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Below are 20 journal entries, after skipping by the 20 most recent ones recorded in
muzikman's Blurty:
| Wednesday, August 26th, 2009 | |
| 2:44 am | Lookin' through the archives... Today I spent a good part of the day getting caught up on little projects. I had some stuff that I had been wanting to burn to CD for ages, plus I also dug out some important papers that I have been looking for for quite some time. Anyway, a long time ago I found a cassette at the Salvation Army. It was a very old looking cassette, like something from the 70s. There were no markings on it whatsoever. I mostly just bought it because it simply looked so antiquated. I think I may have paid 50 cents for it. I think I picked it up 3 or 4 years ago. All this time I had been meaning to play it just to see if there was anything on it. There was. I was amazed to hear the voices of two elderly folks coming from the tape. Quickly I realized that this was a tape that the couple had made for their daughter and their grandchild. Sort of an "audio letter". In the days long before webcams, Skype and e-mail, I think this was a popular form of communication. The couple spoke with a very thick, rural, New Brunswick accent. They sounded a lot like my parents, actually. They mostly just told their daughter about what was new, what had been happening in the neighbourhood, all the local gossip. They also spoke at length about a car accident the lady was in, and all the red tape she had to go through as a result of the accident. At one point they mentioned the good looking daughter of one of the local folks. The man said, in his thick country vernacular, "Oh she's got more boys chasing her than the hair on your head!". This made me smile widely. I grew up hearing voices like this. On one hand I felt very much like a voyeur listening to this tape, but on the other hand I just had to hear it...I can't explain why, but listening to these total strangers brought me much comfort. The whole time I was listening, I was dying to know just how old this tape was. I so wanted to know the year that this recording was made. At one point, the elderly man mentioned that it was "Saturday, August 23rd". I did some research, and the last time that August 23rd fell on a Saturday (apart from last year) was 1980. So essentially I was probably the first person to hear this tape in almost 30 years. I wonder why this tape was never sent. I almost feel like I have to take it upon myself to return this tape to the daughter, who would probably love to hear it. I bet there are millions of these types of artifacts from the past, sitting around gathering dust, and the person who would most enjoy them is none the wiser to their existence. |
| Monday, August 24th, 2009 | |
| 4:02 pm | I don't get it I find it very funny that people often insist on adding meaning to song lyrics. You know what I mean. A song can never just mean what it is saying at face value. There always has to be some deep, metaphorical meaning. Well, I'm sure that's true a lot of the time, but not always. Just look at any video on YouTube. If the song has lyrics or a title that is even slightly ambiguous, there will be a ton of comments saying things like "what does this mean?" or "what is this song about?". I guess I'm just not the type to overthink lyrics. I go more for the overall feel of the song. It moves me or it doesn't. I'm reminded of a recent discussion I saw on Facebook. A group of folks spent way too much time discussing the song "Pokerface" by Lady Gaga. One person insisted that "pokerface" was actually slang for a certain part of her anatomy. Seriously though, who gives a shit? I played a show last December, and a group of rather drunk/stoned young men approached me. One of them said "Hey man, your song "Candy" is about cocaine, isn't it?". To which I replied "Uh, no, it's about candy". Cripes! There's not always a hidden, subversive message, folks!!! |
| 3:58 pm | This still gives me chills I love it when a video can perfectly capture the spirit of the song it was made for. In reality, I think this is actually quite rare. There is just something about this song and video that I find so bone chillingly eerie. I think much of it is the camera angles, and the lighting. Plus, this video breaks rules, and I honestly think that when an artist breaks rules and steps outside of pre-determined boxes, greatness can be achieved. When I was a film student for a brief time in the early 90s, I was told by one of my profs that you should never, ever film a part of an arm, or part of a leg, without showing the end of that appendage (that is, don't ever shoot the crook of an arm without showing the hand, etc). I guess long standing knowledge dictated that viewers often find this very jarring and odd. But this video does that anyway. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWvIC3OR7wk |
