Saturday, November 20, 2010

Truth in music.

Growing up a child of the 80's/90's I seem to be more drawn to the music of my parents generation.  Partially because it's truly what I grew up listening to and partially because since I was little I tagged along with my father to his part time job as an oldies DJ (even going so far as to follow in his footsteps later in life).

"Oldies" (or what I consider as oldies '50-'79) are where the music truly lives.

Don't get me wrong I am a huge fan of contemporary/modern music. Which is a term that makes me laugh since David Bowie on the 1977 Christmas special with Bing Crosby stated that he sang "modern music". To quote Bing, "modern music is marvelous, some of it's really fine." I like a wide variety of current music...From Tori Amos to Duffy, from The White Stripes to Rilo Kiley, from Lady Gaga to....well Gaga gets her own category!

But, the wealth of music from my parents era is where my heart lies. The Kinks, The Beatles, The Animals, The Doors, Herman's Hermits, The Grass Roots, Bob Dylan, Iron Butterfly, Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie, Harry Nilsson, Ray Charles, Smokey Robinson, The Alman Brothers, Crosby Stills Nash (& Young)...etc.

I always laughed at my dad when he would ask me growing up if I could see myself listening to Ice-T when I was his age. For a long time I said the answer was yes...and still do think so to a point. But, lets face it "Cop Killer" isn't going to have the same lasting impression on music fans as "I Want to Hold Your Hand".

I don't see myself grooving to "Firestarter" by Prodigy the way I may still rock out to "People are Strange" by the Doors.

Is it too much to think that Lennon/McCartney will have a richer impact on music than Chris Brown or Miley "I still can't believe your Billy Ray's Daughter" Cyrus? I don't think there are many people who can argue the Brown/Cyrus point of the argument. 

The other issue with today's music not having the same impact on future generations is that is borrows so damn much from the past. Now, it's not a new thing to take from those who came before you...but lets face it...there are people (I have talked to them) who think "Helter Skelter" is a Motley Crue original. If you're nodding yes to that last statement...back away from the blog and pick up the "white album" by The Beatles.

You can't listen to a rap station without hearing a sample of Michael Jackon, Smokey Robinson or others. Hell, Wu-Tang sampled the Beatles "While my Guitar Gently Weeps" and Jay-Z hooked "Five to One" by the Doors.

Nothing other to really at to this topic right now...just had some time on my hands and a thought in my head. Time to listen to some Beatles...Hmmm---Something or All you need is Love?

Friday, November 12, 2010

WWMD?


WWMD? WWMD? What would MacGyver Do?

What's the way to find the answer to some of life's toughest questions! All you need to do is be ready with a Swiss Army knife, duct tape and maybe a pack of matches.

Violence was always a last resort and never involved a gun. Granted that man made a lot of crap blow up over the years.

I always wondered what it would be like to look at a room and say, "well, if I can get that block of ice to melt into the lock by heating it up with a light bulb and a section of molding then the ice will freeze in the lock and expand. Once that happens the lock will pop open and we'll be free!"

In reality I am more likely to just sit down and wait to die! Or possibly try to beat the door down with whatever happens to be lying around! Never been a fighter myself. Never really been put in a position to find out what would happen.

But, enough about me...back to MacGyver. For a guy who always preached doing the right thing I wonder how many times during the course of the series that Mac could have been arrested for breaking into a building or office or destroying property. I'd also like to know what the final death toll was on the show?

Granted most of the deaths were at the hands of others...I'm guessing it was fairly high.

Speaking of killers and MacGyver...name me one TV bad guy who was better at being bad than Murdoc! I dare you. Michael Des Barres was fantastic in the role of the impossible to kill hit man. FYI--glad to see he's still getting some high profile exposure. (he's white haired guy on the boat in the new Nikon commercial with Ashton Kutcher)  I was always shocked that when they did the final two TV movies they didn't bring him back for some kind of closure for the character.

Now, as I'm almost done re-watching one of the few shows I liked as a child/young adult that has remained a favorite (or as I like to say hasn't suffered from Thundercats Syndrome) I now have to look for something else to take up my lunch hour at work. I think I should find an older show...or maybe a cartoon....but I'm not sure which is worthy of my lunch hour viewing.

Some of the finalists though are: the cartoon Beetleguise, Lupin III (yes I like Anime...get over it), Dr. Who (new not old) maybe the A-Team.....suggestions?

Monday, November 08, 2010

I'm not a Hoarder...I just save a lot.

So this last month Hoarding has popped up everywhere! CSI, South Park, Internet stories...Which, if you are obsessed with the train wreck that hoarding can be for other people, is a good thing.

I am transfixed with watching this disease overtake people. I understand that it is a problem that in most cases is out of the persons control. But, it still boggles my mind.Thankfully, I am only exposed to it in the extent that I watch shows like: Hoarders, Hoarding: Buried Alive, and ANY other show dealing with the subject.  I don't know what it is that draws me in..but the pull is there.

I liken it to the guy who slows down and rubbernecks the accident on the freeway and is enthralled with the destruction, but at the same time is also thankful that it didn't affect him or anyone he knows.

