wife, I have my lonely daughter" Sarver (Ain't Too Proud to Beg):
Sarver, you don't have no soul roots. And Sarver, if you're gonna eye-fuck the camera, make sure there's something behind your soul-less eyes. k? And if you're gonna do the closed-eyes thing, make sure there's some pretty powerful vocals behind it to justify the cheezy action. I don't know why I'm referring so much to AI3, but remember George Huff? That is, by far, my favorite rendition of AtPtB.
Ugh. I'm so disturbed by his non-emotion and his emptiness. To be honest, I'd much rather suffer the quirky eccentric unpredictability of Megan than suffer this guy's faux-passion.
Pauler, not all high notes are 'A's ok?
Say it like it is, Simown.
omg, was he really 3 seconds away from crying? keep it together man, Megan handled it better than you and she was given worse comments!
Shrill (Heatwave):
Black girl crying over black history. Shrill, will you never cease to find reasons to get pimped every week? from MJ love, to "patriotic country" and now this? you, I guess are a "genius" of your own right. Too bad your stylistic sense isnt as well developed. three weeks of bad outfits. HAHA. anyway, onto the song.
This week she personified herself a thousand times over: she was shrill if I ever heard shrill. She'll definitely be safe between her pimpage story and her shrilliness (which america seems to love), but I know for myself that this was nothing spectacular. I expected more from her. yes, I actually did expect something other than shrill-ness from her. seriously. I couldn't feel the melody in the song at all from her, she was just screaming all over the place! UGH. I FEEL INSULTED. it was like "musical" rape. Not.fun.
but seriously simon, rough criticism followed by pimpage? can we stop the pimpage? puhhhleeeease. stop the lil pimpage. You're making *huhu* me *huhuhu* cryyy *huhuhuhu*
Adam Lambert (Tracks of my Tears):
wait, was Pauler sucking on Simon's finger? :/ What's up with the Zac Efron circa Hairspray look? See, compared to alst week, I appreciated the tuned down effort. Stop it with the ghoulish falsetto's though... are you *that* kind of one trick pony? *le sigh* Another one of those muzak singers. That was passable and safe, but definitely nowhere near deserving of a standing O or the rio grande rapids from underneath the judge's table.
SIT DOWN irrelevant judge, SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP. and while you're at it, learn to count, bitch. "I have 6 words for you. One of the best performances of the night!" SERIOUSLY?! SEEEERIOUSLY?!!?!?!?
Simon? you're turning on me? how was that the best performance? *tears*
he is ok in my book not by his own merit, but by the other contestants' shortcomings. that is all.
Pretentious "nothing's sacred to me but me" Dead-wife-pimper (Get Ready):
With each passing week, this guy makes me feel so bad for my friend whom he kinda looks like. Honestly, my friend is worth so much more than this guy. I swear, if this guy tries to pass another week with shouting and "quirky" dancing and growling and by making the band/back up singers carry him.... UGH. Force this guy to sing a righteous ballad, and let's see if he doesnt fall on his face.
getthatsmuglookonyourface. thank you simon, thank you.
Allison RachelRayv.2.0 (Papa was a Rolling Stone):
I love love love how she injects her flavor and attitude into the song. She always does the theme+a sprinkling of her flavor which is why it works so well! I love the clapping by the background singers. haha. She was, as per the definition I posted earlier, a professional tonight. and people, this girl is what, 16 years old or something? how can you not love her?
Top 3:
Kris (top of the top)
Matt (righteous second)
Who I feel should be in the bottom three:
Megan (though it breaks my heart)
Scott
Shrill
Who I feel will be in the bottom three:
Megan (boot *tears*)
Scott
Michael
UNLESS Megan gets the panic/pity vote and is safe, then its
Megan
Scott (boot!)
Michael
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
AI Country Week
Sure, they're giving it a new name, but c'mon, we all know it's country week through and through. here are my 5 cents (inflation, yo): --beware, verbosity supreme--
Michael (Ain't Goin Down 'till the Sun Comes Up): Vocals were ok, I mean, I can't really pick him out for major melodic problems... however, his performance was way bad. Seriously, his audience/camera connection was freaky-creepy, and I hate the "energy" (or lack of it) that he showed (honestly, the harmonica player was more energetic and had more stage presence than him). If you guys still remember La Toya London doing this, then it's best for you to keep that one in your memory instead. Irrelevant Female judge giving him kudos for "memorizing the words" shows just how desperately she was grasping for straws (in fact, part of his poor energy this week might be because he was trying too hard to not forget anything). I label this as the pinnacle of safe, and, as Simon Cowell said, clumsiness. Definitely in trouble, in my books at least.
