Cover me

Yummy covers mix from yet another music-sharing site that will probably disappear in a month simply because I'm about to sign up for it.



If you're interested, you can visit said site here.

O how I love thee

I. Can't. Fucking. Wait.

Coming April 14th

This Charming Man revisited

I'm a huge fan of covers - and I don't mean the kind that are essentially the original versions being recycled and redistributed with new packaging. I love when artists get creative with good songs, particularly classics like this, and make them different and original without destroying the essence that made them brilliant in the first place.
On that note, one of my favorite songs by The Smiths, with a Stars spin on it:

Black Cab

I love this on so many levels.

A) It's The Cold War Kids
B) Performing in a black cab
C) With a London backdrop.

Nuff said.

I was actually introduced to this a while back, but revisited it today because it makes me all content-like.



For more deliciousness for your ears and eyes to feast on, visit all the Black Cab Sessions here.

What my computer would sound like if it sang to me

Seriously? They couldn't find someone else to sing this song? Someone with a decent voice that they didn't have to digitalize to the point of eradicating any trace of humanness from it? Maybe my hopes of stardom aren't in vain - I just need to sleep with Rihanna, apparently. (WARNING: Music snob rant ahead)

I get so aggravated by these artists who have no apparent talent besides being marginally good looking and exceptionally well connected (See: Paris Hilton). I know nothing about this guy beyond the whole Rihanna debacle and now this song, which I heard in Barracuda last night and was drunk enough to Shazam. This really isn't a bad song for having been written in less than an hour - dare I say it's even catchy, if you ignore the fact that he sounds like he's receiving electric shock under water and the inane lyrics were apparently composed by fifth graders. (Did he really just say "Double your pleasure, double your fun"??)

All this being said, I actually kind of like this damn song and it's earned a reluctant place in my "Songs I Wish I Could Hate" file. Right alongside this one:
God, I want to hate her so much - but I simply can't. I love her.

OMFG I just found this kid - now that Chris Brown has outed himself as a low-life woman beater, let's get this kid to stand in for him. No digital enhancements on that voice, baby!



His gaze is so penetrating and oddly seductive in this creepy, prepubescent way - it actually makes me a little uncomfortable to watch it, and I end up blushing and looking away before it's over.

How can you not love these

Some images of our new president and family on Inauguration Day:

A new day

"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek." - President Barack Obama



Buy the poster here and give it to your favorite Bush supporter.

My new favorite thing of the week

Seriously - I'm a little too much a sap for this today. It's hard to pretend you're concentrating on work when either a)you've got a ridiculous grin spread across your face, or b)you're fighting back tears and your whole face looks like it might just combust upon itself at any moment.


Bloc Party, 'This Modern Love' - A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

For the entire collection of impromptu acoustic sessions that will blow your mind if you have any taste in music whatsoever, go here.

Thank you to Alex for this.xo

On the topic of change

I think it’s human nature to want to hope for the best.

We want to believe things will get better on their own. That’s why we stay in that job we don’t particularly like, or hang on to that dysfunctional relationship that is draining us of our life source. If only we hold out long enough, eventually things have got to get better. Right?

Change scares some people. In fact, I suspect it scares most people. Sometimes even if every fiber of your being is screaming for you to get out of your current situation, the alternative – the unknown – is disconcerting enough for you to justify doing nothing differently. Disturbing the status quo means you could be setting yourself up for a potentially worse situation than the one you’re already in.

Change doesn’t happen overnight. Once you’ve made that first step towards change, you might think you made a mistake and doubt your decision. You might have to make a few missteps before you make the right one that’s going to truly make you happier. But at least you’re making an attempt to better your situation, and eventually you’ll see your efforts pay off.

Life has a way of strolling right in and having its way with you if you let it. I’ve been Life’s bitch on more than one occasion, but I’ve never taken it lying down. I‘m going to take moment to pat my own back for all the changes I’ve made in my own life, despite how incredibly painful and difficult they’ve been. I tend to beat myself up more than I congratulate myself, so this is one of those rare instances when I’m doing the latter. Way to go, Mands.

On that same note, I’m incredibly proud of our country and the direction we’re taking to improve our situation. It took us a long time to get to this point where we decided we’re ready for a change in direction, but we’ve arrived at that place now and we’re finally saying, “We deserve better.”

There are a lot of people who aren’t pleased with the changes we’re facing, to put it mildly. They would rather stick with the abusive husband who’s been bloodying their face for years. Who is this guy with the funny name who’s shaking things up with all of his crazy ideals? We’re more comfortable with the good old boys who have been robbing us blind and fucking things up for years, thank you very much.

We’re going to be just fine – you, me, all of us are going to be just fine. We’re doing exactly what we should be doing to improve our situation, which is to not settle for the way things are. The world is watching us; let’s show them how it’s done.

All hail President Barack Obama!

Happy Almost-Inauguration Day!

On Inauguration Eve, I thought this would be appropriate to post:


SNAP!

