Wednesday, March 26, 2014

A List Of Things About Me...

I’m funny
I’m smart
I love sports
I’m full of random useless facts
Alison by Elvis Costello is my favorite song
I suffer fools but that doesn’t mean I like it
I enjoy random weird quotes
I like stability and routine
It's easier for me to be melancholy than happy
I never thought I’d like exercising but now I do it regularly
I’ve gotten used to going to the movies alone
I’ve driven across country by myself
I think it’s important to tell people how much you care about that at random times
I’m learning to be more selfish
The two things I think is true of all the people I consider my friends is that I trust them and I don’t ever question their motives.
I’m petty
I have a good memory about almost everything, but slights and negative memories are always more vivid and clear
I can hold a grudge
I’m not good with directions
I like being a designated driver
For most of my life it was always easy to forgive
Recently I find it much harder to forgive
I like compliments but I don’t chase them
I think it’s important to ask follow up questions if you really want to know how someone is doing
My heart isn’t as full as it used to be
I like to go for a long walk on my birthday
My birthdays always tend to be really good or god awful - with very few in between.
When i hear that quote about how it takes more muscles to frown than to smile I think to myself, 'happy people are lazy.'
I like buying things for others
I always hold out hope that people will be good, but It’s easier for me to see and believe that we are all flawed and selfish
I think the words we choose are important - so be careful what you say. I’ll be sure to remember them.
I believe that your words don’t matter if they aren’t consistent with your actions.
I am willing to meet someone halfway.
I’m embarrassed by my the name of my email address
I remember using AIM in college
I think we are all hypocrites - it’s just important to realize it and try to be less of one
I believe that sometimes it’s important to judge your friends. As long as your judging them to their face.
I don’t think it’s easy to say your sorry.
I am great at being passive aggressive
When i hear the phrase “cut your nose off to spite your face” i don’t hear it as a warning. I hear a piece of advice.
I am wary of zealots.
I cry a lot
I don’t watch as many cartoons as people might think.
I’ve gotten a lot of my life advice from The Simpsons
I don’t like new situations
i like the idea of options even though I tend to stick to what I know.
i like to be liked - even though sometimes I don’t think I deserve it.
I think that most people’s understanding of me is a caricature.
I like to reflect and analyze.
When I was young I wanted to be an archeologist.
A TV and the 2001 World Series dramatically changed the course of my life.
When I was young I loved reading books about dinosaurs and Sitting Bull.
I like when people do the little things that show they’ve been listening and paying attention.
I don’t want to die along but I think I am emotionally prepared for it.
I like the saying: “God takes care of old folks and fools”.
I try not to get excited about anything because it help me avoid disappointment. 
I don’t like the way my feet smell after a long run
I’m prone to jealousy 
I love Otis Redding
I like the idea of reading much more than the actual act of reading
I like to draw
I almost don’t draw at all anymore
I used to be much more creative
I eat the sausage on my pizza last along with the crust
I’ve used Nair on my back hair
I’ve run a half marathon
Wrestling was a huge part of my childhood and will probably always be important to me.
I often wonder if I’ll be happy the next time the Dodgers win the World Series or if I’ll be relieved.

I don’t know if I’ve felt “at home” somewhere in a very long time.

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

A Song To Get Carried Away By...

I think this song 10 on my list of 30. It’s the third track off of Passion Pit’s 2012 album Gossamer. It is Carried Away. 

Before I get into the song any further. The lead singer of Passion Pit looks like former USC QB and Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart. I'm serious just look at the pictures and tell me I am crazy. I dare you. 

I don't think I ever would have listed to Passion Pit before coming to New Jersey and being introduced to them during, of all things, an orientation leader recruitment video.

What I really like about this song is that I can play it in just about any mood and it makes sense. It’s a poppy upbeat track filled with synthesizers. It just sounds fun. It makes you feel happy. I’ve seen this band live and the concert is high energy and tons of fun. When it comes to this song the crowd LOVES singing the chorus. But the beauty of the song is that it's lyrics betray it’s musical tone.

The song is about flawed, doomed, tumultuous relationships and friendships and the self destructive roles people play in them. Here are some of lines that I particularly enjoy.

Listen, I'm your friend (don't quote me)
But not a friend worth noting
Yes, please don't ever note me as your friend

Who says we have cold hearts?
Acting out our old parts
Let's perform our favorite little scene

I get carried away
Carried away from you
And I'm hoping and I'm praying
Cause I'm sorry, sorry about that
Sorry about the things that I said
Always let it get to my head

Anybody who has been in a relationship or friendship that just seems to be filled with selfishness, self destructiveness and passive aggressiveness will appreciate the lyrics. And if you can’t appreciate the lyrics, just dance to the infectious beat and sing aloud to the chorus! It’s a win either way.

