10/29/2008: Start Something

Okay, so there are a billion music blogs all over the internet. As a music aficionado, this is something I am beyond aware of. I also think I’ll probably be on a first name basis with like the three people that might ultimately read this ever. My basic idea is just to write a little about me and the songs I’m craving,raving, or slaving for at the moment. This knows no genre, but it will tend to stay away from country and mechanical hip-hop that has no meaning. It’s more of a way for me to kill time than anything else.

So right now, I really (really) like Lady GaGa. This might be some deep seeded thing relating to my love for pop being performed and written by the same person.
“Poker Face” by Lady GaGa needs to be your favorite song right now for a few reasons. The first is that you can still be indie cool and say you liked the song before everyone else though you can’t say you liked Lady GaGa because she’s blowing up all over the radio right now, but hurry up. The second reason is that the lyrics are just all around fun “I’ll get him hot, show him what I got” (though how she says “hot” is up to debate on what she’s implying) as well as “Russian roulette is not the same without a gun, and baby when it’s love, if it’s not rough, it isn’t fun”. Third is that she’s pretty hot and the song is too. Also check out the Jody den Broeder Remix of “Poker Face”, it’s decent.

“Relationships” by Friendly Fires is a song that needs to be on your iPod by now simply because I like it. But don’t be a douche about liking this song or Friendly Fires because I know a few people that like Friendly Fires and they are snobbish about it. This isn’t like listening to Prokofiev or anything, they’re a bit obscure but they aren’t exactly a secret. The whole feel of this song just appeals to me on sooooo many levels, whether it be the hook or the general energy radiating from this song. Best part is the “give it up, it’s time to leave” or “if you could have relationships…”

Then there is “Tonight” by Lyyke Li (sounds like Leaky Lee, I’m letting you know because I made an ass of myself when I tried talk about her to someone that first time). This is just an all around beautiful song to me. I wish someone had written “Tonight” for me at some point in my life. My luck wouldn’t warrant that though. Plus you can say you like Lykke Li without having to say “Little Bit” because that’s the extent of most people’s Lykke exposure.

Another good song I seem to like at the moment is “Drive My Soul” by Lights. As a person who has had some emotional turmoil and a knack for car accidents, this song appeals to me on those levels. “When you’re gone, will I lose control? You are the only road I know. You show me where to go. Who will drive my soul?” It’s just a pretty song worth listening to when you need a pretty song that’s also kind of sad.

“23″ by Blonde Redhead is also a good song. You can get “indie” cred for busting it out at a party and people won’t give you those stares like they do when you break out some Bat for Lashes.

Ok so this is it right now. I haven’t done real blogs before so this is clearly crap but whatever. I know the three of you reading this so I don’t care at all.

Charleston Blog #3: The Whole Trip

I don’t really feel that independence came up all that much except at Moultrie and I’m still not quite sure on exactly what happened there. I didn’t break class with me to Charleston. I brought me and my camera. I guess the class I can connect most to the trip was history because of Fort Sumter, but Drayton Hall was a house that flirted but didn’t seem to have a significant relationship with history. The Gullah Tour was nice and all, I didn’t really look at gates that much before. Sumter was interesting but a little disappointing and Moultrie made me feel like I missed something somewhere when I was walking around. I like seeing Charleston alone and making my own connections and not having them made for me.

Charleston Blog #2: 11/9/08

I preferred Fort Sumter over Fort Moultrie as a historic site. The Civil War pretty much began at Fort Sumter, and while I know the long term impacts of Fort Moultrie and what it means, I just felt like more happened at the actual Fort at Sumter rather than the general area at Moultrie. It might also be because I feel like I learned less at Moultrie, but I did get to meet the woman with the furry arms. I guess that counts. I think Moultrie had less traffic because there was no major battle or skirmish at Moultrie, it was more of a Sumter thing. Moultrie was important regarding the slave trade but that’s more depressing than re imagining huge explosions and all the rest that goes along with wars.

