'Wasted Youth and a Fistful of Ideals...'

So this entry is not going to be as giddy and happy as the previous. One good thing, however, is that the new Green Day album has comfortably slipped right in with the others, meaning that I absolutely love it. But, I'm not sure if I can continue to find reassurance in these songs without it reminding me of a ridiculous twist of fate.

There is a concert on July 14th. The band is coming to Detroit to play at the Palace of Auburn hills.

And I will not be going.

I figured I would start asking around about it, seeing as how the date is coming up, and all the answers I received were incredulous looks and a flat-out 'No.' You might be thinking, who cares, right? Who decides for you what you can and can't do? Well...unfortunately there is such a thing as living under the same roof with your parents, who therein decide what you can and cannot do. So you see my dilemma. It's times like these when I really hate being an optimistic teenager who sees everything falling into place so she can see her favorite band play on a Tuesday night. Unusually, my parents and I have gotten along fairly well these past couple of years, so for them to not understand this kind of thing really makes me mad. They hear me blasting the new album every other day, put up with me talking about it, not to mention the fact that the DVR is clogged with me recording their gigs on GMA, SNL and a few other spots where they've graced the television screen.

So...I don't understand why they would balk at something like this. The one explanation I've gotten made some sort of sense: that they wouldn't be comfortable with me running around Detroit by myself at 7:30 at night. I can understand that part, but I wouldn't go by myself; I would definitely take a friend with me. I even offered to take my father with me, but that didn't work. Of course.

I understand that they've done a lot for me this past month, what with Graduation and all... which is why I offered to buy the tickets myself. But that didn't work either!!! My last shot was my sister and her fiance, but my mother got to her before I could.

It really feels as though EVERYTHING is conspiring against me, like I'm not meant to see them. It wouldn't be so bad if it didn't' feel as though I was never going to get a chance to see them play again. It really feels that way! After they're done with America, they'll be in Europe for like, a year! And then when they comeback, I'll be in college, have a job, and I wont' get to see them AGAIN.

I admit it sounds stupid to those who can't understand how important this is to me, but....Jeezus. I've been wanting to see this band since I was thirteen. I've missed every chance I've ever gotten to see them, because I was 'too young,' too late, or it was too far away for me to go. So I just don't understand how when the absolutely perfect time comes, it-doesn't-come-to-fruition!!! It makes me feel like this is only the beginning of the next round of disappointments. And not to mention every time I listen to them, now it comes across as bittersweet. It drives me insane. I'm left hoping that I will soon 'grow' out of this phase, because I can't stand the thought of that emotion weighing me down EVERY time I listen to them!! *sigh* Where is that little ray of hope that I keep holding out for?! Did I bring all this stupidity on to myself????

Probably, as is usual.

...I guess I'll just have to keep listening to the live albums, close my eyes and pretend I'm there... At least they can never disappoint me.

Happy Inauguration Day!!!

Today is a very historical day. Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States! I have to say that I'm very patriotic today! I watched both the Vice President and Obama be sworn in. It was all very cool. I've never really paid much attention to days like today. I think part of the reason was because I was younger and politics didn't really catch my attention yet. At any rate, I'm very glad that I watched it today. There was a lot of silly stuff of course; that's what the media likes to do with things like this.... But under that fluff there was something really important and meaningful.
I thought that Obama's speech was terrific. He addressed the problems we faced in this country, but instead of bringing us down with all that, he lifted our spirits. He reminded us what a great nation we truly are, and of the values that we all share. He believes that we are indeed all created equal and that we can overcome our differences to succeed. The whole speech was very moving, and there were tears in my eyes. At the end, I was crying a little, though I tried to hide that from those around me. I hope we can do everything he mentioned, and that we can do it together.
I am very proud to be an American today, and I hope my fellow peers are, too. No matter your politics, you have to agree that today was very historical and symbolic of change to come.
I certainly won't forget it.

The Real 'Hilts'

I was thinking recently about my nickname. My address for this blog is hiltsthecoolerking. I wanted to explain about the name a little.