Allison (Blame it on Your Heart): I swear, this girl reminds me of a punked out, or rocked out Rachel Ray, about which the jury is still out on whether its good or bad. It's hard to understand her words, especially given her strong vibrato, almost screamy projection and her enunciation is very wide (which I actually like, though, since it works for her image). I like her energy though, and think she did quite well this week. The thing with her, I think, is that her voice energy and attitude is a "hate her/love her" thing wherein I doubt she will change anybody's mind mid-season through. Y'all know what I mean?
-> Oh, and what's up with crying blond lady after she sang? :/
-> Randy Jackson, "I don't think it's precocious, I think it's dope!"... ... ... sooo... basically all he did was take a word from British lexicon, and replace it with black lexicon... ::facepalm::
Kris (To Make You Feel My Love) : This guy sang like a professional signer tonight, which carries its own sets of pro's and cons. On the distinct pro side is the fact that he had such command over the song, and he was quite comfortable with his range, his projection and even *gasp* the emotions of the song. On the con side, however, is that he sang like a professional who can afford to be lenient on some musical aspects of the song. For example, sometimes his softer notes became too whispery, and the performance was soft (sometimes losing it on the lower notes, too), but without the AI-pressure needing heartwrenchingness (think Carrie Underwood). However, I think that Paula summed it up quite well when she called out the vulnerability in his performance. On the whole, though, I think that it was a really smart song choice, really smart choice to not have his guitar, and it was really good.
Shrill (Independence Day): Her enunciation this week was annoying. It's not that she changed it and mangled it purposefully- her timbre, is just not suited for Country Music, I guess. Also, her look today was not suited to her song- at all. And for those of you who noticed, see how I'm not really commenting on her singing? It's because it was so meh. It's like, ok... so you're a black girl singing country... what's new? She's falling too much into her niche of "diva power singer" which, while requisite, has been forever filled already by the likes of Tamyra, La Toya, Vonzell, and other people who were able to make the most of that niche while it wasn't saturdated yet. Ironically, she chose a safe song and just trashed it. Paula, who were you listening to?
I think she's in trouble, but she ain't going home, because she's gonna get the judges-boo-savior-vote. And yes, Shrill, RnB is not the only genre you can sing, but maybe you should stick to it anyway.
Adam (Ring of Fire): Different does not always mean better, and in his situation, comparing this to the original would not be fair (because it's *gasp* oh so different). I hate it when contestants do the "fuck me" eyes to the camera, and this was no exception. It sounded like I'd hear it on the soundtrack of Alias while Sydney Bristow poses as some belly dancer in Morroco or something. I don't know what to make of this though, cuz he didn't perform it like a country song- at all. "making it your own" can only go so far- sure, make it your own by changing the tempo or the "licks", but what is this... Cairo Country? So.... yeah...
The annoying thing is, people will be focusing so much on the fact that he made it 'his own' and will totally ignore the fact that it was "pitchy" and just vocally not-impressive. Then again, sexmoans can't really be expected to sound musically sound.
This guy is definitely safe because he made it "oooh edgy and unique." Whatever. I think that this guy just "cheated" his way out of this week. It was a good vocal performance, but it wasn't AI good, and it wasn't country. Refer to previous statement about Kris acting like a professional, and it applies even more to this guy. Great cover, but not for AI country week please.
irrelevant judge: "I'm confused... but happy?"
Creepy Blind Guy (Wild Angels): The only things missing from this performance were the furry woodland creatures and orphaned puppies. I seriously think that this guys vocal ability is way too advertised and "pimped." I mean, especially considering that losing one sense supposedly heightens another, this guy should be given higher expectations! Oh wait, vocal prowess isn't a sense... that explains a lot. This guy gives me such a big "meh"-factor though. He bores me through and through, and his voice really.just.does.not.impress.me
I die a little inside every time irrelevant judge creates a puddle under her seat because this blind guy is the next mainstream reincarnation of Andrea Bocelli. Give me Stevie Wonder on the piano, and he'll show you blind energy!
Alexis (Jolene): This one's gonna be short: this girl did ok. As Randy Travis said, there really isn't much to add by way of comments or suggestions, but sadly enough, this is (I think, I hope she surprises me) the pinnacle of her capabilities, as far as she's showing it. She'll have to live with her 'pitchiness' and lost-girl-ness, and I hope she can keep hiding her shortcomings from irrelevant judge and Paula to avoid total crashing and burning from the judges. What I mean is, she'll be safe so long as the other contestants remain stagnant. That said, her longevity in the show, IMO, is unpredictable, but she's definitely not gonna win.
