| Back To Black. |
[13 Oct 2008|12:12am] |
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music |
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Amy Winehouse - Back To Black |
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I promised ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) omer I would write a review about Amy Winehouse's Back To Black album the day I bought it in Austin... and the days after that one, 'cause he couldn't shut up about it and kept repeating I had to do it for sure. :) I don't think I'd have bought the album if he wasn't around, so I was curious about all the fuss. It's not like I didn't know the artist or the singles, but I never *really* listened to her music before. Well, I did now!
It wasn't a good start though. I never liked Rehab, not even after listening to the lyrics carefully. I don't like the beat, I hate the way she sings "no, no, no" and I don't care about what she has to say in that song, period. You want to stuff your face with drugs? Who cares? And you don't want any help solving your luxury problem? Aww... poor thing.
Luckily she's telling a different story during the rest of the album, where it really feels like she's sharing her personal love experiences and thoughts. It feels sincere, she's not acting. That's what I really liked about it and what's different from all the recycled R&B drama we get to hear nowadays.
You Know I'm No Good is one of my favourites. It's her fault, but you can't help feel sorry for her because of her honesty. I like the contrast between those honest words and her fake confident way of singing them. The remix version with the rap is great too. My brother noticed it sounded a bit like the beat in Michael Jackson's Who Is It. He's right. :)
Me & Mr. Jones proves you can't fuck with Amy and made me laugh. Just Friends doesn't really get through me purely because of the music, although I like the lyrics.
And then... there is...
Back To Black, which is, for me, the best song of the album. It's perfect. I had this one on repeat for days in a row and every time I listen to it I have to listen to it once more. I love how she sings much slower than the rhythm of the music, it makes her so fragile and really feels like she's been left behind. I'm probably not making any sense and look like I'm trying too much, but I'm honest as Amy right now.
We only said goodbye with words
I died a hundred times
You go back to her
And I go back to... I go back to...
It just works. I know the lyrics are kind of repetitive, but still, it's... finalized. I love it. And if that wasn't enough emotion, Amy completely let go of her "don't you fuck with me"-ness for Love Is A Losing Game, the song with the best title on the album. Good song too, but it's no second Back To Black for me.
Tears Dry On Their Own (Motown!) and Wake Up Alone bring back the stronger Amy. I like both songs, they both feel like she's telling secrets. For some reason I never really listen to Some Unholy War. It's not because it's bad, but it's... I don't know, skippable, probably because I'm considering pushing the button of my iPod to go back to Back To Black by now... but I like He Can Only Hold Her too, 'cause it's the "lightest" song on the album and it sounds Motown-ish. I'm a sucker for Motown.
And then I really do it, I push the button and listen to Back To Black again.
So yes, I like the album and love a couple of the songs. Amy is fearless. She sings what she wants and means it. Like the Sugababes said, it's about the music, not the fame. :)
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[12 Oct 2008|02:51pm] |
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Today is Dean's birthday and it occurred to me that I have acknowledged it in my LJ every year for the last 5 years. I didn't want to break tradition! So here I am wishing one of the best guys I will ever know a very happy birthday. <3
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[12 Oct 2008|06:23pm] |
so while im uploading my New York & Austin pictures to facebook, why not post the pictures odetothepillow (sorry for hotlinking...:) took when we met him in NYC?
other people's pictures are so much better than mine.
My heart kinda breaks when I see pictures from then, it reminds me what an awesome time I had and how much I miss these guys.
no lj-cut bitches!
frogroar & bluejar
no, I dont have any other shirts.
The only way to get a good picture of a really tall building.
We went to Rockefeller center, and I was trying to establish how racist the europeans/americans/canadians I was with were. so I asked them to spot the Israeli flag. and they couldn't! well actually they could, but it took them time! and they say antisemitism is dead...
frogroar, obviously embarrased cause I just exposed him as a racist Belgian.
Further proof I do not have a jew nose.
