Thursday, May 31, 2012
Maybe...
“Maybe there’s a universe where that’s the life I want. Where I don’t second guess everything and I’m not afraid of commitment and of the future and of love. Maybe there’s a universe without all the noise in my head and the pride that makes me so fiercely independent and the coldness in my heart that I can turn on and off like a security fence.”—Maybe In Another Universe, I Deserve You « Thought Catalog
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Friday, May 25, 2012
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Quote by Anias Nin
I do not want to be the leader. I refuse to be the leader. I want to live darkly and richly in my femaleness. I want a man lying over me, always over me. His will, his pleasure, his desire, his life, his work, his sexuality the touchstone, the command, my pivot. I don't mind working, holding my ground intellectually, artistically; but as a woman, oh, God, as a woman I want to be dominated. I don't mind being told to stand on my own feet, not to cling all that I am capable of doing but I am going to be pursued, fucked, possessed by the will of a male at his time, his bidding.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Why old-school DJs are complaining and you should too
After a slow and difficult push, the Electronic Dance Music scene is exploding exponentially in the United States. Not long ago DJ’s were confined to dark rooms hidden from view and were looked down upon by most of the music community. Now they are the new rockstars and headliners; main stage and front and center. EDM is now a billion dollar commodity, but that in itself is not such a bad thing. I remember dreaming of the day I could live off of music, that is more possible now than it has ever been.
There are more opportunities to play our music, to get paid, and to make a name for ourselves doing what we love. How can anyone be mad about that? What’s the problem? Well…
Like any industry, when the money starts flowing in it attracts people that are after it as their priority. Add attention and fame to the mix and you can get a pretty nasty breed of person mucking up the works. At one time art and passion for the music was overwhelmingly the motive of DJs and producers (for promoters it is a little more debatable), but now we see more and more that money, fame, and less than admirable intentions are what drive a lot of people to our EDM world. The balance is shifting and the art of the music and the dance floor are suffering as a result.
Beat matching tech, gimmicks, and reliance on playing popular music have become the common definition of what a DJ does. It is no wonder that this seems like an easy source of money and fame. The truth of the matter is that these qualities are irrelevant to the art of the mix and in what makes a DJ worth seeing and worth the ticket price. To better understand, let’s take a look at some of the bigger complaints coming from the old-school and why the new-school should care.
David Guetta and Swedish House Mafia
It doesn’t take much digging to find out how old-school head DJ Sneak feels about these guys. He’s called them out for their showmanship antics, elaborate stage setups, and more importantly, for getting caught playing pre-produced sets and not actually DJing during their shows.
First of all it is important to separate the concept of DJ from producer, they are not the same thing. While I applaud these guys for their production skills and developing an accessible sound that attracts lots of people, this does not mean they have the right to charge massive amounts of money to see them press play while they jump around. This would be like paying ridiculous sums to James Cameron to jump around on stage while watching Avatar (actually maybe I would pay to see that). Seriously though, producers either need to put on a live show like Orbital, Daft Punk, Chuck Love, etc., or develop actual DJ skills before they step on stage. Unless, of course, you like paying a premium for gimmicks instead of music and talent.
**Disclaimer – I have seen Steve Angello of the Swedish House Mafia on his own play a great 8 hour set and actually mix, so I know he is at least capable, again it’s about what you are paying to see, demand more. I also know playing pre-recorded sets is nothing new and has been a ‘necessity’ now and then for DJ’s playing nightly on tour (not that I approve), but to use this as a default is unacceptable.
DJ X Factor
Now, in all fairness the verdict is still out on this one as we don’t really have all the details or what the contestants will be judged on, but based on Simon Cowell’s propensity to monetize talent it’s likely this show will do more damage than good. It will further push and expose people to the idea that DJing is more about the show than it is about the music and the art. At one point DJing was about bringing new sounds to the floor and making them hits, now DJ’s play the popular tracks to make themselves hits. They are glorified jukeboxes in fancy packaging with laser shows, not artists.
Just to be clear, I am not anti-showmanship. It’s all part of the bigger artistic package when done correctly, but there has to be art at the core. I am anti-showmanship to cover up a lack of talent. Hopefully this show won’t support that, but I am skeptical. We’ll have a better idea when the judges are selected.
Paris Hilton
I will try to keep the vulgarity to a minimum on this one. Remember not long ago when there was a bit of a scuffle with Paris and a certain house DJ because he wouldn’t play a hip-hop song? Remember all those top-40/hip-hop clubs she was frequenting (even when she wasn’t being paid to be there)? Remember how she has never once mentioned or was seen at any house related event until recent press surrounding her new publicity ployboyfriend Afrojack? Now all of a sudden house music has always been a passion of hers? What does Paris Hilton and a cow’s colon have in common?
This is the epitome of jumping on the decks for the money and the fame bandwagon. Everything she has done to date has been because she saw it as popular and a way to be famous for the sake of being famous. Do we really expect to believe that passion and art will play any part in this catastrophe in the making? At least I have a new term to call people who aren’t DJing for passion and art. Paris Hiltons. Don’t be a Paris Hilton.
