Hello Website Admin,
Should I send you the SEO proposal to compare/consider? There is absolutely no pressure at all.
I found your contact through Google search and found you're not ranking in Google's 1st page.
We would be happy to send you a proposal using the top search phrases for your area of expertise.
I am looking forward to hear from you.
Regards,
Emily Newman
Marketing Head
Saturday, October 26, 2019
Friday, October 18, 2019
RE: Shall I create the report?
Hi,
My name is Charlotte Jacob and I work for a Digital Marketing Company based in US.
I was doing some research on your industry and I landed on your website. The thing is, I can see some errors with regards to your website which may affect your search engine ranking positions.
Would you like our team to create a brief report about the technical errors, what we found and how you would address it?
After you've read it, then I will call you & discuss your website analysis in greater detail.
Shall I create the report?
Kind Regards,
Charlotte Jacob| Business Development
Note: - If you are not interested to promote your business, Please reply back "NO".
My name is Charlotte Jacob and I work for a Digital Marketing Company based in US.
I was doing some research on your industry and I landed on your website. The thing is, I can see some errors with regards to your website which may affect your search engine ranking positions.
Would you like our team to create a brief report about the technical errors, what we found and how you would address it?
After you've read it, then I will call you & discuss your website analysis in greater detail.
Shall I create the report?
Kind Regards,
Charlotte Jacob| Business Development
Note: - If you are not interested to promote your business, Please reply back "NO".
Saturday, August 26, 2017
Friday, November 16, 2012
I Need urgent reply pls.
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Monday, June 25, 2012
Reminder about your invitation from Christopher Certa
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Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Reminder about your invitation from Christopher Certa
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Sunday, June 17, 2012
Invitation to connect on LinkedIn
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Sunday, November 16, 2008
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Test eMail
It has been a while sine I have made any entry into my blog here, so I
have found a way for things to get much simpler. I will post via
mobile phone whenever I get a chance
have found a way for things to get much simpler. I will post via
mobile phone whenever I get a chance
Let me know how it looks!
Sent from my HadiPhone
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Socially Sanctioned Couples
Addressing the question of what types of couples should be sanctioned by society; I believe that there is no greater statement of commitment to a spouse than to ask for their hand in marriage. For Gay and Lesbians, this socially sanctioned statement of intent has been void, up until the beginnings of the Gay and Lesbian Civil Rights Movement. This is when Gay and Lesbian couples began to come “Out of the Closet,” socially, to validate the very core of their being. Very soon after, gay and lesbian couples began the process of filing for legal protections for their partners, with much resistance. In places like California, and New York, domestic partner status registries became available to Gay and Lesbian couples seeking legal protections for their relationship during the late 1980’s. This was resulting from a rise of Gay and Lesbian political activism during that time in the United States in response to the A. I. D. S. Crisis. Having social agendas brought to the forefront of the consciousness of American legislators with the political activity stemming from the Gay and Lesbian civil rights movement; “Right to marry” issues emerged on the Gay political scene.
From a moral standpoint, Gay Marriage as a political agenda was very controversial because it deals with the very issues that religious fanatics point to in their attempt to suppress and denigrate Gay and Lesbians on moral grounds. Forming family bonds would negate immorality as a point of contention logically. So the issue of Gay and Lesbian civil and social rights forced the hand of what people in the United States hold primarily important as a founding creed. It was Thomas Jefferson’s hendiatris, “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness,” which would be the rallying cry for Gay rights advocates.
In New Jersey, Civil Unions are in place, and have been since January 2007. Based on the New Jersey Supreme Court decision of October 2006, providing for equal statutory treatment of same sex couples in New Jersey by April 2007, legislatures passed a Civil Union measure with all of the rights and protections of a “Marriage.” New Jersey’s Civil Union’s were modeled after Connecticut and Vermont’s Civil Union legislation and based on the information of the votes in the NJ State House of Representatives vote approving by 59-19, and the NJ State Senate’s approval by a 23-12 margin, the Civil Union legislation was supported by the state legislature. Opinion poles taken in December 2006, conservative estimates of 60% of citizens in New Jersey supported Civil Union partnerships.
Addressing the question of what types of couples should be sanctioned by society; I believe that there is no greater statement of commitment to a spouse than to ask for their hand in marriage. For Gay and Lesbians, this socially sanctioned statement of intent has been void, up until the beginnings of the Gay and Lesbian Civil Rights Movement. This is when Gay and Lesbian couples began to come “Out of the Closet,” socially, to validate the very core of their being. Very soon after, gay and lesbian couples began the process of filing for legal protections for their partners, with much resistance. In places like California, and New York, domestic partner status registries became available to Gay and Lesbian couples seeking legal protections for their relationship during the late 1980’s. This was resulting from a rise of Gay and Lesbian political activism during that time in the United States in response to the A. I. D. S. Crisis. Having social agendas brought to the forefront of the consciousness of American legislators with the political activity stemming from the Gay and Lesbian civil rights movement; “Right to marry” issues emerged on the Gay political scene.
From a moral standpoint, Gay Marriage as a political agenda was very controversial because it deals with the very issues that religious fanatics point to in their attempt to suppress and denigrate Gay and Lesbians on moral grounds. Forming family bonds would negate immorality as a point of contention logically. So the issue of Gay and Lesbian civil and social rights forced the hand of what people in the United States hold primarily important as a founding creed. It was Thomas Jefferson’s hendiatris, “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness,” which would be the rallying cry for Gay rights advocates.
In New Jersey, Civil Unions are in place, and have been since January 2007. Based on the New Jersey Supreme Court decision of October 2006, providing for equal statutory treatment of same sex couples in New Jersey by April 2007, legislatures passed a Civil Union measure with all of the rights and protections of a “Marriage.” New Jersey’s Civil Union’s were modeled after Connecticut and Vermont’s Civil Union legislation and based on the information of the votes in the NJ State House of Representatives vote approving by 59-19, and the NJ State Senate’s approval by a 23-12 margin, the Civil Union legislation was supported by the state legislature. Opinion poles taken in December 2006, conservative estimates of 60% of citizens in New Jersey supported Civil Union partnerships.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Our Capacity To Do Good
I got one of those eMail's from "ONE.ORG" today... I signed the petition, of course because it was easy. There was an option where you could write a personal message to George W. Bush. Within the context of this agenda I really had only one thing to say:
"America's legacy remains that our citizenry have risen beyond ability to do what is humane and good, while our government has prevented the good people of this nation from achieving their ambition, in favor of their own personal fortune. We have such shameful representation, historically proven to be the downfall other great empires and yet remains a specter on the horizon of this great experiment. We have the ability and desire to do good in this world. What confounded thought would stand in the way of this?"
I don't think that he'll understand the words, but maybe someone will "dumb it down," for him.
What do you think about our capacity to do good in this great nation of ours?
I got one of those eMail's from "ONE.ORG" today... I signed the petition, of course because it was easy. There was an option where you could write a personal message to George W. Bush. Within the context of this agenda I really had only one thing to say:
"America's legacy remains that our citizenry have risen beyond ability to do what is humane and good, while our government has prevented the good people of this nation from achieving their ambition, in favor of their own personal fortune. We have such shameful representation, historically proven to be the downfall other great empires and yet remains a specter on the horizon of this great experiment. We have the ability and desire to do good in this world. What confounded thought would stand in the way of this?"
I don't think that he'll understand the words, but maybe someone will "dumb it down," for him.
What do you think about our capacity to do good in this great nation of ours?
Monday, March 17, 2008
I'm Getting Old.
I chose to experience an activity about Hip Hop Culture, and for referential and contrast opinion, I spoke with my nephew John about his feelings about Hip Hop Culture, Indie Culture, and compared these with my own notions of what these two popular cultures are.
On February 15, 2008 I attended a Black History Month event, “Our Youth – A Time For Positive Change in a Multicultural Society Speaking and Understanding Our Language,” from 7pm to 9:30pm at Neptune Middle School, Neptune, NJ. The event consisted of a panel of speakers and viewing the film, “Hip Hop: Beyond Beats And Rhymes,” by Byron Hurt. The purpose of the event was to engage young people in the effects of sexism, homophobia and violence within the Hip Hop community. Discuss violence, materialistic and sexually explicit cultural issues through Hip Hop Culture. The facilitators included Luke Tirrell and Pat Cooper, and the panel members were Richard Harrell from Living Word Christian Fellowship; Karen Gillispie from 180 Turnaround [Sexual assault and violence prevention group]; A. B. Zoonton, WSOU FM station manager, Richard Comack, Kean University Counselor, and Jason Whitley a local music producer. In attendance were the Mayor of Neptune, the Principal of Neptune Middle School and some of the faculty, Neptune township committee people, parents, and children of the Neptune Middle School. The other activity I attended was a discussion with my Nephew John, who is in High School right now. John has two bands that he contributes to, playing drums and guitar. John is an wonderful resource for cultural definitions in pop culture and has made music a part of his own cultural definition. Drawing from these two experiences with co-cultures and discussions of the definitions and impact on each other, I intend to explore how these cultures affect each other and my own culture.