I like my nickname of Hilts. No one else has it. A friend of mine started calling me that after we were talking about my favorite movie at the time, "The Great Escape." I love this movie, and she was the only person I knew my age who had seen it. It's a timeless classic; the story of American and British POWs in a prison camp during World War Two. They have to work together to escape from their German captors. It works for a suspenseful, exciting and at times humorous movie. 'Hilts' is Captain Virgil Hilts, played by Steve McQueen, my favorite actor. I liked the character because he's a rebel. He doesn't let the Germans take him down and break his spirit. They call him the 'cooler king' because he always spends time in solitary confinement, which the prisoners nicknamed, 'the cooler.' There is just something fascinating in Hilts' tenacity. Each time he's led into the Cooler by two German soldiers, his friend tosses him a baseball and glove. Hilts sits in his cell and throws the ball against the wall, over and over again, coming up with his next escape attempt. I remember first seeing that. I thought it was so cool. This guy treated his imprisonment as a job. He'd take the baseball and just throw it, passing the time until he could get out and escape again. No matter how many times they throw him in the Cooler, Hilts never learns his lesson. They never get to him; his spirit is never broken.

That's pretty powerful to me.

Hilts is the perfect hero, because he can't be compromised. He's that kind of character that the others want to be. He's independent and rides a motorcycle to freedom. I think Hilts is the embodiment of a great American hero.

And I'm so glad that I've been nick-named likewise.

Burnout

Ugh! The week back from Winter Break is definatley trying on my sanity. I have so much homework to do, especially with exams coming next week. Today I actually have some time to spare, so right now I'm going to gripe about crap to no one in particular....
First, a bunch of exam projects are to be had. English saw me furiously working to comprise my project on Jazz and tie that in with it's African Roots; not as easy as you might think. In Creative Writing, I have to make up a portfolio of all the work we've done this year and then a presentation. Not too hard, really, but it's just one more thing I've got to do. Spanish is what's really making me mad lately. We don't do anything in that class!! I swear to God I sleep with my eyes open. I zone out every day and nothing seems to grab my attention. I've been teaching myself vocab lately, or seeing if I can play a whole song in my head without being called on. (I can, by the way!!) That's how bad it is. I can usually get through two songs without my attention being diverted to something else. So today when we were suddenly dumped-trucked with a bunch of homework, I was like, "Seriously? You're giving us this much crap to do?" It probably won't even be checked in for a grade! And even if it is checked in, we won't get it back 'til freaking March anyway....
....whew. Rant over (for the most part). But it's seriously stupid at times. I know enough about Dia de los Muertos to fill up a book, but when a Spanish person talks to me, I stop and go, "Huh?" Okay.... so I got a little ranty there, but yeah. I'm done. Glad I could find something to blog about. I didn't blog over Winter Break because I was content doing nothing. ;)
But I'm back, for right now. We're getting closer to Inaguaration Day, so yay! I'm excited for that.
Isn't it great to start over at the beginning of the year and have a clean slate?
Yay Optimism!

All the World's a Stage for Disappointment

Okay, so...Now that you've read my promising title, I thought I'd explain. I was never a huge advocate of 'Going Green.' But, recently-today actually- I discovered that the Bush Administration is going behind our backs to sell land in a NATIONAL PARK for that scudsy stuff called oil. It's a bit ridiculous if you ask me. In fact, I'm pretty pissed about it. The land is going to oil and gas companies, and it's not like they need it. Everyone whines about not having enough oil and all this other crap, but in reality, I'm sure we have PLENTY left over. Yes, I agree we should look for alternative energies, but we have oil left. Just look at how much the stupid oil companies have made in the last year. Exxon Mobile was right the top, followed by another oil company and I dunno...Google or something. It's this kind of blatant arrogance I can't stand!!! It's almost like they think the American people are too stupid to realize what's going on. God- it makes me grind my teeth, this kind of thing.
It's the fact that they're auctioning off land in the Utah National Park. They're just giving it away to the highest bidder without even stopping to think about what it all means. What else can this administration do to us before we boot their worthless butts out of the White House?!!!!! (Boy, did I want to use a swear so bad...) It seriously makes me soooo freaking mad! This first came to my attention-and I know how stupid this sounds- off of the Myspace of NDRC+Green Day. Go ahead and roll your eyes, but this is serious business. The administration didn't even ask permission until just recently, after everything was already set in motion. God- Isn't it sickening? Doesn't that leave a bad taste in your mouth? Is anyone else pissed off about this?!!!
Most of my information came from a letter written to NRDC's website by Robert Redford. He makes some pretty good points as to why we shouldn't let this happen. He requests that we should all send in letters protesting the move, and I'm seriously thinking about doing it.
If anyone's interested, here's the link: http://www.nrdconline.org/campaign/stop_wilderness_giveaway_nsb
The auction is on December 19th, and that scares the hell out of me. I don't know if my letter will make it in time.... I hope it does.
This needs to stop.

