beauty in the dissonance

Great Beginnings

2011-07-22T11:59:00.000-04:00

This is going to be tough to write, just because there are so many good songs to think about. You'll see what I mean. I hope that after reading it, you'll share your opinions with me.

We all love different things about different songs. But while talking recently about song beginnings, I tried to think of the bands who have written songs that when you hear the first few notes, you're like YESSSS. I realized that there really isn't another band I can think of that has as many awesome song beginnings as AC/DC. The beginnings of many of their songs are just so classic; they're instantly recognizable and immediately set a certain tone. Of course there are a bunch of bands with songs with great beginnings, but AC/DC sticks out to me because it seems like they've accumulated such a large number of them. Plus, when you hear the beginning of an AC/DC song, there's really no question who the band is; they are great at writing song intros that are not only catchy, but also communicate the philosophy and attitude of the band. As I said, feel free to share your feelings about this.

AC/DC is well-known for their bare bones, old-school hard rock sound, as well as the voices of the band's two singers, Bon Scott (1974-1980) and Brian Johnson (1980-present). But central to the band's unique sound are the power chords and guitar riffs generated by guitarists Malcolm and Angus Young. The guitars are most often what people remember and love about the band, especially songs that feature great guitar riffs before the lyrics start (which is most of them).

For me, it's really tough to beat the beginning of AC/DC's For Those About to Rock. When I hear those first tentative notes, I immediately get a sense of anticipation; it just feels like something big is about to happen. It makes sense that this song is played at sporting events before the start of overtime; it's effective. It gets you amped up and excited. I find it fascinating and amazing how music is able to achieve such strong reactions in people. Anyway, I'm just saying, the beginning of this song is killer. The worst is when you find it playing on the radio but you realize you missed the beginning of the song (because it's the best!). There are no words for that feeling. Well, there are, but they're jumbled strings of curse words. In fact, I'd bet brand new curse words have been created by people who just missed the beginning of that song on the radio. Like this one: muthasshitcockhat. What? If you don't like it, you'll have to make up your own.

AC/DC has a catalog of songs with great beginnings. I mean, I feel like most people would recognize the beginnings to Thunderstruck, You Shook Me All Night Long, Back in Black, and Highway to Hell. And they're just great songs with a great rock n' roll feel.

OK, here's your assignment (I bet you didn't realize I'd give you homework, eh? You're probably thinking Thanks a lot for tricking me into reading your stupid blog and then AMBUSHING ME WITH A FREAKING HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT, JACKWAD). Anyway, here's the deal: I'd love to know which songs you think have the best beginnings. Here are a few songs I (and a couple people I asked) came up with after only thinking about it for a few minutes. I know there are tons more out there, so let me know which songs you think have great-beginning status.

Rush - The Spirit of Radio
Led Zeppelin - When the Levee Breaks (love the drums)
The Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter
U2 - Where the Streets Have No Name
Guns N' Roses - Sweet Child o' Mine (A friend of mine argued that Welcome to the Jungle should also be included, but I totally disagree, and therefore it is not on this list. Except for just then when I mentioned it.)
Jimi Hendrix - Voodoo Child
Dropkick Murphys - I'm Shipping Up to Boston
The Who - Baba O'Riley

Mumford and Sons?

2011-07-09T13:08:00.008-04:00

Yes, I'm going to write briefly about Mumford and Sons, a band from England who I am not overly familiar with. I've heard several of their songs, and I've liked them just fine, but I haven't heard anything that particularly struck a chord with me (pun intended, sorry). But one of the nice things about having a Tivo is that I can look at upcoming music performances on tv and set them to record, even if they're performances by bands of which I'm not an especially big fan. That way I can sort of "skim" through them and see if anything catches my ear. You never know what you'll find that you weren't expecting. So recently I fast-forwarded my way through the Mumford and Sons episode of Unplugged, and I came across their cover of a song called England by a band called The National. And I loved it. It's an extremely simple song, but it caught my attention and I've had it in my head for days. Give it a listen and see what you think. Also, see if you agree that lead singer Marcus Mumford would be doing us all a favor if he shaved that ridiculous mustache. I swear it's like he's waggling it at me on purpose.

Get More: Mumford and Sons Unplugged, Mumford and Sons, Music Videos, Live Performances

Countertops

2010-03-20T18:50:00.003-04:00

Well, the countertops are in, and we're really happy with them. It's difficult to visualize how a particular shade of granite will look in your kitchen. Will it go with the cabinets, the floor, the wall color? When thinking of various colors, we weren't sure whether a lighter, beige color would look good, or if a darker color would be better. As we looked at the samples, though, it was very clear we preferred the dark color over the light. I don't have any photos yet that adequately show the pattern of the granite, but at least the photos below can give you an idea of what they look like. We're still waiting on the refrigerator and the microwave, which will be delivered on Wednesday, and then we can get the dishwasher and microwave installed. Then we'll be ready to move things in and start using our kitchen!

More progress...

2010-03-14T20:30:00.007-04:00

This will have to be short and sweet. It has been an extremely busy time at work for me, so I haven't had time to post anything lately. But here are some photos to show what has been going on around here.

First of all, the cabinets are all in! And our new floor was installed a couple weeks ago. We are currently finishing up the painting that needed to be done. Our countertops will be installed on Tuesday. The new stove is sitting in our living room, and our dishwasher should be delivered by Friday.

Be sure to note the old floor in these photos.

Here are some shots of the new floor:

And a few random photos, showing the new soffits above the wall cabinets and the finished pass-through hole!

Aside from getting the painting finished (we still need to paint the ceiling), the next project is putting all the pulls on the cabinet doors and drawers. I'll post again soon, once our new countertops are in.

And Then There Was Snow

2010-02-09T10:28:00.015-05:00

In my last post, I shared my excitement that some progress was being made on my kitchen renovation. Don't get me wrong, I'm still excited and all, but since the snow came, progress has once again come to a screeching halt. I'm not exactly sure what the snow totals were, but I do know that there are 3-6 foot drifts and piles of snow out there right now. Luckily the sun is starting to melt some of it away, but it has been a heck of a snowy week. I'm told we're supposed to get more snow on Monday, so I have no idea when my contractors will be able to make it back over to work on the kitchen again. The upside to the snow is that since I work for a college, I got to stay home all week! Hooray for snow days!

One thing I am excited about in the kitchen is the new opening in the wall between the kitchen and dining room. It opens things up a lot, and since the kitchen is so tiny and the kitchen doorway is so narrow, I think adding the opening in the wall really helped make things seem less closed off.

Remember the beginning stage of the hole?

Well, now it is a nice square opening; it might just be my favorite square opening in the whole world right now. The paint on the left wall is the color we'll be painting the kitchen. It's beige. Yep, just beige. There is still some drywall work and sanding to be done, and that's why all the walls aren't painted.

Here's the view from the dining room side.

My house was built in 1958. In the process of tearing apart the kitchen, a small treasure was found: an Everywoman's Family Circle magazine from November, 1960. I don't know how it managed to stick around for so long (it probably just fell behind a cabinet) but it's interesting that it had not been seen in nearly 50 years. It is chock full of homemaking tips, recipes, sewing projects, and fashion news. Here are a few photos.

My favorite page in the magazine, though, was this one; it advertises "Fat Girls' Diet" - a list of diets which you could purchase for 25 cents each. They weren't concerned with being sensitive back then, were they?

Snow permitting, the cabinets should start going in this week. I'm on my way to having a kitchen again!