My first impressions about Hip Hop culture were mixed. I was around when Hip Hop emerged on the music scene during the late 1970’s and early 1980’s as Rap artists were a novelty. Along with this were break-dancing and street percussionists who would play plastic buckets in the street for change. It was creative and vibrant. As Hip Hop developed into a genre and then a culture, it lost it’s creative edge and eventually became very commercial and mechanical. There were many creative artists but as time went on the direction of the genre became too commercial for my taste and I lost interest in it. Indie Culture is something of a mix of different genres but I was aware of only the pop musical side. There was much more to it than that, as I was about to learn. My nephew John stated, “Hip-hop now in my opinion is the worst kind of music because it is too commercial and not very good. It is heard on any radio station that plays, “Hits.” It used to be the poetry of the streets, but now it’s more about “bling” and parties. There’s not much variety in it. If you listened to 50 songs you mainly will hear people talking about how much diamonds they have around their neck. At the time it was emerging it was more important because it was more interesting than what was happening on the rock and roll scene. 2pac or Public Enemy were good: Something with a message. But that type really doesn’t exist anymore. “
I believe the Hip Hop event I attended was important to the Hip Hop Culture because it defined it’s self through the film and allowed parents to gather a better understanding of what Hip Hop Culture has become and to be aware of the Sexism, Violence and Homophobia which is a part of this commercialized evolution of Hip Hop. The film was excellent in that it drew attention to what was going on in the industry of Hip Hop, and how it has become mechanical rather than creative. Likewise I believe my conversation with John was important because I learned a lot about the influence of Indie culture on music, film, clothing and culture. Being much older than most people in my Sociology class has placed me in an interesting position of learning. I can learn a lot about what is new in cultural direction, as well as take the knowledge of my past experience to create a bridge of communication across cultures.
For example, last year I was working with several young men down in Houston, TX. These young men were listening to the radio while we were working and I heard a Hip Hop song come on which had a rather extensive sample from a pop music song from 25 years ago. When the song came on, it simply sounded like an updated version of this older song, and I was singing along with it. My young co-workers were shocked that I knew all of the words. I said, “Oh, that’s an old song….” To which they replied, “No, that’s a new song!” I had to explain that this was a sample from a song from a few decades earlier, to which they were surprised to learn was true. In these ways Hip Hop Culture was similar to my experience, however it was through education that there was a connection.
Indie culture is more in tune with how I define my own culture. Progressive, experimental, innovative are much more of the types of words I associate my own experiences with. Hip Hop Culture is currently formulaic, deliberate and commercial, violent, bigoted, and homophobic which is why I have little in common with it. My nephew states, “I like all types of music, including Indie and Hardcore subculture music. But Indie rock has more variety. Groups like Animal Collective, Death Cab for Cutie and Bright Eyes, are Indie but, they’re also sort of the same. Animal collective is really out there. Deer Hoof is like that also. Examples are: Death Cab For Cutie creating music styles in polar opposites on each album. Also, Bright Eyes released 2 cd’s at the same time. One was Folk. And the other was more electronic and synth music. That was unique because you won’t see one band release such polar opposite music on the same day.
Indie music as a culture has influenced a lot of aspects of music and media. Now there are Indie production companies with bands like the Shins, influencing an Indie culture of music and popular clothing styles. Sort of like in the 60’s with the hippie culture [Art, fashion, music], I see that with the Indie culture. It is also influencing mainstream media.”
Members of these cultures may have preconceived notions as to what my interests are based on how I look, and the fact that I am probably the same age as their parents. When they discover that I have interests similar to their own, or have a knowledge of what their culture is about, they take me into consideration. Members of Hip Hop culture communicate with each other in hyper masculine machismo ways. There are hand gestures they emulate from the artists they see on television. There is a definite vocabulary, posturing, and cadence of speaking to each other. Indie cultural enthusiasts are very much eclectic in conversation and outlook, but still have a, “Look,” of their own. Indie culture tends to be inclusive and multi-cultural.
What most surprised me about Hip Hop culture is the extent that it is formulaic. I had no idea how music producers overtly provided a blue print for they type of music they expected from their artists, which is surprising, knowing how violent, sexist, and homophobic Hip Hop lyrics are. It is commercialized corruption. On the other hand I had no idea how Indie culture has changed the way music is produced, films are made, and clothing is created. I discussed this with my nephew. He stated, “Indie culture is going from underground to the mainstream. Like grunge in the 90’s. Altogether Indie is more influential than grunge because it is influencing art and media and the way music is distributed, clothing: I’ve noticed when I first got into middle school, middle school mimic’s High school and style trends were more Preppy. Now Preppy styles have collided with Indie bringing more clashing colors and patterns. It’s dressing like an old person, with slacks and sweater vests, like a hipster. As an example, I was wearing a fedora when I was 12, and now I see more and more people are wearing them, so I don’t wear it anymore. Now skateboarding companies and surf companies are making fedoras, not just hat companies.
“Indie culture is influencing movies also Indie movies, like Darjeeling Limited, Juno, Little miss Sunshine, are breaking into mainstream markets, even though they were independently produced. Movies like Lost in Translation, Indie movies are not so interested in mass profit so Big actors can get into much more challenging film roles, meet up and coming actors, and play off each other.
“In high school, the preppie groups are most popular, and Hip-Hop is not so big because of Indie influence, but ultimately, Preppie and hip-hop cultures are the biggest. Within Indie culture, there are artistic kids, kids in bands who don’t dress like the rest of the kids, Hardcore kids and Emo kids. All are part of the Indie culture. “
My opinion about these cultures haven’t changed drastically, but I believe that my understanding has increased quite a lot from these experiences. I believe my culture could learn that we should expand our knowledge to understand and contribute much more with each other.
Music plays a very large role in my life, and in the lives of many young people in this country. It is how they define themselves and identify their personalities. Young people do not have real life experiences yet, so they bind with a philosophical outlook based on what they identify with at the time. My nephew is involved with two garage bands, and he defines his cultural outlook in these ways, “The band I have is influenced by the hardcore genre, which is another thing with the Emo subculture helped along by the Internet. It has a blend of emo and metal music, so it’s toned down metal with bands using a synthesizer in parts. Bands like Carnesex, death metal music. Lamb of god, slipknot, Slayer, Sort of like Pantera, and Metal Core genre: Bring Me The Horizon, and As I Lay Dying. Hard Core is also becoming a genre for Christian music.
The other band I have is influenced by punk rock and electronica, Like the Misfits, Black Flag, and just trying to get weird sounds out of my guitar, experimental progressive. Bands like “Minus The Bear” can turn their guitar into a piano, and other bands are influenced by Tom Morello. He is the guitarist in Rage Against The Machine, have done a lot of innovative influence on music. On guitars, he will turn one of the master volumes down, and he will play something and switch between pickups so that type of stuff is unusual, and not heard usually except for bands like Buckethead. Coheed and Cambria are cool because they cross over media, because the lead singer also writes comic books that go along with the story line of the cd’s that they produce. So Claudo Sanchez (the artist he is referring to in Coheed and Cambria) is an artist of multiple talents. Prideside Inferno, is another band Sanchez is in: Acoustic and electronic genres. Variety of art. He writes and draws. He’s a cross over artist in multi-media outlets.
So, these co-culture experiences are very influential in popular youth culture. In some ways I can identify with the interest that is generated by these styles and art forms, however I don’t feel the immediate validity of identification with the commitment with one cultural genre over another the way that young people do. The expression, “To identify with,” comes to mind here, however for myself I would prefer to simply remain neutral and enjoy my pick of entertainment without the commitment of identity.
I chose to experience an activity about Hip Hop Culture, and for referential and contrast opinion, I spoke with my nephew John about his feelings about Hip Hop Culture, Indie Culture, and compared these with my own notions of what these two popular cultures are.