Scattered Pictures

I love to collect pictures. It's this weird little thing I do. I'm not exactly sure why I do it, but I love looking at all these images and imagining what it was like for the photographer, or what meaning it has behind it. I like to look at pictures and wonder what was going on at the time; what was it that made the photographer take the picture. Sometimes I put the pictures in my scrapbook, sometimes I use them as my desktop, sometimes I just like to look for stuff. My favorite ones are music ones and some of the ones from World War Two actually look pretty cool. The above picture is one of my faves; the guitarist looks so tiny compared to his audience. The one at the bottom is also a fave. I love the way he was captured and everything. I tend to favor black and white pictures too, just because of how dramatic and 'gentle' they tend to look. I'm not saying that color pictures can never be like that, but black and white has a more classic feel to it than most modern pictures. The image at right comes from World War Two, and I thought it was a good way to show what was going on during those times. The kids had to fight the war as much as the men did, and here they are just acting like they should. I thought the photographer captured them in a good way. You may not look at pictures the same way I do, but that's okay. Whatever. It's what I like to do....

Good Grief!

It's the holiday season, of course; everyone knows that. With this knowledge comes tradition. We all have our own little ways of celebrating the holidays. One of the 'traditions' that come around the holiday season for me, is that every year, we find some way to watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the cartoon one- the good one) and A Charlie Brown Christmas. I like watching these, because it reminds me of being a kid and how I used to get so excited about Christmas. Santa was coming and all that. Now, I'm definitely not that excited anymore, but I still like the holidays. It's a good time for everyone and I like seeing the members of my family all gathered together. Now that I'm older, those movies I mentioned are more like things to remind me of being younger rather than hanging on to every word. What's fun about them now is that I can share them with my three young nieces, and have them enjoy what I did when I was their age. Of course, sometime they'll sit with me on the couch and ask questions about nearly every thing, but that's okay. I don't mind it.

What gets me every time, though, is A Charlie Brown Christmas. When you think about it, that poor kid takes a lot of crap. And for what? He has the nerve to get a real Christmas tree instead of a fake one that everyone else has? He gets ridiculed for being different. Seriously, if you watch again being all 'grown up,' you realize that those kids are mean. Even Snoopy is liked more than Charlie is. Linus is the only one who seems to understand him, too. It's so weird. The kids are all so terrible to him. "Boy are you stupid Charlie Brown," one girl tells him when he bring in the tree. "Rats," is all he replies. And this is after enduring the derisive laughter of the people he had previously considered friends. Call me crazy, but who wanted this poor kid to go through all of this just to learn the meaning of Christmas? It's a little insane. In the end though, Charlie Brown realizes that he does have friends and all that; that it's okay to be different and he learns what Christmas is all about, thanks to Linus. But still. He always gets put down. This is a kid who gets rocks for Halloween.

What kind of kid would he be nowadays? Would he be in therapy or something like that? Or would there be no Charlie Brown at all today? He'd probably be like, Emo or something. Wouldn't that be nice?

I've just realized... maybe Charlie Brown himself is the correct one, and all the others are wrong. Maybe he's been right this whole time. Who knows? But he always 'triumphs' in the end, which is inspiring, I guess. It does teach kids a good lesson: don't give up on yourself.

As long as Charlie Brown doesn't give up, then I guess he can go on being mopey. At least we know he'll come out victorious in the end.