Danny (Jesus Take the Wheel): My personal bias toward this guy will just not make me like anything he does (Thanks SurvivorSucks). That said, his vocals this week were ok, but the way he interpreted the song (and its subtleties) just made it so pretentiously "gospel". Seriously, take a cue from Carrie who did this song brilliantly. It's kinda like "would you really shout at Jesus like that?" There's a difference between the emotional plea that successful singers of this song have pulled off, and the reckless anger and belching that Danny did. I understand that ever since Randy (the big one) said "make it your own" some seasons past, contestants have been finding every single way to do just that, but some songs were meant to be sung as they were originally.
I swear, the studio audience of American Idol must have a "high note and loud voices" fetish - the only rational explanation for their love for this gokey guy.
By the way, people, a new waterpark's opening right under irrelevant Judges and Paula's chairs- slip and slide and Wet and Wild! ugh.
Anoop (You're Always on My Mind): Ok, first and foremost, Anoop, please stop with the creepy staring- you're not the resident creepy blind guy of this season. That spot was actually taken by a creepy blind guy. That said, his vocals tonight were top 11 worthy, definitely. Sure, he strained on the high notes, but I'm sure the general public will interpret that as passion and belting and whatever. Not AI winner worthy yet, but enough to keep him safe, IMO. The thing about this guy this week is that his vocals/performance were good, but nothing spectacular. HOWEVER, the moment you compare that to last week's, and you just see his resillience and humility (no talking back, not like those other "sassy" contestants), and you really see why this guy deserves to be there.
I just hope that people who elect to use the mic stand + mic will have better consolidated gestures than the cheezy JenHud hand motions.
Megan (I Go Walking After Midnight): This girl made it her own, by putting this jazzy-bluesy flavor to it. The big difference though between this girl and Adam is that she put jazz/blues in a country song, whereas Adam made country into some other genre. This is how you make a song "your own"/different- you put your own flavor within its parameters. I like her rendition of it, but her "sudden' high notes were problematic, and pitchy (maybe it was because she was sick?). The funny thing about this is, her "pitchiness" was a hurdle to overcome (which she... eeeh.... sortakinda i wanna say she did) tonight, but had she been an established singer, I think it would've been just a cute kink she could keep in her vocal repertoire forever and ever.
wait, you know what, I just rewound and rewatched.. and I think they're giving this girl a little bit too much benefit-of-the-doubt for being sick... that will definitely push her to next week, and, despite that, she is definitely not among the worst this week, yo.
Matt(So Small): Am I the only one who felt that his performance was, in AI terminology, pitchy? And seriously, if you're gonna endeavor to make your rendition of a song "heartfelt and sincere" can you please make sure that you actually translate that? Slower tempo and raspy voice do not a heartfelt performance make. I don't see how this got the screams and the cheesy judge's comments. Maybe it was because he's last? I think that's gonna push him to next week, though. It wasn't a trainwreck, and it wasn't last. This guy does not amaze me, though. Randy, the reasoning for the miles between Michael Buble and JT in your (and Simon's) comparisons is due to the fact that you hastily likened him to JT when he was not like him. Come to think of it, the comparison to M.B. was hasty and unfair, too.
But Matt, you pierced Paula's heart the way a syringe pinches her elbow... every night.
Closing Comments:
Randy is a bad mentor- he kept on thinking that people chose bad songs (which some of them were, but c'mon, have some faith!), and he basically had one piece of advice "save your licks for later"
Irrelevant judge is, well, irrelevant
Country is such a trite AI requirement that failed to produce that many good performances this season.
Favorites of the week:
Allison
Kris
Anoop
Who i think deserve to be in the bottom:
irrelevant judge (boot!)
Michael
Creepy Blind Guy (boot!)
Danny
Alexis
Shrill
Who I think will be in the bottom:
Alexis (boot!)
Michael
Michael (Ain't Goin Down 'till the Sun Comes Up): Vocals were ok, I mean, I can't really pick him out for major melodic problems... however, his performance was way bad. Seriously, his audience/camera connection was freaky-creepy, and I hate the "energy" (or lack of it) that he showed (honestly, the harmonica player was more energetic and had more stage presence than him). If you guys still remember La Toya London doing this, then it's best for you to keep that one in your memory instead. Irrelevant Female judge giving him kudos for "memorizing the words" shows just how desperately she was grasping for straws (in fact, part of his poor energy this week might be because he was trying too hard to not forget anything). I label this as the pinnacle of safe, and, as Simon Cowell said, clumsiness. Definitely in trouble, in my books at least.
