Music Monday!! 10.28.13

Gregory Porter
There will be no love that’s dying here!  Those are the lyrics to the 1^st line of the 1^st song on Gregory Porter’s new CD which is AMAZING!!!  I think this is my favorite so far.  I always listen to a cd several times from beginning to end and when that song comes on it just puts a smile on my face.   It helps that when I met him this summer at the Capital Jazz festival he is a nice person.   I have watched several interviews with him and he is genuine.  I even watch one the other day where the interviewer was speaking in French.  He answered in English so I’m assuming they edited out the interpreter.   And I also know my dad would have absolutely loved him!  ‘Musical Genocide’, ’Brown Grass’, ‘Free’, and ‘Moving’ are the other ones I really like.  Now he just did a video for ‘Hey Laura’.  I’ve only seen it once and maybe I need to see it again. He never plays the love interest.  It’s almost like in all of his videos he is the singer who is telling the story of the people in love, or out of love, or trying to get there.   ‘When love was king’ he said he wrote for his newborn son.  This one has some heavy bass playing in it.  Not really good for work because it puts me in the mood of sipping cabernet! Well the whole thing I want to be somewhere sipping! ‘Liquid Spirit’ is the cd title and probably the most upbeat song on the CD.   Now my only gripe about Mr. Porter is that he does not do enough touring in the states!!  And I get it.  Europe does seem to embrace jazz and jazz artists more than we do.  And if they are not mainstream meaning they are not in constant rotations on the radio station people don’t really know what’s out there unless they are really seeking that type of music.   Even at the Capital Jazz Fest he was featured as a Rising Star which means he was on first.  After I heard him I could have gone home feeling like my money was well spent.  At least he was on the main stage which is good!! So yeah this is jazz!  I like jazz and this is a must have!  I have all of his cd’s (he has 3) and will continue to purchase them when he puts more music out. 

Janelle Monae

I am not an early adopter.  This is a term that I didn’t even know existed until, well late.  It basically means someone who jumps right on technology right when it comes out.  Like if the iPhone 7 came out today, that person would have already been in line for it to get it and be the first.  Well this true for music as well.  Some artists have a following that may be underground and then when they finally get a major label deal then everyone know about them and start loving them.  This can be said of Ledisi and  U2 (yes that band from Ireland…err Bono’s (friend of Oprah) band). Since I am a late adopter, I usually have to go back and purchase everything from the artist all at once to get caught up. I had to ddo this for Eric Roberson, Frank McComb, and Esperanza Spaulding.  All this build-up is for my review of Janelle Monae’s ‘Electric Lady’.   Say of think what you want, if you are not onboard, then you just don’t know any better!  So the concept behind her music is based on a futuristic android named Cindi Mayweather who falls in love with a human.  Now in the video ‘Tightrope’ I got a glimpse into the storyline and for a little bit that cd was on my wish list in the good Amazon store, but I never got it because I didn’t get it.  There was a limited (like maybe 500) release cd that wasn’t really officially released called ‘The Audition’. This one dealt with Cindi falling in love.  This chick was 18 when she did this.  You have to do some real good searches to find any information on this one and you won’t really find too much.  Then there was the EP ‘Metropolis’ and then ‘ArchAndroid’ was the full length CD.  All of these projects follow a path so Electric Lady is labeled suites 4 and 5 of 6.  Initially she intended to do 4 suites.  So Metropolis was 2 of 4, but then it got expanded.  I’m giving a whole lot of background info, but what you need to know is that this most recent CD gives me everything I need!  It gives r&b, pop, a lil go-go, big band, some retro and futuristic and it is all just fused together seamlessly.  She has a vision and writes ALL her own stuff.  So you have to wonder what the heck some of these other singers are doing out there?  I am a firm believer that if you sing it, you should have had a hand in writing it.  How else to you fully embody your music?  When I hear some of these artists speak about the writers they had for their project I’m always like HUH?!? To me that is a very detached way of being in this crazy industry.  On this CD there are some heavy hitters that she did collaborations with, Prince,  yeah THAT PRINCE, Erykah Badu, Miguel and even Solange.  There are a few videos out but of course I like the stuff that probably won’t be played on the radio, like ‘Look into my eyes’, ‘It’s code’ and ‘Can’t live without your love’.  And then there are these interludes with DJ Crash Crash which are just hilarious.  Go get this and everything else she has done! 
 

