course journal
Wednesday, October 15, 2003
(week five)
I don't think I could hate any kind of music. If I did I would hate music that hasn't even been made yet. In my opinion, too many people dislike entire types of music. By saying that I don't listen to country I would write off tons of music as crap with out listen ing to it first. Its always better to judge with your ears when it comes to music. Music is the soundtrack to our lives. Every action does not call for rap. Every scene cannot play out with R Kelly in the background. Not all love scenes make sense with Marilyn Manson playing. In order to truly do the movies that is our lives justice, we must have a diverse selection of music. A soundtrack by "every brotha you ever heard of".
all forms of music have their hang ups. Rap is not conducive to a mellow mood and dean martin wont get the party hoppin but, more importantly, each kind of music has its own special thing that distinguishes it from the others. The oldies are often relaxing (perhaps because our parents would listen to them). Chill music like enya is meant to relax the listener also. When rolling in your ride rap music is key, no one want to be the guy listening to show tunes when a car full of hot ladies pulls up... For many country is meant for listening to in a dark secluded room, but country also has something to offer. A knee slapping good time. Come on, last time you heard some country bumpin you wanted to slap your knee too. Bands like linkin park facilitate being pissed off, while the boy band cults pander to our more sensitive sides.
what ever your opinion of these and other genres of music, you, the listener/consumer, owe it too yourself to have an open mind. Otherwise volumes of music get left in the unhappy purgatory of genreism (to coin a phrase).
..... Go red sox
I don't think I could hate any kind of music. If I did I would hate music that hasn't even been made yet. In my opinion, too many people dislike entire types of music. By saying that I don't listen to country I would write off tons of music as crap with out listen ing to it first. Its always better to judge with your ears when it comes to music. Music is the soundtrack to our lives. Every action does not call for rap. Every scene cannot play out with R Kelly in the background. Not all love scenes make sense with Marilyn Manson playing. In order to truly do the movies that is our lives justice, we must have a diverse selection of music. A soundtrack by "every brotha you ever heard of".
all forms of music have their hang ups. Rap is not conducive to a mellow mood and dean martin wont get the party hoppin but, more importantly, each kind of music has its own special thing that distinguishes it from the others. The oldies are often relaxing (perhaps because our parents would listen to them). Chill music like enya is meant to relax the listener also. When rolling in your ride rap music is key, no one want to be the guy listening to show tunes when a car full of hot ladies pulls up... For many country is meant for listening to in a dark secluded room, but country also has something to offer. A knee slapping good time. Come on, last time you heard some country bumpin you wanted to slap your knee too. Bands like linkin park facilitate being pissed off, while the boy band cults pander to our more sensitive sides.
what ever your opinion of these and other genres of music, you, the listener/consumer, owe it too yourself to have an open mind. Otherwise volumes of music get left in the unhappy purgatory of genreism (to coin a phrase).
..... Go red sox
Monday, October 13, 2003
To grow up female to day in the united states means being confused. A woman's role no longer exists where a mans role does. Women are told they can be anything they want to be, and on the surface encouraged to pursue their dreams. Though our superficial way of looking at women has changed dramatically, the way men are viewed is much the same. Its the same message. Be a rock. Make money. Support a family. Don't take shit from anyone. But if you asked the average person what a woman is supposed to be (in 2003) they would probably have no answer. No one wants to say housewife. No one wants to say nurse or midwife. No one will say it directly but indirectly the message is there, a message that hasn't changed in hundreds of years. If you look at the advertising industry that's where the socialization is easiest to see. G.I. Joes are still boys toys. Pretty dolls are still girl toys. Period. I challenge anyone to find a boys doll that doesn't kill something or have the capacity to. Its confusing. To tell a girl she can play with G.I. Joes but to not make he feel welcome and wanted in the G.I. Joe community only serves to illustrate the true meaning and intent. We as men don't want the competition. Why allow that? We have it great. If we can keep the women down, confused about their own roles in society, we can continue to rule that society and enjoy the spoils of a war never really fought, only side stepped.
confusing
that's what I think it would be like to grow up in this country female.
confusing
that's what I think it would be like to grow up in this country female.
What is it like to grow up male in this culture.
this is not an oft asked question mainly because who wants to deal with it?