Allison (Blame it on Your Heart): I swear, this girl reminds me of a punked out, or rocked out Rachel Ray, about which the jury is still out on whether its good or bad. It's hard to understand her words, especially given her strong vibrato, almost screamy projection and her enunciation is very wide (which I actually like, though, since it works for her image). I like her energy though, and think she did quite well this week. The thing with her, I think, is that her voice energy and attitude is a "hate her/love her" thing wherein I doubt she will change anybody's mind mid-season through. Y'all know what I mean?
-> Oh, and what's up with crying blond lady after she sang? :/
-> Randy Jackson, "I don't think it's precocious, I think it's dope!"... ... ... sooo... basically all he did was take a word from British lexicon, and replace it with black lexicon... ::facepalm::
Kris (To Make You Feel My Love) : This guy sang like a professional signer tonight, which carries its own sets of pro's and cons. On the distinct pro side is the fact that he had such command over the song, and he was quite comfortable with his range, his projection and even *gasp* the emotions of the song. On the con side, however, is that he sang like a professional who can afford to be lenient on some musical aspects of the song. For example, sometimes his softer notes became too whispery, and the performance was soft (sometimes losing it on the lower notes, too), but without the AI-pressure needing heartwrenchingness (think Carrie Underwood). However, I think that Paula summed it up quite well when she called out the vulnerability in his performance. On the whole, though, I think that it was a really smart song choice, really smart choice to not have his guitar, and it was really good.
Shrill (Independence Day): Her enunciation this week was annoying. It's not that she changed it and mangled it purposefully- her timbre, is just not suited for Country Music, I guess. Also, her look today was not suited to her song- at all. And for those of you who noticed, see how I'm not really commenting on her singing? It's because it was so meh. It's like, ok... so you're a black girl singing country... what's new? She's falling too much into her niche of "diva power singer" which, while requisite, has been forever filled already by the likes of Tamyra, La Toya, Vonzell, and other people who were able to make the most of that niche while it wasn't saturdated yet. Ironically, she chose a safe song and just trashed it. Paula, who were you listening to?
I think she's in trouble, but she ain't going home, because she's gonna get the judges-boo-savior-vote. And yes, Shrill, RnB is not the only genre you can sing, but maybe you should stick to it anyway.
Adam (Ring of Fire): Different does not always mean better, and in his situation, comparing this to the original would not be fair (because it's *gasp* oh so different). I hate it when contestants do the "fuck me" eyes to the camera, and this was no exception. It sounded like I'd hear it on the soundtrack of Alias while Sydney Bristow poses as some belly dancer in Morroco or something. I don't know what to make of this though, cuz he didn't perform it like a country song- at all. "making it your own" can only go so far- sure, make it your own by changing the tempo or the "licks", but what is this... Cairo Country? So.... yeah...
The annoying thing is, people will be focusing so much on the fact that he made it 'his own' and will totally ignore the fact that it was "pitchy" and just vocally not-impressive. Then again, sexmoans can't really be expected to sound musically sound.
This guy is definitely safe because he made it "oooh edgy and unique." Whatever. I think that this guy just "cheated" his way out of this week. It was a good vocal performance, but it wasn't AI good, and it wasn't country. Refer to previous statement about Kris acting like a professional, and it applies even more to this guy. Great cover, but not for AI country week please.
irrelevant judge: "I'm confused... but happy?"
Creepy Blind Guy (Wild Angels): The only things missing from this performance were the furry woodland creatures and orphaned puppies. I seriously think that this guys vocal ability is way too advertised and "pimped." I mean, especially considering that losing one sense supposedly heightens another, this guy should be given higher expectations! Oh wait, vocal prowess isn't a sense... that explains a lot. This guy gives me such a big "meh"-factor though. He bores me through and through, and his voice really.just.does.not.impress.me
I die a little inside every time irrelevant judge creates a puddle under her seat because this blind guy is the next mainstream reincarnation of Andrea Bocelli. Give me Stevie Wonder on the piano, and he'll show you blind energy!
Alexis (Jolene): This one's gonna be short: this girl did ok. As Randy Travis said, there really isn't much to add by way of comments or suggestions, but sadly enough, this is (I think, I hope she surprises me) the pinnacle of her capabilities, as far as she's showing it. She'll have to live with her 'pitchiness' and lost-girl-ness, and I hope she can keep hiding her shortcomings from irrelevant judge and Paula to avoid total crashing and burning from the judges. What I mean is, she'll be safe so long as the other contestants remain stagnant. That said, her longevity in the show, IMO, is unpredictable, but she's definitely not gonna win.