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[12 Oct 2008|06:54am] |
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Jace Everett Bad Things |
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last night I worked out for the first time in months. I thought I was about to die. really, after 5 seconds of running I was like asking my body "what happened???"
but running with my itouch is amazing.
and I made a workout play list which is kinda embarrassing. these aren't necessarily songs I'd listen to, but they're great for running:
M.I.A - Galang
Jennifer Lopez - Play
Jamelia - Beware Of The Dog
Groove Armada & Mutya Buena - Song 4 Mutya
Sugababes - Red Dress
Sugababes - Hole In The Head
Moby & Debbie Harry - New York New York
Savage Garden - I Want You
Kate Nash - Pumpkin Soup
Paul Oakland & Brittnay Murphy - Faster Kill Pussycat
Pink - Feel Good Time
Janet Jackson - Feedback
Republica - Drop Dead Gorgeous
Rihanna - Shut Up and Drive
Rachel Stevens - sweet dreams my la ex
Girls Aloud - The Show
Kylie Minogue - White Diamonds
Pussycat Dolls - When I Grow Up
Britney Spears - Womanizer (best song to work out to :)
recommend me some workout songs.
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[08 Oct 2008|07:20pm] |
if you think its cool, post it anywhere you want.
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| my FINAL original 101 in 1001 update |
[07 Oct 2008|09:15pm] |
My 101 in 1001 ended on July 1st. I have a new list finished and already in progress but before I post that I thought I needed to do a final rundown of the original.
There were 25 things I did not accomplish.
5. Ask Jackson to marry me if he hasn’t already asked me himself.
Pretty self-explanatory. When I made my list I thought that I would be ready to be married. Not the case! This time last year I didn’t think that him and I would even be friends much less husband and wife. Things are better, much better, but I’m still not sure about marriage, to him or any one else.
8. Get a tattoo.
I am too indecisive for this one. I considered putting it on my next list but decided I just don’t want to feel “pressured” to make a decision. I think that one day I will end up getting a tattoo but not until the perfect idea hits me.
10. Fill my iPod completely.
This is WAY hard. I didn’t realize just how much space there is on that thing! Haha. I have tons of kiddie CD’s and movies on my ipod and yet TONS of room left. I’ll keep trying. It was a pretty dumb goal anyway. It was probably just a space filler. ☺
12. Learn to read music.
I never even attempted this one. I’d still like to do it one day. I think I need to pick an instrument to learn to play and go from there. I would like to be more musical.
14. Dye my hair brown.
I decided I did not want to do this one. Some people change their lists to suit their changing moods and styles and goals, I figure the unaccomplished stuff is part of the whole process.
18. Attend a religious service when it’s not a holiday.
Honestly I did not attempt this one either. I had hoped that the mood would strike to try and broaden my horizons as far as religion goes, as I wasn’t really raised with any kind of set beliefs but I never really got there. Not yet. Maybe one day.
28. Send Christmas cards with personal notes to 20 people.
I DID sort of accomplish this one… as in, I sent out cards with notes- to 9 people. Haha. 20 was really ambitious. I’m just terrible at this kind of stuff. I am totally trying to change.
30. See a play on Broadway.
Nope.
34. Get my name in the newspaper.
I guess not meeting this goal is not necessarily a bad thing. I’d much prefer to not be in the news at all rather than be there for a negative reason! ;)
41. Go to a taping of a television show.
I wanted to see Dr. Phil! Haha.
46. Learn all the state capitals.
I almost totally lied and said I did this one but I really can’t remember them all. There are about 10 or so that don’t seem to stick.
48. Send a secret to PostSecret.
I’ve really stopped reading the site. It doesn’t feel as genuine anymore.
56. And Kayla. (This was a note of appreciation goal!)
<3! I shouldn’t have saved this to the end because I only didn’t meet the goal because July 1st came and went so quickly.
57. Go on a vacation, no matter how short, just Courtney and I.
58. Go with Courtney to a day spa.
I’m sad that I didn’t get to these. I spent a ton of time with C over the last couple of years but not on a vacation with just the two of us OR in a day spa. Bummer.
63. Learn enough Spanish to hold a basic conversation.
I am so terrible at learning languages it’s ridiculous.
64. Organize all of my photographs into albums or scrapbooks.
I worked on this. I consider this “in process.”
65. Meet Brandon Boyd.
!!! Someone HOOK ME UP.
67. Learn to play a musical instrument.
See #12.
76. Go sky diving or bungee jumping.
I decided not to do this one as well.
82. Watch all the Harry Potter movies.
I think I got halfway through the second and fell asleep and that was the end of that.
83. Play in the snow.
Not yet! This absolutely made it to my next list.
88. Get something pierced.
I like piercings and I like getting them but when I thought about it I couldn’t think of anywhere I would want a new hole.
90. Floss every day. *
Life with a toddler has taken a toll on my dental health ;)
96. Take dance lessons.
I would still love to.
