This is hilarious
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Elliot Smith - Angeles
These are becoming difficult to come up with as there are so many good songs that deserve to exist in this space. It would also be easy to get stuck in a rut. I could easily post Jeff Buckley songs for the next couple months. I also don't need to post music everyone has heard. This isn't a place to promote the classics, but introduce you to new material. Even new older material.
I decided to challenge myself today. Discover a song I've never listened to. Thus I chose an Elliot Smith song. I find direct baritone singers are harder for me to comprehend. It's much easier for an artist with incredible vocal range to pull their heart out. With a baritone, it can be tricky. You need to feel as if you are the artist and what sort of mindset it would take to convey the melody and feeling of the lyrics.
Somewhere along the line things went bad for Elliot. He was a bit of a rock golden child. He had been nominated for an Oscar for his song 'Miss Misery' that appeared on the Good Will Hunting soundtrack. He suffered from depression, drug addiction, alcoholism. His darkness comes across in his song-writing. He's a bit like a lower strung Cobain with more talent. If that makes sense. Elliot died from 2 stab wounds to the chest. It's left to speculation if it's homicide or suicide. He was having a fight with his girlfriend and while in the shower she said she heard a scream and found him with a knife in his chest. She pulled it out and he collapsed and later died. There was a Post-It note found with the writing 'I'm sorry'.
Weight of the World
Typically I cycle to work. It's about 35 minutes per way on a good day. Some days it's a bit longer based on traffic and other factors. Kingston isn't an overly bike accessible city. We have some bikelanes but they really don't form a viable route from the downtown to the uptown. Thus there has to be a bit of sidewalk cycling and maneuvering around cars and intersections.
Anyway the point is, I'm pretty fit. Ontop of a 125kilo cycling week I try to train 5 days a week at the gym. I'm not a super muscular fellow but I'd be hard pressed to find someone as lean and defined. While today I had to take the bus to work, I noticed a growing number of overweight people. Ranging from 50 to 200 pounds over weight. It got me thinking of the stress one singular person can have on the entire ecosystem. How the caloric consumption of one person can be 6 times that of someone who works out and does a ton of cardio is beyond me. Think of the stress we are putting on the planet when in the period of a few years we go from healthy consumption to quadrupling what we are taking from the planet. The effect ripples as first we have to be growing, producing or manufacturing more food. Ontop of that the packaging for such things would be simply thrown away and occupying a space in a landfill. Learn to be happy with yourself or your place in life. Desire to be healthy and live. The environment will thank you and perhaps there will be a tomorrow.
Anyway the point is, I'm pretty fit. Ontop of a 125kilo cycling week I try to train 5 days a week at the gym. I'm not a super muscular fellow but I'd be hard pressed to find someone as lean and defined. While today I had to take the bus to work, I noticed a growing number of overweight people. Ranging from 50 to 200 pounds over weight. It got me thinking of the stress one singular person can have on the entire ecosystem. How the caloric consumption of one person can be 6 times that of someone who works out and does a ton of cardio is beyond me. Think of the stress we are putting on the planet when in the period of a few years we go from healthy consumption to quadrupling what we are taking from the planet. The effect ripples as first we have to be growing, producing or manufacturing more food. Ontop of that the packaging for such things would be simply thrown away and occupying a space in a landfill. Learn to be happy with yourself or your place in life. Desire to be healthy and live. The environment will thank you and perhaps there will be a tomorrow.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Skincare Manifesto Round Two
Alright, so I've gone over what has helped me deal with acne. Despite how great the products are I suggested, it's not going to get you what we see as perfect skin. You may have left over discolorations from years of chronic acne or just uneven skintone and large pores. The good news is there are more great products out there that will help you go towards great skin while with a few tweaks acne can be kept at bay.
I wanted to preface my recommendations with a bit of information about Paula's Choice. I'm going to be recommending many products from the line and you may ask why. Paula's Choice is a no frills cosmetics company. They don't market lies or make any false claims. Every claim made by the company is based on documented research and every single product has it's own page of citations for any claim that it makes. All of the products are reasonably priced and guaranteed. If it doesn't work for you, return it for a refund. The company is all about responsibility which sets them apart from competition. The cosmetics industry is a massive Juggernaut built around lies and companies not backing their products. Claiming a cream can remove wrinkles is insane and simply a pipe dream.
Back to our regularly scheduled programming:
1) Cleanse.
This is a simple process and the basis for every successful skincare system. Pick a basic cleanser not containing any oils, salts or alcohols. Drugstore brands like Cetaphil and Spectro are basic formulas that will provide great results. I would recommend the Paula's Choice Cleanser.
2) Tone.
Toners have been demonized for a very long time and rightfully so. They are typically alcohol based formulas that sting to put on and really do nothing but iritate the skin. I'm unaware of any toner outside of Paula's Choice that has a helpful formulation. A toner should refresh and provide a layer of moisture. Based on your skintype you may want to pick any of a number of PC's toner.