On February 15, 2008 I attended a Black History Month event, “Our Youth – A Time For Positive Change in a Multicultural Society Speaking and Understanding Our Language,” from 7pm to 9:30pm at Neptune Middle School, Neptune, NJ. The event consisted of a panel of speakers and viewing the film, “Hip Hop: Beyond Beats And Rhymes,” by Byron Hurt. The purpose of the event was to engage young people in the effects of sexism, homophobia and violence within the Hip Hop community. Discuss violence, materialistic and sexually explicit cultural issues through Hip Hop Culture. The facilitators included Luke Tirrell and Pat Cooper, and the panel members were Richard Harrell from Living Word Christian Fellowship; Karen Gillispie from 180 Turnaround [Sexual assault and violence prevention group]; A. B. Zoonton, WSOU FM station manager, Richard Comack, Kean University Counselor, and Jason Whitley a local music producer. In attendance were the Mayor of Neptune, the Principal of Neptune Middle School and some of the faculty, Neptune township committee people, parents, and children of the Neptune Middle School. The other activity I attended was a discussion with my Nephew John, who is in High School right now. John has two bands that he contributes to, playing drums and guitar. John is an wonderful resource for cultural definitions in pop culture and has made music a part of his own cultural definition. Drawing from these two experiences with co-cultures and discussions of the definitions and impact on each other, I intend to explore how these cultures affect each other and my own culture.
My first impressions about Hip Hop culture were mixed. I was around when Hip Hop emerged on the music scene during the late 1970’s and early 1980’s as Rap artists were a novelty. Along with this were break-dancing and street percussionists who would play plastic buckets in the street for change. It was creative and vibrant. As Hip Hop developed into a genre and then a culture, it lost it’s creative edge and eventually became very commercial and mechanical. There were many creative artists but as time went on the direction of the genre became too commercial for my taste and I lost interest in it. Indie Culture is something of a mix of different genres but I was aware of only the pop musical side. There was much more to it than that, as I was about to learn. My nephew John stated, “Hip-hop now in my opinion is the worst kind of music because it is too commercial and not very good. It is heard on any radio station that plays, “Hits.” It used to be the poetry of the streets, but now it’s more about “bling” and parties. There’s not much variety in it. If you listened to 50 songs you mainly will hear people talking about how much diamonds they have around their neck. At the time it was emerging it was more important because it was more interesting than what was happening on the rock and roll scene. 2pac or Public Enemy were good: Something with a message. But that type really doesn’t exist anymore. “
I believe the Hip Hop event I attended was important to the Hip Hop Culture because it defined it’s self through the film and allowed parents to gather a better understanding of what Hip Hop Culture has become and to be aware of the Sexism, Violence and Homophobia which is a part of this commercialized evolution of Hip Hop. The film was excellent in that it drew attention to what was going on in the industry of Hip Hop, and how it has become mechanical rather than creative. Likewise I believe my conversation with John was important because I learned a lot about the influence of Indie culture on music, film, clothing and culture. Being much older than most people in my Sociology class has placed me in an interesting position of learning. I can learn a lot about what is new in cultural direction, as well as take the knowledge of my past experience to create a bridge of communication across cultures.
For example, last year I was working with several young men down in Houston, TX. These young men were listening to the radio while we were working and I heard a Hip Hop song come on which had a rather extensive sample from a pop music song from 25 years ago. When the song came on, it simply sounded like an updated version of this older song, and I was singing along with it. My young co-workers were shocked that I knew all of the words. I said, “Oh, that’s an old song….” To which they replied, “No, that’s a new song!” I had to explain that this was a sample from a song from a few decades earlier, to which they were surprised to learn was true. In these ways Hip Hop Culture was similar to my experience, however it was through education that there was a connection.
Indie culture is more in tune with how I define my own culture. Progressive, experimental, innovative are much more of the types of words I associate my own experiences with. Hip Hop Culture is currently formulaic, deliberate and commercial, violent, bigoted, and homophobic which is why I have little in common with it. My nephew states, “I like all types of music, including Indie and Hardcore subculture music. But Indie rock has more variety. Groups like Animal Collective, Death Cab for Cutie and Bright Eyes, are Indie but, they’re also sort of the same. Animal collective is really out there. Deer Hoof is like that also. Examples are: Death Cab For Cutie creating music styles in polar opposites on each album. Also, Bright Eyes released 2 cd’s at the same time. One was Folk. And the other was more electronic and synth music. That was unique because you won’t see one band release such polar opposite music on the same day.
Indie music as a culture has influenced a lot of aspects of music and media. Now there are Indie production companies with bands like the Shins, influencing an Indie culture of music and popular clothing styles. Sort of like in the 60’s with the hippie culture [Art, fashion, music], I see that with the Indie culture. It is also influencing mainstream media.”
Members of these cultures may have preconceived notions as to what my interests are based on how I look, and the fact that I am probably the same age as their parents. When they discover that I have interests similar to their own, or have a knowledge of what their culture is about, they take me into consideration. Members of Hip Hop culture communicate with each other in hyper masculine machismo ways. There are hand gestures they emulate from the artists they see on television. There is a definite vocabulary, posturing, and cadence of speaking to each other. Indie cultural enthusiasts are very much eclectic in conversation and outlook, but still have a, “Look,” of their own. Indie culture tends to be inclusive and multi-cultural.
What most surprised me about Hip Hop culture is the extent that it is formulaic. I had no idea how music producers overtly provided a blue print for they type of music they expected from their artists, which is surprising, knowing how violent, sexist, and homophobic Hip Hop lyrics are. It is commercialized corruption. On the other hand I had no idea how Indie culture has changed the way music is produced, films are made, and clothing is created. I discussed this with my nephew. He stated, “Indie culture is going from underground to the mainstream. Like grunge in the 90’s. Altogether Indie is more influential than grunge because it is influencing art and media and the way music is distributed, clothing: I’ve noticed when I first got into middle school, middle school mimic’s High school and style trends were more Preppy. Now Preppy styles have collided with Indie bringing more clashing colors and patterns. It’s dressing like an old person, with slacks and sweater vests, like a hipster. As an example, I was wearing a fedora when I was 12, and now I see more and more people are wearing them, so I don’t wear it anymore. Now skateboarding companies and surf companies are making fedoras, not just hat companies.
“Indie culture is influencing movies also Indie movies, like Darjeeling Limited, Juno, Little miss Sunshine, are breaking into mainstream markets, even though they were independently produced. Movies like Lost in Translation, Indie movies are not so interested in mass profit so Big actors can get into much more challenging film roles, meet up and coming actors, and play off each other.
“In high school, the preppie groups are most popular, and Hip-Hop is not so big because of Indie influence, but ultimately, Preppie and hip-hop cultures are the biggest. Within Indie culture, there are artistic kids, kids in bands who don’t dress like the rest of the kids, Hardcore kids and Emo kids. All are part of the Indie culture. “
My opinion about these cultures haven’t changed drastically, but I believe that my understanding has increased quite a lot from these experiences. I believe my culture could learn that we should expand our knowledge to understand and contribute much more with each other.
Music plays a very large role in my life, and in the lives of many young people in this country. It is how they define themselves and identify their personalities. Young people do not have real life experiences yet, so they bind with a philosophical outlook based on what they identify with at the time. My nephew is involved with two garage bands, and he defines his cultural outlook in these ways, “The band I have is influenced by the hardcore genre, which is another thing with the Emo subculture helped along by the Internet. It has a blend of emo and metal music, so it’s toned down metal with bands using a synthesizer in parts. Bands like Carnesex, death metal music. Lamb of god, slipknot, Slayer, Sort of like Pantera, and Metal Core genre: Bring Me The Horizon, and As I Lay Dying. Hard Core is also becoming a genre for Christian music.
The other band I have is influenced by punk rock and electronica, Like the Misfits, Black Flag, and just trying to get weird sounds out of my guitar, experimental progressive. Bands like “Minus The Bear” can turn their guitar into a piano, and other bands are influenced by Tom Morello. He is the guitarist in Rage Against The Machine, have done a lot of innovative influence on music. On guitars, he will turn one of the master volumes down, and he will play something and switch between pickups so that type of stuff is unusual, and not heard usually except for bands like Buckethead. Coheed and Cambria are cool because they cross over media, because the lead singer also writes comic books that go along with the story line of the cd’s that they produce. So Claudo Sanchez (the artist he is referring to in Coheed and Cambria) is an artist of multiple talents. Prideside Inferno, is another band Sanchez is in: Acoustic and electronic genres. Variety of art. He writes and draws. He’s a cross over artist in multi-media outlets.