Passion Pit’s Carried Away may not age well 5, 10 or 20 years from now but it’ll always remind me of certain people and take me back to a place and time in my life. Plus, the music video is pretty damn good.


Saturday, March 22, 2014

People Are Strange - And So Is My Taste In Music

So I have not been doing this whole 30 songs for 30 years thing nearly often enough and this post is a bit of cheat. Well, not a bit of a cheat. A BIG FAT STINKIN’ CHEAT. Earlier I had taken a look at a song that reminded me of my mom. Well, I thought it was time to do a song that would remind of my dad. 

I have to say that I attribute a lot of my eclectic taste in music to my dad.

Growing up and going on a road trip with him was a musical experience because you were basically going to hear one or two CDs over and over and over again for the duration of the trip. My dad would take my brother and I on mountain biking and fishing trips. Those trips were long. It would take us anywhere between 75 minutes and three hours to get to the location. I can still remember the list of the CDs in his CD case holder.

  • The Best of Santana
  • Pink Floyd’s The Wall
  • Sade
  • The Counting Crows - Yesterday and Everything After
  • Bob Marley’s Greatest Hits
  • Coolio - Gangster’s Paradise
  • The Very Best of Chicago
  • TuPac - All Eyez On Me
  • Earth Wind and Fire’s Greatest Hits
  • Madonna - Something to Remember NOTE: He owned this CD because of just one song “This Used To Be My Playground”. He would literally pop in the CD, listen to the song four or five times and then replace the CD with something else. I honestly don't think I ever heard another track from that album. Also, who owned the CD was a major point of contention in my parent’s divorce. They never argued about custody of me and my brother (seriously) but this one damn album, with only one song that either of them liked, was grounds for professional mediation (alright - well, the isn't actually true). The point is, in my family there is nothing too petty to hold against somebody or argue over.




So instead of picking one song I am going to pick an album. It’s not an album I listed above, but it is the one album that most reminds me of car rides with my dad. In fact, only Pink Floyd’s The Wall even comes close.



The Very Best of The Doors.

Rather than go into a lengthy explanation of why I chose this double CD album I will highlight a few songs and what I remember about them. Please note that I first began to hear this album on a regular basis at the age of 9 (maybe 8).

Light My Fire -  the song reminds me of seeing The Doors movie at age 8. There are only two things I remember from the movie. I vaguely remember the singer/performance artist Nico being introduced to Jim Morisson. And of course I remember the scene were the band was told not to sing the lines “we couldn’t get much higher" before their Ed Sullivan performance and then did it anyway. This act led to  their life long ban from the show.

Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar) - I remember (while still about 9 years old) riding a three wheeler with my brother while my dad was washing our Ford Areostar blaring this song. Whenever it would come on my brother and I would sing the lyrics. We would also hold Squeeze It bottles in our hand pretend to drive the our three wheelers drunk. I won’t say where we learned what drunk driving looks like - but suffice to say at the tender ages of 7 and 9 we knew what drunk driving looked like.


Riders on The Storm- I remember being 10 driving through a desert and realizing, “oh this is a song about a group of murders!”. Ah the innocence of youth.

People Are Strange - When I was in second grade we had a lip syncing contest. Everyone in my class was broken up into groups of four or five. I remember some of the songs other groups choose: 

Kriss Kross’ Jump Jump and MC Hammer’s Addam’s Grove

These songs made total sense. We were 8 years old and they were current hits heard all the time on the radio. Well, for some unknown reason my group let me choose our song. I chose People Are Strange. I wish I could remember the look on my teacher’s face (Mr. Berlin) when he asked me what song we were doing and that song came out of my mouth. We actually performed the song. Just acting weird throughout the performance.  


To get a full appreciation of why this was so fucked up feel free to listen to the song with the lyrics.


How Mr. Berlin didn’t call social services on my family is beyond me.


LA Woman - it’s a really good song (even though it’s over 7 minutes long). and the musical breakdown is pretty musch the go to musical accompaniment to any montage of southern California beaches.


Love Her Madly - a good song and it’s prominently featured in Forrest Gump when they flash to what Jenny is doing during New Year’s Eve 1972.

So there you have it. My dad and the Doors. Two reasons why i have such varied musical taste... and so many weird childhood memories.