Sorry, Kitchen's Closed

2010-01-27T19:04:00.010-05:00

Just a quick update:

It has been a long time since I've posted any updates about the new house. Again, that's because there hasn't been anything to report. But while the past few months have offered little in the way of progress, today ushered in a tiny bit of hope. I've gotten used to living without a kitchen, though it's not easy. In fact, it's pretty annoying. If I didn't have a refrigerator in the basement, it would've been much more difficult. At first I just ate a lot of fast food (silly me, I didn't think it would take so long to get the kitchen renovation started), but then I grew out of almost all of my clothes. It's not funny. The only skirt that fits me is the one with the elastic waistband, which is totally unacceptable, and also really depressing. In fact I can't believe I just told you that. Can I hold Chick-Fil-A responsible for the whole thing? Anyway, I'm not eating all that junk anymore so I hope that sometime in the next month or two I'll be able to reunite with my old wardrobe.

My living room is looking pretty special these days. It is full of kitchen cabinets, as well as the boxes in which the cabinets were shipped, which you'll see I have carefully stacked in an artistic ode to the leaning tower of Pisa. I also have cabinets stashed away in a spare bedroom. See?

OK, onto the progress. First, let me remind you how the kitchen looked when I bought the house:

Today when I got home from work, this is what it looked like.

Fancy, eh? Admit it, you've never seen a more handsome hole in the wall. Hey, it's a start. I'm just glad to have things rolling. I'll have another update as soon as it's warranted, which I hope is soon.

The Spark - Music Series, part two

2009-11-03T19:53:00.011-05:00

Some of my earliest memories are of lying in my room at night, and hearing the sounds of my father playing the piano in the living room. I fell in love with music from listening to him play. It never occurred to me that it wasn’t necessarily typical to have someone playing an instrument in the house all the time. I guess I figured everybody had a family member who played often. But I was lucky in that regard. My dad had a brown Kimball baby grand, and I loved that piano and all the memories it created for me. If my father hadn’t constantly provided me exposure to his playing, I know I still would’ve come to love music, but it probably wouldn’t have happened as early as it did. My dad would sit down at the piano nearly every night to practice, and he played a variety of music. I heard countless church hymns (he was the pianist at our church), some classical pieces, and a bit of ragtime also. My dad loves George Gershwin music, and I’m glad for that because when he played Gershwin, I was exposed to very different rhythms than with the classical or religious pieces.

When my parents began sending me to piano lessons, I learned that while I was very interested and excited to learn how to play, I wasn’t too enthusiastic about learning to read music. All I wanted to do was play the piano, and at first all my piano teacher wanted me to do was read music out of a book and do sight-reading exercises. Talk about all work and no play. I wanted to hear myself playing songs, but that takes a little more time to achieve than I had originally assumed. I figured I would have one lesson and be able to play anything I wanted, perfectly. I was, as they say, ready to jam. Surprisingly, that’s not what happened. Learning to read music wasn’t especially difficult, but it took more patience than I typically kept on hand at the time, so my parents had to begin forcing me to do some serious foraging within myself to find an extra stash of patience and focus I wasn’t even sure existed (turns out it was down near my toes, and I didn’t have nearly as much stashed away as my parents claimed I did). I have the sneaking suspicion that I’m not the only child in history who has had this problem. In fact, as time went on, I tried to find ways to avoid reading music. I knew I was supposed to learn a song by reading the music, but if I could hear it played once or twice, I could usually figure it out from there without having to do the dirty work of sight-reading. It was just easier to play by ear. Granted, I could read music, but when I was still learning, it took longer to figure out the notes from the page than from hearing someone else play them. Essentially I was being lazy, and looking for the easy way out.

It was also in my early years that I developed a distinct fondness for music that sounded melancholy. Pieces written in a minor key were favorites because they created a feeling of sorrow that I identified with. They inspired me and made me love music even more. I began to comprehend the power of music, and the magic it makes possible. Those somber pieces made me feel understood; they created an atmosphere that represented how I felt, and they expressed emotions I wouldn’t fully understand for years. I could relate to the music in a way I was unable to relate to another person. I absorbed it as a means of communication and expression. I feel like music taught me that every emotion I possess is allowed to be acknowledged and expressed. As I got older, I felt that it was alright to convey the sadness I carried most of the time; it was a safe and even healthy outlet for the emotions that are difficult to put into words and share with other people. With music, whether listening, playing, or composing, my ever-present depression is allowed to be recognized; I am not expected or told to cheer up, and I am not made to apologize for it.

Music is a precious art that can be at once empowering and humbling, and it is a gift to create as well as to hear. Obviously some people are more musically talented than others, but I think some people also have an innate attraction to music, where music is not just something that drones on in the background, but is a priceless and integral component of life. It nurtures the soul in a way that little else can, and it allows for a stunning expression of life's emotions, from the worst sorrow to the greatest joy. I plan to write about my experiences with composing, playing, and listening to music, and I am hopeful that I’ll be able to convey the love and respect I have for it.

The Attempt - Music Series, part one

2009-10-25T21:04:00.004-04:00

Recently I was chatting about music with my friend Kris, and he encouraged me to do something I have always assumed I was incapable of doing. I had just downloaded a new album on iTunes, and he asked if it was any good. I had only listened to a few songs in the car, so I said I would have to give it an attentive listen that evening to get a better idea of what I thought of it. He asked, "What is an 'attentive' listen?" As I prepared to answer his question, I experienced the familiar difficulty I have when trying to explain my relationship with music. It's like asking me to solve a trigonometry problem; I get that deer-in-headlights thing going on, where my eyes open slightly larger than normal and my mouth drops open just a little, and then I stare into space just long enough to make anyone in the vicinity wonder if I've lost my lone marble. I have never, ever been able to adequately describe the role music plays in my life, how it really makes me feel, or why it is so important to me. I always come away feeling like a frustrated child wanting to stomp my feet and whine, "Wait, you don't really understand!" It sort of makes me feel like I must be the only person who feels this strongly about music. Obviously that's not true; there are a lot of people in the world who are passionate about music, and it would be arrogant of me to think that I am the only one who feels the way I do. But, man, talk about a difficult thing to describe. Even if I had better communication skills, I think I would still have trouble with this one. I mean, how do you describe that kind of magic?

I decided to try and write about music. This will be a true challenge for me, but I’m actually looking forward to it. Instead of attempting to fit everything into one post, I’m going to write a series; I’ll be able to break things into narrower topics and I’ll also have the chance to add or expand on things in later posts. Writing this series of posts and trying to express my passion for music is what Kris encouraged me to do. "That is what I want to read about," he said. I had never felt so much support for something like this, something that is very important and personal to me. So I decided to give it a shot, and if I fail to do the explanation justice, that's okay; at least I can say I tried. I’m willing to crash and burn here. But if I do, I’m blaming it all on Kris.

A Very Unentertaining Blog Post

2009-10-19T21:35:00.004-04:00

It's been a while since I've posted about progress on the house. There's a reason for that. See, for me to write a post about progress on the house, progress would have actually had to have occurred. Unfortunately, as it stands, there is really no progress to speak of. My living room is currently divided into three distinct sections: 1. the section of boxes containing unassembled kitchen cabinets, 2. the section containing assembled kitchen cabinets, and 3. the section containing a whole mess of random stuff that hasn't been unpacked or put away yet. There isn't anything in the living room that looks like it actually belongs in a living room, except for some bookshelves, and they don't even have books on them. My laundry room is the current depository for most of my kitchen stuff, which, of course, can't go into the kitchen because it is in the process of being completely stripped of any and all kitchen-like paraphernalia, including cabinets, flooring, drywall, and appliances. There are exactly zero pieces of art hung in the entire house. I've hung zero curtains. I haven't even hung the new chandelier in the dining room (but I did put it together and that was a lot harder than you would think). How can it possibly be taking me so long to get this house together? I've been thinking about this for weeks now, and I finally found the answer, unfair as it may be. Apparently (and contrary to my expectations), not everything in the world stopped because I bought a house. I mean, I'm still expected to go to work, attend functions for family and friends, do laundry, and pay bills. And other people still have their own responsibilities to take care of, too; it's like they don't even realize that I just bought a house and have a lot of work they could help with. They aren't dropping everything and spending all their evenings at my house, getting much-needed work done! It's simply not fair. Okay, so of course I am being sarcastic. I do realize that the world does not revolve around me. But it would sure be a lot easier to get things done around here if it did. I'm just saying.

