Just fiddle diddlin

So, a semi-tragic/foreseen event has recently struck the news. Music artist Amy Winehouse passed away the other day from......an Over-Dose. As if anyone was surprised by this. Any way, I never really gave her music a chance when she was alive because, well, she was a drug addict who's body weight was less than the weight of her head/hair alone. She looked like an alien. But, my friend posted one of Amy's songs on her facebook wall and I must say I was intrigued. She isn't half bad. And her lyrics; HER LYRICS! They hit me like a train. They are fanTAStic!

She has this song called 'Tears Dry on Their Own' and it's about her being the lover of some man (I've found that a few of her songs are) and part of the chorus goes a little something like this: He walks away, the sun goes down. He takes the day. etc., etc., etc.. And I thought, "this is true, but I am an night walker. I come alive when the sun goes down." Ironic? Slightly. When he walked away, every time, I felt like he took my light, ya know, the good part of me. And I became some creature of the night, no one knew the softer side of me. Anyway it has kind of inspired me to write a poem, though I'd be stealing some of her lyrics. Opps. whatever.

I'll let ya know how the poem turns out. =)

That's all for today. I should get back to writing my paper.

If Not Now, When?

Incubus has been and will forever be my favorite band. I first got into them when a boy I was head over heels for told me to check out a few of their songs; Pardon Me (which has become my favorite song of all time), I Miss You, and Stellar. I hadn't got past those three songs for years. It wasn't until they dropped their 'A Crow Left of the Murder' album and my friend Drew brought a copy of it to school for me that I realized there was no going back. I fell in love with the rhythm of their music, the sound and tone of Brandon's voice, the alternative vibe that was Incubus. Since then, Light Grenades and Monuments and Melodies (a 2 disc set comprised mostly of their Greatest Hits with a few new and never before released tracks) have filled my ears with joy. It seemed as though they just couldn't make bad music, as if it were impossible.

It seems I may have gotten ahead of myself.

After what seemed like forever, my pre-ordered copy of  'If Not Now, When?' finally arrived! Coming home to a slim, squared shaped package sitting on the counter made me second guess what time of year it was, "Christmas Already?". I couldn't get that cardboard and plastic unwrapped fast enough. What lay ahead was unbeknown-st to me, but what I DID know, think rather, was it was going to be magical. After hearing the first two singles they let loose I couldn't wait to hear what else they had in store.

I've given the album a couple of listens already, I am still not sure how I feel about it. Of course, Brandons soothing voice has not changed, the level of artistry from any of the band members hasn't weakened at all but something about the new sound of this album doesn't sound all that 'Incubus-y'. I'm not mad at my boys, I understand they can't make the same music over and over again but I just don't know if I am buying the pairing of the lyrics and the music. A lot of the songs sound like they are singing the wrong song with the music or that Brandon isn't exactly sure when to start and how long to hold the lyric. It just sounds awkward. Or maybe, MAYBE, what their singing about just doesn't touch any base of my life right now (there's actually a great chance of this).

All in all, this wouldn't be the album I'd copy for someone who hasn't had the Incubus experience. & it will surely take a few more listens before I find my footing among the new sound they've created. They're still the love of my music life and I will not turn my back just because one album did not wholly and completely blow me away.

It's a question of 'Morality'

Someone once told me that ‘morality is a test’ and it got me thinking of tests that people are given. Catholics believe their ultimate test if given by god and their success of being a good catholic will get them to heaven. While those who don’t believe in a heaven do believe that it is society that is testing them to see if they can survive. Students, as well, are tested on all sorts of material to see how well they have learned and can apply the material.

If we accept this metaphor then we are accepting that there is a test for goodness. But, what does it mean to be good and how do we use our findings as a universal definition?

The thing is, we can’t. There are just too many factors (cultural-values, religious-values, political-values, family-values, philosophical-theories) that come into play when asking the question “what is moral?” Depending on your belief of any of, or any mix of the aforementioned factors, what you approve of is ultimately what you deem moral, but may be immoral to another who is basing their opinion on the same categories.