Batter Up

I love baseball. It's November right now, and it's freezing, which means I am terribly missing baseball. It's quite easily my favorite sport. To me, there's so much more at stake than when you play another sport. The only other sport in my opinion that comes close to it is football. I realize that, in being a woman, people may not really listen to what I have to say on the matter. I can understand that I guess; after all, what dude would want a girl to upstage them in baseball knowledge? But I am getting sick of people ignoring my sports comments. It's nothing big, really; it's more irksome than it is a problem. Some people get it.
Baseball is so much more than fun, too. A lot of times it gets called boring, but that's only because people don't have the patience or the brain to think about what's actually going on. There's so much to think about and the outcome is different every time a batter stands up to the plate. I think it's a very personal game, too. There's nothing better than going to the ball park and sitting in the sun, a cap pulled over your eyes, glove on your hand. Every pop fly that goes into the stands feels like it's coming right at you. That's a great feeling. If you're really close, you can see how the chalk lines get all messed up when the players stand on them. I love how a great plume of dust goes up into the air when a runner slides into second base. Or one of my favorite things is when the first baseman and the man on base always talk to each other between batters. I love looking into the dugout and seeing the players chewing on wads of gum or the pitcher rubbing his hands with the rosin bag. The pine tar is great, too, and each little routine the batters go through when the come up to bat...
The atmosphere is just great. I miss the summer in these dreary and cold months, and I always think of baseball. It makes me both happy and sad at not being able to go out and play it.
My favorite team is the Detroit Tigers, and they've been going through a crappy season lately. What it was was the trading of my FAVORITE player, Pudge Rodriguez. Stupid corporate yobs, selling away my Pudge.... The fact that he went to the Yankees what was got me, and that we got a pitcher WE ALREADY HAD!!!
...Can you tell I'm still torn up about it? But anyway, the Tigers are my team, and this I am proud of. I have been a fan all my life. When I was younger, my grandpa would always have the games on in the summer, and if we went outside and played, we played baseball. My grandparents had a giant backyard, and there was room for all three 'bases' and homeplate. Often times Grandpa would bring out a beaten radio and we'd listen to the game on that while playing. He turned me into a little baseball player. I could throw really far and hit everything. I still can, but I'm pretty rusty now.
Baseball is a great part of my family's life. Since half of my family is Puerto Rican, it's a big deal. Roberto Clemente is like a god or something. :) Nearly all the children in my family played or have played baseball. That goes for my uncles and grandparents, too. It's great, and I'm very proud to say that.
So...I'm just feeling very nostalgic for the Summer and baseball right now. I love watching it on T.V. also. The Tigers on FSN Detroit with Mario Impemba and Rod Allen- the best announcers ever. They make it personal and funny, too. (A friend of mine knows what I mean). I love to watch the batters and the pitchers, and all their little mannerisms. Brandon Inge is my second favorite, and they're moving him back to third base-thank God! Give that man a freaking Golden Glove!!! He's amazing. "It's Gum Time." That was the single greatest thing to come out of the 2006 run for the World Series. When Magglio Ordonez hit that walk-off homerun to win the ALCS... oh my God. It will forever be a fond memory. I just about hit the roof and my dad and uncle spilled their beverages all over the floor when they shot to their feet. We hugged and shouted. It was great... I called my friend and we watched the celebration together. It was a good night!!
...Anyway, that's just how much I love baseball. I miss it so much, especially now. Everything about it is so bright and green and optimistic. It's our national pastime for a reason.
....Hopefully next season, the Tigers will be back on top. No more 'blu Fugs' in the clubhouse. ;)
Can't wait for next season to break out the Rally Caps, Big League Chew and the Sheff Hats.
Awesome.

For the Love of Vinyl

Once again, I'm going to talk about music. I've always loved the experience that comes from listening to music and how it can become a personal thing for some people. I can connect to a band and a song in depth, and somehow I begin to call it, 'mine.' If I like a band, and then someone else likes it, I end up thinking they aren't true fans. Plus, they're taking 'my' band and now I have to share....
Anyway, growing up in a digital age eventually saw the 'extinction' of cassette tapes and now CDs are on their way to being obsolete. I hope that this doesn't happen however. In my opinion, downloading can be easy and helpful, but it's also very impersonal. When you get an album, you can actually hold it in your hands, and flip through the lyrics booklet to read what the artist has written to you. The best parts are when you find little messages or a strange sentence that makes you smile. It's the fact that the bands are putting together this album and all that hard work went into it, and people are basically ignoring that to download one song. So frustrating! I mean, I understand if you only like one song, or if it's the most popular one, but at least listen to some of the other songs!
With that said, I love the hands-on approach that owning a CD can give you. If you download, you miss all the lyrics and the colors and the images. Where's the fun in that?! I absolutely love vinyl albums. When you get them, they come in a big cardboard sleeve and they can come in different colors depending on how many are pressed. I'm starting my own collection now and I have vinyl copies of "Highway to Hell," the Clash's self-titled debut- the US Version, "Rock and Roll High School" soundtrack, and "Ramonesmania," and my favorite Ramones album- "Rocket to Russia"- with pink vinyl! Those are all regular vinyls, though. I also am the proud owner of three .45s, "Mother Mary" by the Foxboro Hot Tubs, Dee Dee Ramone's last songs, and the Pinhead Gunpowder 7" EP. Both that one and the Foxboro Hot Tubs have come out this year, which just goes to show you how some bands can understand the importance of intimacy with the fans. (I get a kick out of explaining the difference between an EP and an LP, too). Not only is there fun in explaining everything, I find it amusing to look at all the record labels, from Lookout to Jingletown to Adeline. Looking up those record labels exposes me to new bands and other stuff you just can't get with downloading something. It's also the fact that I love these records; when you play them the sound is different and it you can hear the crackling of the needle in the grooves. That sound always makes me smile, and to me, having a band give me that emotion through their album is more important to me than downloading a single song to play on an Ipod, where it eventually loses it's relevance. That is something I just couldn't stand.