Danny (Jesus Take the Wheel): My personal bias toward this guy will just not make me like anything he does (Thanks SurvivorSucks). That said, his vocals this week were ok, but the way he interpreted the song (and its subtleties) just made it so pretentiously "gospel". Seriously, take a cue from Carrie who did this song brilliantly. It's kinda like "would you really shout at Jesus like that?" There's a difference between the emotional plea that successful singers of this song have pulled off, and the reckless anger and belching that Danny did. I understand that ever since Randy (the big one) said "make it your own" some seasons past, contestants have been finding every single way to do just that, but some songs were meant to be sung as they were originally.
I swear, the studio audience of American Idol must have a "high note and loud voices" fetish - the only rational explanation for their love for this gokey guy.
By the way, people, a new waterpark's opening right under irrelevant Judges and Paula's chairs- slip and slide and Wet and Wild! ugh.
Anoop (You're Always on My Mind): Ok, first and foremost, Anoop, please stop with the creepy staring- you're not the resident creepy blind guy of this season. That spot was actually taken by a creepy blind guy. That said, his vocals tonight were top 11 worthy, definitely. Sure, he strained on the high notes, but I'm sure the general public will interpret that as passion and belting and whatever. Not AI winner worthy yet, but enough to keep him safe, IMO. The thing about this guy this week is that his vocals/performance were good, but nothing spectacular. HOWEVER, the moment you compare that to last week's, and you just see his resillience and humility (no talking back, not like those other "sassy" contestants), and you really see why this guy deserves to be there.
I just hope that people who elect to use the mic stand + mic will have better consolidated gestures than the cheezy JenHud hand motions.
Megan (I Go Walking After Midnight): This girl made it her own, by putting this jazzy-bluesy flavor to it. The big difference though between this girl and Adam is that she put jazz/blues in a country song, whereas Adam made country into some other genre. This is how you make a song "your own"/different- you put your own flavor within its parameters. I like her rendition of it, but her "sudden' high notes were problematic, and pitchy (maybe it was because she was sick?). The funny thing about this is, her "pitchiness" was a hurdle to overcome (which she... eeeh.... sortakinda i wanna say she did) tonight, but had she been an established singer, I think it would've been just a cute kink she could keep in her vocal repertoire forever and ever.
wait, you know what, I just rewound and rewatched.. and I think they're giving this girl a little bit too much benefit-of-the-doubt for being sick... that will definitely push her to next week, and, despite that, she is definitely not among the worst this week, yo.
Matt(So Small): Am I the only one who felt that his performance was, in AI terminology, pitchy? And seriously, if you're gonna endeavor to make your rendition of a song "heartfelt and sincere" can you please make sure that you actually translate that? Slower tempo and raspy voice do not a heartfelt performance make. I don't see how this got the screams and the cheesy judge's comments. Maybe it was because he's last? I think that's gonna push him to next week, though. It wasn't a trainwreck, and it wasn't last. This guy does not amaze me, though. Randy, the reasoning for the miles between Michael Buble and JT in your (and Simon's) comparisons is due to the fact that you hastily likened him to JT when he was not like him. Come to think of it, the comparison to M.B. was hasty and unfair, too.
But Matt, you pierced Paula's heart the way a syringe pinches her elbow... every night.
Closing Comments:
Randy is a bad mentor- he kept on thinking that people chose bad songs (which some of them were, but c'mon, have some faith!), and he basically had one piece of advice "save your licks for later"
Irrelevant judge is, well, irrelevant
Country is such a trite AI requirement that failed to produce that many good performances this season.
Favorites of the week:
Allison
Kris
Anoop
Who i think deserve to be in the bottom:
irrelevant judge (boot!)
Michael
Creepy Blind Guy (boot!)
Danny
Alexis
Shrill
Who I think will be in the bottom:
Alexis (boot!)
Michael
Sunday, March 15, 2009
a collection of shallow topics...
...to start the spring break.
1.) In justifying the timeliness of this piece, I will open by saying that no, I am not going to some exotic (read: mexican) beach resort for spring break. Nor will I be travelling home, or to some nearby beach. But it's ok. I have an undesirably low affinity for water, and have been spoiled by Philippine beaches. I don't think NorthAmerican waters can ever compare. ever.
2.) Waistcoats (and fedoras): I'm over them.
Don't get me wrong, I own a waistcoat too, which I would love to wear outside of the super stiff baptism-wedding-funeral formal guidelines. But seriously... waistcoats and fedoras? they're quite overdone and tiresome to see already. Also, waistcoat and fedora do not a fashionable outfit make. Especially if your waistcoat is just the plain black wool one, and your fedora looks... well... cheap, and you don't have anything else to back it up.
