Hello loyal (and vast) fan-base. It has been a while since I've updated my blog and I have a lot I want to comment on. Because I don't have a lot of time due to currently being in the middle of moving (moving preparations are my main excuse for my lack of updates...that and laziness) and preparing for upcoming vacations, I have decided list here the vast amounts of nonsense in the world I have missed commenting on over the past few weeks, since my last post. Enjoy my short and sweet musings on recent events, both big and small:
The Fourth of July: The point of summer where you start to feel the turn from uphill (from spring) to downhill (towards fall). Always a little sad. But of course that sadness doesn't last. I mean, cookouts, fireworks, and America's birthday - what's not to love?
Dwight Howard to the Rockets: Good move for Dwight. A better move for Dwight? Being dominant at basketball again. We will see what happens. Good move for the Rockets too. Barely a playoff team last year, they now really have no place to go but UP (get it...cause they're Rockets?!?!). Just another fun team to watch for this upcoming NBA season.
Royce White to the Sixers: Less notable. Super interesting. Especially if you know anything about Royce White and his voice for mental illness. Hopefully we will actually see him on the court this year (he had a pretty big falling out with the Rockets last season). I like the move the for the Sixers - they're tanking anyway with 2 potential high draft picks...what do they have to lose?
Sharknado: Not a typo. This actually aired on SyFy last week. I haven't seen it, but what's to see? Sharks+Tornado=Sharknado. This wins my not-so-annual award for Most Intentionally Unintentionally Funny Movie I'll Never See But Will Always Make Me Laugh Upon Mention AKA The 'Snakes on a Plane' Memorial Award.
Asiana Flight Crash: Obviously, a tragedy for all of those involved. Then this happened. I simply can't believe this slipped past the news desk. There is no way someone read that out-loud and then gave it the OK for the news. Unreal. Definitely offensive (especially to victims), but its impossible not to be bewildered that this happened in real life. In 2013. At a SAN FRANCISCO NEWS STATION.
The George Zimmerman Verdict: Not a proud moment for America. I didn't watch every second of the trial (Side note: I think we should televise all trials C-SPAN style, or not televise any at all), but I, like most people, knew the basic fact pattern. Forget all the other issues at stake here for a minute (there are a lot and they are big,notably racial profiling and gun ownership): In what world can you claim self-defense for approaching someone as an aggressor?!?! (against the advice of police nonetheless!). That's a pretty frightening precedent to set, especially if you're more likely to be targeted by aggressive individuals than others. (Additional side note: Florida never fails to disappoint).
The Return of The Newsroom: The HBO show that everyone loves to love (or loves to hate) is back! Season 2: This Time It's Even Sorkin-i-er! seems prime for another big season. I go back and forth with this show, but I always tune in. It's fun, entertaining, and has a good enough story arc, which is more than you can say for most summer shows. Hey, I gotta have something to watch until Breaking Bad comes back...right?
The "Discovery" of 'Black Twitter': Apparently 'the media' discovered 'Black Twitter' today. These two links - here and here - are examples of such 'media' breaking such 'news'. To anyone familiar with Twitter, the 'discovery' of 'Black Twitter' on July 17, 2013 is laughable (this concept/fact is nothing new). I wonder how #BlackTwitter is taking their 'discovery'...
The ESPYS: Nothing is quite like athletes from different sports that give out their own awards (like...ya know...championship trophies?!) come together for a more arbitrary award process. I think I'll pass for the umpteenth year in a row...
Boston Bomber Rolling Stone Cover: Rolling Stone Magazine somehow thought this was a good idea. Hey, any buzz is good buzz...right? I'm not so sure. If you want to see the incredible amount of backlash for this offensive cover choice, read the comments on ANYTHING on their Facebook page.
Thanks for reading! Going on vacation - see y'all in 2 weeks!
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Nonsensical Power Rankings: "Back-in-My-Day" Songs
I've decided to arbitrarily rank stuff I like. Could become a recurring series if it goes well. Doubt it.