Shoes

I haven't really been writing much, and I apologize. This week has been busy for me. It seems like we're being called upon to do a lot more homework this week... must be the Thanksgiving break coming up.

Anyway, I feel the need to write about shoes. I'm not really sure why, either...I'm just going through a 'shoe' phase right now. That in itself is strange for me. I'm not really a freak about shoes, but I certainly don't mind trying them on and looking for new ones. I always feel stupid about it, too.... It's like, 'what are you thinking about shoes for?' It's not really like me to want something so material (unless it be music-related). But I really think shoes are pretty cool. There's just something about wearing the perfect pair of shoes.... I think they're kind of empowering. If I'm wearing the right shoes, my attitude changes. I get this feeling, almost like 'I can take on anything' vibe - if I'm wearing the right shoes. The uncomfortable ones bring about feelings of frustration and being disgruntled. I'll stare at my feet and will a better pair of shoes to suddenly appear on them. Sometimes shoes can ruin a day or make it.

I've also developed a liking for certain shoes. It's so weird that something so simple can make me all confident and stuff! I love, love, love Converse All-stars. I finally managed to get my hands on a pair of real ones and I love them. I can't wait to break 'em in and wear them until holes appear on the sides.... I don't have high-tops, though! I've ALWAYS wanted a pair of those. I can thank the Ramones for that....

I'm also partial to shoes called 'brothel creepers.' People call them 'creepers' now, but I'll always know them by their original name. I might be one of few who really like these stupid shoes. They're kind of like, 'short punk dude' shoes. They make you taller, which is exactly what I need!! Yay! My fave is black right now, although I like the white ones with the little black squares on the top. The brand is Tuks or something, but who cares. They'll always be brothel creepers. I guess I just have a thing for retro stuff....Where the heck do you find a pair....?

My favorite shoes I own now, though, have to be my beaten-to-crap pair of Converse look-alikes. (Yes, I know it's cheating). They take the fave position because I've had them since the 8th grade and I love them. They're so comfortable and worn; I'll be needing glue for them soon. They've been with me for concerts, school, my senior pics, just about anywhere I go. Not to mention, my 'lucky' safety pin is stuck in the laces on the right shoe. Nobody has my shoes like I do, and I love the individuality of that... So... I just seriously wrote an entry on shoes. Go me.

But I'm sure there are people out there who know exactly what I'm talking about.... :)

A Quote to Live By...

Let's see... A quote I live by or follow... Well, I certainly like quotes. I have a lot of them. I do this weird thing- if I don't have anything to do or whatever, I'll collect quotes. I have several of them, but can I pick one that I would live by? If I had to choose, it would probably be: "Gonna scrape the trouble off my boots." This one's another Joe Strummer quote, but I do think the guy has quite a way with words. I like this because of the metaphor; the trouble is viewed as something so insignificant that it can just be scraped off your boot like mud. I like that outlook. Don't get so worked up about something so stupid or unimportant. Sometimes I wish that I could definitely get rid of my troubles in that way. I would live by this quote because the way I interpret it, is that there are more important things in life than worrying about the little insignificant things that don't matter. They might preoccupy your mind and worry you, but what you should do is just scrap them off your boots and stomp on them. I'd do something like that...
Another one of my favorites is "Lead, follow or get out of the way." This was said by General George S. Patton, a great figure in history. I like how he's brutally honest with this quote. Don't stand there and be all indecisive, just do something! I could live by that one, too...
Just for fun, I have other favorites:
"When someone asks you, A penny for your thoughts, and you put your two cents in, what happens to the other penny?" -George Carlin.
"I believe in individuality, being yourself, and to hell with what anybody else thinks about you."- Billie Joe Armstrong. (I could live by this one, too).
"An apple a day keeps anyone away if you throw it hard enough." -Stephen Colbert. ;)

That is all I have for right now. I'd love to hear some other ones! ...I guess all of these quotes I could live by in some way...even the crazy ones....