For now, the new 'rage' seems to be bowties, cardigans and ties-made-into-ribbons... not sure how this will pick up with the mainstream trend, but good god... waistcoats and fedoras?! ugh.
I don't know what it is with me, but I don't like several fashion movements. One of them being, yes, waistcoats and fedoras. But other than that, I have not, in its 10 year lifespan, come to appreciate big bulky shoes, baggy almost-anything's, and obscene bling. I just find the looks either too pretentious or too slipshod.
That being said, though, I think that the way to workkit is to have the attitude to match. I'm ok with the baggy looks on people who can carry it. What I don't like are, pardon the stereotyping and racism, for example, scrawny asian kids wearing (and trying to talk) black by wearing those things.... really.... And likewise, people who mess up waistcoats and fedoras.
Maybe that's my problem... fashion going mainstream makes people who can't "carry" the looks well think they can.
or something... I probably just have a problem.... sorry for the negativity, on to the next topic!
3.) powdered donnettes... You know, the small donuts with nothing special about them except for the tons upon tons of confectionaires sugar dumped on top...
HEAVEN SENT I TELL YOU.
4.) I am reality show crazy. Make Me a Supermodel, Amazing Race 14, ANTM (when I can catch it)... I haven't seen this much TV since I got over the fact that we had 200+ channels 0_0
5.) speaking of T.V., I have found the perfect solution to a sad day. Watching either The Soup or Chelsea Lately really make me happier inside.... It softly carresses the mean bone I have inside which I tend to neglect.
and lastly:
THE BEAUTY OF ENTROPY:
remember that girl in econ class whom I don't like? (I will check back later to see if I have the story up here) Well, last Wednesday, just to sort of get back at her AND to introduce chaos the meeting before spring break, I decided to come to class early and sit in her seat. When she came in she gave me this look which tried to say "imma cut you bitch" and she was trying so hard to be fierce and "ferosh"
And I didn't flinch. Gurl got no fierceness in her! Sincerely-john's seriously much more mean, and his blog on the sidebar's entitled "optimism that can kill you"
It felt quite good to get back at her like that.
Ohmigod... I miss being mean that way I was in highschool... Not that I particularly wish to go back to being like that, though. It was, as my cousin told me later that day, so highschool, and should be left as such.
But still, it felt good staring her down.
Happy Spring Break Everyone!
1.) In justifying the timeliness of this piece, I will open by saying that no, I am not going to some exotic (read: mexican) beach resort for spring break. Nor will I be travelling home, or to some nearby beach. But it's ok. I have an undesirably low affinity for water, and have been spoiled by Philippine beaches. I don't think NorthAmerican waters can ever compare. ever.
2.) Waistcoats (and fedoras): I'm over them.
Don't get me wrong, I own a waistcoat too, which I would love to wear outside of the super stiff baptism-wedding-funeral formal guidelines. But seriously... waistcoats and fedoras? they're quite overdone and tiresome to see already. Also, waistcoat and fedora do not a fashionable outfit make. Especially if your waistcoat is just the plain black wool one, and your fedora looks... well... cheap, and you don't have anything else to back it up.
For now, the new 'rage' seems to be bowties, cardigans and ties-made-into-ribbons... not sure how this will pick up with the mainstream trend, but good god... waistcoats and fedoras?! ugh.
I don't know what it is with me, but I don't like several fashion movements. One of them being, yes, waistcoats and fedoras. But other than that, I have not, in its 10 year lifespan, come to appreciate big bulky shoes, baggy almost-anything's, and obscene bling. I just find the looks either too pretentious or too slipshod.
That being said, though, I think that the way to workkit is to have the attitude to match. I'm ok with the baggy looks on people who can carry it. What I don't like are, pardon the stereotyping and racism, for example, scrawny asian kids wearing (and trying to talk) black by wearing those things.... really.... And likewise, people who mess up waistcoats and fedoras.
Maybe that's my problem... fashion going mainstream makes people who can't "carry" the looks well think they can.
or something... I probably just have a problem.... sorry for the negativity, on to the next topic!
3.) powdered donnettes... You know, the small donuts with nothing special about them except for the tons upon tons of confectionaires sugar dumped on top...
HEAVEN SENT I TELL YOU.