There are plenty of great artists in the world and even more great songs that they have produced throughout history. However, the tunes that we loved when we were younger have a special place in our hearts - a certain combination of nostalgia and je ne sais quoi that make them forever ours. "Throwback Jams" is a popular term for these types of songs, but I like to call them "Back-in-My-Day" songs, perhaps with the full expectation that one day someone younger (maybe even a child of my own) will bring one of these joys up in conversation, providing me with the chance to immediately explain that "back-in-my-day" this was an amazing song, and the music today just isn't as good, and blah-blah-blah, etc. Without further ado, a few of my favorite "Back-in-My-Day" songs that I (and hopefully you) will never forget. Enjoy this subjective list in an even more subjective order!:
*Note: I realize that all of these are R&B or Rap songs.
**Extra-Special Note: I don't care.
5. In Da Club - 50 Cent
BAHM-BOM....BOM-BOM...BOM-BOM....BAHM-BOM. If there was ever a song to make even the most mundane task feel cool, it's "In Da Club". The track that put 50 Cent on the map, produced by the illustrious Dr. Andre Romelle Young, is number 5 on this list. I would be tempted to put it higher, but anytime anyone other than 50 Cent says "Go (insert name), it's your birthday", they are participating in one of the most cacophonous, trying-to-be-hip-yet-exposing-self-as-completely-lame phrases of all time (others include "getting jiggy with it", "drop it like its hot" - both great songs, but not awesome catch phrases).
4. Say My Name - Destiny's Child
Just reading the title of "Say My Name" might cause it to get stuck in your head if you're familiar with the tune - and if you turned on the radio or TV in 2000, you probably are. Possibly their most well known jam, "Say My Name" won Destiny's Child two Grammy Awards in 2001. This song holds up and makes one think of a simpler time, before Beyonce ruled the world as Queen Bey/Mrs. Carter and was simply just Beyonce Knowles. Alas, those days are gone. Well, unless it's the Super Bowl. "Say My Name" doesn't make it higher than 4 on this list though, only because the top 2 are indisputable and the next one a personal favorite.
3. Without Me - Eminem
Remember when Eminem was hilarious and fun? Don't you miss that guy? Em's older stuff will always have a special place in my heart, but "Without Me" was one of the most perfect Slim Shady songs ever released. In my mind, there are three "Eminems" and I'll use a song title that may help describe each one a little better: There is the ultra-silly-don't-care-about-nothing Slim Shady ("Slim Shady"), the serious/hard-rhymer "Eminem" ("Lose Yourself"), and the vulnerable/personal Marshall Mathers ("Cleaning Out My Closet"). Each version of Eminem has its own merits, but Slim Shady is easily the funniest. 2002's "Without Me" is a classic, and for that, it is number 3 on this list.
2. Yeah! - Usher
If you didn't hear this song in 2003, you may have lived under a rock. And if you haven't heard it by now, then you probably stopped reading this list a while ago. One of the most beloved songs of my generation, "Yeah!" by Usher is an absolute dance-floor show-stopper. It makes you want to "take that, rewind it back" nearly every time. This is arguably the most representative song for kids who were born in the '90s and grew up in the '00s (what should we call those by the way?). Undoubtedly, when my future children ask me what "kids were into when I was a kid", "Yeah!" will be mentioned right away. But why is it only number 2? Well, it isn't the next song...
1. Hey Ya - Outkast
This song is perfect. I miss Outkast dearly. Listening to mainstream music today, it's hard to believe a song like "Hey Ya" being as popular now as it was when it came out in 2003. Quite possibly the pinnacle of auditory experiences, the sounds of Andre 3000 & Big Boi's party anthem can't help but put you in a good mood every time. "Hey Ya" is also educational - it taught us that "what's cooler than being cool" is, indeed, "ice cold" and that you should always be willing to lend your neighbors "some sugar". This is always the song I think of when I think of songs I will tell future generations of and, for that reason, its the #1 "Back-in-My-Day" song.
So there you have it, my "Back-in-My-Day" Songs Power Rankings. Agree, disagree, take heed, or shrug... I don't really care. There are A LOT of these types of songs by the way (I debated filling this list with older Kanye songs, but I refrained) and I'm sure you can think of a completely different Top 5 from your experiences growing up. Please share in the comments so I can take that trip down Memory Lane with you. I hope you have as much fun thinking about this stuff as I did.