I used to have a hard time understanding people who were such strong advocates for women's rights. We all have the same rights, right? One day it struck me that that is what people tell me about race issues. "we are all equal in the eyes of the law, right?" no we are not. So that helps me understand gender issues.
its hard for me to stomach any minority being sexist. They know what discrimination is and have felt it in their lives,why then do they insist on furthering the practice of holding a group of people down based, not on their merits or lack thereof, but instead on a factor they have no control over.
in the throes of a heated argument with his girlfriend, every guy wishes, if only for a moment, that he were a girl. Perhaps then he could understand why his girlfriend is bringing up things that happened years ago and "making a big deal out of nothing". Aside from this fleeting moment most men are content to remain male. We know where the trap door is on the glass ceiling. I don't but into the fashion pressures because men have the same ones. Men are pressured to be big and unfeeling, women on the other hand are pressured to be dainty, weak, and conciliatory. Ultimately we are socialized into being opposites. Neither side is "good" or worse than the other, somewhere in the middle lies true human nature.
I spy on my paper another blog to elaborate on this subject. But to put it simply. Being a guy is great even if we don't see it.
this is not an oft asked question mainly because who wants to deal with it?
I used to have a hard time understanding people who were such strong advocates for women's rights. We all have the same rights, right? One day it struck me that that is what people tell me about race issues. "we are all equal in the eyes of the law, right?" no we are not. So that helps me understand gender issues.
its hard for me to stomach any minority being sexist. They know what discrimination is and have felt it in their lives,why then do they insist on furthering the practice of holding a group of people down based, not on their merits or lack thereof, but instead on a factor they have no control over.
in the throes of a heated argument with his girlfriend, every guy wishes, if only for a moment, that he were a girl. Perhaps then he could understand why his girlfriend is bringing up things that happened years ago and "making a big deal out of nothing". Aside from this fleeting moment most men are content to remain male. We know where the trap door is on the glass ceiling. I don't but into the fashion pressures because men have the same ones. Men are pressured to be big and unfeeling, women on the other hand are pressured to be dainty, weak, and conciliatory. Ultimately we are socialized into being opposites. Neither side is "good" or worse than the other, somewhere in the middle lies true human nature.
I spy on my paper another blog to elaborate on this subject. But to put it simply. Being a guy is great even if we don't see it.
Monday, September 29, 2003
if i were standed on a deserted island with one cd i would be tracy chapman (the first cd). this is the only cd i have ever owned on which all the songs suit my taste. any other cd would be depressing as i could only listen to a few songs over and over again untill i finally gave in and listened to the rest and hated it on principle alone. i suppose i dont have much to write on the subject. tracy's music has a certain poetic feel to it that i think all music should have. it would seem like most music has an entertainment feel to it and that to me is not the better goal. any one of these songs could be spoken at a poetry reading and they should be if for no other reason than to hear the artsy people snap their fingers at the conclusion. the music is not so much the focus but plays an appropriate supporting role. behind it all is a soft guitar and in some songs: bongos, flutes, and other interesting instruments as well! by far my favorite and if i were on a deasert island some deep political music might be just what the doctor ordered.
go twins
go twins
the ultimate mix cd! though only ten songs long this cd contains all the favorites of chris montana. our readings suggest that someone who likes a song, because of the special place that song may transport that person to, is not a true music fan. well i consider myself a true music fan and i do like some songs for that special place.... and on with the show.
these are in no particular order.
America, sister golden hair surprise. this song mellows out my mixes time and time again. it wont get much play time at a party, but its a song that needs to be sung along to. im not a big america fan, i've never been to a desert with any horse (nameless or not). however i do like this particular song.
sam cooke, cupid
if you dont care for the words listen to the voice. i implore you. i could listen to this stuff all day, but if i had to listen to one of his songs it would be this one. i got this cd as a birthday gift from a friend and lost it when i loaned it to another friend in excange for a tone loc cd. suffice to say tone is not one of my homies anymore.
sittin on the dock of the bay, otis redding
i would be surprised if many people didnt put this on their lists. another song that has ro be sung along to. the words dont mean alot to me. hell i cant relate. but it sounds good and thats all i need
jurass finish first, Jurassic five
i have never met someone who could listen to this song and not bob their head. this is the song that proves beats dont have to be complicated, just good. the first time i heard this song i played it on repeat for over an hour to learn the words and now it is often the soundtrack to my day.