| Tuesday, August 18th, 2009 | |
| 12:28 pm | Observations of a Security Guard *In this technological age, people are still oblivious to the fact that pretty much everything they do is being monitored by a video camera. It's also disconcerting when a Dollar Store has a better video security system than the rest of the mall! *It's fun to talk to pigeons. *A group of three 12 year old girls should never be asking for directions to a sports bar. *Many folks in uptown SJ have turned "hanging out" into an art form. *Contrary to popular belief, 1st impressions can indeed be wrong. *I'm certainly no fashionista, but shorts and tank tops should only be worn in your house, at the pool or on the beach. This almost seems to be a required uniform for all males who stay in a hotel. Sorry, but it's sloppy. The least you can do is tuck in your tank top! *Many people have a distinct discomfort and/or disrespect with authority. *Never work one shift, then turn around 7 hours later and pull off another. *Why do people have such a driving desire to light up their cigarettes in entryways? *When I become elderly and retired, the last fucking place I would want to spend my day is a shopping mall. *Giving a half hour's notice that you quit your job really inconveniences your co-workers. Thanks asshole! *It's weird, but many of my co-workers resemble characters from "Blade Runner". *Courtesy is optional for most people in retail, especially management. *Yes, everything here does close at 5, and no, we are not open on Sunday. Go east like everyone else. *Some folks don't like to be called "sir". |
| 1:49 am | No one will ever find me here.... For some reason, the thought of living in the following place seems so appealing to me. I guess the only way to even get here is on a 7 day boat ride! Talk about a hermit's dream. http://www.sthelena.se/tristan/tristan.htm |
| Friday, August 7th, 2009 | |
| 12:39 am | In Memory of John Hughes, 1950-2009  |
| Thursday, August 6th, 2009 | |
| 2:44 am | I only wish I could be as cocky as this guy...  |
| 2:31 am | New job I'm going to be starting a new job tomorrow. Noticed I used the word "job", not "career". I just needed something to help bring in some cash, especially over the summer, until I get back into supply teaching in the Fall. More details will be revealed later. I will say that I all ready did this kind of work back in my early 20s. In a sense it feels like I have reverted a bit, but I guess you gotta do what you gotta do. Let's just say my co-workers seem to be making a very big deal out of the fact that I am educated. So much so that it's annoying all ready, even before I've officially started. I don't think they are used to seeing folks with degrees working in this field. And rightfully so. It's really hitting me like a ton of bricks the difference between the type of folks I worked with pre-University and post-University. This recent job is kind of a reminder of the folks I worked with back in my formative years. To be blunt, it's not a world I aspire to stay in very long. |
| Friday, July 31st, 2009 | |
| 1:06 am | Ain't it funny It's crazy how things can happen, how stuff can come along at the best of times or the worst of times. A few weeks ago I performed a set at a private party. It was at the request of an acquaintance. It was probably one of the most poorly received sets I ever played. I honestly couldn't wait for it to end. I felt quite jaded by the whole thing, and even though I did another show the next night that went much better (at a house party), the first show just left a very bad taste in my mouth. "That's it", I said to myself once again. "My show days are OVER". But then a few days later I get an e-mail from a total stranger, asking me if I would be interested in playing at her wedding reception. Apparently she had seen me play a few years ago up in Sackville, and mentioned that her and her fiance were huge fans. Apparently my music has been played in their kitchen on many mornings while breakfast is prepared. Anyway, it looks like I will in fact be playing at her reception, and it's going to be in a barn somewhere in Sackville. I had told her that her initial e-mail could not have come at a better time. Right at that point when I was feeling like music was going nowhere for me, a wonderful ray of light. I have to smile when I think back on the odd assortment of places where I have played...everywhere from a skate park to a back porch to a living room to a campground, and now, a barn. Crazy. |