For example, if someone approves of cannibalism, incest, or sacrifice to satisfy the gods than those actions cannot be immoral solely based on their approval of it.

In addition, the morality of prostitution is also based on the individual. To say prostitution is immoral because it is illegal is basing morality on legality, but just because it is illegal does not make is immoral. If we based morality on legality than technically slavery was once a moral act. Even today, some people may still believe slavery is moral; and who’s to say they’re wrong?

In the Mariam Webster Online dictionary, you will find the word moral defined as “of or relating to principles of right and wrong in behavior” (). This definition does and does not work. It does work because it doesn’t suggest what the definition of right or wrong is. However, it does not work because it leaves it’s interpretation to the individual and so the word or term ‘moral’ can truly have millions of definitions and therefore, can never be universal.

Junot Diaz

Sitting in on Junot Diaz's talk was surprisingly enjoyable, not that I didn't think I'd enjoy hearing him after reading his novel, I was just expecting a suit and a straight edge type of speech. Instead, Diaz came out with his guns a-blazing, wowing and shocking his audience with his speech, mostly, and his extremely laid back personality. Personally, I loved ever second of it. I was engaged from begining to end and was left wanting more, wanting anything he had to give me. I would've loved to be able to sit down and share conversation with him over a meal or maybe, and even better, a beer or two. What stuck out to me was when he said he wasn't political but had very strong feelings toward political people and politics in America. What I did agree on, strangely enough, was that he was angry with Obama for not giving American citizens a "story". Diaz explained that the American people thrive off of stories and we don't care what they are, but if it's a good one we will believe it. It's true in a sense, just try reading a fiction novel; part of you will want try to convince yourself that it must be true because the author did such a phenomenal job of detailing this lie they poured out for you to believe as true. Obama has been seemingly absent since he has been in office and the American people need a story. They need to hear anything, to feel involved and they wont care if it's good or bad because if they know, they believe they have a say. Diaz is strong spoken and he feels no need to put a mask on and cover up how he feels and exactly how he wants to talk about it. I admire him for that and am extremely happy to have had the honor to sit in his presence.

Writing Weaknesses

My writing skills are above average but there is room for improvement and technical expansion. The first and most obvious weakness is my lack of detail in much of my writing. I don't usually pay attention to detail in my own life so I find it difficult to incorporate it into my writing. I also feel like it seems forced when I put it into my writing. However, I know how important detail is to help guide the reader through my reading and help them in-vision what actions are taking place. The second thing I need to work on is not being to critical of what I put into my writing. I chose to keep certain things out thinking they would be irrelevant but it seems as though they might have done a world of good. I suppose taking chances might help me instead of trying to play it safe.

DPS Editorial

It's no secret that Detroit Public School's are struggling. As a future educator it breaks my heart to see this happening in a city I grew up next to and often visited. Detroit, to many I meet out of town, is my home. I do not wish to see it go down in flames and I refuse to allow it to happen.The children in the city did not choose to go to school there and the poor education available is not their fault. They deserve better. There are so many programs to help to improve this situation that not only high school and college students can be apart of but many graduates who are looking for something to fill up their days.

I  plan to write my editorial on the problems of DPS and how, as an ordinary citizen, one can help make a difference. I used to volunteer for a program called Beyond Basics that helped k-8 with writing and reading. I will probably mention this program as a starter for those looking to dive in and help. I will also use the experience to show my readers how rewarding volunteering can be.

Feedback

Out of the 3 person group I only ended up with one feedback paper to look at while working on my final draft. I sent my final draft to the other girl in my group so she could fill out her feedback sheet and e-mail me back a more in depth feedback because I only had my first two, very short, paragraphs done last week. However, the girl that did give me my sheet filled out was very pleased with what I had written. She did pose a few questions that I was able to work off of and make sure I answered in my memoir and listed a few comment I could work with. There is nothing she said that I will disregard but one question that stuck out to me as extremely important that I didn't think to make my reader aware of was that this was the first time I discussed this topic with someone and it was the first time I was experiencing it. It will absolutely help to make my story more clear and easy to understand by my readers. Until the feedback from the other girl is mailed to me that is all I can really comment on.