put your hands where my eyes can see, Busta rhymes
this song was the anthem to my early years in middle school. my friends and i would all get together to play video games and this would be the song in the background. where we went often depended on where the cd was. busta has done little better since.
mountains o thangs, tracy chapman
this could be my favorite song. tracy always pleases ,but this is the best. the story she tells is so true of all of our lives. the quest for money and the subsequent loss off a good life. my mother used to play this and i liked it even then. i use it as a poem to live by and encourage anyone who has not yet been blessed to go out and BUY this one.
magic carpet ride, steppenwolf
who says old rock cant still roll? this is one of my favorite 'rollin' songs. while in the car the carpet must be rode. it seems small but for me the best part is the sudden beginning. another song that i dig due to sound over lyrics.
brick, ben folds five
this song holds alot of sentimental value for me and so i will always play it. and even if it didnt it has everything ya need. the piano forces relaxation. you cant be tense while playing this song. on top of the awesome sound is a very nice story played in time with the meandering piano. even people who listen to hard crazy rock but this cd for the brick.
aint goin down till the sun comes up, garth brooks
Country?! damn skippy. i have gotten more crap for playing this song than any other(save the chitty chitty bang bang theme song...). im not a big fan of country, i am a fan of this song. the beat gets you goin and does not let you down ever. the lyrics beg to be learned and shouted back at the cd player at the blazing speed that garth spits them at. i challenge my fellow hip hoppers to rock this once or twice and see if their feet start tapping.
Make em say uhh #2 master p
this is the ultimate rollin' song. if you are an 80 year old granny you too can feel a spry 40 just by pressing play. when pointing out all that is wrong with rap i usually point to master p. however this time he done good. this song was the anthem of any party anyone was at in 1996-8. and really, who doesnt like hearing the command MAKE EM SAY UHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! (na na, na na).gold baby, platinum actually and despite it coming from master p the money couldnt touch this one.
so thats my mix tape. dj eclectic has left the building. he did however leave a cd because after writing all this i had to make the mix.
go twins
these are in no particular order.
America, sister golden hair surprise. this song mellows out my mixes time and time again. it wont get much play time at a party, but its a song that needs to be sung along to. im not a big america fan, i've never been to a desert with any horse (nameless or not). however i do like this particular song.
sam cooke, cupid
if you dont care for the words listen to the voice. i implore you. i could listen to this stuff all day, but if i had to listen to one of his songs it would be this one. i got this cd as a birthday gift from a friend and lost it when i loaned it to another friend in excange for a tone loc cd. suffice to say tone is not one of my homies anymore.
sittin on the dock of the bay, otis redding
i would be surprised if many people didnt put this on their lists. another song that has ro be sung along to. the words dont mean alot to me. hell i cant relate. but it sounds good and thats all i need
jurass finish first, Jurassic five
i have never met someone who could listen to this song and not bob their head. this is the song that proves beats dont have to be complicated, just good. the first time i heard this song i played it on repeat for over an hour to learn the words and now it is often the soundtrack to my day.
put your hands where my eyes can see, Busta rhymes
this song was the anthem to my early years in middle school. my friends and i would all get together to play video games and this would be the song in the background. where we went often depended on where the cd was. busta has done little better since.
mountains o thangs, tracy chapman
this could be my favorite song. tracy always pleases ,but this is the best. the story she tells is so true of all of our lives. the quest for money and the subsequent loss off a good life. my mother used to play this and i liked it even then. i use it as a poem to live by and encourage anyone who has not yet been blessed to go out and BUY this one.
magic carpet ride, steppenwolf
who says old rock cant still roll? this is one of my favorite 'rollin' songs. while in the car the carpet must be rode. it seems small but for me the best part is the sudden beginning. another song that i dig due to sound over lyrics.
brick, ben folds five
this song holds alot of sentimental value for me and so i will always play it. and even if it didnt it has everything ya need. the piano forces relaxation. you cant be tense while playing this song. on top of the awesome sound is a very nice story played in time with the meandering piano. even people who listen to hard crazy rock but this cd for the brick.
aint goin down till the sun comes up, garth brooks
Country?! damn skippy. i have gotten more crap for playing this song than any other(save the chitty chitty bang bang theme song...). im not a big fan of country, i am a fan of this song. the beat gets you goin and does not let you down ever. the lyrics beg to be learned and shouted back at the cd player at the blazing speed that garth spits them at. i challenge my fellow hip hoppers to rock this once or twice and see if their feet start tapping.