If that's a bit too much of a downer, here's a reminder of what we're getting in place of that guy:



And how did I never see this during the election? The fact that The National are featured on this video makes me love President Obama just that much more more - not that he likely had anything to do with it, but it's his people. Clearly, his people are also MY people if they can appreciate The National. (You all should know my theory on The National and how there really are only two types of people in this world: those who love The National, and those who don't. I tend to avoid the latter whenever possible.)

I just shed a tear on the inside

God, this gets me. If this doesn't get you, then I'm sorry - but you have no soul.

Behold! The National - "About Today"

Weight of the World

This Editors' song actually manages to penetrate that dense layer of crusty jadedness on my old, embittered heart. I had this on my "Bonnie & Clyde" mix on Mixwit (R.I.P.), and now I assimilate it with the recklessly romantic affair those two had while they were trying to stick it to the rest of the world. I'm oddly fascinated by them and the whole tragedy of their love for each other. Every time I hear "Weight of the World" now, I can't help but get all whimsical and romantic with mental images of tommy guns, car chases, and their bloodied bodies collapsed on top of each other inside their bullet-riddled Ford V-8. *Sigh*

Happy Not-Fucking-2008!

I can't think of a better way to kick off the new year than to have these hot bitches demonstrate for us how to walk it out:

Best of '08

In no particular order:

1) Sarah Palin Barack Obama
2) Tina Fey as Sarah Palin
3) Glasvegas

4) Dlisted.com
5) This kid:

6) “Return to London” trip
7) Amsterdam
8) AMA Reunion in San Fran
9) California Supreme Court repeal of ban on gay marriage (only to be overturned a few months later by Prop H8, but hey - baby steps)
10) Rielly Blair Sorenson

Au revoir 2008

First and foremost: In the wake of Mixwit's untimely demise, this is the latest discovery on my quest to enjoy free music:

Fresh Start

So, moving on - I'm back from a trip to Salt Lake, having enjoyed four days of gazing out a window from the security of my parents' home as the Valley was blasted by snow. It's been years since I had a white Christmas, and I certainly appreciated it to the fullest, just as I also appreciated getting off the plane at SFO and immediately ditching my heavy down jacket. The sentiment I have toward snow and proper winter weather is much like that which I have toward children: I'm able to enjoy both on a short-term basis, and then when I'm done - I'm done, thank you very much.

That being said, if I could have fit my youngest niece into my luggage and smuggled her home with me without the concern of smothering her or inciting kidnapping charges, I would have. Bold statement coming from someone like me, but it is the truth. I wonder how many people are born as naturally addictive and lovable as she was.

I'm looking forward to the coming year. More specifically, I'm looking forward to telling 2008 to GET THE FUCK OUT. I do believe Jasmine and I declared early on that this year's motto would be "I HATE 2008," and as the year is coming to a close, this is still very much the case. It was certainly THE most challenging and difficult year of my life. With all its challenges, though, my life is still very blessed, and spending the holidays with my incredible family was yet another reminder.

So - here's to gratitude, personal velocity, love and loss and all the many beautiful tragedies that make up our lives! Happy New Year!

First Day of My Life

Remind Me

Cheers!

Happy 75th Anniversary of the Repeal of Prohibition!

The Secret of Happiness is....

With the recent pub crawl and Thanksgiving madness (and yes, 'madness' is the most appropriate word), Madame Booze has been rather busy with reinstating her title. Today she finds herself in an all-too-familiar place of once again nursing her delicate head in the midst of a rather hideous hangover. (Btw - I think we might rename this blog: "The Story of Madame Booze and Me", and the header quote will be: "I am schizophrenic and so am I.")

Company holiday party tonight, which means no rest for the wicked. Apparently, if history is destined to repeat itself, at least one person will throw up all over himself, and another will be found passed out on the restroom floor. Perhaps Mr. Booze (no relation) will even break a glass or two by 'cheersing' a bit aggressively, and maybe a top exec will make a few sleazy remarks regarding the size of a certain employee's breasts. Oh, the joy of getting trashed with people you actually have to face every day! Hopefully we will come nowhere near a microphone so Madame Booze won't be given the chance to sing 80's new wave songs much too loudly and in a British accent....

Madame Booze makes a comeback

"And she was doing so well for a while there..."

Well, I am back. The black hole I fell into has spit me out again.

First and foremost, there is a pub crawl tomorrow evening hosted by none other than my alter-ego, Madame Booze. Madame has been sporadically off the bottle as of late, and amidst threats by the alcohol gods to revoke her title on these grounds, she has stepped forth to be the first woman in the running for a position on the Non TOK-sponsored Pub Crawl Committee. I heard a rumor that the committee members eat babies, or at least the Chairman (Master Bates) does (lightly toasted, with ketchup even), but I choose to find these things out for myself.

The pub crawl should most certainly be messy for some, debaucherous for others. I swore some time ago that I would never drink with my co-workers again (for the record, I think this pledge lasted all of a week). If I can show my face in the office Monday morning without having to do any damage control (an all-too-common practice for me following work events), then we'll consider it a good night.

I'd like to revisit the pre-established Tips for Surviving a Pub Crawl, just as a refresher.

And I'm curious as to why I always schedule a hair appointment the morning following a pub crawl. My stylist knows me in no other condition than when I'm sleep-deprived and reeking of alcohol. Oh, what he must think....