4.) I am reality show crazy. Make Me a Supermodel, Amazing Race 14, ANTM (when I can catch it)... I haven't seen this much TV since I got over the fact that we had 200+ channels 0_0
5.) speaking of T.V., I have found the perfect solution to a sad day. Watching either The Soup or Chelsea Lately really make me happier inside.... It softly carresses the mean bone I have inside which I tend to neglect.
and lastly:
THE BEAUTY OF ENTROPY:
remember that girl in econ class whom I don't like? (I will check back later to see if I have the story up here) Well, last Wednesday, just to sort of get back at her AND to introduce chaos the meeting before spring break, I decided to come to class early and sit in her seat. When she came in she gave me this look which tried to say "imma cut you bitch" and she was trying so hard to be fierce and "ferosh"
And I didn't flinch. Gurl got no fierceness in her! Sincerely-john's seriously much more mean, and his blog on the sidebar's entitled "optimism that can kill you"
It felt quite good to get back at her like that.
Ohmigod... I miss being mean that way I was in highschool... Not that I particularly wish to go back to being like that, though. It was, as my cousin told me later that day, so highschool, and should be left as such.
But still, it felt good staring her down.
Happy Spring Break Everyone!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
An Interim Beginning.
I like the particular ambiguity of this blog entry's title. It can be interpreted several ways, all of which, after careful consideration, seem to fit my purposes.
1.) An Interim Beginning- this blog entry marks the beginning of an interim, that is, a period of time between two events or "eras". It would be appropriate (to some degree) to climb the town steeple tomorrow and shout out to the sleepy denizens of Irvine that "This, ladies and gentlemen, is the end of an era!"
Why is this the end of an era, you ask? Well, this is the end of my personal era of questioning. You see, for much of the middle part of highschool, I became obsessed with the idea of superiority- that is, I was utterly convinced that on some irreproachable aspect, I was better than anyone. Take that singular definition and apply it to my being such a multi-dimensional person, then you could say that one way or another, I was better than everyone. Late high school, however, I was knocked off from my tower, and I realized that I wasn't better than most anyone. Therefore, I climbed the school church's belltower that day and shouted to the world that an era had passed. The era that was now in place was one of questioning and searching. If I was not better than everyone, then I would at least strive to attain that asymptotic goal. Since then, until a while ago, I considered myself an amateur philosopher in the order of self-knowledge. By the pythia's age-old advice, I sought to know myself by questioning the world. My thirst for knowledge became akin to the thirst experienced by a parachuter (parachutist?) landing in the middle of the desert 3 days prior.
Now, however, is the end of an era. I've asked questions time and again, only to end up frustrated at the lack of answers. Moreso, I've grown tired of the perpetual theoreticals and "no word answers." These are things such as love, such as desire, such as self-esteem and confidence. I've gathered the stones of the world and have not found these ideas etched onto them. Therefore, I am now shifting to the philosophy of "learning by doing." Experiencing, so to speak. I feel like some kind of warrior with the bulk of too much armor (the armor being a metaphor for theoretical knowledge, here.) I plan to shed off all but the most essential of coverings and march into the training battlegrounds of life. I will get wounded, but hopefully, my battlescars will do me more good than harm. I may end up calloused, but any and every emotion I come accross will definitely be real.
This, however, is the beginning of a transition. One that I am sure will be long and painful.
2.) An Interim Beginning: If it's not the beginning of a gap, then it must be a gap of a beginning. As was heavily outlined in the point above, I've spent a majority of the recent times trying to fill this experiential gap within me with theoretical and self-gained knowledge. As can be inferred, this theoretical satiation (is that a word, from root "satiate?) did not completely quench my thirst, although it may have seemed to do so. Imagine a box that you are about to check-in as carry on luggage. The hard, tangible stuff you want to send is quite small, but bulky. It takes up a lot of the weight limit, but it can bounce around its vessel and ultimately rip the seams of the box. Therefore, to keep things "full", you stuff it with styrofoam peanuts or bubble wrap. The bubble wrap is now the metaphor for my theoretical philosophizing. It definitely effectively takes the place of experience, but it's no perfect substitute for it. Therefore, (although I'm not exactly apologizing), I am now starting that phase of analyzing and appraising all my theoretical knowledge, and seeking to replace it with its equivalent, but ultimately more variable (note the paradox) counterparts of actual experience. This is sounding too much like the first point, so I'm ending it here.
3.) An Interim Beginning- Still drawing from that last idea. If you read the sidebar of this blog, it mentions that this blog is for my observations in my neophyte year here in my new home. Well, it hasn't been a year yet, but time does fly. I've realized, through that hasty characterization from when I first made this blog, that I'm not exactly comparing things from across the pacific. I'm just comparing things from across the ultimately more vast expanse of my personal interpretation of things and the reality of events. With this newfound realization, I hope I can bridge the interim of that beginning and start a whole new paradigm of reflection and self-actualization.