So, these co-culture experiences are very influential in popular youth culture. In some ways I can identify with the interest that is generated by these styles and art forms, however I don’t feel the immediate validity of identification with the commitment with one cultural genre over another the way that young people do. The expression, “To identify with,” comes to mind here, however for myself I would prefer to simply remain neutral and enjoy my pick of entertainment without the commitment of identity.
Liberty! Equality! Fraternity!
The causes and origins of the French revolution were inspired from Enlightenment political thought , where governments held new responsibilities to the citizens of the nation. The French revolution was a radical change: A divorce from existing society. This is a much more revolutionary change than what had happened in the United States. As they called it, ancien régime “the old order” was cast off, and the French Revolutionaries attempted to replace it with new political, social and cultural constructs.
Financial, political, and social problems are what led to the French revolution. The French government spent large sums of money aiding the American Revolution by supporting the war against Great Britain. By the 1780’s half of the French royal government revenues went to pay the national debt, and an additional quarter went to pay for the French Armed forces. France did not have a national banking system to finance loans. France did not have and efficient system of tax collection. The wealthiest French classes included the nobility and clergy. They were exempt from most taxes. So the majority of the tax burden was placed on the peasantry.
By 1787 King Louis XVI turned to the nobility and clergy for help but they refused the King’s requests, to protect their financial status and also as a demonstration to the King of their independence, a power play. The King and the French nobility had clashed over these issues previously but Louis XVI had never compromised on this issue.
The nobility then demanded that Louis summon the Estates General in the hope that Louis would be forced to institute reforms that would be beneficial to the nobility. The Estates General consisted of three, “Estates.” The first estate consisted of approximately 100,000 Roman Catholic clergy. The second estate included about 400,000 nobles. The third estate included about 24,000,000 serfs, free peasants and urban residents. The third estate had as many delegates as the other two estates combined.
When the Estates General were called into session in May 1789 in the royal palace at Versailles, the King hoped this meeting would authorized new taxes. The people of the third estate were dissatisfied with Louis, however. This is where the influence of Enlightenment thought is evident. The middle classes were influenced by calls for political reforms, and resented the nobles’ appropriation of the best offices and jobs within the government. The poorer classes also resented the burden of taxation they carried through economic hardships caused by bad harvests the year prior.
In order to maintain the control of power, the first and second estates insisted that each estate cast only one vote. Thus preserving he balance of power as it had existed. The third estate insisted that the members vote together by head, which would be beneficial for themselves, having the vast majorities of people in their third estate. After weeks of arguing, on June 17, 1789, representatives of the third estate seceded from the Estates General and declared they were to become the “National Assembly,” a new political body. The members of the National Assembly swore not to be disbanded until they had provided France with a new constitution.
On July 14, 1789, a Parisian crowd stormed the Bastille (a royal jail and arsenal). They were searching for weapons to defend themselves in what was perceived as a possible royal crackdown on the members of the National Assembly. The Bastille surrendered but many of the attackers were killed and in retaliation the Parisian attackers killed the defenders of the Bastille, by hacking them to death!
Soon after the news spread, insurrections began erupting throughout France. As the uprisings increased, rumors spread that armed bands were being organized by nobles, causing what was known as a, “Great Fear.” This prompted the peasantry throughout France to burn homes of the nobles, public record offices, and monasteries. The National Assembly quickly moved to produce programs addressing political and social issues fearing that the revolution underway would soon be out of their control.
The National Assembly produced the “Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen, “ which was proclaimed by the National Assembly in August 1789. This document was influenced again by Enlightenment ideas and by American revolutionary concepts, promulgating the rights of all men, rights of the individual and enforcing Enlightenment ideals of sovereignty of the people.
From 1789 to 1791, the National Assembly seized church lands, required clergy to take oaths of loyalty to the state, and abolished the First Estate, defining clergy as citizens. Within the new constitution, property-holding men were given the right to vote and choose legislators in an electoral process. The King was denied the use of any legislative authority, thus France became a constitutional monarchy adopting the ambitious Enlightenment objectives of liberty, equality and fraternity.
Soon after, many Parisians felt the changes of the revolution were not thorough, as the French nobility attempted to treaty with Austria and Prussia in an attempt to reinstate the ancien régime, In April 1792 the Assembly declared war on Austria and Prussia to preserve the emerging political and social structures in France. The following year saw an increase in these self-preservative aspirations by the Revolutionary government. They declared was on Spain, Britain and the Netherlands and created the Convention, a new legislative collective, abolishing the monarchy and declaring France as a Republic.
On Napoleon Bonaparte
If anyone could title one life, and especially a life as complex and ambitious as that of Napoleon Bonaparte, it would have to be with a context of a particular time period. Certainly Napoleon’s life was brilliant and oppressive with many shades of gray between. Within the question of characterization of this extraordinary leader , my opinion would be that of an Enlightened leader of the time, but not as extreme as a despot. In defining despot: A ruler or other person who holds absolute power, typically one who exercises it in a cruel or oppressive way, I would call Napoleon as perhaps an Enlightened Autocrat, rather than despot. If it weren’t for his intervention with Austria-Russia-British coalition against the French Revolution, perhaps the ancien régime would be reestablished. France would have faced even more tumult than what was occurring at the time.
Napoleon Bonaparte was from a Corsican noble family. He studied at French military schools and became what is described as a brilliant military leader, and by becoming a general at the age of twenty-four he was quite ambitious. He supported the French Revolution, even though he was an officer in the army of King Louis XVI. He defended the Directory against the uprising of 1795, and had a successful campaign in northern Italy to establish French control in the region.
From the class packet, “Napoleon pushed for a single set of written laws that applied to everyone. He appointed a commission to prepare a code of laws. Napoleon wanted this code to be clear, logical, and easily understood by all citizens. The commission, composed of Napoleon and legal experts from all parts of France, met over a period of several years. Enacted on March 21, 1804, the resulting Civil Code of France marked the first major revision and reorganization of laws since the Roman era.” So his efforts to bring Enlightenment ideals to France are clear, although his extreme methods in establishing power today seem extraordinary. Looking back at the time and context of his reign, some of Napoleon Bonaparte’s methods may seem to stand to reason.
Napoleon brought many changes to France, a nation torn apart by Revolution, social upheaval, and war. He changed the way that the Catholic Church, a very important political and social body in the world and especially in France, was dealt with politically, especially after the French Revolution. Napoleon brought stability to French society by his revision of civil law, the Civil Code, which brought changes to the way that equality and social advancements in education and employment were dealt with. This was a shift from advancement based on social status or birth. This merit-based social structure was a confirmation of National Assemblies revolutionary policies.
As Napoleon extended his authority in Europe, he was successful in capturing and conquering the Iberian and Italian peninsulas, and occupied the Netherlands, and defeated the Austrians and Prussians, forcing these nations to ally with him and respect French dominance in Europe. Napoleon’s downfall was marked by his success in capturing Moscow, but with the city burned by the retreating Tsar, leaving Napoleon’s forces no shelter or supplies. This was a disaster to Napoleon’s army. By the time they retreated back to France, his army of thirty thousand soldiers was merely a fragmented collection the battered abused. Later, in April 1814, Napoleon was forced to abdicate his throne to exile. In March of 1815, Napoleon escaped from exile and returned to France to rule for one hundred days. Ultimately he was defeated a the battle of Waterloo, Belgium by the British army and was exiled again to the island of St. Helena, where he died in 1821
Works Cited
Bentley, Ziegler, Streets, “Traditions & Encounters A Brief Global History” (New York, NY: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc, 2008)
Katz, Solomon, “The Decline of Rome and the Rise of Medieval Europe” (Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press, 1955) reprinted in “Readings in Global History” (Dubuque, Iowa, Kendall/Hunt Publishing, 1992)
The causes and origins of the French revolution were inspired from Enlightenment political thought , where governments held new responsibilities to the citizens of the nation. The French revolution was a radical change: A divorce from existing society. This is a much more revolutionary change than what had happened in the United States. As they called it, ancien régime “the old order” was cast off, and the French Revolutionaries attempted to replace it with new political, social and cultural constructs.