I had 2 more cd’s but these 2 were the best!

needs -vs- wants

So today I decided to go to the cafeteria because I was craving French fries.  Not something I usually indulge in but they actually don’t mess up the fries so I went for it.  Added a little old bay which is 1 of a very few things that makes me a Baltimorean, because as we all know I am a Pittsburgher at heart for always and forever!  So on this day they are doing a health fair.  As a lowly contractor none of these services are for me, but I saw the green and red Aetna bags and I had to do a lot of inner self talk to try and talk myself out of it.  After I inhaled my fries and wings I did a quick once over of the room.  Well immediately I saw a table with the little mini candies.  I can’t even tell you what they were pushing at that table because all I wanted was the candy.  And then I spotted mints, but this time the overly hyped fitness center guy also gave me a coupon for free work outs for 2 weeks.  I didn’t have the heart to tell him I was a contractor so I took the coupon and some mints.  I then decided to see what other goodies the tables had.  I have been on all points  of this ‘giveaway’ spectrum.  I have been the person who orders all of the stuff for potential clients and members.  I have organized closets of said stuff ordered by others because they forgot what they ordered and really how many golf towels does one ever really need.  I have been on the receiving end and I still contend that technical job fairs give the best stuff!  And now I am on the compliance end where I track what was ordered, who it was given to and why.  So I know the game people… I know it!  And no matter how many festivals, fairs, or whatevers I go to, if they have a bag, I want it!!  I don’t need it and, it is usually flimsy but I still want it.  I can talk myself out of pens and pencils, but I have not yet been able to talk myself out a free bag.  At the Essence festival this past July I stood in countless lines to get a free bag.  I am a self-proclaimed free bag whore!!  I’m also not shy about asking for a free bag.  I signed up for my IRA and they had these insulated slightly bigger and a lunch bag, bag and I asked the lady at the front What do I have to do to get one of these bags?  And she said well how many do you want?!? She gave me 3.  I worked at an association that was about to throw away their conference bags because the mostly men doctors thought they were too feminine.  I tapped up those boxes and took them for a family reunion I had that year.  Talk about a perk!! I closed an office because they were moving to Florida (I have quite literally worked EVERYWHERE)  and there were random bags around the office and I think I took just about all of them!  At a wine festival as I chatted with a group that had VIP entrance I said well all I want is that wine bag and one of the ladies took her stuff out of the bag and gave it to me.  So yeah writing all of this down I should be ashamed, but I’m so not!!  Sorority bags?!?  Forget about it! Sometimes I sign up for conferences just to get the bag! I still want the shiny bag they had at last year’s National Founders day, but I haven’t found the right soror who I know has more stuff than she knows what to do with AND is willing to give it to me.  I have a soror cousin who happened upon some bags (LOL) and I was the recipient AND I didn’t even have to go to that conference!!  I am still trying to find the person here where I work who has the key to the computer bags that I see a few people have.  Today I am the proud owner of a bright yellow/green Aetna backpack!  I almost made it out of the cafeteria but I looked at and it’s not because I needed it, I just wanted it! 

blog goals and other pertinent random...

I have some new goals for my blogging.  The main goal is to do at least 3 a week.  Last week I got out one on Monday, Wednesday and Friday which is actually pretty good.  I just need to be going in a direction that is vaguely close to at least one of my dreams that I had once upon a time.  I don’t know what happened or rather is happening, but I am just not happy nor content with the direction my life is taking.  And I know it has mostly to do with me getting ready to turn the big 4-0.  Sure everyone says life starts after 40, but I wanted to make one of those 40 under 40 lists.  You know like the ones they have in local magazines.  Like the 40 entrepreneurs or restaurateurs to watch.  Or just the general 40 people who are just doing the damn thing!  I went to school with a guy that ended up on one of those lists in the Baltimore Magazine.  No wait actually he was on a top singles list I think and I FOR SURE can be on one of those since I am perpetually single.  But then he got married like the next year. So there’s that. Maybe a new goal is to make the top 50 under 50!?

My BFF posted an article that listed the 25 things every woman should know.  This list was a little different from the average list.  My favorites were #3) You should resolve to be awesome for the rest of your life. Right now. Do it. and #4) Leggings, no matter how much we wish, will never one day magically transform into pants. Wearing them with tops that don’t cover your bum is not cute. Please, please, please stock up on pants. I think a lot of people make a subconscious decision to be mediocre, but why not choose awesome? Like how Olivia Pope’s father told her on the season premiere of Scandal.  First Lady? Do you have to be so mediocre? This is by no means a knock at the First Lady, because we all know how awesome Michelle is and quietly so was Laura Bush.  But going from mistress and aspiring to be first lady is in fact mediocre. And before I go off on a Scandal tangent… I am not leggings kinda chick but really just wear a long enough top and you’ll be good.  Although if you think it’s awesome to wear a short shirt, do you boo boo!! The other one I like #14) Here’s the truth: you are going to waste a lot of hours focusing on who you are not, or who you want to secretly be. But you won’t ever wake up and actually be that person. You’ve got to embrace what you bring to the table. If you don’t like what that is, have the courage to change it. So that is what I’m trying to do, have the courage to change a few things.