Honoring the Veterans

*comments on this are welcome!
Today is Veteran's Day, which means we celebrate those who have fought or served in the armed forces. To me, this is a very important day that several people may overlook. This is does not make me too happy. I don't like it when people don't show respect or acknowledge what the veterans have done for this country. To me, it's very important. I remember being one of those people who kind of just knew about it for awhile, then pretty much ignored it later. Now, I have wised up. I definitely understand and respect what today is, and I'm glad I do. I can't really imagine myself not paying attention to those who have served. I know how silly this sounds, but I didn't really understand all this until after I watched "Saving Private Ryan" for the first time. This was only last October, too; the movie just absolutely slaps you. But in a good way, if that makes sense. I'd been resisting the movie for awhile, and I wasn't sure why, but it was a good thing I finally watched it. The opening sequence is a recreation of the landing on Omaha Beach, one of the bloodiest battles of the war. Watching such a thing can only be absorbed the first time around. You don't really register what you see, you just kind of see it. It is really intense. There is blood, and there is gore, but you learn to accept it for what it is and just stare at the screen. I found myself waiting to see how it all turned out. Mainly you can't do anything else but watch. I know I couldn't. I seriously didn't move the entire time I was viewing it. I remember my stomach was in a knot and that wasn't a great feeling. But I got over it. Whitnessing that gave me only a tiny hint of what it was really like. Veterans have been known to watch that and cry afterward. I can definitely see why. I have only seen the beach scene maybe three times all the way through , and if I want to see the movie again I skip the beginning. I can't watch it on t.v. either because I'll stay up all night to do so, even though I have the DVD.
So, after watching the movie in it's entirety, I felt that I had been taking the veterans' sacrifice for granted. Not just those who fought or died in WW2, but those in Vietnam, Korea, the Gulf War, and the War of today. I felt a certain amount of guilt for that, too. As strange as this may sound, everything was suddenly put into perspective for me, and I realized just how dang important all that stuff was. It suddenly had more meaning than the terms in a textbook I always studied. I have always had an interest in history, but it took me this long to actually realize how important it was...
For that, I apologize to the veterans. I sort of feel like I need to. I definitely thank them for protecting my country and fighting those wars so that I may live in a peaceful world.
Thank-you, to all soldiers and veterans from all conflicts.
I feel indebted to you.

Roots Rock Rebel

While on the subject of role models or whatever, I thought I'd mention Joe Strummer. For those of you who have never heard of him or listened to the Clash, you are missing out! Joe is the perfect musician. He not only plays his music, he throws himself into it; he has great passion for it and it shows. He manages to somehow twist all that angst and raw emotion into his voice. I've seen him play so many times, and it truly is amazing. It looks like he's strangling the music out of his guitar- a black sticker-covered Fender Telecaster. I actually saw that guitar, separated from it by a pane of glass...It was probably one of the coolest things I'd ever seen. I know how stupid this sounds, but then I had proof that he was a real person; sometimes it felt like he could have been a figment of my imagination because I looked up to him so much, and I could never meet him. Joe is probably the only musician I've really looked up to, besides one other person. The guy is so charismatic and has a great way with words. It's so much fun when you're first getting into the Clash because of the lyrics. You find yourself singing all these things you wouldn't normally say. For me, it helped to expand my creativity and my mind. Often I'm tempted to speak Joe's words, because they either fully apply to the situation, or they're completely random. It's interesting to test people by saying some of these strange but insightful things. I call his quotes "Stummerisms." (Is that stupid or what?) One of my favorites is "I could murder a pizza..." or "You have to wear pointy shoes, so it looks like you know where you're headed."
I love Joe's view on life and everything else. He has such a great way of explaining things and has a love for different cultures. What I like so much about him is his rebellious spirit and the way he infuses different styles in his music. I like his bare honesty, too. If you're being an idiot, he'd let you know for sure.
He is just a great front man and is prone to strange little rants during performance or random outbursts of Spanish in the bridges of his songs. Whenever he gets into a song, he hammers the guitar, his foot pounding the floor. I saw one show where he was flat on his stomach, most likely from exhaustion, still singing in a hoarse voice, sweat dripping from his nose.
That is commitment. He loved his job, there's no question. I admire his loyalty to music and himself and the way he's put me on a path to my own individuality. The Clash are so much more than "Rock the Casbah" and "Should I Stay or Should I Go?" They're full of pure energy and passion, and that is mainly in part to Joe Strummer. Go ask any punk rocker and they'll tell you who he is. If they can't, then they have no right to even associate with the words 'Punk Rock.'
Does this all make sense? I've tried to explain this convoluted story several times before and I don't think I'll ever get it right. But I tried.
*If you've started on the Clash, but don't know where to go, listen to their self-titled debut, and then the masterpiece London Calling. You won't be disappointed!!

