Thursday, January 28, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
iPod Shuffle Music Monday
We haven't had one of these in awhile. I've got my iPod on shuffle, so let the craziness begin. It is snowing today and I think our first song is very fitting of the mood that the weather has provided. My iPod just may be psychic.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Ok, Hold On....
So. Haiti's in trouble. We all know that. Haiti needs money. We all know that. Like I've said before, even $10 can help! Imagine what ONE MILLION dollars could do! A lot! Most of us don't have a million dollars to just toss around, but you know who does? CELEBRITIES. Oh the celebrated celebrity. The truth is, many of them ARE giving money and giving pretty generously and being highly praised for it. To that I say, "Hold on there just a minute".
I don't think any of us could ever fathom the amount of money these people make. $20 million dollars per picture is just STUPID. That is a stupid amount of money, especially when you consider that, often, they are doing 2 and sometimes 3 movies a year- and that doesn't even include any money they might receive in recipricals!
Let's break this down.
Brad and Angelina donated $1 million dollars. Now, that was a joint donation. That's like going to a wine party where each person is supposed to bring a bottle and saying "oh we're a couple, we only brought one". Um, yeah, that isn't how this works.
According to my [nominal] research, Brad makes approximately 20-25 million per picture and Angelina pulls in about 15-20. According to IMDB, Pitt does around 2 movies a year, so we'll say his 2009 income was [on the LOW side] around $40 million. Angelina had 3 movies in the 2008-2009 range, so we'll say her income was around $45 million. So that's a combine income [on the LOW side] of about $85 million. And you could only spare one million TOTAL? Sheesh, at least bump it up to $5mil a piece.
Leonardo DiCaprio has also been praised for his one million dollar donation. It seems as though Leo also makes about $20mil per film and had two pictures out in the 2008-2009 era. Dude, seriously? I know you have to spend a lot of money to travel to St. Barts to vacation and all, but you couldn't at least give 2 million? Not even one and a half? Ridiculous.
I'm not saying it isn't awesome that these celebs are giving such an enormous amount of money, but does anyone else think that they should be giving MORE? If you're gonna do something to help, then REALLY do something.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Oh Brandi
I love Brandi Carlisle, but I don't love the new cd as much as the last. What do you think?
I Can't Decide....
if I love this. I certainly don't hate it. What I do know is, I like Julian better with the Strokes. Somebody had to say it!!
Help Somebody If You Can
Guys, there is soo much going on in our world right now. So much pain and suffering and at the same time so much hope. WE have the ability to be that hope right now. I know that most of the people that read my blog are around my age, either recent college graduates or possibly are still in college, and we don't exactly have tons of extra money lying around right now. $10 guys. $10 is all it takes. Skip a couple of lates, that late night pizza, or a really delicious cocktail and do something important with your $10.
There are two things that I'd love you to consider giving your money to. A dear friend of mine, Brandon Palma, toured the US last year with Invisible Children trying to raise awareness and dollars for the children of Uganda who have never known a life without war.
[With the support we receive from our tours and young supporters, we are able to implement cutting edge programs on the ground in Uganda. To prioritize and understand the needs of the community, our Uganda staff is 95% Ugandan. We focus on long-term development, working directly with individuals and institutions, to best understand the needs of these war-effected areas. We rebuild schools devastated by war, benefiting over 8,400 Ugandan youth in the areas of water and sanitation, books and equipment, refurbishment of structures, teacher support, and technology and power. We provide 690 scholarships to specifically chosen secondary students and 180 full ride scholarships to University. We employ mentors that holistically oversee healthy development for our students. We have also implemented micro-economic initiatives that are impacting 360 Ugandan’s in transition from internally displaced camps to their original homes as well as 13 formerly abducted child mothers who are now self-sufficient through our tailoring center that provides training in savings, investment, numeracy, literacy and health. These savings-and-loans initiatives have allowed villagers to save money and earn interest for the first time, freeing them to start their own businesses and provide for their families like never before.]