Everything else I finished (I think!) I don’t remember the last time that I did an update and went over the things that I accomplished but if you take a look at my original list (here) and there is something crossed off that you would like to hear about I will do my best to remember it! Haha. One day I will go through and try to say something about each of them.
Stay tuned for my new list. It’s good! Haha. And a real update. (Hi, miss you all <3)
ps: FY: If McCain says "crony" one more time I am going to toss something at my TV.
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[07 Oct 2008|01:24pm] |
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Three Dog Night Mama Told Me Not to Come |
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The Holocaust, Tarantino-style: Jews scalping Nazis
BERLIN - For weeks, Germany's tabloids and culture pages have been preoccupied with Quentin Tarantino's film "Inglorious Bastards," slated to start filming next week in Germany.
While the tabloids are drooling over the movie's star, Brad Pitt, who is moving with his wife Angelina Jolie and their children to a villa close to Berlin ("The most beautiful couple in Wannsee," one headline declared), the serious media is focusing on another angle: Is Germany ready for a Tarantino-style treatment of World War II?
( An early draft of the script leaked onto the Internet three months ago suggested the film would contain scenes of bloody vengeance exacted by Jews against Nazis. )
The media here was a bit angry that Tarantino is going to deal with the subject of the Holocaust, but this man can do no wrong im my eyes, can't wait to see this movie. I'm sure its going to be awesome.
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[07 Oct 2008|08:11am] |
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Sneapker Pimps 6 underground |
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A few days ago I went to sign in the dorms and totally fell in love with the place. I'm living in a mixed guys-girls apartment with 4 other people. one is a girl from Germany, a guy from Arizona, another israeli dude and I think another girl will move in. The apartment is on the 6th floor and has an amazing view of the ancient city. the whole place is amazing.
omg me and funkybaby are going to be ~*~neighbors~*~ and she's gonna invite me to dinners and stuff :)
anyway it looks awesome. too bad i didnt take the time to see the actual campus, but that'll come in time. on the 28th I have a 3 days orientation the law faculty is having to introduce the students to each other and to the campus and to Jerusalem. so im probably moving there on the 27th.
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| Scott Treleaven, and the Salivation Army |
[06 Oct 2008|10:09pm] |
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mood |
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 Happy! |
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I want to say about two years ago, in 2006, during a gallery viewing trip near school, I cam across a series of collage images which simply enthralled me. They combined colorful floral prints as accents, attractive scantly clad young men of a definitive 'punk aesthetic' with occult, and mystical associations akin to a 17th century Victorian Hellfire Club. I was in love. They were every kind of awesome I worship. I quickly scrambled to find out who the artist was, and had I been more financially well off, I would have bought a few. I had come across the world of Scott Treleaven.
Treleaven is the author to a now out of print zine called "The Salivation Army". It was a movement which like so many other things, I had come in on the tail end of. Treleaven combines multi-layered images which liken and compare homosexuality (specifically male homosexuality) with witchcraft. He uses a decidedly, and deliberate association with seemingly hermetic rituals, arcane symbolism such as Baphomet, and other more mundane associations, such as skulls and bones with nubile punk queers in various states of undress, sexual fervor or contemplation, and careful manual interventions of color, delicate japanese sakura flower prints, or both.
It was under the impetus of wanting to find out more detailed information on the context under which his work was made that I delved the internet deeper for more information about Treleaven.
It was in my searching that I turned up this. It was here where I acquired my own limited edition of "The Salivation Army Black Book". One of 666 copies printed and signed by Scott Treleaven, the originator of this spectacular series of publications.
I am now proud owner of copy number 215. I have ten years of queer history in my hands that I wish I had known a great while back. Though, I think it is never too late to get caught up. I look forward to devouring it intellectually and aesthetically.
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| Rain. |
[05 Oct 2008|09:51pm] |
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music |
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Amy Winehouse - You Know I'm No Good |
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Seriously, what the hell is wrong with our weather? It's been gray and dark and windy and rainy since I'm back from the sunny US... every. Single. Day. Blargh! Maybe it's a sign I should move to Italy? I know it's October and all, but Belgium is so boring except for our chocolate. I decided to go for a 5 km run this morning anyway. Boris and I were soaked, it felt good. I think I got rid of my jet lag two days ago, meaning I don't wake up in the middle of the night anymore.