Make em say uhh #2 master p
this is the ultimate rollin' song. if you are an 80 year old granny you too can feel a spry 40 just by pressing play. when pointing out all that is wrong with rap i usually point to master p. however this time he done good. this song was the anthem of any party anyone was at in 1996-8. and really, who doesnt like hearing the command MAKE EM SAY UHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! (na na, na na).gold baby, platinum actually and despite it coming from master p the money couldnt touch this one.
so thats my mix tape. dj eclectic has left the building. he did however leave a cd because after writing all this i had to make the mix.
go twins
Monday, September 22, 2003
Music
I've been putting this particular blog off because I'm not sure how to do it well.
music is very important to me. Music is always playing and always taking me to that special place. And it's always a good place after all why play a song that reminds you of being dumped or something comparable. One of the nifty things about music is it can give you a picture, a frozen frame of you life captured as it was passing by a song playing on the radio. Freshman year of high school I got in to some old school reggae and I found the original "oh Carolina". Not the version by shaggy but a recording from the early 1900's. I was listening to it while playing final fantasy seven in my somewhat destroyed room.
a more powerful image come from the song brick by Ben folds five. Every time I hear it I remember standing in the parking lot of a clinic in some near suburb just north of Minneapolis. I was talking to two men one who want to tell me that abortion is wrong but if it is to be done he wanted to give me healing materials. The other guy was showing me pictures of bloody fetuses cut up and mangled. He also insisted that abortion was wrong and tried to appeal to my faith. As my friend came out I can remember the look on her face when the more shock oriented campaigner started screaming at her. I still play brick. Its a good song, and I don't want to forget the event.
music really is the soundtrack to our lives. When I enter a room music must be playing, after all who knows what event might need remembering later
go twins
I've been putting this particular blog off because I'm not sure how to do it well.
music is very important to me. Music is always playing and always taking me to that special place. And it's always a good place after all why play a song that reminds you of being dumped or something comparable. One of the nifty things about music is it can give you a picture, a frozen frame of you life captured as it was passing by a song playing on the radio. Freshman year of high school I got in to some old school reggae and I found the original "oh Carolina". Not the version by shaggy but a recording from the early 1900's. I was listening to it while playing final fantasy seven in my somewhat destroyed room.
a more powerful image come from the song brick by Ben folds five. Every time I hear it I remember standing in the parking lot of a clinic in some near suburb just north of Minneapolis. I was talking to two men one who want to tell me that abortion is wrong but if it is to be done he wanted to give me healing materials. The other guy was showing me pictures of bloody fetuses cut up and mangled. He also insisted that abortion was wrong and tried to appeal to my faith. As my friend came out I can remember the look on her face when the more shock oriented campaigner started screaming at her. I still play brick. Its a good song, and I don't want to forget the event.
music really is the soundtrack to our lives. When I enter a room music must be playing, after all who knows what event might need remembering later
go twins
Why does my story need telling? I'm not sure it does. However given the assignment it was the only subject I could possibly write on. My trip to Indiana in 2000 was huge. It changed so many things in my life and nothing has looked the same since.
I worry that the reader might not see the importance of the event in my life. Perhaps my writing skills need more work than I thought. I wanted to leave some questions I suppose but I also wanted the reader to understand where I was going.
after going back to Indiana and seeing "the real world" I felt like that's when I "grew up". I heard a quote somewhere that the day you begin to die is the day your childhood ends. Well I didn't have a conventional or desirable childhood and if you had asked me at the time I would have said that I didn't have one at all. But that trip showed me that I did have a childhood. My memories of Bloomington were my childhood and so after that trip I felt like I had died. But I've been rebuilt I suppose and it only took six million dollars.
the only real reason my story needs to be told is it gives the reader an idea of why I am who I am I suppose. All of our life changing experiences have something to do with who we will be for the rest of our lives and I'm no exception.
go twins
I worry that the reader might not see the importance of the event in my life. Perhaps my writing skills need more work than I thought. I wanted to leave some questions I suppose but I also wanted the reader to understand where I was going.