Brandon has been given the chance to actually go TO Africa with Invisible Children to see first hand what the organization has been able to do to help and what kind of additional help they need to campaign for. As you can imagine, this type of trip costs lots and lots of money- $2000 to be exact. Now, Brandon is one of the best Starbucks baristas in the Metro Nashville area, but slinging coffee beans doesn't usually leave one with a lot of cash lying around. The last I heard, Brandon was still lacking about $1000. $10 guys. It will only take 100 people to get Brandon to his goal. Please retweet this need, post it on Facebook, email it to your friends. Brandon is doing his part to make a difference in the world- will you do yours?
I've included a personal letter from Brandon as well as a link to his PayPal site. If Brandon is unable to reach the need of $2k, every dollar that is donated to his PayPal will be given as a donation to Invisible Children. It's a win/win situation for everyone.
Hello Friends and Family,
I got an email this morning that I did not see coming. As most of you know, I spent seven months of 2009 working with Invisible Children to help end the war in Eastern Africa, and more specifically, Northern Uganda. This morning, I got an email from Invisible Children, asking me to be on a team who is actually going to Uganda in February to see what the work we did here has done on the ground there.
Now, when i got the email, I laughed because the cost is $2000 and it is due by Friday. Yeah. I don't have anywhere close to that, but I thought I would just give it a shot. If God wants me to go, He would have to provide every cent of the funding, and honestly, I am at peace about whatever happens.
So, if you can afford to, I am asking for donations. If every person I sent this to would donate $10, I would have enough and would be on my way in February. If I don't get all $2000, then I will be sending everything I get as a donation to Invisible Children, so your money will not be wasted. If you cannot afford it, please don't stress. I wouldn't be able to afford a donation if someone sent this to me, so I totally understand.
I have attached a link to a paypal account, so if you have a credit or debit card, you can donate online. Again, I have to have it all by Friday, so we'll see what happens. I know that this is kind of a ridiculous message, but what can you do? Thanks in advance for any donations, thoughts, pr prayers you can send my way. You all are consistently the best parts of my life.
Much Love,
Brandon
I got an email this morning that I did not see coming. As most of you know, I spent seven months of 2009 working with Invisible Children to help end the war in Eastern Africa, and more specifically, Northern Uganda. This morning, I got an email from Invisible Children, asking me to be on a team who is actually going to Uganda in February to see what the work we did here has done on the ground there.
Now, when i got the email, I laughed because the cost is $2000 and it is due by Friday. Yeah. I don't have anywhere close to that, but I thought I would just give it a shot. If God wants me to go, He would have to provide every cent of the funding, and honestly, I am at peace about whatever happens.
So, if you can afford to, I am asking for donations. If every person I sent this to would donate $10, I would have enough and would be on my way in February. If I don't get all $2000, then I will be sending everything I get as a donation to Invisible Children, so your money will not be wasted. If you cannot afford it, please don't stress. I wouldn't be able to afford a donation if someone sent this to me, so I totally understand.
I have attached a link to a paypal account, so if you have a credit or debit card, you can donate online. Again, I have to have it all by Friday, so we'll see what happens. I know that this is kind of a ridiculous message, but what can you do? Thanks in advance for any donations, thoughts, pr prayers you can send my way. You all are consistently the best parts of my life.
Much Love,
Brandon
Please click here to link to Brandon's PayPal and here to learn more about Invisible Children. If you believe in what Invisible Children is doing, please spread this around.
Now, our other issue is obvious- the people of Haiti need our help. Its as simple as that. If a disaster of those proportions had happened here in the states, we would want and expect our friends of the world to send aid. We HAVE to do the same. Again, $10 is really all it takes and it can make an incredible difference. If you are able, please donate to the American Red Cross International Relief Fund, UNICEF, or The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund. All of these organizations are working around the clock to get help to Haiti NOW, when they need it most. Note: At this point in time, I would not recommend donating to the Yele Fund. If you are wondering why, just google it and I think you'll find the answer.
So guys, please, please, give what you can. We need to take care of each other.
Love,
Your Friend Lela
Way To Keep It Classy, Taylor
I can't say I really had any respect for a 16 year old actress on Gossip Girl [but God bless me, I do love that show], but any shred that may have existed is permanantly gone.
When asked if she would be donating any money to help the victims of the Haiti earthquake, classy classy Taylor Momsen replied: "Um, right now I'm trying to just finish my record and getting through the last season of Gossip Girl for right now. So not so much thinking about that."
