Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Slurred lines, or, an embarrassment of bitches

Everytime I hear Robin Thicke sing "Blurred Lines," I have to stop and wonder this . . .

Whenever he sings about a "bitch" in his song, I wonder if he's talking about his lovely mother, Gloria Loring, or his lovely wife, Paula Patton, or someone other lovely female family member or acquaintance.

Like those "bitches" that strutted alongside of him naked in the nudie version of the video for the song.

So classy.

It must feel so hip-hop singing "bitch" repeatedly--especially for a hip-hop wannabe with minor Canadian celebrity royalty for a close relation.

What rhymes with "hug me," Robin? How about "slug me."

As in, me thinks you're a slug.

* * *

An update of sorts.

I was watching OMG Entertainment Death Spiral of Western Society! the other day when they ran a segment on Robbie and his dear old Dad, Alan Thicke.  

Hijole.

While blowing smoke up each other's arses for the cameras--and without any mention that little Rob has a mother who achieved a certain amount of fame in her own right--the pater praised the fils' superior physical condition.

Something along the lines of "He's in great shape, has a nice body, and looks good naked." Then Daddy gave a smile and perhaps a wink to the audience.

Even classier.

I don't think for a minute that there's anything more to that moment than this: That Robin may sing about bitches and have topless women parade around him at a video shoot, but the real whores of this story are him and his snappy pappy.
 

Monday, July 29, 2013

Hard times

I knew things were hard for Paula Deen, but I didn't think they were this bad.

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Not-so-secret squirrel

I can't even explain this. It's like trying to explain Pittsburgh. 

And six years into living here, I really don't know how to.

OK, how about this? It's like Baltimore without John Waters to reveal it to everyone.

And with no crabs, just pierogies. Cooler summers, worse winters, lots of hills, and no water taxis.

And obviously squirrels with brass keys.

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Emancipate yourself



This week's earworm: Kelis singing "Emancipate," a performance I saw a few years ago at the 9:30 Club in D.C. (Really, don't ask what I was doing there at my age. It was a highly unsuccessful concert-going experience for all involved.) It has a pretty snaky synth line, kinda hard to forget. And the spirit of the lyrics ain't too shabby either.

Ah, the lyrics. "Emancipate yourself emancipate yourself emancipate yourself emancipate yourself emancipate yourself emancipate yourself emancipate yourself emancipate yourself . . ."
Look in your own mirror and know who you are . . .
We're are human and fall short nothing's over yet . . .
Life's too short to waste your time do what you love . . .
What are you trying to tell me, Kelis?

Sunday, July 14, 2013

NYNY (New Year New You)




I finally have found an online home (one that's non-spazzy about copyright--at least so far) for my mixes and podcasts. Woo hoo!

After Apple shut down it's perfectly acceptable website for paying customers, converting everything to iCloud (which I still don't get), the many podcasts and mixes I'd done over the last couple of years were left homeless.

It may seem like something small to you, but it was a crushing blow to my limited creativity. I'm not a very artistic person, but I can talk reasonably intelligently, make a good playlist, and do some basic mixing with a wee bit o' flair. Podcasts and mixes became a way for me to express the frustrated DJ/radio announcer in me, something that's been a part of me since childhood, when I used to listen constantly to radio broadcasts, both domestic and foreign, and attempt to make my own using a reel-to-reel tape recorder.

Why I never went into media and communications, I'll never understand. I never thought I had the looks or the voice for it, I'm sure. Thanks all you bastards out there for beating a guy down.

I think my creativity has suffered a pummeling in other ways, too. People criticized my drawing, so I did it less, then not at all. People criticized my writing. Ditto. People criticized me. And, yeah, I hid various parts of me away from those who would judge me or who I thought might.

Mean people suck, but really, I should be less susceptible to them by now.

And I had been managing that with my mixes and podcasts, putting myself and my interests out there for the world to see--even though the audience for them was miniscule to nonexistent. But now perhaps through MixCloud and its "cloudcasts," I stand more of a chance to expressing myself to the wider world, their criticims be damned. Or at least not taken too much to heart.

* * *

Playlist - NYNY (New Year New You) Mix
  • Kraftwerk - "Musique Non-Stop"
  • 808 State featuring Bernard Sumner - "Spanish Heart" 
  • The Pet Shop Boys - "Domino Dancing" 
  • Queen - "Radio Ga Ga" 
  • Serge Gainsbourg - "No Comment" (Dax Riders Remix) 
  • Electronic - "The Patience of a Saint" 
  • Poolside - "Just Fall in Love" 
  • Daft Punk - "Da Funk" 
  • Annie - "I Know Ur Girlfriend Hates Me" 
  • Telex - "Rock Around the Clock" 
  • Brazilian Girls - "Last Call" 
  • Justin Timberlake and Timbaland - "SexyBack" 
  • Hooverphonic - "Dirty Lenses" (remix) 
  • The Shamen - "Make It Mine" 
  • LCD Soundsystem - "Get Innocuous!" 
  • Holy Ghost! - "Static on the Wire" 
  • Kleerup featuring Titiyo - "Longing for Lullabies"

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Monday, July 08, 2013