I'll end this with a favorite quote: ''Everyone has got to realise you can't hold on to the past if you want any future. Each second should lead to the next one.''

Amen to that, Joey.

'30 Rock': See It If You Haven't!!

Since I don't really have anything too serious to write about lately, I'll just write about what I know: pop culture.

One of my favorite t.v. shows is called '30 Rock.' Not only is this one of the funniest shows on the Thursday night line up, it is one of the funniest shows on t.v. I say this because, in all honesty, t.v. is really crappy right now. I mean, seriously. All I get when flipping through the channels is mind-numbingly stupid stuff. Take reality shows for example. Yeah sure, they're good for a few cheap laughs here and there, but they lack a moral center; they lack substance. You can tell that there isn't anything to it other than the fact it was somebody's dumb idea that was turned into a t.v. show. Like that stupid Paris Hilton bff show? I mean honestly, people! What self-respecting person would actually sit down and watch that?!! I don't freaking care if Paris needs a 'bff' and I kinda hope that she doesn't get one. It's obvious her only true friend is money and this show only proves that she wants more of it. If you're dumb enough to go on that show (or any other show like that) and display your stupidity, go right ahead. God!

All this talk of Paris Hilton has brought me to another idea. I don't think there are really any good women role models out there for anyone. I have three nieces, and I wouldn't dare let them grow up to be like Paris Hilton!!! Now, the creator of '30 Rock,' Ms. Tina Fey, is a brilliant girl whom I certainly look up to. Some of my friends and family tell me that I remind them of her. I definitely take that as a compliment. I look up to her because she is a writer, which I would like to be one day. Tina Fey is a very successful women, and has earned a lot of respect for her work on 'Saturday Night Live' and '30 Rock.' She has won Emmys for writing and the best new comedy series. Recently, she was back in the spotlight for making fun of Sarah Palin, due to how similar the two look. It always makes me happy when someone compares me to her, though. I look up to her because of her success, her intelligence, and how she has found her own ground in a predominately man's world. It is common for people to think women aren't funny, but Tina doesn't fit this stereotype. She writes a majority of the episodes for the show and even acts as the main character, Liz Lemon. She has also written movies, like 'Mean Girls' and 'Baby Momma.' She's definitely someone I think helps inspire people and I hope that I could be successful like she is.

Also, her character Liz Lemon is someone I can to relate to, not only because she's Tina Fey, but also because her character is similar to me- personality wise. We're both a bit obsessive about certain things, neurotic, and constantly bothered by other people. (ha ha.) What I mean is, a lot of people ask me to do a lot of things, and often I end up making strange decisions like Liz does. We both have a tendency to have stupid coincidences happen, too. Also worth mentioning is Alec Baldwin, whose dry humor is spot on as Jack, Liz's boss and friend. And how I could forget Tracey Jordan? He is absolutely hilarious, running about the studio like a an overgrown kid who forgot to take his Ritalin. My favorite line of his from last night's episode came after he had finished describing a legal term (very out of ordinary for his character!): "I watched Boston Legal nine times before I found out it wasn't a new Star Trek." Ha! I actually laughed aloud at that...