Riiiiiiight.
To her credit, there probably isn't a lot of money left in her bank account after purchasing all that eye make up and that soccer mom nightie.
Friday, January 15, 2010
You NEED This
You guys need a little Gobotron in your life- I promise.
On January 19th, the debut album from Gobotron, the solo project of guitarist Robert McDowell of Manchester Orchestra, will be released digitally via Favorite Gentlemen Recordings. A personal pet project two years in the making, ON YOUR MARK, GET SET... is a purposeful blend of blown out distortion mixed with saccharine sweet poppy hooks and choruses that will make fans of bands like The Lemonheads pucker up for joy.
Gobotron started in the summer of 2008 in the basement of Robert McDowell's parent's house in Atlanta, Georgia. Manchester Orchestra was off the road and McDowell was anxious to creatively move in a new direction aside from working with the band. "I had been a bit lazy when we got off tour. I wasn't recording or writing at all then, so I went to Guitar Center and got a little MIDI controller and just started messing around," he said. "I didn't even really tell anyone I was doing the album until it was done. It was just me alone in my parent's basement."
ON YOUR MARK, GET SET... is a true one-man army of an album with McDowell doing all of the writing, playing and recording himself. Mixed and mastered a full year later in the summer of 2009, he's been busy circling the world the past year with Manchester Orchestra in support of their critically acclaimed sophomore effort Mean Everything To Nothing. "Once I was done creating the album in 2008, Manchester Orchestra went directly into pre-production for our new album. It wasn't until the next summer that I was even able to start mixing Gobotron," McDowell states. "It was nice to be able to work on this solo, because for the past few years everything musically that I was part of was a team of people. I think that's the way it should be, but it's also good to occasionally try approaching things the exact opposite way."
The breakneck pacing of the record kicks off with album opener "Nothing" and blends directly into the first single "Nice Things", a bittersweet ditty that chronicles the mind rush that comes with travelling the four corners of the country and everything in between. "Never Turn Around" is an infectiously fuelled two and a half minutes of pop goodness. McDowell talks on the sound quest that he had in making Gobotron sparkle: "Sonically, I was going for Neutral Milk Hotel. Especially with vocals. I didn't want to sing like them, per se, but they have exactly the tone and lo-fi quality I was striving for."
The Gobotron moniker comes from the initial nickname "Robot" given to McDowell years ago as a play on words with Robert; that evolved into Robo, Robo Cop, Robotron, Robby Robot, Rorby, Gorby, Gorbatraz and many more before ultimately and finally graduating into Gobotron. The album title is inspired from a dream he had after watching The Simpsons one night. "I was falling asleep, drifting in and out. The episode mixed in with one of my dreams and made me think of the title. I woke up laughing and wrote it down. It's nothing deep, it just made sense for the album title."
On the creative process for this album, McDowell says "The goal for ON YOUR MARK, GET SET...was to put every song into overdrive right from the start. The writing would begin with a verse, chorus, or just a riff. I'd set up a mic in the middle of the room and build up parts running from one instrument to another. Once I could hear what it was going to sound like, I would write the rest of the song and re-record the entire song. Then when everything was laid out, I started from scratch again and recorded the version that made it on the CD. This is a computer album that could have never been done if it were on tape. It became a science project rather than a band."
Gobotron combines delicate and simple phrasings influenced from Ben Kweller to Brian Wilson, processed through pop-friendly static and piped through ear-buds waxed with Pavement.
Start your engines!
http://www.myspace.com/gobotron
Gobotron started in the summer of 2008 in the basement of Robert McDowell's parent's house in Atlanta, Georgia. Manchester Orchestra was off the road and McDowell was anxious to creatively move in a new direction aside from working with the band. "I had been a bit lazy when we got off tour. I wasn't recording or writing at all then, so I went to Guitar Center and got a little MIDI controller and just started messing around," he said. "I didn't even really tell anyone I was doing the album until it was done. It was just me alone in my parent's basement."
