As many are aware, I do not like country music. It just doesn’t do anything for me. No, it’s not because it’s all about your girlfriend leaving you and stealing your pick-up truck (though, I do use that stereotype when talking about the music to others, just as they use stereotypes to describe my music of choice, hip hop). I just don’t care for it. I would say there is once exception, and that is Johnny Cash. Now, I never really got into Johnny Cash until college, but I do think the man has put out some excellent music. The other day while subbing a social studies class, a young girl and I debated on his genius. She was a product of the new school of country music, not appreciating the “grittier” country music that came before. It wasn’t until recently that I could say exactly why Johnny Cash was a genius, and this excerpt isn’t the only reason he is, but it explains a lot as to why he is. This is from Chuck Klosterman’s Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto
Here is the easiest way to explain the genius of Johnny Cash: Singing from the perspective of a convicted murderer in the song “Folsom Prison Blues,” Cash is struck by pangs of regret when he sits in his cell and hears a distant train whistle. This is because people on that train are “probably drinkin’ coffee.” And this is also why Cash seems completely credible as a felon: He doesn’t want freedom or friendship or Jesus or a new lawyer. He wants coffee.
Within the mind of a killer, complex feelings are eerily simple.
This is why killers can shoot men in Reno just to watch them die, and the rest of us usually can’t.
Like I said, it’s not the only reason that makes him great, just a simple explanation.
$200 Million Well-Spent?
This is kind of old, about a week now, but I just now saw it and thought I’d post it up. It’s from The Late Show with David Letterman. Here are his “Top 10 Yankee Excuses” (for not getting to the World Series):
* Wanted Columbus Day off to get to all the sales.
* Thought series was best 6 out of 11.
* We’ve already missed the first three episodes of “Grey’s Anatomy” — enough is enough.
* Thought Joe Torre told us to give 10 percent.
* Players distracted by erotic text messages from Mark Foley.
* Shouldn’t have switched to the cheaper generic steroids.
* Clubhouse caterer replaced E. coli-tainted spinach with E. coli-tainted lettuce.
* Uh, global warming?
* More focused on how they’re going to get by on a lousy $16 million a year.
* What’s the point? North Korea’s gonna nuke us at any moment.
Tales of the Forgotten Melodies
A friend of mine from France has really great taste in music. She listens to a lot of electronic music, something I’ve never really gotten into. One night she introduced me to a song called “Our Dance” by an artist named Wax Tailor featuring a very seductive Charlotte Savary. The beat of this song is hypnotic, and the woman’s voice is just as compelling as the score behind it. I was blown away by this song and wanted to hear more of this French guy Wax Tailor. I hopped on good old iTunes and searched. Luckily, they had his album Tales of the Forgotten Melodies. Think of this album as more than an album of music. It is a story that entwines aspects of film noir throughout its 19 songs. Wax Tailor incorporates various movie clips throughout the album and his production is stellar. He’s been compared to the producers behind Portishead but to compare him to someone I’m more familiar with, he sounds similar to RJD2 or Kno (from CunninLynguists). In fact, I’ve not heard production this good on an entire album since Kno’s awesome work on A Piece of Strange. I really am blown away by this album and urge anyone who is ever looking for something different to check it out. Change is sometimes good. I now like electronic music, all thanks to the wonders of the internet and a friend from France.
The Genius of Johnny Cash
As many are aware, I do not like country music. It just doesn’t do anything for me. No, it’s not because it’s all about your girlfriend leaving you and stealing your pick-up truck (though, I do use that stereotype when talking about the music to others, just as they use stereotypes to describe my music of choice, hip hop). I just don’t care for it. I would say there is once exception, and that is Johnny Cash. Now, I never really got into Johnny Cash until college, but I do think the man has put out some excellent music. The other day while subbing a social studies class, a young girl and I debated on his genius. She was a product of the new school of country music, not appreciating the “grittier” country music that came before. It wasn’t until recently that I could say exactly why Johnny Cash was a genius, and this excerpt isn’t the only reason he is, but it explains a lot as to why he is. This is from Chuck Klosterman’s Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto
Like I said, it’s not the only reason that makes him great, just a simple explanation.
Potty Talk
No, I’m not talking about the four-letter words we all love to use. This time, I am in fact talking about going to the bathroom, more specifically, urinating. I know this may seem like an odd topic to blog about, but I’ve not been posting much and I decided to post this little thing I noticed about going to the bathroom. For those not offended by pee talk, continue to read. Read more
Ahoy, me hearty!
That’s right me hearties! Tis International Talk Like a Pirate Day! Shiver me timbers and raise me jolly roger. Get all your landlubber buddies to talk like a pirate or force them to walk the plank. Arrrrrr.
To celebrate this grand holiday, we shall drink some grog and give you the top 10 pirate pick up lines via talklikeapirate.com.
10 . Avast, me proud beauty! Wanna know why my Roger is so Jolly?
9. Have ya ever met a man with a real yardarm?
8. Come on up and see me urchins.
7. Yes, that is a hornpipe in my pocket and I am happy to see you.
6. I’d love to drop anchor in your lagoon.
5. Pardon me, but would ya mind if fired me cannon through your porthole?
4. How’d you like to scrape the barnacles off of me rudder?
3. Ya know, darlin’, I’m 97 percent chum free.
2. Well blow me down?
And the number one pickup line for use on International Talk Like a Pirate Day is …
1. Prepare to be boarded.