Financial, political, and social problems are what led to the French revolution. The French government spent large sums of money aiding the American Revolution by supporting the war against Great Britain. By the 1780’s half of the French royal government revenues went to pay the national debt, and an additional quarter went to pay for the French Armed forces. France did not have a national banking system to finance loans. France did not have and efficient system of tax collection. The wealthiest French classes included the nobility and clergy. They were exempt from most taxes. So the majority of the tax burden was placed on the peasantry.
By 1787 King Louis XVI turned to the nobility and clergy for help but they refused the King’s requests, to protect their financial status and also as a demonstration to the King of their independence, a power play. The King and the French nobility had clashed over these issues previously but Louis XVI had never compromised on this issue.
The nobility then demanded that Louis summon the Estates General in the hope that Louis would be forced to institute reforms that would be beneficial to the nobility. The Estates General consisted of three, “Estates.” The first estate consisted of approximately 100,000 Roman Catholic clergy. The second estate included about 400,000 nobles. The third estate included about 24,000,000 serfs, free peasants and urban residents. The third estate had as many delegates as the other two estates combined.
When the Estates General were called into session in May 1789 in the royal palace at Versailles, the King hoped this meeting would authorized new taxes. The people of the third estate were dissatisfied with Louis, however. This is where the influence of Enlightenment thought is evident. The middle classes were influenced by calls for political reforms, and resented the nobles’ appropriation of the best offices and jobs within the government. The poorer classes also resented the burden of taxation they carried through economic hardships caused by bad harvests the year prior.
In order to maintain the control of power, the first and second estates insisted that each estate cast only one vote. Thus preserving he balance of power as it had existed. The third estate insisted that the members vote together by head, which would be beneficial for themselves, having the vast majorities of people in their third estate. After weeks of arguing, on June 17, 1789, representatives of the third estate seceded from the Estates General and declared they were to become the “National Assembly,” a new political body. The members of the National Assembly swore not to be disbanded until they had provided France with a new constitution.
On July 14, 1789, a Parisian crowd stormed the Bastille (a royal jail and arsenal). They were searching for weapons to defend themselves in what was perceived as a possible royal crackdown on the members of the National Assembly. The Bastille surrendered but many of the attackers were killed and in retaliation the Parisian attackers killed the defenders of the Bastille, by hacking them to death!
Soon after the news spread, insurrections began erupting throughout France. As the uprisings increased, rumors spread that armed bands were being organized by nobles, causing what was known as a, “Great Fear.” This prompted the peasantry throughout France to burn homes of the nobles, public record offices, and monasteries. The National Assembly quickly moved to produce programs addressing political and social issues fearing that the revolution underway would soon be out of their control.
The National Assembly produced the “Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen, “ which was proclaimed by the National Assembly in August 1789. This document was influenced again by Enlightenment ideas and by American revolutionary concepts, promulgating the rights of all men, rights of the individual and enforcing Enlightenment ideals of sovereignty of the people.
From 1789 to 1791, the National Assembly seized church lands, required clergy to take oaths of loyalty to the state, and abolished the First Estate, defining clergy as citizens. Within the new constitution, property-holding men were given the right to vote and choose legislators in an electoral process. The King was denied the use of any legislative authority, thus France became a constitutional monarchy adopting the ambitious Enlightenment objectives of liberty, equality and fraternity.
Soon after, many Parisians felt the changes of the revolution were not thorough, as the French nobility attempted to treaty with Austria and Prussia in an attempt to reinstate the ancien régime, In April 1792 the Assembly declared war on Austria and Prussia to preserve the emerging political and social structures in France. The following year saw an increase in these self-preservative aspirations by the Revolutionary government. They declared was on Spain, Britain and the Netherlands and created the Convention, a new legislative collective, abolishing the monarchy and declaring France as a Republic.
On Napoleon Bonaparte
If anyone could title one life, and especially a life as complex and ambitious as that of Napoleon Bonaparte, it would have to be with a context of a particular time period. Certainly Napoleon’s life was brilliant and oppressive with many shades of gray between. Within the question of characterization of this extraordinary leader , my opinion would be that of an Enlightened leader of the time, but not as extreme as a despot. In defining despot: A ruler or other person who holds absolute power, typically one who exercises it in a cruel or oppressive way, I would call Napoleon as perhaps an Enlightened Autocrat, rather than despot. If it weren’t for his intervention with Austria-Russia-British coalition against the French Revolution, perhaps the ancien régime would be reestablished. France would have faced even more tumult than what was occurring at the time.
Napoleon Bonaparte was from a Corsican noble family. He studied at French military schools and became what is described as a brilliant military leader, and by becoming a general at the age of twenty-four he was quite ambitious. He supported the French Revolution, even though he was an officer in the army of King Louis XVI. He defended the Directory against the uprising of 1795, and had a successful campaign in northern Italy to establish French control in the region.
From the class packet, “Napoleon pushed for a single set of written laws that applied to everyone. He appointed a commission to prepare a code of laws. Napoleon wanted this code to be clear, logical, and easily understood by all citizens. The commission, composed of Napoleon and legal experts from all parts of France, met over a period of several years. Enacted on March 21, 1804, the resulting Civil Code of France marked the first major revision and reorganization of laws since the Roman era.” So his efforts to bring Enlightenment ideals to France are clear, although his extreme methods in establishing power today seem extraordinary. Looking back at the time and context of his reign, some of Napoleon Bonaparte’s methods may seem to stand to reason.
Napoleon brought many changes to France, a nation torn apart by Revolution, social upheaval, and war. He changed the way that the Catholic Church, a very important political and social body in the world and especially in France, was dealt with politically, especially after the French Revolution. Napoleon brought stability to French society by his revision of civil law, the Civil Code, which brought changes to the way that equality and social advancements in education and employment were dealt with. This was a shift from advancement based on social status or birth. This merit-based social structure was a confirmation of National Assemblies revolutionary policies.
As Napoleon extended his authority in Europe, he was successful in capturing and conquering the Iberian and Italian peninsulas, and occupied the Netherlands, and defeated the Austrians and Prussians, forcing these nations to ally with him and respect French dominance in Europe. Napoleon’s downfall was marked by his success in capturing Moscow, but with the city burned by the retreating Tsar, leaving Napoleon’s forces no shelter or supplies. This was a disaster to Napoleon’s army. By the time they retreated back to France, his army of thirty thousand soldiers was merely a fragmented collection the battered abused. Later, in April 1814, Napoleon was forced to abdicate his throne to exile. In March of 1815, Napoleon escaped from exile and returned to France to rule for one hundred days. Ultimately he was defeated a the battle of Waterloo, Belgium by the British army and was exiled again to the island of St. Helena, where he died in 1821
Works Cited
Bentley, Ziegler, Streets, “Traditions & Encounters A Brief Global History” (New York, NY: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc, 2008)
Katz, Solomon, “The Decline of Rome and the Rise of Medieval Europe” (Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press, 1955) reprinted in “Readings in Global History” (Dubuque, Iowa, Kendall/Hunt Publishing, 1992)
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Right now I'm listening to Blue. Joni Mitchell's Blue. Not Simply Red's Blue or anyone else's Blue. Joni Mitchell conveys the type of insanity I prefer. Schizophrenia (disambiguation) most splendid. The mental illness I'm most accustomed to. The mental illness I sidestepped. Did I avoid it by being authentic to myself, as I would like to believe? Or is it so I delude myself to believe? I ask myself these things but perhaps it's just my way of inspiring megalomania in my own case. So, I want to be a doctor. No big deal these days, is it? Do I want to have this pre-amble for my own pride or because I need to do it for my own sanity or is it my own insanity? I'm still listening to Joni Mitchell, so I can't be quite sure of anything right now.
I remember when I was much younger, twenty-one or so. 1984. I was working on a cruise ship in Hawaii. I have a million sea stories, but this on stands out to me to be the difference between being twenty-one and forty [gasp]-four. There were so many gay waiters on that ship! I was oblivious and naive. One asked me for his customer, to have "silver-dollar" pancakes. I was working in the baking department of the ship. A foolhardy career choice I would grow to regret.... But anyway... the waiter asked for some "silver-dollar" pancakes. I had never heard of "silver-dollar" pancakes before. So I didn't know what to do. What I probably should have done was ask, "What's that?" and after the explanation, followed up with, "If you want me, I'll be at the bar...." [Still listening to Joni Mitchell....] But I didn't say anything. I racked my brain for the answer. I had gone to cooking school. Silver-Dollar pancakes had never come up. Now I have to ask myself, why hadn't they? But back then, I searched the dark corners of my brain for the answers and there were none to be found because neither the definition nor the experience had ever been implanted there. I didn't have a very good relationship with the chief baker. I thought he was useless. I didn't get a positive vibe from him, and I didn't want to ask him anything because I was afraid of getting an answer that would make it seem like I was useless. I didn't want someone to tell me I was useless because I felt very much so on my own. Time was going by, and now answers were not being inspired divinely or otherwise. So I had to come up with something. My solution was to just make regular pancakes and give them to the waiter, and let the chips fall where they may.