ON YOUR MARK, GET SET... is a true one-man army of an album with McDowell doing all of the writing, playing and recording himself. Mixed and mastered a full year later in the summer of 2009, he's been busy circling the world the past year with Manchester Orchestra in support of their critically acclaimed sophomore effort Mean Everything To Nothing. "Once I was done creating the album in 2008, Manchester Orchestra went directly into pre-production for our new album. It wasn't until the next summer that I was even able to start mixing Gobotron," McDowell states. "It was nice to be able to work on this solo, because for the past few years everything musically that I was part of was a team of people. I think that's the way it should be, but it's also good to occasionally try approaching things the exact opposite way."
The breakneck pacing of the record kicks off with album opener "Nothing" and blends directly into the first single "Nice Things", a bittersweet ditty that chronicles the mind rush that comes with travelling the four corners of the country and everything in between. "Never Turn Around" is an infectiously fuelled two and a half minutes of pop goodness. McDowell talks on the sound quest that he had in making Gobotron sparkle: "Sonically, I was going for Neutral Milk Hotel. Especially with vocals. I didn't want to sing like them, per se, but they have exactly the tone and lo-fi quality I was striving for."
The Gobotron moniker comes from the initial nickname "Robot" given to McDowell years ago as a play on words with Robert; that evolved into Robo, Robo Cop, Robotron, Robby Robot, Rorby, Gorby, Gorbatraz and many more before ultimately and finally graduating into Gobotron. The album title is inspired from a dream he had after watching The Simpsons one night. "I was falling asleep, drifting in and out. The episode mixed in with one of my dreams and made me think of the title. I woke up laughing and wrote it down. It's nothing deep, it just made sense for the album title."
On the creative process for this album, McDowell says "The goal for ON YOUR MARK, GET SET...was to put every song into overdrive right from the start. The writing would begin with a verse, chorus, or just a riff. I'd set up a mic in the middle of the room and build up parts running from one instrument to another. Once I could hear what it was going to sound like, I would write the rest of the song and re-record the entire song. Then when everything was laid out, I started from scratch again and recorded the version that made it on the CD. This is a computer album that could have never been done if it were on tape. It became a science project rather than a band."
Gobotron combines delicate and simple phrasings influenced from Ben Kweller to Brian Wilson, processed through pop-friendly static and piped through ear-buds waxed with Pavement.
Start your engines!
http://www.myspace.com/gobotron
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Um, What Did She Do?
Lord. Have. Mercy. Heidi Montag has gone off the deep end. Evidently, homegirl is "addicted to plastic surgery" and I believe her. I give you Exhibit A...
This barely even LOOKS like her. She looks like a total Tranny!!!! I thought her first round of plastic surgerys made her look like she was made of, well, plastic. However, I did see the improvements. But THIS. I mean.....she looks AWFUL. Have the chin reduction [really???] really squared off her jaw and made her look like a dude. In fact, she kind of looks like Spencer! Dear Heidi- STOP IT. If you decide to have anymore plastic surgery, I hope it's some sort of reversal procedure.
Love,
Your Friend Lela
Monday, January 11, 2010
Hip-Hopra Monday
I wasn't intentionally making this a hip hop Music Monday, but that seems to be the direction we are going in, so I'm gonna go with it. I'm new to Clipse, but this album is hot. Thoughts?
My Boyfriend.....
....well at least he was until he joined the cast of Jersey Shore. Who knew?
Vh1 Storytellers airs January 28th at 8 pm.
Vh1 Storytellers airs January 28th at 8 pm.
MUSIC MONDAY
I don't know how many times I have to say this, but Chris Brown is sorry. I think he proves it with the new record [ no? no?].
Whatever, just listen to it and enjoy your Monday. :)
Thursday, January 7, 2010
This Is Upsetting
Someone please show her a picture of herself. Roger, Brad, Taylor, ANYONE, make her eat!!
GaGa Goes DOWN!
Dear Readers,
Do you hate Lady Gaga?[Nod yes.] Do you LOVE Manchester Orchestra? [Nod yes.] Help the brothas out and head over to Amazon.com to download their critically acclaimed album Mean Everything To Nothing for $2.99. That's right, $2.99. That's practically free!
They'll win the battle for the number one spot and you'll win with some ridiculously awesome music. Everybody wins! Do it now and tell your friends.