I have a special place of dislike in my heart for customer service people who are in the form of dis-compassionate medical people, customer service phone lines for the bazillion things I seem to acquire or restaurant people.  The phone line people have an extra special place especially when English is not their first language.  But when English IS your first language, what you still are not on do is try to talk loud and make me think I’m crazy.  I do that very well by myself so either help me with my issue or connect me with someone who has a clue!  On the flip side when I get that nurse who goes out of her way to make sure the needle isn’t hurting me, or the customer service rep who actually helps me OR the cashier who doesn’t make me think I’m a  bother, then I’m good! 

I’m just now remembering that Monday was supposed to be Music Monday! I just bought 4 CD’s and I wanted to review them. Maybe I’ll do it Wed or Fri.  I think I’m the last person who still buys CD’s.  Everyone just download them or just buys the one song that they like.  Sometimes you miss some good stuff that they play on the radio when you just do the 1 song that is played in constant rotation on the radio.  In fact I am completely convinced people don’t know what good music is anymore.  Now I’m not about to get on a soapbox and say that only stuff from a certain era is good music like some people do for the 60’s and 70’s because people are always making good music, it’s just the powers that be keeping the good stuff out.  There was a really interesting discussion with my book club ladies.  We are all varied in age but the question of what is truly ‘old school’ came up.  For some it was music from the 70’s and 80’s.  For me it’s anything from age 10 – college which includes, DeBarge, New Edition, Guy, Heavy D, well ALL happy rap LOL.

I's FREE except I might get bullied...

So you are a convicted felon for MURDER and you and some other dude just walk out of prison because you got some documents forged?!  That is both funny and sad to me all at the same time.  When they reported on this on the morning news I chuckled a bit.  We see this in movies and TV shows all the time, but when it actually happens in real life it’s just funny.  And who is the mastermind behind all of this?  It had to be someone on the outside.  Those two look scary.  Well the one does the other looks like a big bear.  And I’m not saying thug or thuggish people aren’t smart but these two don’t strike me as idiot savants.

And then we have the matter of these kids killing themselves over cyber bullying.  Someone is going to have to splain this to me like I’m 4.  I get a regular playground bully.  Someone is either bigger than you or teams up with other kids to gang up on you and you are either to shy or to whatever to not take up for yourself.  I get that.  What I don’t get is if you have a phone or computer can’t you just not look at it or not accept these people as friends on Facebook,  Instagram, twitter, tumblr or whatever?  First off all these kids have too much access to technology.  I know this is the sign of the times but does it have to be?  Can’t parents just say no if an 8 year old asks for a smart phone? I just don’t get it!  And then the cyber bully, what the heck are your parents doing to make you be so mean.  And the whole ramifications of things happening online that never go away.  SO you say and do some really dumb things at 14 that affect you for the rest of your life.  I don’t think kids today care about what may happen in the future.  I just read the article about the most recent case where the little girl just committed suicide but I still don’t understand.  I truly feel for the families, but I just don’t understand.  I’m watching Cyberbully The movie now…  maybe that will provide some insight.

blog confessional... (that is a good ass title!! I like using the word ass..)

