I'm worried about Lady Gaga.
I love her album and almost all of her music videos, as well as her quirky fashion sense and her willingness to stand up for the GLBT community. But I fear that people are getting tired of her. She hasn't put out any new music for awhile, and her fashion antics seem to be getting tired. Yeah, she's a huge star and has had at least five no. 1 singles from her first album, but if she doesn't do something soon, she'll be in trouble. Here's some things I think she can do to up the ante.
1. Put out a second album. The Ga's been in the spotlight for a year and a half and hasn't released a new album (her re-release of The Fame into The Fame Monster doesn't count, in my opinion). She needs some new music out there quick. I would love to see her new album include something very different. Sure, I want some more awesome electronic dance grooves as much as the next girl or gay man, but I have a feeling Gaga could produce some really powerful ballads. She writes acoustic, soulful versions of all her dance pieces, after all.
2. Quit riding Madonna's coattails. I was SO disappointed by the video for "Alejandro." It was shot-by-shot a Madonna ripoff. The men in heels, the machine gun bra, the eating a crucifix-- YAWN. I loved the Warholesque, narrative-driven, eclectic videos for "Paparazzi" and "Bad Romance."
3. Stop wearing meat. When Lady Gaga first came on the scene, she was lauded for her eclectic sense of style-- body suits with hoods, lightning bolts on the face, red lips, dark shades, big heels, bright colors, her signature hair bow. And now she's wearing a meat dress! I understand that she's into fashion, but she's got major connections in the fashion world. She can afford actual fabric. She also doesn't need to make a political or social statement with her clothes. She's in the entertainment industry! She's got microphones galore in front of her! I hope that Gaga continues to make bold fashion statements by teaming up with famous/up-and-coming designers, but I hope that the fashion isn't sacrificed for a statement or for media attention.
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lists,
music
I've been reading a book on music and emotion for a class I'm in this semester of the same name. A lot of the book is a survey on the philosophical and cognitive work done on emotion and expression up to today. The author often explains others' theories by creating examples from everyday situations. Often, however, her examples make me think that she is secretly a very dry and hilarious BBC sitcom writer (she's British, as you might be able to tell by the syntax of the sentences below) famous for her deadpan non sequiturs. Thus, I give you my favorite sentences from Jenefer Robinson's
Deeper than Reason: Emotion and its Role in Literature, Music, and Art:
p. 18 Adult sexual love is directed at a desirable person (or perhaps we should say a person-like creature, since, according to novelist Marian Engel, it is possible to fall in love with a bear)....Indeed I do not think I have ever been in love with a proposition (or a bear, for that matter).
p. 86: When I am distraught about my husband's abandoning me, I do not know exactly what emotions I am experiencing.
p. 98: [The judgement theorists] may make accurate generalizations about when it is correct to say that I am 'afraid that it will rain' or 'regretful about your lost garlic press.'
p. 253: We talk about sad news, a sad business ('It was a sad business about Nora's abortion'), a sad day ('It was a sad day for America when Kennedy was assassinated'), a sad letter, a sad face, a sad song, a sad time, sad weather, a sad attempt at a joke, and so on and so forth.
There was another sentence about shivering because the mayor dropped an ice cube down my shirt, but I can't find it. I swear I read it in this book.
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lists,
music,
school
I once posted some of my
favorite quotes from
Carmen Tellez, and in honor of the end of my compuslory ensemble participation, I present to you: Dr. William Gray-isms.
"The middle of the note is where the music is." (6/29)
"I think the misereres would be yellow; what color would the 'no' be?... Olive? Purple?" (7/22)
"It's as if heaven were a MENSA meeting and you have the most intellectual conversation...I hope I'm not there with my family." (7/26)
"You scratch off in your car real fast and the wheel goes 'bzzzz' and the gravel spins out-- we don't want to hear that in music." (7/13)
"It's like that baseball movie-- build it and it will come." (7/13)
"As a color we need it every now and then, like when we're dying." (7/13)
He said this when talking about what he was calling an organ arpeggio, but what is actually just a rolled chord: "It's like when you drink champagne and the foam goes up your nose." (7/8)
And then, maybe the most infuriating comment: "Haydn wouldn't have written it if he didn't believe it." (7/13) Wasn't Haydn hired to write sacred music? He didn't do it necessarily because he believed it, but because he was getting a paycheck.
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music,
school
Do you remember the at-first-hilarious-then quickly-annoying internet phenomenon known as the Dancing Banana? Well, I do. This turn-of-the-millennium meme is just what it sounds like: a Banana dancing to a song called "Peanut Butter and Jelly Time." The song was written by a group called Buckwheat Boyz, who also had a hit called "Ice Cream and Cake" which is about, you guessed it: the right-wing media's attempt to revolutionize cross-media content. Just kidding. It's about ice cream and cake.
Here, in its original, typo-riddled, bright pink glory is the biography of Buckwheat Boyz from their MySpace page. I've corrected spelling/grammar errors and added little annotations where appropriate in black .