Miss Terribly Dressed
Pretty much everything about this is wrong to me. The dress is an absolute NO. It looks like she got frantic at the last minute and pulled down the drapes in her hotel room. I'm loving those shoes, but they aren't working with the dress- she should've gone with open toes for sure. Also, what's with the hair?? The way the extentions are curled around in the front......just no. Give her some volume for goodness sake!
I adore Sandra Bullock, but this outfit gets a big fat X from me.
As Long As We're Together It Can Always Only Be..........Misery
1. I really don't know what's up with the goatee, Brad. Does Angie like the way it tickles cha-chas when you kiss her? Because it sure as hades isn't attractive.
2. You're worth like a bagillion dollars- you couldn't get your shoes polished? Heck, spring for a new pair why don't ya!
3. Angelina, we all know that you're a badass, but put on your coat- it's cold outside!
4. Um, what's with the knees? Those are NOT sexy. Those are little old lady knees. It's ok to eat at least every once in awhile. You're aging yourself far beyond your years.
5. It looks to me like they've been fighting. I feel like the way Brad is grabbing Angie's arm is not in a "Honey, look out for the paparazzi" kind of way, but more of a "Dammit woman, you called the paps again after we had a fight" kind of way. I wonder what they were arguing about? Whether they should have more children? Whether Brad should shave that animal off his face? Whether Angie gets to dominate with the dildo tonight? Truthfully, I bet Brad is just pissed cause she wont WEAR HER DAMN COAT.
But I VOTED For You!!!!
I'm not really sure what's going on with our President these days. He doesn't really seem to understand the importance of Pop Culture in our society.
On Tuesday, my girl Ke$ha was on Ellen. Obama decided to do some bunk security update [who cares about terrorists??] RIGHT BEFORE Ke$ha performed, leaving us to only see the last half of her performance. RUDE. At first I thought that our President was trying to hold Ke$ha down. You know, a young white girl doing music that could be considered hip hop who has a black girl name and dominated Lady Gaga on the charts [you KNOW Obama's a Gaga fan]. Why wouldn't he be mad at her?
Well now, as it turns out, Barack isn't trying to hold Ke$ha down, he's just attacking ME personally! First the Ke$ha thing, and NOW the State of the Union address could potentially be on February 2nd, the same night as the Season premiere of LOST. Oh HELL TO THA NO BARACK!
You can't do this to me! Frankly, It's just MEAN. I happen to consider myself, politically, an Independent, but I swear on all things holy that if you do this I will pledge my allegiance to the Republican party. Two can play at this game, Barack. Two can play.
Here's some more info, courtesy of Gawker.
Currently, the White House is considering either Jan. 26th or Feb. 2nd for Obama's firstState of the UnionAddress. Do you know anything else that is on Feb. 2nd? Yep: The 'Lost' premier. Obama is definitely a communist.
'Lost' fans nationwide are hyperventilating over the news that the premier of the last season of a television show they like might be pushed back a whole week just so that the president can address our nation. They've even started a Twitter hashtag:#NoStateofUnionFeb2. Maybe 'Lost' producers could just work Obama's State of the Union address into the plot? [TheWrap]
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
HOLD. UP.
There's a Second Picture!!!!
Interesting differences. Thoughts from anyone?? Bueller?
Interesting differences. Thoughts from anyone?? Bueller?
Everyone seems to be getting in on the fun because even the New York Times has posted some theories:
In both pictures, the character John Locke (played by Terry O’Quinn) sits at the center of the table. But in the first image, he is stern-faced, while in the second image, he seems to wear a beatific smile. What’s he so happy about? Is he the key character to this final season? Is he just happy he’ll never have to make another “Stepfather” movie again?
If you flip between the two pictures, you’ll notice that the characters of Miles (played by Ken Leung) and Claire (Emily de Ravin) appear to swap places. What does this mean? Does it have anything to do with Miles’s mysterious ability to communicate with the dead, and the fact that Claire is (or seems to be) dead?
In the first image, the married couple Jin (Daniel Dae Kim) and Sun (Yunjin Kim) are next to each other, but in the second image they are separated — just as, in the current continuity of the show, they are separated in time by more than 30 years. Is a reunion in their future, or will they be kept apart permanently?