Slowly But Surely

2009-09-19T19:32:00.024-04:00

Unpacking boxes at the house has been a painfully slow process. It is frustrating in the way getting stuck on a two-lane road behind a tractor or an old lady who's driving 27 mph is frustrating. It seems like no matter how much time I spend unpacking boxes, the house is still impossibly full of them. I suspect that they are secretly reproducing while I sleep at night. What this means is that I am not yet ready to share photos with you of the current state of affairs around here. Frankly all you would see are photographs of someone else's clutter. OH THE GLORIOUS CLUTTER. So instead of interesting photos of beautifully decorated rooms, I will share these.

While the master bedroom is still in the most basic form of updatedness (i.e., no curtains, nothing hung on the walls), it does look quite different than it did when I moved in. Here are before-and-after shots of the master bedroom.

Here's the before:

And here's the after (so far).

One of the best things about having a house is the fact that I now have a nice yard for my dogs to run around in. Murphy and Oliver have been having a blast out there; they wander aimlessly, sniffing everything, and Murphy has begun to chase crickets, which is more comical than I can express with words. Here are a few random shots I got recently.

Here's a look at the back of the house from about 3/4 of the way back in the yard. And also a photo of the neighbor's yard (a fence will be going up between my house and his) and his canoe. There's a spectacular view of the canoe from the back porch.

Here are Murph and Ollie "on the hunt" and then taking a break with Christi's dog Shiloh:

And here are my handsome boys enjoying their yard (Oliver on the left, Murphy on the right)!

I'll have more progress photos as soon as I can. I hope I'll have something good to show you soon!

Basement "Befores"

2009-09-02T21:06:00.013-04:00

Well, I moved into the new house this past weekend, so that means: a) I haven't gotten to do much work on the house lately, because I was trying to get everything packed and ready for the move, and b) now there are boxes all over the place. I had to send out a text message to a bunch of people who helped me pack and move, asking if anyone knew where my hair dryer was. I was kind of annoyed when shortly after I got out of the shower, I realized that I had no idea where any of my stuff was. I mean, I had the basics, like my toothbrush and contact lenses, but ask me to find a hairbrush or some moisturizer and I was stumped. Luckily all the blinds were closed, so my nude sprint around the house didn't inadvertently catch the attention of some neighborhood kid who was innocently walking by to get to his friend's house.

Anyhoo, I thought I'd share some "before" pictures of the basement. I'm not quite ready to post any "after" pictures, but at least you'll get to see what I started off with.

It's a big basement, but certainly not the most attractive. The paneling is pretty tacky, though the zig-zag floor is kind of fun. Kind of.

The tops of the benches in this area fold up to allow for tons of storage. If I find myself involved in a cut-throat game of hide-and-seek in the near future, I'm hiding in there. (Don't tell anybody.)

Much cleaning and painting has happened since these photos were taken. I can't wait to get everything finished so I can share the "after" pictures with you all.

Whirlwind Weekend

2009-08-23T22:13:00.007-04:00

It was quite a whirlwind of a weekend for me. I'm going to do a brief recap, and then I'm going to bed because I'm tired, and I'm told sleep can help with that.

Friday the electrician came to do some work, resulting in a new ceiling fan in the master bedroom, an exhaust fan and new outlet in the bathroom, and outlets and switches in the basement that actually work! There is still so much to do, but at least some of the projects are getting close to completion, instead of having tons of loose ends. Those loose ends tend to rattle around in my brain and cause me to lose sleep. Moving day is Saturday, so those loose ends need to get nailed down, and soon.

Today I was blessed with lots of help. I started off the day by meeting my father-in-law, Bob, and my brother-in-law, Alex, at Home Depot to pick up a new bathroom vanity, sink top, and faucet. They spent the entire day at my house working on the plumbing in the bathroom, and they only set the house on fire twice. Really. Apparently even the smallest of blowtorches can cause a real problem. The wood behind the drywall caught on fire a couple times, but it was not a serious issue. Of course, the water to the whole house was shut off at the time, so if it had been a serious issue, we probably would've been screwed. The main floor of the house smelled like a campfire for hours. I found myself with a strange craving for s'mores. Note to self: it's time to go ahead and pick up a fire extinguisher.

Anyway, most of the basement was primed today, which is cool, because I wasn't sure there would be time to paint the basement before moving in. Little things, like vent cover installation and paint touch-ups were done today as well. My feet hurt. But you don't care about my feet, you want to see if there are any photos in this blog post. So here you go.

Here's the "before" shot, in all its glory.

And here's the "after" shot. I know, it's still pink. I assure you, the pinkness of this bathroom cannot be squelched in one day. Oh no, that will take time and plenty of careful planning. For now, I'm incredibly happy with a new vanity and sink. There's still work to do, though; as you can see, there's a tile missing behind the sink - that's where a soap dish was ripped out of the wall. The backsplash hasn't been put on yet either, but that will be coming soon. Oh, and the sink is only usable thanks to the bucket that's hiding under the sink. Something about some pesky missing plumbing parts...

Change on the Horizon

2009-08-19T09:48:00.004-04:00

While progress is being made at the new house (seemingly at a snail's pace), there are parts of the house I haven't shared with you yet. These areas are going to be changed and improved, but since the "2009 War on Pink" has taken longer than expected, the work is not yet underway. Today I will show you the kitchen. The cabinets are original to the house (1958) and are in pretty good shape. However, everything you see in the kitchen will be gone soon. Everything. There will be new floors, new cabinets, new countertops, a pass-through in the wall between the kitchen and dining room, a new ceiling fan, new paint, and new appliances. (You can't see it in the pictures, but there is pink paint between the cabinets and the ceiling!) It will be quite a job, but I think it will also be totally worth it. As it is now, the kitchen isn't exactly an example of an efficient use of space. There's no way I could even fit all of my dishes and cookware into the cabinets. And the cabinets are hung so low on the walls that even I (at less than 5' 2") think they're too low. And there's no dishwasher. Without a dishwasher, I might as well just start using paper plates and cups. Handwashing dishes on a daily basis is ok if you're camping, but in my normal, day-to-day life, I know it just wouldn't work.

Paint Colors

2009-08-15T10:47:00.008-04:00

Here are a few photos I took yesterday. It's tough to accurately show the paint colors via digital photo, but I gave it a shot anyway.

On the left is a shot of the dining room wall. This, of course, shows the pink trim that hasn't yet been painted white. The second photo is of the third (smallest) bedroom. I really like the deep blue color. It'll look great once the trim is painted and all the blue tape is off. The third photo shows the corner where the dining room meets the living room. The living room is currently painted a color called Natural Linen, which I thought was just going to be a nice beige color that would go well with the green in the dining room. But once it was up on the walls, it took on a rather green tint all its own. At night when the room is lit only by lamplight, it actually looks mint green, which is one of my least favorite colors. After painting the second bedroom a subtle gray and falling in love with it, I decided the living room will be repainted that color, too.

Painting this house has been less like simple painting and more like a battle against the pink. If your house was painted pink everywhere you'd probably understand why I can't wait to cover every last little speck of it. I want to defeat it soundly and never look back! I started painting the trim last night, so soon I'll be able to step back and look at the nice white trim against the newly painted walls. I can't wait.

Where are all the pictures?

2009-08-13T20:20:00.006-04:00

OK, I haven't posted any updates since Sunday. What in the world have I been doing all week? Did I run out of steam and decide to be lazy and idle? I can tell you what I haven't been doing: relaxing, getting massages, and eating ice cream. Work has continued at the new house, mostly in the form of painting; all the ceilings are done, and the walls are nearly done as well. The trim hasn't even been started yet, so the whole house has beautiful, freshly painted walls framed by - you guessed it - pink trim.