There are plenty of great artists in the world and even more great songs that they have produced throughout history. However, the tunes that we loved when we were younger have a special place in our hearts - a certain combination of nostalgia and je ne sais quoi that make them forever ours. "Throwback Jams" is a popular term for these types of songs, but I like to call them "Back-in-My-Day" songs, perhaps with the full expectation that one day someone younger (maybe even a child of my own) will bring one of these joys up in conversation, providing me with the chance to immediately explain that "back-in-my-day" this was an amazing song, and the music today just isn't as good, and blah-blah-blah, etc. Without further ado, a few of my favorite "Back-in-My-Day" songs that I (and hopefully you) will never forget. Enjoy this subjective list in an even more subjective order!:
*Note: I realize that all of these are R&B or Rap songs.
**Extra-Special Note: I don't care.
5. In Da Club - 50 Cent
BAHM-BOM....BOM-BOM...BOM-BOM....BAHM-BOM. If there was ever a song to make even the most mundane task feel cool, it's "In Da Club". The track that put 50 Cent on the map, produced by the illustrious Dr. Andre Romelle Young, is number 5 on this list. I would be tempted to put it higher, but anytime anyone other than 50 Cent says "Go (insert name), it's your birthday", they are participating in one of the most cacophonous, trying-to-be-hip-yet-exposing-self-as-completely-lame phrases of all time (others include "getting jiggy with it", "drop it like its hot" - both great songs, but not awesome catch phrases).4. Say My Name - Destiny's Child
Just reading the title of "Say My Name" might cause it to get stuck in your head if you're familiar with the tune - and if you turned on the radio or TV in 2000, you probably are. Possibly their most well known jam, "Say My Name" won Destiny's Child two Grammy Awards in 2001. This song holds up and makes one think of a simpler time, before Beyonce ruled the world as Queen Bey/Mrs. Carter and was simply just Beyonce Knowles. Alas, those days are gone. Well, unless it's the Super Bowl. "Say My Name" doesn't make it higher than 4 on this list though, only because the top 2 are indisputable and the next one a personal favorite.3. Without Me - Eminem
Remember when Eminem was hilarious and fun? Don't you miss that guy? Em's older stuff will always have a special place in my heart, but "Without Me" was one of the most perfect Slim Shady songs ever released. In my mind, there are three "Eminems" and I'll use a song title that may help describe each one a little better: There is the ultra-silly-don't-care-about-nothing Slim Shady ("Slim Shady"), the serious/hard-rhymer "Eminem" ("Lose Yourself"), and the vulnerable/personal Marshall Mathers ("Cleaning Out My Closet"). Each version of Eminem has its own merits, but Slim Shady is easily the funniest. 2002's "Without Me" is a classic, and for that, it is number 3 on this list.2. Yeah! - Usher
If you didn't hear this song in 2003, you may have lived under a rock. And if you haven't heard it by now, then you probably stopped reading this list a while ago. One of the most beloved songs of my generation, "Yeah!" by Usher is an absolute dance-floor show-stopper. It makes you want to "take that, rewind it back" 1. Hey Ya - Outkast
This song is perfect. I miss Outkast dearly. Listening to mainstream music today, it's hard to believe a song like "Hey Ya" being as popular now as it was when it came out in 2003. Quite possibly the pinnacle of auditory experiences, the sounds of Andre 3000 & Big Boi's party anthem can't help but put you in a good mood every time. "Hey Ya" is also educational - it taught us that "what's cooler than being cool" is, indeed, "ice cold" and that you should always be willing to lend your neighbors "some sugar". This is always the song I think of when I think of songs I will tell future generations of and, for that reason, its the #1 "Back-in-My-Day" song.So there you have it, my "Back-in-My-Day" Songs Power Rankings. Agree, disagree, take heed, or shrug... I don't really care. There are A LOT of these types of songs by the way (I debated filling this list with older Kanye songs, but I refrained) and I'm sure you can think of a completely different Top 5 from your experiences growing up. Please share in the comments so I can take that trip down Memory Lane with you. I hope you have as much fun thinking about this stuff as I did.
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