Lately, I notice how many gray hairs I have. I look in the mirror in the bathroom and marvel at them, like they are a biological wonder. They don't make me feel old or anything because I haven't fully accepted them yet. I wonder and I have heard stories about changes to the diet, which will make them go away. I wonder sometimes if I should color my hair. But then I think, I have earned this many and many more gray hairs from my life and times. Taking risks for my own amusement and adventures beyond my imagination, these gray hairs should be doubled if they were earned that way. I know that they are simply epithelial cells, dead cells the body is rejecting, expelling. We choose to believe they are still a living reflection of our lifestyles. We color them and use heat and chemicals to get them to bend or flatten. So, I woke up and, "it was a Chelsea morning," [Joni Mitchell, remember....], I thought about making a few calls. One to my parents to tell them that my brother-in-law, came over last night and discovered that the reason my hot-water baseboard heat boiler was not working was because the circuit board containing the gas control circuit was corroded and needed to be repaired, which he did with an old soldering Iron which should be brought to "Antiques Roadshow," as he put it, and some plumber's solder. "I should have brought my tool kit," he said. My brother-in-law is a genius. He is literally a rocket scientist. I went over to my sister's house for Thanksgiving. So, Thanksgiving morning we sat 'round the kitchen table and proposed solutions to alternate fuel sources and my brother-in-law suggested that we should have a $2 dollar per gallon gas tax which would fund alternative fuel source technology and implementation. This would have the effect of increasing revenue for projects while causing people to be much more thoughtful about their petrol consumption. He said that SUV's would be off the road and people would be seeking more fuel-efficient transportation, forcing the auto industry to provide efficient options to this market. I thought that was a brilliant idea, but I wish it wouldn't have such a devastating effect on po folks [like me], who still would have to drive around the old clunkers because of the cost of buying new vehicles is so high. He said that would only be the case for about five to six years. After that there would be a renewal of the auto industry.
I have never paid more than $1,300.00 for an automobile. And I paid that to my dad for a 1981 Honda Civic, that had 60,000 miles on it. I put another 140,000 miles on the Civic and then sold it to my brother, who drove it around for a few more years, then sold it to someone else. I have never had a new car... ever. I never thought it was worthwhile to buy one. When they came out with "New Car Smell" auto air fresheners that were the "clincher." I could have that same smell while driving around in my 1976 AMC Pacer X, or, my Datsun 710. I also find it personally challenging to maintain and use older vehicles. I marvel at people who don't know how to, or even attempt changing their oil or brakes. People pay others to rotate their tires. To me that's like paying someone to eat my "Tin Roof Sundae" ice cream. My list of vehicles includes one that I never drove on the road. My first vehicle: 1968 Chevrolet Bel Air Wagon. White with a black interior, including a black shag rug in the back. It was very cozy. But at the time I got my driving license, 1980, the oil industry was being manipulated by the same folks that have been doing it until now, and the price of petrol was about $2.75 per gallon as it is today. Of course being an election year, the Republicans blamed it on those crazy Iranians and other Arabs and used things like that and more to sway the opinion of the American public, as they continue to do today. So with regard to politics, not all that much has changed. I always found it amusing that people would listen to Republicans. Their opinions are always so fundamentally flawed. So I sold my yet un-driven Chevy wagon to an older brother of my younger brother's friend. He had a scheme. He was working for someone in Freehold. An older man. A bit of a chicken hawk as I saw it. The older gentleman paid me by check, which he promptly stopped payment on. When I followed up on that, a tragedy happened. My brother's friend was killed in a hit-and-run accident. He was left to die in the woods here. After that had happened, I didn't have the heart to go after his brother for a few hundred dollars. "Laughter and crying, you know it's the same release...." Did I mention I'm still listening to Joni Mitchell....?
So now-a-days I ask questions. And if I don't understand what's going on, I stop everything and say, "What is this?" I guess that is the most fundamental change in my life over the past 23 years: Understanding that I need to know what's going on in my life and not be "Waiting for a car on the hill...."
I remember when I was much younger, twenty-one or so. 1984. I was working on a cruise ship in Hawaii. I have a million sea stories, but this on stands out to me to be the difference between being twenty-one and forty [gasp]-four. There were so many gay waiters on that ship! I was oblivious and naive. One asked me for his customer, to have "silver-dollar" pancakes. I was working in the baking department of the ship. A foolhardy career choice I would grow to regret.... But anyway... the waiter asked for some "silver-dollar" pancakes. I had never heard of "silver-dollar" pancakes before. So I didn't know what to do. What I probably should have done was ask, "What's that?" and after the explanation, followed up with, "If you want me, I'll be at the bar...." [Still listening to Joni Mitchell....] But I didn't say anything. I racked my brain for the answer. I had gone to cooking school. Silver-Dollar pancakes had never come up. Now I have to ask myself, why hadn't they? But back then, I searched the dark corners of my brain for the answers and there were none to be found because neither the definition nor the experience had ever been implanted there. I didn't have a very good relationship with the chief baker. I thought he was useless. I didn't get a positive vibe from him, and I didn't want to ask him anything because I was afraid of getting an answer that would make it seem like I was useless. I didn't want someone to tell me I was useless because I felt very much so on my own. Time was going by, and now answers were not being inspired divinely or otherwise. So I had to come up with something. My solution was to just make regular pancakes and give them to the waiter, and let the chips fall where they may.
Lately, I notice how many gray hairs I have. I look in the mirror in the bathroom and marvel at them, like they are a biological wonder. They don't make me feel old or anything because I haven't fully accepted them yet. I wonder and I have heard stories about changes to the diet, which will make them go away. I wonder sometimes if I should color my hair. But then I think, I have earned this many and many more gray hairs from my life and times. Taking risks for my own amusement and adventures beyond my imagination, these gray hairs should be doubled if they were earned that way. I know that they are simply epithelial cells, dead cells the body is rejecting, expelling. We choose to believe they are still a living reflection of our lifestyles. We color them and use heat and chemicals to get them to bend or flatten. So, I woke up and, "it was a Chelsea morning," [Joni Mitchell, remember....], I thought about making a few calls. One to my parents to tell them that my brother-in-law, came over last night and discovered that the reason my hot-water baseboard heat boiler was not working was because the circuit board containing the gas control circuit was corroded and needed to be repaired, which he did with an old soldering Iron which should be brought to "Antiques Roadshow," as he put it, and some plumber's solder. "I should have brought my tool kit," he said. My brother-in-law is a genius. He is literally a rocket scientist. I went over to my sister's house for Thanksgiving. So, Thanksgiving morning we sat 'round the kitchen table and proposed solutions to alternate fuel sources and my brother-in-law suggested that we should have a $2 dollar per gallon gas tax which would fund alternative fuel source technology and implementation. This would have the effect of increasing revenue for projects while causing people to be much more thoughtful about their petrol consumption. He said that SUV's would be off the road and people would be seeking more fuel-efficient transportation, forcing the auto industry to provide efficient options to this market. I thought that was a brilliant idea, but I wish it wouldn't have such a devastating effect on po folks [like me], who still would have to drive around the old clunkers because of the cost of buying new vehicles is so high. He said that would only be the case for about five to six years. After that there would be a renewal of the auto industry.