The wall in the master bedroom has been repaired; after the first area was patched, another soft spot in the drywall showed itself, so that had to be repaired, too. After a second coat of paint, the master bedroom will be ready to rid itself of the yucky carpet that is in there. That will be exciting because that carpet is pretty gross, and it will be nice to see the hardwood floor.

So if work has continued, why are there no new photos on this blog? Well, every evening this week I've been working at the house, but by the time I think to grab my camera and take some pictures, it's completely dark outside, and we don't have enough light inside the house to properly illuminate the new paint colors. My mission for tomorrow is to take pictures as soon as I get to the house. I certainly wouldn't want you to miss out on seeing the place in its "pink-trimmed" glory!

Aaaargh

2009-08-09T17:38:00.003-04:00

This weekend was supposed to be all about painting. There was to be paint just flying onto ceilings, walls, and trim. In fact, a great symphony of painting was going to be conducted, resulting in a beautiful outcome. Then I got one of my headaches.

For over a month I've been going to physical therapy for these 'headaches' I get frequently. It turns out they're not normal headaches; they are the result of extreme muscle tension, which in turn causes occipital nerve pain. NERVE PAIN. All I can say is, well, ouch.

Anyway, I am incredibly lucky, because Rita is over at the house with Matt, painting away. The living room, dining room, and hallway should be done today. And all I've done to help the last two days is tape off the trim in the living room, dining room, and part of the hallway, and get the first coat of white paint on a few of the interior doors. It's a terrible feeling to be stuck at home on one of the few weekends I have left to get things done before moving in. Not only is it very frustrating, but it's horrible to be sitting here with ice on my neck, while other people are working on my house, which is what I should be doing. If I felt better, this actually might not be a bad deal, sitting around and having other people doing the work. I guess that's how rich people do things. But anyone who knows me knows I would rather be doing the work myself, not relying on someone else to keep things rolling.

I suppose I'd better get over it because right now there's nothing I can do besides try to get myself feeling better and maybe eat some Oreo cookies. I'm hoping that tomorrow night I'll have photos of the fabulous paint job to share. And oh yeah, when painting the ceiling in the dining room, there was a pretty large area just outside the kitchen doorway where all these little brown spots kept showing up through the paint. I hadn't noticed them at all before the painting started. I'm pretty sure they're grease spots, so that whole area is going to need a coat of primer and then another coat of paint. Ugh.

One Step Forward...

2009-08-06T21:04:00.008-04:00

The painting has begun! Christi and I started by painting the ceiling in the master bedroom the other night. The walls were started a couple days ago. I am an experienced painter, so I figured the master bedroom would be a breeze to paint. It would be done in no time, right? Well, after the first coat of paint went on, a soft spot was discovered in one of the walls, so the drywall had to be pulled out and the area had to be patched.

Crap.

But at least it will be fixed properly now so I won't have to deal with it later. I decided to take the day off work tomorrow so that I could be at the house all day, painting and cleaning. Right now the focus is on getting the painting done. Since every surface except the hardwood floors is getting painted, there's a lot to do!

Anyway, tonight I went over and started priming some of the interior doors. They are unpainted wood, and I'm painting them all white. As I said, every surface except the floors! I'm hoping to have a different photo of the master bedroom for you soon, once it's all finished and flawless!

Out With the Old...Carpet

2009-08-02T21:08:00.013-04:00

I said I would post more photos, some showing the results of the work from yesterday. I know you've been on the edge of your seat. The highlights of the day were that the yucky carpet was torn out and the drapes came down. Maybe it doesn't sound like we got much done, but with all the staples we had to remove from the hardwood floors, it took quite awhile. I seriously think I sprouted a new gray hair every time I wrestled out a staple. Today was mostly about cleaning. I spent about two hours cleaning the mini-blinds in the master bedroom, which was exactly as exciting as it sounds.

Today was interesting in that I got a revelatory nugget of information - the electricity in certain parts of the house no longer works. No light in the bathroom, no working outlets in the bedrooms and part of the basement, no obvious cause, and no electrician skills to fix it. Sweet.

OK, so here are some more of the photos I took on Friday after I got the keys.

Here's a shot of the hallway. You can see the master bedroom also. The glass in the light fixture is currently held together with masking tape. It's clear the fixture has had a long life, but it is showing its age and needs to walk toward the 'bright light' to that final resting place in the sky.

This is the master bedroom. Thankfully, the drapes are now gone. I'll show you all an updated photo once it's painted and the carpet comes out. At least it's not pink.

Remember the "before" shot of the living room? Well, here it is again. So far, it has gone from this:

to this (Christi's sweeping pose is super):

to this (yay)!

Maybe there's been no exciting stuff yet, but have no fear, I'm working on it! I'm hoping to get the painting started tomorrow after work. I'll be posting photos of the kitchen and basement soon.

Home Sweet Home

2009-08-01T22:04:00.023-04:00

I finally bought a house. Finally. It's nothing fancy, but it's mine. I got the keys yesterday, and now the cleaning, painting, repairs, and home renovations will commence. I'm excited and relieved that this has actually happened; I hated renting, and have been ready to move into a house of my own for a while. But it's also overwhelming because there is a lot of work to be done. I will have my apartment until September 9, which means I have about a month to get a whole mess of stuff done at the house before moving my things in.

The house is in Catonsville, only a couple miles from my current apartment. It is a ranch-style house that was built in 1958, and has three bedrooms and one (very pink) bathroom. While it is actually in pretty great condition, there are A LOT of small repairs that need to be made, and there are quite a few changes I'd like to make as well (NO dishwasher?!?! This MUST change!).

I will be chronicling the changes to the house as progress is made, not because it will be especially exhilirating, but because I have had requests from friends and family from out-of-state who are interested (or are pretending to be interested) in seeing the house and what I am working on.

Here are some pictures I took yesterday; they show the house exactly as it was when I got the keys.

Here's the front of the house. There's a driveway to the right. The shrubbery will eventually have to be torn out and replaced with some more appropriately-sized plants. There is currently a battle between the shrubs and the walkway to the front door. The shrubs have won. For now.

Here's a dark shot of the living room, taken from the dining room/hallway area. The draperies in this house are overwhelming; they're heavy and multi-layered, and also pretty ugly.

This is the dining room. The chandelier is pretty horrible, and yes, the walls are pink. I don't know why. That's the back door; it leads out to the screened-in porch. You can also see the lovely orange-pink-beige-brown carpet. Fortunately, it was all ripped out earlier today.

And this is the fantastic pink bathroom! More pink! Can you tell how excited I am about the pink-ness?!

I'll post some more pictures tomorrow. And I'll have the first set of progress photos, which will show you the work we (Matt, Christi, Ted, and I) got done today. The drapes came down, and the carpet was removed (requiring the painstaking removal of hundreds of staples (thanks, Christi) and nails). I'm exhausted, my knuckles are swollen from plucking staples with pliers, and my back is in the throes of organizing a protest.

Life is Strange

2009-07-12T12:43:00.004-04:00

"Life sure is strange." An elderly woman said this to me in conversation yesterday. She's right; life is strange indeed. Things we're sure are going to be one way turn out to be another. The oddest of circumstances can turn into the most pleasant surprises. The people we put on pedestals eventually fall off and disappoint us. The places we thought we'd be in our lives are so very far away, so foreign. The thing about life is that there's just no predicting what will happen. There's no way to guarantee anything. Sometimes we find ourselves in bizarre situations that require us to make decisions we never thought we'd have to make. But in the end, all the little things are just part of the long, strange story.

Favorite Cover Song

2009-05-07T14:32:00.015-04:00

Normally I’m not a big fan of cover songs; there are few I actually like. But it just so happens that my favorite cover song is one that I really love. It’s not like I dubbed it my favorite just because it’s the least crappy of the options. I really do love this cover song (did I already mention that?). Not surprisingly, the original and cover artists are two of my favorite bands, Led Zeppelin and TOOL (yes, I intend to use all caps when referencing TOOL, they’re that awesome).