Speaking of boring, I really need to start putting my stuff in boxes for the move to Gent. I'm sick of home. It's not like my parents are horrible or anything, but there's something in the air here that makes me tired and lazy. And it's worse when they nag. There's nothing interesting to do here. I went through this huge stack of bank papers, forms and other administrative crap today. I kept postponing it for months, so I'm glad it's done.
I got a new cell phone last Monday, because my "old" one broke down in New York. This is it:
I can call and text people and stuff, you know, nothing special. It has a decent 2MP camera, but that's about it. Call me! Text me!
The VISA bill of the US trip didn't arrive yet, but if I'm counting my tickets correctly, it's going to be like $ 370 on food and drinks, about $ 40 on metro and $ 62 on several museums and the Statue of Liberty. Add another $ 500 in cash I used for all kinds of stuff and the total would be $ 972 for 10 days. That's like € 705, excluding plane tickets. I was kind of aiming at that amount before I left, so let's hope I'm right.
Blah blah blah... :) I'm going to post the "good quality" NY & Austin pictures soon, I promise.
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[05 Oct 2008|05:22am] |
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music |
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Duffy Warwick Avenue |
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I woke up at 4:45 am, and can't fall back into sleep. I guess its the jet leg.
I was laying awake in bed, thinking about what to do next.
I'm going today to Jerusalem to do something concerning ther dorms. I like long drives (and by long I mean like an hour :) )when I got a bunch of CDs for the road. This is actually the first time im going to Hebrew U, i've never been inside. I'm moving into the dorms on the 28th, and school starts on november 2nd. anyway I hope i wont get lost or killed on the way, cause I havent seriously driven (?) in almost 4 months.
yeah, so I was laying in bed wondering what to do next. what I should be doing is face my fears and open the damn iTouch box. I though about making coffee and reading my book (I'm kinda embarrassed about how cliche that is). I got this awesome book in Salem about the witch hunts, its amazing.
right now im listening to ~slow~ music and trying to upload picture to facebook but its taking longer than the jewish people's exile, its depressing.
I have so much plans and stuff I want to do, Im being lazy but after I get back from Jerusalem later today ots going to start. first im getting a short haircut (deep, right?). I wanted to get a buzz cut but I'll just get it really short. for me it symbolizes starting something new, leaving stuff behind. it sounds dumb but I hope it'll work. Then I want to clear my room from the mass of crap in it. that could take a few days. by then I hope i'll manage to work the itouch and Im starting working out again. I wont go back to the gym, its jogging for now and regular push ups/sit ups. I might buy weights.
Britney approves.
that was just a distraction from this boring crap. which reminds me! I also decided on spending less time online and actually do productive stuff. that means cutting down on ohnotheydidnt, STOPPING reading ontd_trash and reading news sites, politics/science/anything more important than celebs getting out of cars without underwear.
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[03 Oct 2008|12:19pm] |
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Kylie Minogue White Diamond |
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so im back home and its amazing.
My brother and father picked me up from the airport. it felt like I just saw them yesterday and not almost 4 months ago.
We drove home and went with my mother to this coffee place in Ra'anana next to the (fake) lake. it was awesome, the weather was great, and I totally forgot how beautiful Ra'anana is and how much I missed it.
When we got home I saw the stack of mail waiting for me. I sat on my bed, with the windows open, letting the breeze in, tunring on ISRAELI radio station, and just going through 4 months of mail. It got old fast, but it felt so serene and awesome.
I already unpacked, and later today im meeting the rest of the family members to give them the crap i bought them.
and tonight Im going out with friends to Moses. I missed that and love how we're going there on midnight to get the "late night" menu cause we're cheap :)
I'm jet legged so I this wont be this ~omg you have no idea what this trip was to me~ post, that'll probably come later.
I got some clothes for myself. and an Itouch. but im too tired to open it now. and some cds: Duffy, Alanis Morissette, Amy Winehouse and the Garbage collection. and an amazing jacket from H&M. even books. but really, the itouch is my favorite buy.
I dont have the balls to go to an ATM to check home much money I have left in my account.
I really hate when people declare every other day that they've ~changed~ and ~grown~ in so many ways. but really, I'm about to make some changes in my life.
on sunday im going to the uni to register to the dorms. school starts in less than a month. omg im gonna be part of the ~academy~.
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| field of dreams |
[03 Oct 2008|01:47am] |
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mood |
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 amused |
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[01 Nov 2008|05:24pm] |
phone hasn't rung
guess you're not feeling lonely
i'll just be here. waiting.
(because i have no life, right?)
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