I start a lot of blog that never see the light of day.  Sometimes I get so off topic and digress so much I just stop writing and just save it and forget about it.  And then there are the times it gets really dark.  Sometimes too dark for me to keep rereading, so those ones get deleted, or saved just for me.  And then sometimes I am just plan mean, and even though I never really use anyone’s name, except in the speed dating blog, I know that who I’m writing about are some faithful readers and why be mean just for means sake.  Which is why I miss my co-worker who just abandoned me for the bright lights and more money (but hella worse commute) for DC.  I said one day that we were the mean girls and she took a little offense.  But we were!!  We could find something about anybody to talk about.  She started calling this one lady who just got an office the old lady with the slacks! And don’t let a man walk by, well 2 in particular, 1 who lost a lot of weight and 1 who needed to start dieting because he was getting really wide and the way his suit jacket hung showed off his big booty (which I like because who doesn’t like a nice booty!?!).  And as I digress yet again because what I wanted to say is that I wanted to start doing a blog a day for like a month.  But every time I think to do it I just don’t.  I can be real lazy like that.  And then some days I have nothing to write about.  I mean how much can I write about my cat before someone thinks I’m a cat lady.  And since my mom… err I mean roommate moved in with me, how sad is it to go on and on about our escapades even though she really does say some funny shit! Like when she asked me if WE had Facebook.  Now understand that one of the top reasons this woman retired was because she didn’t want to use the computer.  The school system gave a test or something to the teachers (she was a teacher) and they said it wasn’t mandatory, so this fool walked out.  Who does that?!?  And people wonder why I act like I do, it’s because of her!! I’m just saying.  So yeah WE have Facebook, but you don’t use the computer so how exactly is that supposed to work lady?  And then the other day she asked about twitter and I almost fell off my chair.  HOW do you know about twitter, I asked.  IT was on some random commercial she just saw.  So then she follows up with Well I’m not gonna be doing any twittering! Yeah I was never worried about that! And then last night she says to my 8 year old niece, your aunt is doing something on the typewriter.  SO I grab the phone and ask this little girl if she even knew what a typewriter was.  She giggled and said she kinda did but not really.  Typewriter!!?? WOW which made me think when my grandmother was alive her asking what exactly was e-mail.  She was funny too and now that I think about it the meanness comes from her side and I gotta balance it with the niceness of my other dearly departed grandmother.  And see this is how the digression goes because now I am sitting here missing both of them and there cooking cause I’m kinda hungry and I know I need to get to the little lunch room before noon today because I am NOT waiting in no damn line today even though the greasy pizza was pretty good yesterday and I forgot to leave a little tip for the cashier because she was very helpful as I stood there bewildered for a minute and LORD thank you to the people you put in my life because being bewildered is often a continuous state for me like the day I left my coffee in the car and who can start a day without coffee? NOT Me that’s for sure so when she said go to your desk and get it later I DID because I needed a minute to regroup which again a constant state for me bewilderment and then regrouping and WHY did this fool wear a side ponytail her ass is way too old to rock that, but then I guess it detracts from the tacky ass outfit she has on, but not really, how does one dress so tacky every single freaking day?? But she has donuts so I guess I can be nice for a minute…

randomization 10.14

To the little girl (she was about 2) who was getting ready to stare me down in church and then I started coughing, not to dissuade her but because I really had to cough, thank you to her older sister who turned her around to not get germs from the strange lady!

How big of a rush are you to get out of the bathroom that you leave the toilet seat liner right there in place on the seat?  I mean I have tried to get up quickly and dash out, but I always do a quick turn to make sure everything is GONE.  You are one trifling bleeped bleep bleep bleep!!!

I get it, you have an office, but if I have to listen to your iPad, then you have to listen to my random singing.  That’s just the deal!!

So after chuckling to the sign that read ‘Free At Last Bail Bonds’ because REALLY what  better name to have for that type of service? A minivan pulls up next to me as I’m eating my little Delight Jimmy Dean sandwich and the Asian woman sitting in the passenger seat  lifts her hand as if to say where is mine sent me right over the laughter edge!!

What you WON’T do man who I KNOW English is not your first language is try to out talk me on the customer service line.  What you WILL do is repeat what you just said so I can say NO again!!

I don’t normally like scary stuff but Sleepy Hollow is kinda good! I hope it makes it.  And speaking of new show I am really liking The Goldbergs, the comedy based in the 80’s, and Agents of S.H.E.I.L.D. actually I was really nerding out last week when they had Nick Fury on.   I only saw 1 episode of Ironside, but Blair Underwood is really giving me what I need right now.  And I KNOW the new show with Michael Ealy will give me more!!

Pandora is giving me a nice mixed bag.  I forget my iPod so I’m listening on the Kindle.  I finally like this thing, which is good because I just finished my little flex pays on HSN LOL

Speaking of QVC (well ok not really but work with me) I bought the wrong Kind bars.  I meant to get the ones with nuts, but I got the Healthy Grains ones which are just OK, but of course I’m gonna eat them because they are already paid for and they actually do well to tide me over until the next meal.

So reading the status on the facebook, do you live with your dad?  Or does your dad live with you?  And really what is the difference?  OH yeah ummm… anyway

I was hitting the YouTube real hard last week.  This one group that I am now subscribed to, Dormtainment, did this hilarious series of those white board drawing called Porn Stories!  I am convinced guys and girls do porn so differently.  These stories consisted of them being early teens and trying to get it in before their parents caught them.  The 2^nd one was so funny I was literally in tears!!  My co-worker thought I was crying because something had happened and she was offering comfort.  When she realized I was laughing, I couldn’t even tell her why I was laughing LITERALLY out loud so hard that brought me to tears!! I don’t think I have such a story.  Oh no wait I do... LMBAO!!  Mine was a slightly more innocent.  I mean we had HBO when I was a kid.  So yeah maybe I could do one of those drawings!!