I fell in love with Led Zeppelin when I was 11 years old. There was no courting period; it wasn't necessary - it was truly love at first listen. I was totally hooked, and have been ever since. During middle school and high school I always had trouble falling asleep at night, so I would lie in bed and listen to music through headphones for hours in the dark. It was during those nightly rendezvous that I became enamored with the many different compositions by the rock n’ roll heroes of a past generation. I listened to the songs so many times that I memorized every note and nuance, and even learned exactly where the slightest background studio noises occurred in the recordings.

I fell in love with TOOL just a couple years later. TOOL’s sound is described most often as progressive or industrial rock. I loved the band’s sound, loved their use of interesting time signatures, and loved Danny Carey’s unique and masterful drumming. But mostly I fell head over heels (instantly) for Maynard James Keenan’s voice. It bursts with emotion, and when I hear him sing I am impressed and inspired by his ability to so successfully communicate sentiment.

When I found out that TOOL had recorded a cover version of Led Zeppelin’s No Quarter, I was a little nervous (check out Led Zeppelin's recorded version and TOOL's recorded cover version). I loved both bands and the song so much that I was afraid I’d be hugely disappointed if the cover version didn’t meet my expectations. I would have been really bummed if one of my favorite bands had totally screwed up their cover of one of my favorite Led Zeppelin songs. Not that the world would have stopped turning, but I would have been disillusioned by a No Quarter cover that was less than impressive, especially when I admire TOOL’s ability and have such high expectations of them.

Led Zeppelin and TOOL have decidedly different styles and sounds. But it’s amazing how TOOL was able to accurately capture the timbre and mood of the song while also imprinting it with their unique style. The piano and keyboards that aid in creating a psychedelic feel in the original are replaced by acoustic and electric guitars in the cover. At the beginning of TOOL’s version, effects are used on both the guitar and Keenan’s voice to mimic the synthesized instrumentation of the original version. The vital role of dynamics is beautifully reflected in the cover. TOOL also made some lyrical changes that I believe are in keeping with their comparably more intense style. Robert Plant’s lyrics, “Close the door, put out the light” are changed by Keenan to “Lock the door, kill the light.” Yet the cover version shows great reverence to the original, respecting its beauty and scope. I liked TOOL’s version the first time I heard it, but it took multiple listens before I was able to fully appreciate just how good it is.

I think TOOL’s version of this Led Zeppelin classic is the best-executed cover I have ever heard. I strongly recommend that you listen to both versions the way I listened to the original when I was 11 – in the dark, through headphones.

Mean Girl

2009-04-01T21:04:00.001-04:00

I am opinionated. I say what’s on my mind. Sometimes, when I feel the situation warrants it, I am blunt. Does this make me seem like a mean person? Does it cause people to perceive me as ‘less feminine’? Apparently, it does.

Since when does being outspoken equal being mean? I’ve seen and heard things over the past few months that indicate that some people view me as a mean person. And I’m starting to get the impression that because of my outspokenness people see me as not being very feminine. I’ve always been a tomboy, but this is different. It’s like my perceived femininity directly corresponds to what I say. It's not like I walk around spewing obscenities and rude criticism, though. I think it's a similar phenomenon to people viewing strong or successful women as cold.

While I try very hard not to judge others, I’m not afraid to call a spade a spade, and I would expect others to do the same to me. If someone is trying to sell me a load of BS, then of course I'm going to call them on it. It’s not about being mean; it’s about observation and interpretation. It’s about having a brain and using it. It’s about seeing beneath the surface, and seeing through the smoke. It’s about having an opinion and being unafraid to share it, even though someone may not agree.

I understand that perceptions are unique; I know I may not see things in myself that others see. I also may come across differently to others than I intend. However, I really don’t believe that I am a mean person; I’m actually very caring, and I think I’m pretty nice. So does having an opinion (and not being afraid to be honest and sometimes blunt) mean that I can’t also be a nice person?

Does this stem from some culturally ingrained notion that women are better seen than heard, and that a “nice” woman is one who smiles and keeps her mouth shut? Because if that’s the case, I suppose can accept being viewed as mean.

Contrary to (apparently) popular belief, I am indeed capable of keeping my opinions to myself. I would never say something to a friend if I thought it would hurt his/her feelings. If someone specifically asked for my honesty, I would be as gentle as possible when sharing any potentially hurtful information. It’s not like I completely lack a filter. But I hate it when people are so afraid to state how they feel that you never really know what they’re thinking.

I guess maybe it’s human nature to view other people as ‘nice’ when they never say anything with which you might disagree.

Matters of the Heart

2009-03-19T15:26:00.004-04:00

When I was 19 or 20, I went on record and stated my belief that I would have a heart attack before I turn 30. I have repeated my prediction many times since then. For a long time now, I've had this sense that I'd be one of those people who seem perfectly fine and then suddenly die from some completely random ailment. There are a bunch of reasons I originally felt likely to have a heart attack. Stress is the biggest reason. And I am a worrier; I worry about other people's problems much more than I should. I take on way too much responsibility, and feel overwhelmed a lot of the time.

This November will usher in my 30th birthday, so I've got almost 8 months left 'til the big day. We'll see what happens. If I don't end up face-down in a plate of spaghetti, I'll be proved wrong. Keep your fingers crossed for me, will you?

A Goal to Remember

2009-02-19T14:03:00.006-05:00

On February 18, Alex Ovechkin produced yet another highlight reel goal against the Montreal Canadiens. The kid ain't bad.

A Favorite

2009-02-03T21:09:00.012-05:00

My friend and co-worker, Mike, suggested I write about my favorite songs. Like maybe a Top Ten list or something. (This suggestion has me under the sneaking suspicion that he is secretly reporting for Rolling Stone magazine.) There are so many songs I love for various reasons. I have favorite songs to listen to when I’m feeling particularly irritated, favorite songs for when I’m depressed, happy, relaxed, or mildly homicidal. I have favorite acoustic guitar songs, favorite piano songs, favorite metal songs, favorite orchestral songs…Choosing just one as an overall favorite doesn’t seem right (or possible) to me. Also, I decided to write about songs one at a time (and in no particular order), because I don’t have the time to get a Top Ten list together right now. If you would have preferred the list, just fake it by waiting until I’ve posted a few and then read them all at once.

My favorite Beatles song is Eleanor Rigby, which was released on the Revolver album in 1966. The arrangement is simple, but absolutely stunning. The first time I heard this song as a kid, I fell in love with it immediately. When I was a bit older, it helped to cement my desire to learn to play the cello (which I eventually did). People are usually surprised when I say that Eleanor Rigby is my favorite Beatles song, I guess just because there are so many good ones to choose from.

About the arrangement: Eleanor Rigby does not have a standard pop backing; none of the Beatles played instruments on it, though John Lennon and George Harrison did contribute harmony and backing vocals. Instead, McCartney used a string octet of studio musicians, composed of four violins, two cellos, and two violas all performing a score composed by producer George Martin. For the most part, the instruments "double up"—that is, they serve as two string quartets with two instruments playing each part in the quartet. Microphones were placed close to the instruments to produce a more vivid and raw sound. George Martin asked the musicians if they could play without vibrato and recorded two versions, one with and one without, the latter of which was used. (Copyright - 1966 EMI Records Ltd.)

Unfortunately I am not able to post a proper sound file for this song; I had to link to a YouTube video, sorry (believe it or not, it's the least annoying one).

Ah, look at all the lonely people
Ah, look at all the lonely people

Eleanor Rigby picks up the rice in the church where a wedding has been
Lives in a dream
Waits at the window, wearing the face that she keeps in a jar by the door
Who is it for?

All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?