4.) An Interim Beginning- I have also been contemplating for some time now copying sincerely-john's opening "stickified" blog post wherein he introduces himself. I might do that some time from now, but for the time being, consider this my interim beginning. The beginning to my blog for some short amount of time. Maybe it'll be for that transitional era; maybe sooner, may longer... who knows?
What I do know is that I want to share my theme song with you guys. So, without further ado, Pacificism's theme song (to be used heavily if my life were to be made into a movie)
1.) An Interim Beginning- this blog entry marks the beginning of an interim, that is, a period of time between two events or "eras". It would be appropriate (to some degree) to climb the town steeple tomorrow and shout out to the sleepy denizens of Irvine that "This, ladies and gentlemen, is the end of an era!"
Why is this the end of an era, you ask? Well, this is the end of my personal era of questioning. You see, for much of the middle part of highschool, I became obsessed with the idea of superiority- that is, I was utterly convinced that on some irreproachable aspect, I was better than anyone. Take that singular definition and apply it to my being such a multi-dimensional person, then you could say that one way or another, I was better than everyone. Late high school, however, I was knocked off from my tower, and I realized that I wasn't better than most anyone. Therefore, I climbed the school church's belltower that day and shouted to the world that an era had passed. The era that was now in place was one of questioning and searching. If I was not better than everyone, then I would at least strive to attain that asymptotic goal. Since then, until a while ago, I considered myself an amateur philosopher in the order of self-knowledge. By the pythia's age-old advice, I sought to know myself by questioning the world. My thirst for knowledge became akin to the thirst experienced by a parachuter (parachutist?) landing in the middle of the desert 3 days prior.
Now, however, is the end of an era. I've asked questions time and again, only to end up frustrated at the lack of answers. Moreso, I've grown tired of the perpetual theoreticals and "no word answers." These are things such as love, such as desire, such as self-esteem and confidence. I've gathered the stones of the world and have not found these ideas etched onto them. Therefore, I am now shifting to the philosophy of "learning by doing." Experiencing, so to speak. I feel like some kind of warrior with the bulk of too much armor (the armor being a metaphor for theoretical knowledge, here.) I plan to shed off all but the most essential of coverings and march into the training battlegrounds of life. I will get wounded, but hopefully, my battlescars will do me more good than harm. I may end up calloused, but any and every emotion I come accross will definitely be real.
This, however, is the beginning of a transition. One that I am sure will be long and painful.
2.) An Interim Beginning: If it's not the beginning of a gap, then it must be a gap of a beginning. As was heavily outlined in the point above, I've spent a majority of the recent times trying to fill this experiential gap within me with theoretical and self-gained knowledge. As can be inferred, this theoretical satiation (is that a word, from root "satiate?) did not completely quench my thirst, although it may have seemed to do so. Imagine a box that you are about to check-in as carry on luggage. The hard, tangible stuff you want to send is quite small, but bulky. It takes up a lot of the weight limit, but it can bounce around its vessel and ultimately rip the seams of the box. Therefore, to keep things "full", you stuff it with styrofoam peanuts or bubble wrap. The bubble wrap is now the metaphor for my theoretical philosophizing. It definitely effectively takes the place of experience, but it's no perfect substitute for it. Therefore, (although I'm not exactly apologizing), I am now starting that phase of analyzing and appraising all my theoretical knowledge, and seeking to replace it with its equivalent, but ultimately more variable (note the paradox) counterparts of actual experience. This is sounding too much like the first point, so I'm ending it here.
3.) An Interim Beginning- Still drawing from that last idea. If you read the sidebar of this blog, it mentions that this blog is for my observations in my neophyte year here in my new home. Well, it hasn't been a year yet, but time does fly. I've realized, through that hasty characterization from when I first made this blog, that I'm not exactly comparing things from across the pacific. I'm just comparing things from across the ultimately more vast expanse of my personal interpretation of things and the reality of events. With this newfound realization, I hope I can bridge the interim of that beginning and start a whole new paradigm of reflection and self-actualization.
4.) An Interim Beginning- I have also been contemplating for some time now copying sincerely-john's opening "stickified" blog post wherein he introduces himself. I might do that some time from now, but for the time being, consider this my interim beginning. The beginning to my blog for some short amount of time. Maybe it'll be for that transitional era; maybe sooner, may longer... who knows?
What I do know is that I want to share my theme song with you guys. So, without further ado, Pacificism's theme song (to be used heavily if my life were to be made into a movie)
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