I have never paid more than $1,300.00 for an automobile. And I paid that to my dad for a 1981 Honda Civic, that had 60,000 miles on it. I put another 140,000 miles on the Civic and then sold it to my brother, who drove it around for a few more years, then sold it to someone else. I have never had a new car... ever. I never thought it was worthwhile to buy one. When they came out with "New Car Smell" auto air fresheners that were the "clincher." I could have that same smell while driving around in my 1976 AMC Pacer X, or, my Datsun 710. I also find it personally challenging to maintain and use older vehicles. I marvel at people who don't know how to, or even attempt changing their oil or brakes. People pay others to rotate their tires. To me that's like paying someone to eat my "Tin Roof Sundae" ice cream. My list of vehicles includes one that I never drove on the road. My first vehicle: 1968 Chevrolet Bel Air Wagon. White with a black interior, including a black shag rug in the back. It was very cozy. But at the time I got my driving license, 1980, the oil industry was being manipulated by the same folks that have been doing it until now, and the price of petrol was about $2.75 per gallon as it is today. Of course being an election year, the Republicans blamed it on those crazy Iranians and other Arabs and used things like that and more to sway the opinion of the American public, as they continue to do today. So with regard to politics, not all that much has changed. I always found it amusing that people would listen to Republicans. Their opinions are always so fundamentally flawed. So I sold my yet un-driven Chevy wagon to an older brother of my younger brother's friend. He had a scheme. He was working for someone in Freehold. An older man. A bit of a chicken hawk as I saw it. The older gentleman paid me by check, which he promptly stopped payment on. When I followed up on that, a tragedy happened. My brother's friend was killed in a hit-and-run accident. He was left to die in the woods here. After that had happened, I didn't have the heart to go after his brother for a few hundred dollars. "Laughter and crying, you know it's the same release...." Did I mention I'm still listening to Joni Mitchell....?
So now-a-days I ask questions. And if I don't understand what's going on, I stop everything and say, "What is this?" I guess that is the most fundamental change in my life over the past 23 years: Understanding that I need to know what's going on in my life and not be "Waiting for a car on the hill...."
Friday, July 20, 2007
Good Morning, Baltimore!
Being a fan of John Waters' films, and Hairspray being one of my favorites, when the opportunity arose to preview the new musical, I met that with a mixture of excitement and worry. I knew the broadway musical was a hit, so I had both my fingers crossed, but as we all know, Hollywood has a way of messing up a good thing.
Not so with Hairspray. I loved every minute of the film. The score and soundtrack translated brilliantly. The cinematography brought 1962 back to life with accuracy, making this film a pleasure to enjoy.
Nikki Blonski starred as Tracy Turnblad and held her own against a veteran star cast, including John Travolta, Queen Latifah, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Christopher Walken. Amanda Bynes, James Marsden, Brittany Snow, Zac Efron and Elijah Kelley provide excellent performances throughout the film
If you have never seen the Broadway show, or the 1988 John Waters film, you will thoroughly enjoy this film. If you have seen the 1988 Hairspray, you will get an insider's point of view on some of the scenes which were not gone into much detail in this musical version, but this in no way takes anything away from the enjoyment of this film. The main shift in this film is that more character development is allowed for in some of the roles which were assumed in the 1988 film. The part of Edna Turnblad was expanded here and John Travolta did an excellent job making this role his own, rather than simply stepping into the shoes of Devine, which would have never worked. Travolta was Edna Turnblad in body [sic.] and spirit. Travolta's "Baldimoor" accent was perfection of authenticity. I wanted to smack Michelle Pfeiffer, which his how well she played her role of racist bitch "Velma Von Tussle." Queen Latifah delivered vocal performances comparable to her role in "Chicago." There were several cameos during the film: See if you can catch them all.
So go and see this film! You're gonna love it!
Being a fan of John Waters' films, and Hairspray being one of my favorites, when the opportunity arose to preview the new musical, I met that with a mixture of excitement and worry. I knew the broadway musical was a hit, so I had both my fingers crossed, but as we all know, Hollywood has a way of messing up a good thing.
Not so with Hairspray. I loved every minute of the film. The score and soundtrack translated brilliantly. The cinematography brought 1962 back to life with accuracy, making this film a pleasure to enjoy.
Nikki Blonski starred as Tracy Turnblad and held her own against a veteran star cast, including John Travolta, Queen Latifah, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Christopher Walken. Amanda Bynes, James Marsden, Brittany Snow, Zac Efron and Elijah Kelley provide excellent performances throughout the film
If you have never seen the Broadway show, or the 1988 John Waters film, you will thoroughly enjoy this film. If you have seen the 1988 Hairspray, you will get an insider's point of view on some of the scenes which were not gone into much detail in this musical version, but this in no way takes anything away from the enjoyment of this film. The main shift in this film is that more character development is allowed for in some of the roles which were assumed in the 1988 film. The part of Edna Turnblad was expanded here and John Travolta did an excellent job making this role his own, rather than simply stepping into the shoes of Devine, which would have never worked. Travolta was Edna Turnblad in body [sic.] and spirit. Travolta's "Baldimoor" accent was perfection of authenticity. I wanted to smack Michelle Pfeiffer, which his how well she played her role of racist bitch "Velma Von Tussle." Queen Latifah delivered vocal performances comparable to her role in "Chicago." There were several cameos during the film: See if you can catch them all.
So go and see this film! You're gonna love it!
Friday, April 20, 2007
Damn Yankee
Last week I attended my first HAB (Houston Area Bears) Meeting. I got a chance to meet some of the local guys during the meeting. I wish I could have spent more time with them, but there just wasn't enough time. I got a chance to at least meet 'Nard, whom I have been exchanging eMails with for nearly two years now. Mainly about podcasting. I need to get going with that, and I have the time right now, but I just don't have the where-with-all to get started. I suppose I just need to sit down with him and find out how to save the files and how to generate the feeds and all of that stuff. There just wasn't enough time to go through the many questions I had. At any rate, when I arrived there was an older gentleman whom I sat across from at the table. After I spoke to him for a few minutes and disclosed that I was originally from New Jersey, he said, "So, you're a Damn[ed] Yankee." I replied, "Yes, I'm probably the damnedest Yankee you'll ever meet!" We both laughed. The conversation went on about how things in Houston have changed since the 1940's. I find talking to older folks fascinating. If they are articulate enough, it's like looking through a time-door to the past. I love documentaries on how life was sixty and seventy or more years ago. It's fascinating. The interesting part is that the time has changed and life is so different now, but humanity has really not changed, no matter what the politicians want to repeatedly state to the contrary. Perhaps the biggest change is in an awareness of things that were not spoken about publicly. But people really aren't all that different from whom they used to be.
I came to the same conclusion after I did a bit of traveling back in my earlier years. When I was growing up I had this idea that people are so much different in other parts of the world. Then when I had a chance to travel I discovered something: Cultures are different. Religions are different. Politics are different. But, people are all the same. No matter where you go in this world, people are all the same. They have the same wants and the same desires. They want to basically live their lives in peace and not feel as though they are being stifled by someone else. People want to feel safe amongst their neighbors and have an overall sense of self-righteousness. I suppose over the past 25 years here in the USA, we have changed the most from that sense of following the "golden-rule" ["Do unto others as you would want done unto you," for those of you who do not know what the term, "Golden Rule," relates to.] Thanks to our shocking media and shocking politicians and shocking preachers, we have felt that we need to be "other-worldly" in that we have been told that we should not consider our neighbors, do whatever the hell we want and damn everyone else. We live in gated communities. We don't even know who our neighbors are, let alone even greet them. So we have fallen victim to the "Divide & Conquer," philosophy of military engagement. Only we have been the ones conquered. We have been divided up by those who would have us live in a state of terror. I am not referring to "Terrorists." I am referring to those who wish to control us like the cattle that we ultimately are perceived to be to them. Our Kings and our Clerics: Our Presidents and our Reverends. Those who tell us that we need to look to them for guidance. Those who tell us not to trust our neighbors. Quite the contrary, they expect us to call special phone numbers to report "Suspicious Activities." Those who repeat over and over, ideas that we should be wary of others because they will cause us to loose the notion of what our Political leaders and Clerics have told us is good for us.
But, oh, I am ranting, now. So rather than continue down this path toward schizophrenia, I shall end at this point. And any of you who don't know what that big word, "Schizophrenia," means, we have Wikipedia to help us out:
Schizophrenia (from the Greek word σχιζοφρένεια, or schizophreneia, meaning "split mind") is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a mental disorder characterized by impairments in the perception or expression of reality and by significant social or occupational dysfunction. A person experiencing schizophrenia is typically characterized as demonstrating disorganized thinking, and as experiencing delusions or hallucinations, in particular auditory hallucinations
What American accent do you have?
Created by Xavier on Memegen.net
Created by Xavier on Memegen.net
Northern. Whether you have the world famous Inland North accent of the Great Lakes area, or the radio-friendly sound of upstate NY and western New England, your accent is what used to set the standard for American English pronunciation (not much anymore now that the Inland North sounds like it does).
Take this quiz now - it's easy!