Father McKenzie writing the words of a sermon that no one will hear
No one comes near
Look at him working. Darning his socks in the night when there's nobody there
What does he care?

All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?

Ah, look at all the lonely people
Ah, look at all the lonely people

Eleanor Rigby died in the church and was buried along with her name
Nobody came
Father McKenzie wiping the dirt from his hands as he walks from the grave
No one was saved

All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?

Surprise...Media Coverage!

2009-01-22T14:43:00.015-05:00

The Caps have seen a slight increase in their media coverage lately, which is quite refreshing to me. Since I don't live in Canada or Minnesota or Michigan, or any other place where hockey is truly part of the culture, I follow an absurd number of hockey blogs to stay informed. Thank goodness for the Internet.

It's nice when Canadian media takes the time to cover the Caps, too - especially since Canada is fiercely loyal to its own teams. Here's an article that was published in Canada's Globe and Mail.

Here's a great follow-up article about Brett Leonhardt (see my post from December 15). Leonhardt is the Caps' web producer who suited up for an NHL game as a backup goalie.

Check out this article in USA Today about the Capitals coach, Bruce Boudreau.

Resolutions...

2009-01-02T00:59:00.010-05:00

It's the beginning of a brand new year. It's a time when people attempt to fulfill New Year's resolutions. Lose weight, save money, go to the gym five days a week, do volunteer work...The enthusiasm and determination start off strong, but the inevitable collapse comes soon enough. The excuses start, and the determination wanes. Maybe this isn't the year you'll get rid of your love handles or finally clean out your cluttered basement (my mom has been working on the basement one for approximately 25 years). Defeat is usually accepted sometime between January 2 and April 1.

I typically don't make New Year's resolutions, but this year I set one simple goal for myself. I want to regard others in a way that will give me reason to say "you're welcome" far more often than I have reason to say "thank you."

I have many wonderful people in my life, and they do many wonderful things for me. So I say "thank you" frequently. But I'm still going to give this a shot.

Caps' Web Producer Gets NHL Debut

2008-12-15T21:33:00.015-05:00

On December 12, the Washington Capitals were faced with an unusual situation. That evening they were scheduled to play against the Ottawa Senators at 7:00 pm at the Verizon Center. Jose Theodore, one of the Caps' two goaltenders, left the morning skate early with a hip-flexor injury. The other goalie, Brent Johnson, who had missed games earlier in the season with a hip injury and had tweaked said injury on December 10th in a game against the Boston Bruins, was well enough to start the game but had no backup netminder. If his hip didn't make it through the game, the Caps were in trouble. The Caps called up goaltender Simeon Varlamov from the team's American Hockey League affiliate Hershey Bears, but there were complications: 1) Varlamov and the Bears were in Houston on a road trip, and 2) his flight wouldn't arrive in DC until minutes before the start of the game. The Caps needed a backup goalie to fill in until Varlamov made it to the game. So they grabbed their web producer, Brett Leonhardt, and assigned him the task. Leonhardt had been a goaltender in college, so it's not like he was some random guy off the street with no experience. But just imagine. He sat on the bench for the first 10 minutes of the game in front of thousands of fans before Varlamov, who changed his clothes in the car on the way from Reagan airport to Verizon Center, relieved him. I'll bet those ten minutes were the most exhilirating of his life.

You should really read the brief story by ESPN.

Number of Injuries Getting Ridiculous

2008-12-07T23:51:00.002-05:00

The Washington Capitals are looking more and more like their AHL affiliate Hershey Bears. That's because the Caps have been hit with so many injuries this season that they've had to call up players from the American Hockey League to fill the gaps. At first, it just seemed unlucky. But now, it just seems ridiculous. Here's the current list of injured players:

Chris Clark (Center) - Fractured forearm (Clark is the team captain and is on long-term injured reserve (LTIR))
John Erskine (Defenseman) - Concussion
Sergei Fedorov (Center) - High ankle sprain
Eric Fehr (Right Wing) - Shoulder
Mike Green (Defenseman) - Shoulder
Brian Pothier (Defenseman) - Concussion syndrome (Pothier is on LTIR; he has not played since last season)
Tom Poti (Defenseman) - Groin
Jeff Schultz (Defenseman) - Finger surgery (Schultz is on LTIR)
Alexander Semin (Left Wing) - Back
Tyler Sloan (Defenseman) - Lower body injury (Sloan was actually called up from the Hershey Bears to replace one of the Caps' injured defenseman. Then he got hurt.)

Considering the fact that they only recently regained defenseman Shaone Morrisonn after a long-term injury and center Boyd Gordon after a short-term injury, it is amazing that the Caps have managed to maintain their first-place standing in the southeast division. But they need to get some of these guys back on the ice soon, or that very well may change.

Just looking at that list makes me shake my head.

Grab Your Shotgun, Then Go Shopping

2008-11-26T14:36:00.004-05:00

I originally posted the following blog last Thanksgiving on myspace. It has been updated slightly, and since it is always relevant at this time of year, I thought I would post it again here.

Well, it's Thanksgiving Day, and most of us have had a yummy, gut-busting dinner, spent time with family, watched football, or at least enjoyed the day off from work. But lurking in the backs of many minds is the start of the insane pandemonium that is the holiday shopping season. While you were eating your turkey, stuffing, and mom's mashed potatoes, were you also planning your assault on whichever department store you plan to rush at 4:00 am? Have you studied the store’s blueprints so you’ll know the exact locations of the gifts for which you are willing to bite, kick, and elbow other shoppers? Is this considered the "thrill of the hunt?" Black Friday is such a circus of vicious, blood-thirsty gift-grabbers that it turns the idea of "peace on earth" into a joke (or "peace everywhere except a mall parking lot or store with holiday sales”). Suddenly, in the pursuit of a great deal on the year’s must-have merchandise, people lose all sense of kindness, patience, and holiday spirit, needing to sport a shotgun and a helmet for protection against other shoppers. The parking lots outside shopping centers seemingly find the magical ability to shrink down to three spaces, so that every shopper must be conniving, sneaky, and prepared to kill in order to obtain a coveted space.

It might just be me, but fighting - sometimes literally - for a parking space, just to gain entry to an overcrowded combat zone of a store (that for some reason is always approximately 150 degrees) doesn't sound like a very gratifying experience. Personally, I feel that my time and sanity are worth paying regular price and sleeping past 3:00 am. But hey, if you're willing to get up in the dark, early hours of the morning and go through the torturous melee just to save a few bucks on a DVD player, then all I can say is good luck to you. I hope you saved enough money on your gifts to cover your hospital bill. As for me, I'll save myself the trouble and the headache. I'll be sleeping.

100 Greatest Singers of All Time

2008-11-21T10:27:00.021-05:00

Rolling Stone has concocted another "all time greatest" list. Yes, another one. As a magazine, Rolling Stone clearly believes that all things music-related must be neatly tucked into groups, and that debating over the "greatest" of everything is not only a worthwhile endeavor, but a noble one. If there was a contest for magazines that have generated an absurd number of "all time" lists, Rolling Stone would totally take home that trophy. I imagine it would be magnificently displayed at the RS offices, and a small plaque with elegant engraving would title it: #1 Greatest Trophy of All Time.

The most recent list is RS's 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. I think it’s fun to look through these lists, but it always ends the same way, with me shaking my head in disbelief because so-and-so was left off or someone was placed way too high or low in the ranking. The thing is, you can't really take these lists too seriously. One reason is because of the way they title them. I know, it's Rolling Stone, so you should expect subject matter from a particular range of pop culture (say, the last 50 years or so). It’s just that they can't resist calling these lists the greatest of all time. And "all time" covers, well, a whole lot of time, not just the last 50 years.