The Buckwheat Boyz, (no comma needed) are a musical experiment founded by two friends,(no comma needed) in 1997 from Tampa FL., (comma should be a colon) Marcus Bowens, (no comma needed) and Jermain Fuller. The Buckwheat Boyz (yes, the band's name is even misspelled) added two more members to the tandom. On Keyboards-J.J. O'Neal, and Drums-Dougy Williams. (fragment) The Buckwheat Boyz were signed by Koch Records, (no comma needed) and began recording their first (removed 'full length record,') and only full length record. The self titled record brought us the smash hit's (no apostrophe needed) "Peanut Butter and Jelly Time",(no comma needed) (although the song always presents the line "Peanut butter jelly time," the title includes a mystery "and") and "Ice Cream and Cake" (which played in a Baskin Robbins commercial according to Wikipedia). In 1999 the Buckwheat Boyz went on they're (their) first world tour. Opening for Lil' Romeo, (no comma needed) and Nas. (fragment) The band was signed by Koch for 3 records, though the unfortunate death of founding member and vocalist Jermain Fuller left the group in shambles. The Buckwheat Boyz eventually split up, (no comma needed) late in 2001. Never entering the studio for their second record. (fragment) After the split up of the band, Marcus the co-founder or Buckwheat Boyz found God, turning into one of Gumbo, Alabama's most respected gosspil (gospel) artists. Dougy Williams turned his pain inward, (no comma needed) and took it out upon himself. His lust for women and drugs grew threating (threatening) to his health, and on Nov. 14, 2003 was admitted to a shelter for drug offenders. J.J. O'Neal persued (pursued) his dream for music stardom, (no comma needed) and found his way on stage. J.J. is now headlining his local theater's rendition of "CATS".
My favorite part is the last sentence.
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music
I made a bunch of Father's Day cards. Only sold two, but I suppose these can be sent to a guy at any time of the year.
Since ties are the stereotypical Father's Day gift, I thought it would be fun to immortalize them on cards. The cards are blank inside and come with envelopes.
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cards
1. Copy every new status update they make and paste it into your status update. When they ask about it, tell them you don't like it that they are stealing your words.
2. Comment on every single picture they post-- even ones with people/places/events you have nothing to do with.
3. "Like" every action they take on Facebook-- and comment, if possible.
4. Spam their wall with inane emoticons.
5. Write things on their wall in other languages. If possible, make the message something about daring them to use Babelfish.
6. Post a sentence on their wall one letter at a time.
7. Spam them with ugly free gifts.
8. Send them a ton of Farmville, Castle Age, and Mafia Wars invites. If they ignore them, post to their wall whining about why they won't help you gain more experience points.
9. Try to become friends with every person they are friends with.
10. Edit your profile to include the exact same interests as your friend. Again, if they ask, tell them to stop copying you.
11. Send them invites to Facebook events that won't actually happen.
12. Every time you can see that they are online, chat with them. Use as much txt speak and bad grammar as possible.
13. Put their stuff up for sale on the Marketplace.
Posted in
lists
I made a pair of bamboo cards from chopstick wrappers. At first I was trying to use up my green scraps, but then it turned into using any green paper I had.
A close-up of the paper.
I always try to add some detail to the inside, in lieu of writing a silly statement. I want my customers to be able to write their own statements in my cards.
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cards
I finally made some necklaces with my handy new drill!
Here is the pile of bottle caps I'm working with. If anyone has a request for a particular bottle cap, let me know!!
Posted in
jewelry
I write to mourn the passing of the very funny food website "This Is Why You're Fat." It seems to have disappeared off the face of teh interwebs. I've tried
accessing the site several times and all I get is an error message. For several months I have been checking TIWYF every day. I once had a very long laugh session with a few friends as we reminisced about our favorite posts. TIWYF, if you are indeed gone, you will be sorely missed.
Posted in
blogs
Here are some cards I sent out for Mother's Day. This first one is made from a recycled Japanese card, wrapping paper, some paper from a sign I stole in the music school, and some scraps. Not overtly Mother's Day, but what the hell.
Then I tried to make some cards with certain color schemes based on the scraps I had lying around. I think they turned out pretty cute. First I did green,
Then red/pink,
Then red and pastel pinks and greens.
I can replicate a lot of these designs with different messages (or blank spaces for your own messages). Just let me know!
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cards
Hey folks,
Here's some cards I'd be willing to part with for a reasonable price. I don't have a great handle on exact pricing yet, and if you really like what you see and we're friends I'll make you an offer you can't refuse.
Spirograph card! These circles were found in a scrap bin at Pure Paper in Des Moines.
Shards of pink. This design can be made to order in a variety of colors.
Robin's Egg Plaid.This design can be made to order in a variety of colors.
Fireworks. Made from cannibalized greeting cards.
I made this one for Ryan for his birthday out of scraps I had saved. I think this is my favorite of this group. This design can be made to order in a variety of colors.
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cards
My friend Chi-chan came from Japan to visit me over Spring Break. It was her first time in the US. I drove up to Chicago to fetch her from the airport, so we spent a few days checking out the big city. Here we are on a city bus.
Millennium Park had a special exhibit of sculptures by Chinese artists. Here's a sculpture of a Tyrannosaur. In this shot he appears to be preparing to attack the mist-shrouded skyscrapers. Rawr.
...
The Willis Tower *coughSTUPIDNAMEcough* recently had four all-glass viewing areas installed. You can look through the glass floor to the city below:
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photos
Hi friends. I thought it was time for a change. This blog will mainly be a way for me to showcase the jewelery and cards I make, in case anyone wants to buy. I'll also probably post some pictures or links to things I think are cool.