after going back to Indiana and seeing "the real world" I felt like that's when I "grew up". I heard a quote somewhere that the day you begin to die is the day your childhood ends. Well I didn't have a conventional or desirable childhood and if you had asked me at the time I would have said that I didn't have one at all. But that trip showed me that I did have a childhood. My memories of Bloomington were my childhood and so after that trip I felt like I had died. But I've been rebuilt I suppose and it only took six million dollars.
the only real reason my story needs to be told is it gives the reader an idea of why I am who I am I suppose. All of our life changing experiences have something to do with who we will be for the rest of our lives and I'm no exception.
go twins
Thursday, September 04, 2003
me
who the hell am I? i suppose thats the assignment.
im 20...6'2"...210lbs and other measurements as well...
but i suppose thats not satisfiying the assignment.
my name is chris montana and I am a human being of the united states. and i mean something by that. Ive had the opportunity to "play both sides" in my life, ive been dirt poor ive been well to do, ive been a stellar student and damn near a dropout, ive been raised in both a white and black family (oooh the race card) ive been the reject and the 'bmoc' suffice to say my life swings to the extremes. when i was 6 months old my father left never to be seen again i wasnt even born yet. good thing? bad thing? who knows but it seems to have worked out so far.... i was raised by my mother and at the age of fifteen i moved out citing unreconcileable differences (i was not so elequent when i left but you get the picture). i lived with friends then was homeless and eventually settled in at a friend of mines house on arthur avenue in prospect park. so in fifteen years i had gone from lake and pleasant to prospect park. how is that for rags to riches? the american dream right... why do i say this.... part of the assinment is to provide a window to our personality. some of the things that ive seen have greatly shaped the way i look at things and respond to them. i have always been the independent type (doesnt eveyone say that?) but it took living alittle for me to learn that everyone needs help and that independence is not essential when you are 15.
im a democrat or at least i lean that way. im the american dream right? but its not supposed to work that way so i dont buy it. people need help so why not?
less heavy stuf follows this point
im a very blunt guy and i like the same in return. i like it when people say what they mean in as few words as possible description is good verbosity (or some spelling of that word) blows
i cant spell.
i try to be honest so i wont say that i dont tell lies.
i like ice cream hell who doesnt? i am firmly of the belief that to not consume ice cream is unamerican and wrong
i eat alot and if i ever become rich the fat will come with it and i think thats awesome
i abhore low fat foods.
no one ever gets my humor save a few people and they are normally so much like me that i dont like them.
i like lienie's creamy dark
go twins!
who the hell am I? i suppose thats the assignment.
im 20...6'2"...210lbs and other measurements as well...
but i suppose thats not satisfiying the assignment.
my name is chris montana and I am a human being of the united states. and i mean something by that. Ive had the opportunity to "play both sides" in my life, ive been dirt poor ive been well to do, ive been a stellar student and damn near a dropout, ive been raised in both a white and black family (oooh the race card) ive been the reject and the 'bmoc' suffice to say my life swings to the extremes. when i was 6 months old my father left never to be seen again i wasnt even born yet. good thing? bad thing? who knows but it seems to have worked out so far.... i was raised by my mother and at the age of fifteen i moved out citing unreconcileable differences (i was not so elequent when i left but you get the picture). i lived with friends then was homeless and eventually settled in at a friend of mines house on arthur avenue in prospect park. so in fifteen years i had gone from lake and pleasant to prospect park. how is that for rags to riches? the american dream right... why do i say this.... part of the assinment is to provide a window to our personality. some of the things that ive seen have greatly shaped the way i look at things and respond to them. i have always been the independent type (doesnt eveyone say that?) but it took living alittle for me to learn that everyone needs help and that independence is not essential when you are 15.
im a democrat or at least i lean that way. im the american dream right? but its not supposed to work that way so i dont buy it. people need help so why not?
less heavy stuf follows this point
im a very blunt guy and i like the same in return. i like it when people say what they mean in as few words as possible description is good verbosity (or some spelling of that word) blows
i cant spell.
i try to be honest so i wont say that i dont tell lies.
i like ice cream hell who doesnt? i am firmly of the belief that to not consume ice cream is unamerican and wrong
i eat alot and if i ever become rich the fat will come with it and i think thats awesome
i abhore low fat foods.
no one ever gets my humor save a few people and they are normally so much like me that i dont like them.
i like lienie's creamy dark
go twins!