Personally, it acts as a catalyst to get stuff cleaned around the house. I can't remember the last time that I watched the show and didn't then run to the fridge to check expiration dates or do some laundry. Or, as of late, box up cd/dvd/books to sell.

There was a time where my DVD collection was a source of pride. I would have conversations that went:

Other Guy: "Oh, I have the most movies of anyone I know!"
ME: "Give me some numbers! I have 700 movies and over 130 seasons of tv shows!"
Other Guy: "Bet you don't know everything you have!"
ME: "Try Me....I may not be able to name every movie from memory. But, if you ask if I have something I can give you a yes or no!"

Since the obsession has really hit an upswing I have greatly reduced the amount of DVD's that sit on my shelves. For the most part a movie has to be a personal favorite: my Kevin Smith collection, or something that I paid way too much for: any Criterion DVD in my collection. Others are slowly moving out in favor of picking up credit at either Zia Records or Bookmans.

Granted I am slowly replacing the DVD's with Vinyl LP's. When you look a the space issue it's a lot less. Plus, those actually get used and are an investment. If you think I am rationalizing a new "hoard" I say it's a collection of treasures...not a hoard!!

So, for me this show is a catharsis of sorts. Until I started watching I never noticed that I had a ton of crap just sitting around my room taking us space and acting as a constant reminder of how much money I have spent wasted over the years.

While it sucks to think that something you spent so much money on is being sold at less than a fraction of the price. I have to feel like it is a little liberating for me to detach from those things. Now I know a day will come when I think "man I really want to watch that crap fest that was The Dukes of Hazzard staring Johnny Knoxville" only to find that it was "sold" ages ago. It's a good thing. I mean I've watched a few Bluray's over the last 6-8months but the last DVD I remember watching was "The Salton Sea" with Val Kilmer.  I actually made a special run to Zia's to grab that gem...and that was back in July!

Which brings me back to the point. Hoarders...the train wreck that I can't stop watching.

Reality TV to me is just so much low cost crap (read hear Survivor, American Idol and for you old school few...Temptation Island). Every now and then you do get a compelling reality show like Hoarders, Hoarding: Buried Alive or Intervention that can entertain while opening dialogue on a tough subject.

While I mock and laugh while watching...I also realize that it is a serious problem. I mean how could it not be if you have an emotional attachment to your pets shed hair, 3 year old pumpkins or a front room full of old newspaper clippings?

Even writing this make me want to clean something!! Guess I'll do the dishes when I get home. (plus I think we are running out of usable forks!)

"Life moves pretty fast...."

If you can finish that quote correctly ("...If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.") Then you are either just plain awesome, or you grew up in the 80's and are familiar with the works John Hughes, more specifically "Ferris Bueller's Day Off".

I had a conversation with a friend the other day about the great things about growing up as a child of the 80's. I tend to think that the decade gets a bad rap!

Yes there were some horrible trends that are hated by many: Shoulder pads, Members Only Jackets, Mini Skirts, and some that were loved by many....slap bracelets, mini skirts...and....uh....ok, I give.

Movies ran the gambit of...

GOOD: Sixteen Candles, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Dirty Dancing (if forced to watch at gun point. I.E. someone puts me in the corner.) Back 2 the Future, Goonies, Princess Bride  

     *****UPDATE for the GOOD*****

BAD: Troll, Troll 2 (granted it was 1990 but that close to 80's and being known as one of the worst movies of all time has to count for something) Most of the "Corey" movies (bad but fun), He-Man, Garbage Pail Kids.

Some things tended to walk a fine line between both good and bad: He-Man was an awesome cartoon and a horrible movie, Garbage Pail Kids were great novelty cards and a HORRIBLE movie, Thundercats was an awesome cartoon and on second viewing was a HORRIBLE cartoon.

Music was equal part Epic and Awful: Epic-Def Leppard, Epic-Bon Jovi, Epic-Michael Jackson; Awful-Dexy's Midnight Runners, Awful-Chris DeBurgh Awful-Culture Club

TV I don't even have the strength to go over....All I have to say is The Golden Girls (for the record how you judge that show is how I judge your worth as a person! Not really..*shakes head yes*...not really...*shakes head yes*)

What has this proven? Nothing really. Just got a bug to blog and this was something that I was thinking about. Remember,  "No purpose or vision" should be the new motto of this blog.

Sunday, November 07, 2010

Guess who's back? Back again? (the answers not Shady)

Commitment, follow-through, a keen sense of purpose. These are things that are great to have when it comes to blogging.

Commitment, follow-through, a keen sense of purpose. These are things that my blog has a sever lack of!! Not that those short comings has stopped me in the past!

So, it is with a raised spirit and renewed hope that I am going to give this thing the old college try. By college try I obviously mean years 2-5!! Not that evil party first attend class 8th year that damn near killed me! So we will see where this takes me.

I have few plans for this...and fewer promises that anything will even happen. But, it should help me kill a few minutes at the end of my work day. When I'm not reading. (shut up I read books)

Food for thought (and maybe future posts) -- "Should you keep reading a book that at the same time makes you laugh, cry (from laughing so hard) and feel really dirty and ashamed to be able to read...all at the same time?" If the answer is yes...let me pimp the newest Tucker Max book "Assholes Finish First".