Charleston Blog #1: 11/8/08

I like the idea of preservation but sometimes, it seemed like it got in the way of me learning at Drayton Hall. I thought the decorations and all were interesting but if I had to hear “This is just my own theory. I don’t even have one bit of evidence to back this up.” (Plus how hard is it to say “pivotal” or even “children”) It made me feel like I could get paid to walk around and b.s. and say things like “The master’s chilvren were abductev by martian aliens who knocked over the two houses in front of Vrayton Hall.” It kind of gave the house a dead feeling, and I don’t connect with shells. Call me crazy but I prefer restoration. Then I can see it and touch it as it may have been from some certain time. Just because you’re not letting the ceiling fall in doesn’t mean I’m getting anything out of it.

I think it is a bit hard to connect the Gullah Tour to the Drayton Hall thing because the Gullah thing reeked of tourist to me. The buildings the guide pointed out that had been knocked down, but at least he knew what happened to them and he wasn’t presenting theories. To put it bluntly, I’m not one for tours.

1010 Prompt #15: What was the most important thing you learned about yourself during this semester? Why?

I learned that I’m not as dumb as I used to think I was. I just feel like I respond exponentially better to the college environment. I learned that I dress better than I thought I did, now that I’m not surrounded by people that wear camoflauge suits for formal occasions. I learned that Downtown Atlanta, well, it kind of sucks. I was only really familiar with what’s on Peachtree Street. How wrong I was. I realized that the Atlanta I like is north of North Avenue, where I am not asked for money,cigarettes,corn,lottery tickets, etc. on a semi-daily basis. I learned that Georgia State is a beast of school population wise and I’ve learned how to avoid getting the smell of cigarette smoke imprinted within my clothes. I learned that I liked it here, because it’s not like any other college I visited. Let’s see how long my enthusiasm lives after this semester though.

1010 Prompt #14: Is there such a thing as ultimate truth? Prove it.

I’m going to assume you believe there is by the phrasing of the question. I believe everything happens for a reason. Like the way my life has played out this past semester regarding my interactions with people in Atlanta or back home feel like they were meant to happen the way they did. Had I gone to Valdosta like I had planned on a year ago, who knows what my life would be like??? I enjoy the balance I have here. You’re probably thinking, “What in the hell is he talking about?” but I feel like I’m answering the question by pointing out that my idea of an ultimate truth is fate and it’s present in my life.

1010 Prompt #13: Which pieces of literature have underscored material learned in the other FLC classes?

I don’t really feel any have, if this is about American Lit. Not to say I didn’t enjoy the readings but unless you count the times I wanted to rip non-existent wall paper of the walls in a class that I will not say  then I can’t really draw the readings to the other classes. I feel some overall themes reflected but in an abstract way. I never really did that for any class though, I wasn’t like “Wait! I wrote a paper about this in English!” or etc. I enjoyed the classes but they were more connected the first two weeks rather than the following 14.

1010 Prompt #12: Does the Pledge of Allegiance have any worth? Why or why not?

I think it does. America provides so much that people take for granted, and some bitch about having to pledge their allegiance to a country that is giving them opportunities that aren’t nearly as accessible in other parts of the world. I also feel that if you are a citizen and you don’t want to say it, then that is fine. It should be up to the individual if they want to say it or not but that doesn’t mean you need to go around trying to take it away completely. I think the whole under God thing has been blow out of proportion. As far as I’m concerned, it doesn’t explicitly mention the Judeo-Christian God, so insert your own. I don’t always say it, but it doesn’t mean I don’t believe it’s important.

1010 #11: How can someone be proud of the South and still proud of African American culture?

Not being African American, I feel like I’m not the best to ask, and only being a half-southerner, I feel even less qualified to answer this question. I personally feel that the last 40 years and the advances that have been regarding what was once a culture war between whites and blacks in the south has transformed into something great. Think of how far the South has come just in the past 50 years, some parts of the world are still stuck where they were 500 years regarding acceptance of people that don’t look like you. That’s what I’m proud of, how far we’ve come.

1o1o Prompt 10: What ideas about being an American have you had to break? What stereotypes still prevail?

I guess the only real idea that I’ve had to break was the thought that there was the world and there was America. I had little perception of there being anything outside of our country until I was around 7 or 8  when my grandfather got me a subscription to National Geographic Magazine. The pictures opened a new world to me and are still my biggest inspiration everytime I pick up my camera. I think the arrogant American stereotype prevails but not as big as it seems like other countries make it out to be. I think people are raised to passionately love this country and it would be un-American to look down on them for their viewpoints.