The Point
For all you music consumers out there, I appreciate you, I really do. I just want you to be an educated consumer. Know what it is your hard earned dollars are supporting. Be patrons of art, not ATMs for the money hungry.
You would be DJs, producers and promoters: Create art, don’t just press start. Contribute something to the world and to the people, don’t just look to take their money and attention. Let’s be amazing together.
Learning to Fly
Monday, May 21, 2012
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Friday, May 18, 2012
Thursday, May 17, 2012
THE CREEPY CONNECTION BETWEEN WINNIE THE POOH AND THE ROLLING STONES...
The 16th-century home, historic in both the literal, literary, and rock-and-roll senses, was purchased in 1925 by Milne, who penned all of his Winnie-the-Pooh books on the East Sussex estate, using the nearby Ashdown Forest as a setting for the bear’s adventures.
Sometime in the late 1960s, original Rolling Stones guitarist Brian Jones bought Pooh’s stomping grounds, and in fact died there in 1969. Jones drowned in the estate’s outdoor pool a month after Mick Jagger and Keith Richards dismissed him from the band.
Uuuhhmmm...eew?
Here's your (not so) totally useless fact(s) of the day:
That distinctive smell that you experience upon opening a box of
crayons comes from stearic acid - which is the formal name for
processed beef fat.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Note to self...
...only go on dates when not ovulating.
http://gizmodo.com/5910421/why-women-date-assholes
http://gizmodo.com/5910421/why-women-date-assholes
Why Women Date Assholes
It's well known that women find sexy, rebellious rogues attractive. Duh. But until now it's not really been clear why women choose to turn that attraction into long-term relationships, when they know they stand a high chance of getting burned. New research, however, reveals that the secret lies in the hormones.
Sure, a woman might choose to mate with an attractive male because evolutionarily it means attractive kids. But that doesn't entirely explain things, as there's more to life than good-looking offspring. Now, research conducted at the University of Texas at San Antonio and published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology suggests that during ovulation hormones affect judgement of parenting potential. Kristina Durante, one of the researchers, explains to Live Science:
"Under the hormonal influence of ovulation, women delude themselves into thinking that the sexy bad boys will become devoted partners and better dads. When looking at the sexy cad through ovulation goggles, Mr. Wrong looked exactly like Mr. Right."
Essentially, during ovulation women are more likely to believe that rogues would make better potential fathers—so they specifically pick sexier men over obviously more dependable men.
To establish that, female participants were asked to view online dating profiles of either sexy or reliable men during periods of both high and low fertility. When asked to predict likely paternal contribution from the prospective partners close to ovulation, the women thought the sexy men would contribute most. In other words, that long-term, they'd make better dads.
The researchers backed that up with a second study, where actors played the role of sexy cad or reliable dad, and the result turned out just the same. So, if a woman starts dating an asshole, she will—at least once a month—be under the impression that he'll make a good long-term mate. One interesting aside is the fact that the effects only seem to apply to the individual. Durante explains:
"When asked about what kind of father the sexy bad boy would make if he were to have children with another woman, women were quick to point out the bad boy's shortcomings. But when it came to their own child, ovulating women believed that the charismatic and adventurous cad would be a great father to their kids."
The take-home message from the research? Timing, my friend. Timing is everything. [Journal of Personality and Social Psychology via Live Science]
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Friday, May 4, 2012
Beastie Boys MCA AKA Adam Yauch Dead at 48
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/beastie-boys-co-founder-adam-yauch-dead-at-48-20120504#add-a-comment
That's it. My youth is officially over. I always said it was the Beastie Boys License to Ill album that opened my eyes to music. That made me feel something in music. Through their entire musical journey, I followed full circle. And now, it's over. I just want to sit here at my desk and cry. And I know people are going to say that I didn't even know him personally to feel this way but I knew him musically in a way that I carried around with me for so long. It's just a sad day.
That's it. My youth is officially over. I always said it was the Beastie Boys License to Ill album that opened my eyes to music. That made me feel something in music. Through their entire musical journey, I followed full circle. And now, it's over. I just want to sit here at my desk and cry. And I know people are going to say that I didn't even know him personally to feel this way but I knew him musically in a way that I carried around with me for so long. It's just a sad day.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Just a thought
You know, I started this blog to vent and let it all out but I really don't, do I? I keep things locked up. I don't feel like the worldneeds to be disillusioned with my weak side. I like playing this strong, independent role, even if I want nothing more than someone to swoop in and take control. Maybe I should start writing more. Who am I kidding? I'll continue having my bouts of manic artistic moments.
Just a thought
You know, I started this blog to vent and let it all out but I really don't, do I? I keep things locked up. I don't feel like the world needs to be disillusioned with my weak side. I like playing this strong, independent role, even if I want nothing more than someone to swoop in and take control. Maybe I should start writing more. Who am I kidding? I'll continue having my bouts of manic artistic moments.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
It's a SMH moment.
Okay, if I was the kid I would have thought I had the coolest grandparents ever. As the parent, I would have killed my parents for drunkenly endangering my kid. That said, I don't understand how my grandparents never thought of doing this for us?!?!
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