| Sunday, July 26th, 2009 | |
| 2:44 am | There's Usually A Reason For Silence I haven't had a lot to say lately. Overall this has not been a good summer for me. One of the worst, in fact. I've reached a point where I no longer sit and think "gee, change in my life would be neat". I now think "things CAN and WILL change, or else I will fucking lose it". |
| Friday, July 17th, 2009 | |
| 10:21 pm |  |
| Thursday, July 16th, 2009 | |
| 2:41 am | Cats! Everywhere! Cats! If you find cats as funny as I do, and your sense of humour is as warped as mine, you'll love this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OibpX0oyePU |
| Monday, July 13th, 2009 | |
| 12:20 am | I had totally forgotten about this.... I was sorting through a bunch of old files on my hard drive tonight, deleting stuff that is long overdue for the trash bin, and I found some ancient documents I had forgotten about. Some of it goes as far back as 2004. I found the following review that I wrote of the film "Mystery Train", in French. I wrote this for one of my fourth year university French classes. I believe it was a class that had to do with French texts in the media. Minimal, Mystérieux et Mystifiant : Une Critique de “Mystery Train” Le film bizarre et merveilleux « Mystery Train », dirigé par le roi du film indépendant Jim Jarmusch, est une aventure étrange dans les coins foncés d'americana. « Mystery Train » a lieu pendant une nuit à Memphis. Il implique trois histoires séparées qui convergent dans un hôtel minable et sale. Les histoires sont bizarres comme le film lui-même. L'assistance est présentée avec une femme italienne récemment veuve. Alors il y a les deux jeunes touristes japonais qui sont venus à Memphis pour visiter la maison de leur héros Elvis. Et finalement nous avons l'histoire de trois criminels qui se cachent de la police. Nous sommes donnés des points de vue différents de la même soirée de trois groupes différents, et le résultat est fascinant. Il y a un réalisme dans « Mystery Train » qui ne peut pas être nié. Les personnages parlent d'une manière grossier, de la classe ouvrière. Plusieurs des personnages semblent sales et déviants, et le film a lieu dans les restaurants sales, les rues foncées et les salles d'hôtel décrépites. Il n'y a rien étincelant ou poli dans ce film. C'est anti-Hollywood. Mais malgré ce réalisme, il y a toujours un sens de l'humour qui fonctionne dans tout le film qui est très charmant. Steve Buscemi est drôle dans son rôle de Charlie le coiffeur. Et quel film fait dans les profondeurs de Memphis serait complet sans inclusion du fantôme d'Elvis! Il y a aussi plusieurs acteurs dans le film qui sont des légendes de rock, qui sont appropriées considérant que Memphis était le lieu de naissance de rock. Screamin’ Jay Hawkins joue le rôle du directeur de nuit à l'hôtel délabré, et il est très plausible. Joe Strummer, un musicien de rock qui a joué avec le groupe The Clash joue le rôle d’un des criminels. Tom Waits, la légende de la musique, est la voix d’animateur à la radio. L'inclusion de ces icônes musicales donne au film un facteur vraiment « cool ». Ce film se concentre sur les rues foncées de Memphis. En fait, ce peut s'appeler une étude du côté noir d'americana. Les personnages dans le film sont défectueux (et drôles) et le film ne suit pas une histoire traditionnelle de modèle de Hollywood. C’est bien photographié, et la musique pour le film est très évocatrice et riche. C'est un film laid et réaliste, mais c’est également plein d'une qualité humaniste qui est très unique. Comme ses films précédents, Jarmusch nous donne un film qui se déplace à son propre rythme lent. Son style directorial est extrêmement minimal, que certains aimeront mais il peut ennuyer d'autres. Il n'y a presque aucune action dans le film, au moins pas jusqu'à la fin, ainsi vous aimerez cette approche minimale ou la détesterez. Essentiellement, Jarmusch est un maître à faire les films bizarres au sujet des personnages bizarres. |
| Friday, July 10th, 2009 | |