Another reason these lists don’t hold much water with me is because the term “greatest” is much too general; a good percentage of the Greatest Singers list would instantly be out of contention if technical terms were specified. Truly great singers aren’t always the most popular, and often the popular singers really aren’t that great at all. They are talented entertainers, dancers, etc. But people don’t consider them “great” because of their excellent pitch, tone, or timbre. Anyone with some formal music training would be quick to make that distinction. The people on the list aren’t terrible singers, and there’s a reason so many people love them. (How many people can honestly say they think Bob Dylan is a fantastic singer? Honestly. Think about it.) Maybe they sing with such conviction or passion that they can bring us to tears. A valuable skill, but it shouldn’t be confused with technical ability.

While I may sound like a stickler for accurate list-labeling here, I do understand the intent of the list. For most people, a great singer is someone who makes you feel what they are singing about. You feel it so far down in your gut you don't know whether to scream, smile, or cry. Or maybe a certain singer represents something to people, is a symbol of a movement, a time in history, or a time in one's life. I'll never forget the first time I heard a recording of Billie Holiday singing "Strange Fruit." Her gritty, gravelly voice quietly demanded my attention, and the lyrics saddened me to tears.

How does a magazine decide who makes the cut? Basically, by sending out ballots to a bunch of people (musicians, producers, journalists, and music execs, mostly). Here’s how RS explains how the list was created: “Each voter was asked to list his or her 20 favorite vocalists from the rock era, in order of their importance. Those ballots were recorded and weighted according to methodology developed by the accounting firm of Ernst & Young, which then tabulated and verified the results for Rolling Stone.”

I am not typically a reader of Rolling Stone, actually. I am writing this in response to a request from my good friend Bob, who said I should write a blog that would share my thoughts about the list. (Thanks, Bob, for caring about my opinion in the first place.) My favorite thing about Rolling Stone? The covers. I think RS has had some of the most timeless and striking cover art (you can browse the covers online). It was fun to look at the covers from when I was in middle school and high school. It made me feel nostalgic. And old. But it was still fun.

Anyway, about the list. There is very little about the list that surprises me. All the usual suspects are there. Aretha Franklin at number one is no shock. She's a talented singer who is highly regarded in the industry and by fans. Directly behind Aretha is Ray Charles, who is followed by Elvis Presley. Again, I figured they'd be there, lurking somewhere near the top. It was great to see an artist like Jeff Buckley in the top fifty. Christina Aguilera is No. 58, and while I can't stand the way she chooses to sing (I think she and Mariah Carey are under the impression that great singing = the length and frequency of vocal runs crammed into a given song), and I'm not a fan of the type of music she sings, she absolutely has one of the strongest voices on the list. She has a tendency to sing through her nose quite a bit, which gets on my nerves, but she has a talent that is undeniable. Really.

There are a number of singers I think should have been listed, but were omitted from the list altogether; at first, I was shocked that Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Marian Anderson, Billie Holiday, and Mahalia Jackson weren't included, but I'm pretty sure that's because they were pre-rock-era artists. But here are a few of the singers I think should have been listed: Bruce Dickinson, Pat Benatar, Maynard James Keenan (yes, I’m serious), Tori Amos…and…(gasp!) Celine Dion. I don't even like Celine Dion, but as far as singing talent goes, she has tons. Considering the high praise she has received in the past from fans and peers, I’m quite surprised she didn’t make an appearance anywhere on the list. There are other singers I love who were not selected for the list. But until Rolling Stone decides that I'm the best barometer for great talent, I guess I'll have to suck it up. The list is what it is, for whatever it's worth. I leave you with this: Celine Dion isn’t listed, but Roy Orbison is number 13?

A few other "All Time" lists:

Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time (winner: "Like a Rolling Stone" by Bob Dylan)

Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time (winner: "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" by The Beatles, who by the way had 4 of the top 10 albums)

Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time (winner: "Johnny B. Goode" by Chuck Berry)

Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time (winner: Jimi Hendrix)

In Need of Anger Management

2008-11-18T17:11:00.006-05:00

Yesterday I was driving back to work after running some errands on my lunch break, and I needed to stop and get a decongestant for my throbbing head. My sinuses were killing me, and I was already feeling worse than I had that morning. I pulled into the parking lot of a CVS pharmacy, and saw that an elderly woman in a wheelchair had just come out of the store. She was coming down the small ramp to the parking lot when one of the wheels on her wheelchair slipped over the edge. She was stuck; she couldn't move forward or backward, and she was leaning at a dangerous angle. (I know this sounds like a pre-arranged hidden-camera test for a boy scout, like a cat getting stuck in a tree or a pregnant woman struggling to carry a heavy package. Will the boy scout climb the tree and save the cat? How quickly will he assist the pregnant woman?) I parked as quickly as I could so that I could go and help her. By the time I got out of my car, her chair had tipped over and she was lying on her side on the pavement. As I got within 20 feet of her, a man came walking out of the pharmacy. I was relieved, since I wasn't sure how well I would be able to lift her up; I didn't know if she would be able to support some of her own weight while I righted her wheelchair, and I didn't know if she had been hurt when her chair fell over. The man was walking with a purposeful stride, as if he was running a bit late, so when he walked past the woman I thought maybe he was so preoccupied that he hadn't seen her. I shouted, "Hey!" and before I could request that he give me a hand, he responded in explanation, "Sorry, I'm in a hurry." What? He didn't even break his arrogant stride when he spoke to me, nor did he look me in the eye, which I can only hope means he felt at least some small amount of shame for not stopping. What human being could walk past this woman without stopping to help her? How can that possibly be justifiable? I'm in a hurry. What a lame excuse.

I felt such an immediate surge of anger that I was at odds with myself over whether to chase him down and hurt him physically (and perhaps permanently) or stay and help the woman who was lying on the ground. Of course I stayed and helped the woman, but I admit I wanted nothing more than to give that man a verbal and physical lashing. Anyone who has seen me get angry knows that I don't hold back. It takes a lot to make me angry; most things aren't worth the trouble. But I was feeling unmistakable rage toward the guy. If it had been his mother lying there, wouldn't he have wanted someone to help? Was it pure arrogance? I'm so important that whatever is going on in my life today (probably a stupid sales meeting) is much more pressing than helping some old lady I don't even know.

I've never had all that much faith in humanity. In fact, I'm much more of a cynic than anything else. I strongly believe in helping other people, which is why I have pursued a degree in social work, and why I have volunteered my efforts in so many capacities. But I am far from naive. I have learned how selfish and hurtful people can be. I understand how easy it is for some people to hurt others, whether by violence or simply neglect. I had an experience that taught me how fragile our lives and our bodies are, and how easily they can be taken away. And yet I was surprised when this man just kept walking.

I helped the woman back into her wheelchair. She had hit her head on the pavement and scraped it. Her hand was scraped and already bruising, and she said her shoulder hurt. A moment later a woman came out of the CVS and rushed over to us. It was the elderly woman's daughter, who took her mother back inside to be looked at by a security guard and a pharmacy technician. They would decide whether to call an ambulance. I walked back to my car, shaking with anger, feeling like I could burst from the amount of animosity I was holding in. I didn't even go in to get the medicine I had stopped for. I just went back to work, shaking my head, trying to convince myself that 9 people out of 10 would have stopped to help. I often have to remind myself that there are many good people in the world, that not everyone is a self-centered jackass. But on days like yesterday, it sure isn't easy.

Gut Check

2008-11-13T22:15:00.008-05:00

I was online the other day and I noticed this advertisement at the top of my computer screen. All I could think was, Really? and How did they know my age?

Do either of these women look overweight to you? Is that supposed to be a woman pinching fat? I see skin, but I damn sure don't see any fat! Am I missing something, or is this as ridiculous as it looks?

***Follow-Up Post***

OK, I have another theory on the advertisement above. Is the woman on the left hiding her stomach with her hands because she feels she is overweight, and is the woman on the right pinching her skin to show off the fact that she has no fat (presumably because she used whatever magic beans the ad is promoting)? Is it one of those "flab to fab" ads? This still totally bothers me, because clearly the woman on the left is not overweight.