Last week I attended my first HAB (Houston Area Bears) Meeting. I got a chance to meet some of the local guys during the meeting. I wish I could have spent more time with them, but there just wasn't enough time. I got a chance to at least meet 'Nard, whom I have been exchanging eMails with for nearly two years now. Mainly about podcasting. I need to get going with that, and I have the time right now, but I just don't have the where-with-all to get started. I suppose I just need to sit down with him and find out how to save the files and how to generate the feeds and all of that stuff. There just wasn't enough time to go through the many questions I had. At any rate, when I arrived there was an older gentleman whom I sat across from at the table. After I spoke to him for a few minutes and disclosed that I was originally from New Jersey, he said, "So, you're a Damn[ed] Yankee." I replied, "Yes, I'm probably the damnedest Yankee you'll ever meet!" We both laughed. The conversation went on about how things in Houston have changed since the 1940's. I find talking to older folks fascinating. If they are articulate enough, it's like looking through a time-door to the past. I love documentaries on how life was sixty and seventy or more years ago. It's fascinating. The interesting part is that the time has changed and life is so different now, but humanity has really not changed, no matter what the politicians want to repeatedly state to the contrary. Perhaps the biggest change is in an awareness of things that were not spoken about publicly. But people really aren't all that different from whom they used to be.
I came to the same conclusion after I did a bit of traveling back in my earlier years. When I was growing up I had this idea that people are so much different in other parts of the world. Then when I had a chance to travel I discovered something: Cultures are different. Religions are different. Politics are different. But, people are all the same. No matter where you go in this world, people are all the same. They have the same wants and the same desires. They want to basically live their lives in peace and not feel as though they are being stifled by someone else. People want to feel safe amongst their neighbors and have an overall sense of self-righteousness. I suppose over the past 25 years here in the USA, we have changed the most from that sense of following the "golden-rule" ["Do unto others as you would want done unto you," for those of you who do not know what the term, "Golden Rule," relates to.] Thanks to our shocking media and shocking politicians and shocking preachers, we have felt that we need to be "other-worldly" in that we have been told that we should not consider our neighbors, do whatever the hell we want and damn everyone else. We live in gated communities. We don't even know who our neighbors are, let alone even greet them. So we have fallen victim to the "Divide & Conquer," philosophy of military engagement. Only we have been the ones conquered. We have been divided up by those who would have us live in a state of terror. I am not referring to "Terrorists." I am referring to those who wish to control us like the cattle that we ultimately are perceived to be to them. Our Kings and our Clerics: Our Presidents and our Reverends. Those who tell us that we need to look to them for guidance. Those who tell us not to trust our neighbors. Quite the contrary, they expect us to call special phone numbers to report "Suspicious Activities." Those who repeat over and over, ideas that we should be wary of others because they will cause us to loose the notion of what our Political leaders and Clerics have told us is good for us.
But, oh, I am ranting, now. So rather than continue down this path toward schizophrenia, I shall end at this point. And any of you who don't know what that big word, "Schizophrenia," means, we have Wikipedia to help us out:
Schizophrenia (from the Greek word σχιζοφρένεια, or schizophreneia, meaning "split mind") is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a mental disorder characterized by impairments in the perception or expression of reality and by significant social or occupational dysfunction. A person experiencing schizophrenia is typically characterized as demonstrating disorganized thinking, and as experiencing delusions or hallucinations, in particular auditory hallucinations
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Thursday, January 18, 2007
satu
Digging through some of my things
I found an autographed novel I gave as a present
To the one I will call my first lover:
He had no use for it
I was reading Essex Hemphill
And watching Marlon Riggs
He was reading Handjobs
And watching Judy Tenuta
I took him from Manhattan Valley
To the University of Pennsylvania
To hear Essex recite
And to confront bi-sexuals
He went to Harvard University
And took me to The Pleasure Chest
Just to look:
But for the ideas of fantasy
Now fifteen years have gone by
And finally I have someone
Who might cherish this gift
The autographed words of wisdom
Of a man not long for this world
Who took the time to speak
To impetuous youth
Back on April 29, 1992
I have someone who will
Understand why I present a compilation
Autographed to someone else
From a man dying of AIDS
I have someone who just might
Read Essex' words of wisdom:
"Take Care of Your Blessing's"
And know this comes from the edge of eternity
I found an autographed novel I gave as a present
To the one I will call my first lover:
He had no use for it
I was reading Essex Hemphill
And watching Marlon Riggs
He was reading Handjobs
And watching Judy Tenuta
I took him from Manhattan Valley
To the University of Pennsylvania
To hear Essex recite
And to confront bi-sexuals
He went to Harvard University
And took me to The Pleasure Chest
Just to look:
But for the ideas of fantasy
Now fifteen years have gone by
And finally I have someone
Who might cherish this gift
The autographed words of wisdom
Of a man not long for this world
Who took the time to speak
To impetuous youth
Back on April 29, 1992
I have someone who will
Understand why I present a compilation
Autographed to someone else
From a man dying of AIDS
I have someone who just might
Read Essex' words of wisdom:
"Take Care of Your Blessing's"
And know this comes from the edge of eternity
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Freddy Freeman's BREAK THE SILENCE CD RELEASE PARTY
with special guest Sideshow Bennie
Friday December 8th, 2006
Blue Gene..s Back Pocket (aka BLU)
1715 Church St - Nashville, Tennessee 37201
Doors at 8pm - $10
with special guest Sideshow Bennie
Friday December 8th, 2006
Blue Gene..s Back Pocket (aka BLU)
1715 Church St - Nashville, Tennessee 37201
Doors at 8pm - $10
Is it Rock? Is it Folk? Is it R&B? Is it Blues? Is it
Country? Is it Funk?
Yes.
Freddy Freeman is an artist who knows no genre. He blends all his influences into a rich stew of American Popular Music. Five years in the making, Break The Silence showcases the versatility and talent of a unique singer/songwriter. With songs about the complexity of relationships, the excitement of being young and out on the town, a nostalgic tribute to his hometown, letting go, and standing up to proclaim self worth, Break The Silence takes you along on one man..s journey of self-discovery.
His voice can be a grizzly growl shouting out in defiance or a sweet tone of plaintive intimacy. Bringing together players Freddy has worked with for years, the outstanding musicianship on this album perfectly punctuates and further illuminates Freddy..s songs.
After spending six years developing his sound playing gigs around New York City, Freddy moved to Nashville, Tennessee where he continues to find new ways to grow and change as an artist. His music has been featured on a variety of radio programs around the country, as well as several compilation CDs. He is a proud member of Outmusic, an international network of LGBT musicians, songwriters, and supporters. In 2004 and 2006, Freddy was nominated for Outmusician Of The Year, an award recognizing acheivement in music and community activism.
..(Freddy is) an out gay artist, deftly walking the line between being overt in his lyrics about various personal issues and experiences and ensuring that he creates universal images in his songs... -Larry Flick, Billboard Magazine
The release will be celebrated with a party at Blue Gene..s Back Pocket (aka Blu) on Friday December 8th. Freddy will perform most of the album both with a full rock band and an acoustic ensemble. The festivities will begin with a performance by professional sideshow freak ..Sideshow Bennie... Doors open at 8pm. There will be a $10 charge at the door to cover sound expenses, and signed CDs will be available at a discounted rate. For this special perfomance, Freddy will be joined by local musicians Phil Proctor (drums), Bryant Keith(electric guitar & mandolin), Sam DeGeorge(keyboards), Charlie K. Brown(acoustic guitar & vocals), Tim Toonen(bass), Jay Freeman(vocals), and Abby
McDowell(vocals.)
The journey begins with breaking the silence. Until this happens, there can be no
dialogue. No storytelling. No growth and no understanding. Freddy would like his
audience to hear his pride, his struggle, his pain, and his triumph. Let the journey begin. Break the Silence.
Freddy Freeman's BREAK THE SILENCE CD RELEASE PARTY
with special guest Sideshow Bennie
Friday December 8th, 2006
Blue Gene's Back Pocket (aka BLU)
1715 Church St - Nashville, Tennessee 37201
Doors at 8pm - $10
The CD will also be available at www.woobiebearmusic.com, as well as fine on-line retailers such as CD Baby, Amazon.com, Borders, Waldenbooks, Tower and CD-Now.
For photos, bio, clips, news, and upcoming shows, go to www.freddyfreeman.com
Freddy Freeman
Singer - Songwriter - Producer - Event Promoter
http://www.freddyfreeman.com
Promoter of Bearapalooza
http://www.bearapalooza.com
993 Glastonbury Road
Nashville, TN 37217
(615) 366 0145
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