In both pictures, Sayid (Naveen Andrews) is the fourth figure from the left — the position in which Judas Iscariot was seated in Leonardo’s painting. Does this mean he will eventually betray Locke or the rest of the castaways? Is this in any way connected to his apparently failed attempt to kill Ben last season?
Also in both images, you’ll find Kate (Evangeline Lilly) on the left side of Locke. Does this mean that, as “The Da Vinci Code”taught us, she is pregnant with Locke’s child?
OOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
MORE LOST
Ok, I have more LOST goodies for you today. One is just a "trailer" for Season 6, which in reality is just another recap video, but I'm posting it anyway.
The most obvious things that we can see are that Locke is seated in the same position as Christ. Now that doesn't really give us anymore information about his role on the island than we had when Season 5 ended, but it does bring up some interesting questions. I do, however, find it interesting that everyone is looking at Locke like they are PISSED....not so much in the reverent way the disciples are looking at Christ in the original painting.
The other is an interesting little piece of art called "The Lost Supper". This is an obvious recreation of Da Vinci's "The Last Supper" but what do we think it means?
Also, it's interesting that there are skulls at the feet of Hurley and Sayid. I wonder what that means....
Do you guys see any other clues? Have any additional insight? I am SO PUMPED for February 2nd!
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
This Is Not Real....
Wait, wait, just kidding. I think it actually is real- Real RIDICULOUS that is.
I just want to know what happens when you take somebody home and get down to some bedroom business and the lucious ass they've been staring at all night disappears with the panties. I need someone to do a social experiment for me.....
I just want to know what happens when you take somebody home and get down to some bedroom business and the lucious ass they've been staring at all night disappears with the panties. I need someone to do a social experiment for me.....
Kate Freaks Out Again.....Jack Is Confused
OH MY STARS. I cannot WAIT for the final season of Lost to start. If you need a little recap on the last 5 seasons, you may find it here. You're welcome.
She's Everywhere!
I can't even handle how obsessed I am with the Jersey Shore. Freakin Snooki was even on the Tonight Show. I'm not sure that we should really encourage these fools to be on legitimate national television shows, but I could watch their version of "reality" foreeeeveeeeer.
Seriously....
I can't get enough of this shit. Call me crazy, but I think N.A.S.A is BRILLIANT. If you listen to nothing else, make sure you check out "Spacious Thoughts" with Tom Waits and "The Mayor" featuring The Cool Kids [LOVE them], Ghostface Killah [um, duh], Scarface & DJ AM [pour one out].
This One's For The Girls
Seriously. Just for the girls. Unless you're a boy who wears tights and then, well, I guess its for you too.
Ladies, let me introduce you to my new friend. Reversible Spanx tights. Granted, the Spanx aren't new [however, I am a new convert], but the concept of reversible tights- brilliant! I personally got a black/gray combo and so far I am looooooving them. I will say though that it might be a good idea to take a friend to the bathroom with you because these suckers are TIGHT. Definitely worth the money. Check em out.
Today's The Day.....
I DARE you to not love this album. And if you don't love it [ *cough* Josh *cough*], you'll still have to admit that it's incredibly infectious and at the very least you'll be tapping your foot.
I, for one, can't get enough. Hope you love it. BUY IT BUY IT BUY IT!
Monday, January 4, 2010
I Just Needed You To All Have This
I couldn't sleep last night. Nothing seemed to help. Turned on a little Bon Iver and BAM! Out like a light.
Recent Purchases
I heard about The xx quite a bit ago [ I think I may have even posted some of their jams on the blog], but I didn't purchase the album until just a couple of days ago. So far I'm enjoying it- what do you think?
Did You Realize........?
That The Flaming Lips had out a new cd featuring Stardeath & White Dwarfs, Henry Rollins and Peaches? Don't worry about it, it's just "Dark Side of the Moon"- no big deal.
MUSIC MONDAY
Ok kiddies, I know that it's a little bit late in the day, but better late than never is what I always say- am I right? am I right??
I absolutely cannot get Passion Pit out of my head right now, so today I will share my obsession with you. Enjoy!
Happy New Year!!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!
Ok, so I know I'm a few days late, but the sentiment is the same. Hope you all had a festive holiday season and are ready to kick 2010 off with a bang!
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