Election Reflection

2008-11-08T22:39:00.007-05:00

I was so ready for the election to be over. The campaign coverage, and all the speculation that goes along with it, was getting old, and I was ready for votes to be cast and a winner declared. I guess I should be used to political campaigns that seem to last years (and maybe they do), but for some reason I don't have much patience for it (actually the reason is that I don't have much patience for anything in general; it's one of my more endearing traits). I want to know where the candidates stand, and I'm interested in relevant information about their background and history, but I don't particularly care whether they prefer Splenda to Sweet'N Low, nor do I want to see a hundred different mud-slinging campaign commercials.

I realize that this campaign was different from past presidential elections. There was the possibility of electing the first non-white American president. Then there's the fact that so many people have been, well, "displeased" with our current Republican president for eight years and were ready for a big change. It was a doozy. I think it was fantastic to see that there were record numbers of voters.

Side story: Based on past experience at my polling place, I decided not to even attempt to vote before work. I left work a tad early for lunch and drove home to Catonsville, hoping I might be fortunate enough to catch a break on the wait. This did not happen. The elementary school where I vote is located in the middle of a residential neighborhood, and because the parking lot at the school was full, people were parking on both sides of the streets, making the actual driving space roughly ten inches wide. I was about a mile away from the school before I found a spot to park. As I started hoofing it to the school, the weather changed from a light drizzle to actual rain. Why did I leave my umbrella in the car? Anyway, when I got to the school, the line was long. Really, really long. And it stretched outside the building, down the sidewalk, and around the parking lot. But I waited. For over an hour. In the rain. And I was only halfway to the front doors of the school. I needed to get back to work, so I gave up, walked the mile or so back to my car, and drove back to work hungry and damp. I did vote after work, and it wasn't busy at all. Note to self: always, ALWAYS, go after work. Got it.

It would be nice if so many people were always as passionate and interested in who is elected to make decisions for the country. I don't understand why people aren't more concerned with who their congresspeople are, since congress is responsible for so much of the decision-making. But I digress. It's still a powerful thing that so many Americans took advantage of the privilege to vote and made their voices heard. People seemed desperate to have a new leader, yet seemed optimistic. I have never seen so many smiles on a Wednesday morning; I went to work and people were almost giddy with excitement. People were talking about how they had stayed up late watching election coverage until they couldn't keep their eyes open. About how they had cried during Obama's acceptance speech. There was such hope in their voices, and it was incredibly refreshing.

Of course, not everyone was happy with the outcome of the election. It has been especially irritating to me, though, to hear so many negative and broad statements from them. I completely understand people being disappointed that the candidate they supported didn't win the election, but it is beyond ridiculous that people - perfectly intelligent people - are convinced that the world is going to end on Inauguration Day (maybe they have it confused with the movie Independence Day?). Really? The country will stop in its tracks, the sky will fall, and we'll all no longer exist? Because one dude gets elected? Did I miss something?

Here's the deal: regardless of who lives at the White House, stuff is going to happen that you don't like. Decisions you don't agree with will be made. Some of them might even actually affect you directly. But hasn't this happened before?

I believe that the country will still exist four years from now. I believe that our country will be attacked on our own soil again in the next four years, but I believe that would happen regardless of who won the election. I believe that as Americans we take pride in having freedom of speech and being able to share our opinions, as I am doing here. But I don't believe the sky will fall. And if the president-elect turns out to be a complete and total nightmare, I believe we are resilient and determined enough not to crumble. Everybody just take a deep breath.

If you use Facebook, check this out and read some of the comments. http://www.facebook.com/friends/?everyone&ref=tn#/event.php?eid=37710387492

Killer Skills

2008-10-30T09:38:00.011-04:00

Over the past few years, I have picked up a number of new responsibilities at work. My job description has changed drastically since I started in this position over five years ago. One of my biggest annual projects is coordinating the revisions to the college's catalog. This actually sounds like it would be a great responsibility for me, since grammar, spelling, and formatting errors typically jump off pages and make themselves known to me with little effort on my part. I find errors frighteningly often and it's one of my biggest pet peeves (if and when I make a mistake in my blog, don't you dare point it out though). I hate those kinds of mistakes; I find them all too often, especially in textbooks, of all places. I just feel that if a book is being published, it should not contain an abundance of errors - don't they pay copy editors to, like, copy edit that stuff? For some reason it really gets under my skin.

Coordinating the catalog revisions, though, is so much more than proofreading. Every year, existing courses are changed, new courses are added, courses are deleted. Program requirements change. New options are offered within programs, and various sections of the catalog are revised for one reason or another. My job is to make sure that every change is captured and reflected in the new catalog. Doesn't sound too bad. But the program and course changes are submitted to me by people from all over the college - division chairpersons, division office staff, program directors, the associate vice president, and sometimes faculty. I issue a deadline by which all changes (hard copy and electronic) are due to me. I then go through the painstaking process of reviewing the submitted revisions to ensure that all of the changes that are supposed to be there are captured. I have a brief window of time in which to perform this task because my final copy, which includes all of the revisions, is due to our public relations office on a certain date. Still doesn't sound too bad. The problem is that I often don't receive revisions from certain people (who shall remain anonymous) until after the deadline. I'm sure it is not uncommon for people to deal with this issue in their jobs. However, it does make it difficult to be vigilant at properly checking each p and q on all 266 pages. Even after I am through obsessing over every line of text, the typesetter manipulates the text after I do, so there is an opportunity for error even after it leaves my hands. All I can do is hope that no major mistakes are made.

In past years, I have made attempts to encourage (force) everyone to get their revisions to me on time (I wish I could hire an enforcer, a muscular, intimidating guy with a permanent scowl who would "pay visits" to those who are known for being late submitting their information - kind of like the big kid in school you become friends with just so he'll make sure no one steals your lunch money). Despite my hard-ass attempts, I have not learned the secret to getting everyone to submit their revisions on time.

So when the current version of the catalog was printed and distributed in May, I didn't waste any time flipping through the pages to see if there were any glaring errors. And then I saw it. My heart began to race. You've got to be kidding me. I promptly went into shock. Staring (smirking) directly at me from page 84:

Apparently "keyboard skills" are overrated, but "keyboard kills" are essential. The catalog won. This time. But don't get cocky, catalog, I'm coming for you again next year.

What's In a Name?

2008-10-27T22:37:00.016-04:00

Why did I name my blog Beauty in the Dissonance? I don't really have a good reason. Who cares what my blog is called, anyway? Just for the record, though, here's the explanation. It's a nod to TOOL, one of my favorite bands (the line finding beauty in the dissonance is from the song Schism). But it also describes something that I've always found difficult to put into words. Recently I've had numerous discussions about music with a friend of mine, and I've been trying to describe to him that when it comes to music, I feel there needs to be an element of darkness as well as light; I think that the contrast itself provides more drama and beauty. Whether it's a stunning melody tempered by obnoxious lyrics or a subtle integration of inharmonious tones, I think that by including the "ugly" with the beautiful, the entire piece achieves a level it would otherwise not reach.

According to Frank Zappa:

"Any composition (or improvisation) which remains consistent and 'regular' throughout is, for me, equivalent to watching a movie with only 'good guys' in it, or eating cottage cheese."

Now, I realize that not everyone would consider Frank Zappa an artist to take cues from. But basically he's saying that using only consonant sounds does not necessarily make a piece of music enjoyable for the listener (and may cause an inexplicable craving for cottage cheese). There needs to be a careful balance between consonance and dissonance that creates interest in the piece and gives it substance and a story.

I don't think that every piece of music needs to include only what is pleasing to the ear. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of things I would not volunteer to listen to. I don't think that the obnoxious fire alarm in my building at work would make a nice dissonant component to a song. But to put it simply, there are many instances where, when done in an interesting way, dissonance does enhance a song's beauty and impact.