So, yeah. I definitely feel that this is a wonderfully funny show. The humor is smart humor, full of pop culture references and often a little strange. For example, when Liz thinks she might be pregnant and tells her boyfriend, and he responds by saying, "Cool. We can name the baby Morpheus." But everyone loves zanyiness. Without humor, our lives would be very dull. Tina Fey is a genius!

Take that, Paris.

A 'Daily' 'Report' of Laughter

In these turbulent and frustrating times, where do I turn to for comfort? Well, music helps, but if I try to watch t.v. I become bombarded suddenly with all these disturbing news reports. More casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan, the financial crisis and the economy in a downturn, gas prices, global warming, the Election-AAArgh!!! So many things happen at once that I can't really pinpoint which issue I want to tackle first....It's all so confusing. So...desperate times call for desperate measures.

Every night at Eight o'clock (except today because it's Monday), I will watch the "Daily Show" with Jon Stewart. After his show, "the Colbert Report" with Stephen Colbert comes on. I watch that, too. It's interesting, because I usually get a lot of my political information from the two of them, and then look it up later for more on the subject. It has become a good way for me to become informed. Both shows give me both sides of the story, but they have a tendency to lean toward a different wing of politics.... Bush Lovers beware! (If there are any of you still left). I guess the point I'm trying to make is that I need to be able to laugh at some of this stuff. Particularly at the stupidity that is involved in American Politics. Both Colbert and Stewart have a great habit of pointing out politician's mistakes, especially if it contradicts whatever it is he or she has been saying. It's like, 'wait...didn't you just say you were against this a month ago?" I favor Jon Stewart, mainly because he isn't afraid to tell it like it is. He acts as one of us, who sit and watch and hear about this stuff and reacts as we do; He's great at bringing out the absurdity and just laughing at it. It's a good thing, too, because some of it is pretty much unbelievable. Often, his reaction to all of this nonsense is a simple, "What the (expletive) is going on?!!" It's times like that when I can relate to him and what a lot of people must be thinking....

So, I'm just glad there's a period where I can just sit back and laugh at this whole thing. At least there are two people out there who have enough brains to explain it all to us....

"Do you have the time to listen to me whine?"

Hey. I just would like to state that I'm never 'happy-go-lucky' all the time. There are certain days when I just feel like smashing something against the wall...or whatever.
So, yeah.... I'd like to think that I'm an authority on music, Punk Rock in general, and I think I can safely say that I am one of a lonely minority..... I think my problem is I love music too much. I consider that a good thing, but other people don't understand it. I can't get through the day without music, let alone through the week. To paraphrase Billie Joe, (and yeah, I'm a Green Day freak), "music is what I breathe; it's the blood that flows in my veins; I don't know what I'd do without it." It's pretty much the same with me. If I didn't have my music...I'm pretty sure I would be the most boring person in the world. It just makes me an overall happier person, and makes me more intelligent (or at least sound that way). What people don't understand is why I love it so much. One of my pet peeves, the thing that really cheeses me off, (and boy, I hate how that sounds) is when someone tells me to stop singing a song. Or to shut up about music all together, because no one cares about it. Being the 'rude girl' that I am, I know this shouldn't faze me; I know I should just ignore it, but I can't . It's more frustrating when it's friends that are telling me to shut up. Then I get all melodramatic and think that I'm all alone and blah, blah, blah. I'm probably not, but it certainly feels that way some times.
Is it stupid of me to think about this kind of crap all the time? It comes into my mind often, but usually I just ignore it, hoping I'm just being and idiot. I worry sometimes about not loving music as much as I do now when I'm older. Like, as soon as I hit college I'll become some kind of moron who suddenly regards her punk tastes as 'a passing phase from my teen years.' If that ever happens, I swear I will realize it one day, and slap myself over the head with "American Idiot," respectively. But it's ridiculous to think of all this, isn't it? That won't happen. I'll make sure it won't. In fact, now that I think about it, I won't let it happen. I care too much about this stuff to not care about it in the future. I want to be able to share this music with my friends new and old, use it as a getaway from the drudgery of reality, or even share it with my children later on. Ah, I can just see it now: my little spiky-haired son running about as the Ramones or Green Day blares from the speakers in the living room....
Yeah....writing helps, as always. I bet no one was expecting the post to take that kind of weird turn at the end there, but who cares? I'll just leave it at that. I'm better now.... :) *by the way, the title comes from "Basket Case..."