| 7:38 pm | A little too connected.... My interest in the internet has been seriously waning lately. More specifically, social networking sites are starting to lose their novelty. I enjoy Facebook, in fact I tend to check my account at least 1-2 times a day. But to be blunt, certain folks who update their status 10 or more times a day are really beginning to frustrate me. And I also notice how folks tend to talk about the same shit over and over and over. One thing about Facebook, it really gives you an accurate idea where your "friends" heads are at. Sometimes too much so. Seriously, do I really want to know every single time you're about to smoke a joint, drink another beer or feel like punching your mother in the face? I guess the simple fact is that I tend to be a rather anti-social chap, so right away the whole point of social networking is not that interesting to me. To be more accurate, I see how such tools can be handy for folks (ie musicians) who really want to make contacts and spread the word about their work. In that sense, I think it can be very useful. But really, I honestly don't give a shit about the mundane, the everyday crap that people feel so compelled to share with the world. I think that's why Twitter seems so odd to me. Do I really care that Tony Danza is now shopping for a new toilet? I guess deep down it bugs me that old fashioned story based entertainment is pretty much dead, and the exploits of the boring average Joe are now becoming the norm. They say that everyone secretly wants to be a superstar, and perhaps reality TV is so popular just because it gives these everyday blokes an opportunity to be famous vicariously through someone else who is similar to them. But in my opinion, Mr and Mrs Average are just plain dull, and not worthy of my attention. I'm bothered enough by my own mundane, everyday activities, like shopping for groceries, paying bills and looking after my car. I don't have ANY interest in watching someone else do all that crap. |
| Friday, July 3rd, 2009 | |
| 12:42 am |  |
| 12:37 am | If it works, it works The following is a caption about Soft Cell's hugely successful "Non Stop Erotic Cabaret" album: "Despite the reputation of many new wave bands as being on the cutting edge of technology, the album was created on a very low budget; it was supposedly recorded almost entirely with a Revox tape recorder, a borrowed Roland drum machine belonging to Kit Hain, a small, preset Roland bass synthesizer, and an NED Synclavier, belonging to producer Mike Thorne." I also heard somewhere that the Eurythmics' mega hit "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" was recorded on an 8 track reel to reel, which, even by 1983 standards was pretty primitive. There's a lesson to be learned. |
| Sunday, June 28th, 2009 | |
| 4:35 am | One of the prettiest songs I've ever heard BTW, this was not released in 1957...that date is just part of the title. This was actually released on the "Surf's Up" album from 1971. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWs8Ia71L-Q |
| 4:20 am | Interruptions R Us I'm wondering if any other singers/bands/performers have gone through this, or am I just a natural magnet for rude folks? What is it with people walking right up to me halfway through a song, in the middle of my set? One more reason why I'm reminded why I stopped performing regularly. If you go see a play, do you get up on stage and walk right up to the actors halfway through a scene? Nope. This guy walks up to me and starts bugging me about "doing some freestyle raps". I tell him politely that he should talk to the person in charge. He walks away. He bugs me again a few minutes later, again in the middle of a song. "When can I break out the beats, yo?". At this point I feel like telling him to go screw himself. I tell him that I'll be done my set in about 15 minutes, and then he could probably have the mic. The split second I finish my set, the guy practically attacks the microphone and launches into his thing. I'm trying to put away my gear while the guy is literally 6 inches away from me. I ask the person in charge if she knew this incredibly annoying arsehole. "No, I've never seen him before tonight" was her reply. Apparently he was just some loser who walked in off the street (into a house party for that matter). Dude, no one wants to hear your shit rapping (and trust me, it was awful). If you really want to perform that bad, get your own fucking gig. |
| Sunday, June 21st, 2009 | |
| 1:43 am | Things I'm really getting sick of 1. Jon and Kate. Enough all ready! If I see her pouty face on one more magazine cover, I will vomit. 2. Alec Baldwin hosting SNL. Did someone say "overkill"? Seriously, if the number of times you've hosted the show start to get into the double digits, you've hosted way too many times, no matter how good you are. 3. Pitch treated vocals/vocoderizing. Note to all R+B producers: in order for a really cool effect to stay cool, it should be used sparingly. Please kill this plague NOW! |
| Friday, June 19th, 2009 | |
| 10:38 am | This is really quite brilliant  Listen to the title track here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AU_9_HsdjCM |