3) Exfoliate
Exfoliation is a method of convicning your skin to recycle itself. By providing your skin with a mild exfoliant, it's encouraged to create new healthy beautiful skin and exfoliants also remove the layer of dead skin that can give you a dull and rough complexion. Exfoliants do greatly differ based on your skintype. If you have normal to dry skin it's best you use a lotion based product. A lotion will contain helpful, calming ingredients to accompany the exfoliant. A liquid will best serve those with oily to combination skin by not overdrying any dry areas of the skin. A gel is best used by people with oily skin and will spread evenly and smoothly over the skin and help counteract some of the oil production.
Now you need to decide between an Alpha-Hydroxy Acid (AHA) and a Beta-Hydroxy Acid (BHA). This again really depends on your skintype. AHA is great for acne prone skin where as BHA is not. Both will give similar results. Choose accordingly! Again, I've not found a company outside of Paula's Choice manufacturing quality exfoliants. I'm always open to suggestions.
4) Antioxidents/Medicate.
This step does vary based on your skin. If you have acne, use a quality 2.5%Benzol Peroxide in this step. Visit the thread below to find recommendations. As an acne prone individual myself I go back and forth on this step. I give my skin a break from BP every few days and just use antioxidents.
Antioxidents do dramatically help skin. Skin identical ingredients promote new, healthy skin while giving skin more of the compounds it creates naturally. Antioxidents will also protect your skin from pollution and free radicals.
5) Moisturize and Sunscreen
This step changes a bit based on the time of day. If it's during the day use a moisturizer containing a sunscreen. This will protect your skin from the sun which will in turn prevent wrinkles and aging. During the night use just a basic, helpful moisturizer. I would recommend using a more emollient moisturizer during the night as it will help makeup for a suncreen based moisturizer not being as moisturizing.
I wanted to preface my recommendations with a bit of information about Paula's Choice. I'm going to be recommending many products from the line and you may ask why. Paula's Choice is a no frills cosmetics company. They don't market lies or make any false claims. Every claim made by the company is based on documented research and every single product has it's own page of citations for any claim that it makes. All of the products are reasonably priced and guaranteed. If it doesn't work for you, return it for a refund. The company is all about responsibility which sets them apart from competition. The cosmetics industry is a massive Juggernaut built around lies and companies not backing their products. Claiming a cream can remove wrinkles is insane and simply a pipe dream.
Back to our regularly scheduled programming:
1) Cleanse.
This is a simple process and the basis for every successful skincare system. Pick a basic cleanser not containing any oils, salts or alcohols. Drugstore brands like Cetaphil and Spectro are basic formulas that will provide great results. I would recommend the Paula's Choice Cleanser.
2) Tone.
Toners have been demonized for a very long time and rightfully so. They are typically alcohol based formulas that sting to put on and really do nothing but iritate the skin. I'm unaware of any toner outside of Paula's Choice that has a helpful formulation. A toner should refresh and provide a layer of moisture. Based on your skintype you may want to pick any of a number of PC's toner.
3) Exfoliate
Exfoliation is a method of convicning your skin to recycle itself. By providing your skin with a mild exfoliant, it's encouraged to create new healthy beautiful skin and exfoliants also remove the layer of dead skin that can give you a dull and rough complexion. Exfoliants do greatly differ based on your skintype. If you have normal to dry skin it's best you use a lotion based product. A lotion will contain helpful, calming ingredients to accompany the exfoliant. A liquid will best serve those with oily to combination skin by not overdrying any dry areas of the skin. A gel is best used by people with oily skin and will spread evenly and smoothly over the skin and help counteract some of the oil production.
Now you need to decide between an Alpha-Hydroxy Acid (AHA) and a Beta-Hydroxy Acid (BHA). This again really depends on your skintype. AHA is great for acne prone skin where as BHA is not. Both will give similar results. Choose accordingly! Again, I've not found a company outside of Paula's Choice manufacturing quality exfoliants. I'm always open to suggestions.
4) Antioxidents/Medicate.
This step does vary based on your skin. If you have acne, use a quality 2.5%Benzol Peroxide in this step. Visit the thread below to find recommendations. As an acne prone individual myself I go back and forth on this step. I give my skin a break from BP every few days and just use antioxidents.
Antioxidents do dramatically help skin. Skin identical ingredients promote new, healthy skin while giving skin more of the compounds it creates naturally. Antioxidents will also protect your skin from pollution and free radicals.
5) Moisturize and Sunscreen
This step changes a bit based on the time of day. If it's during the day use a moisturizer containing a sunscreen. This will protect your skin from the sun which will in turn prevent wrinkles and aging. During the night use just a basic, helpful moisturizer. I would recommend using a more emollient moisturizer during the night as it will help makeup for a suncreen based moisturizer not being as moisturizing.
Soundgarden - Like Suicide
Soundgarden - Like Suicide
Seattle is a dreadful, dreary place most of the year. No sun, constant rain. There is nothing to do but hang out in your basement and either be depressed or put your energy into something productive. Like Suicide is the last cut from Soundgarden's landmark Superunknown album. Chris Cornell wrote the song about an experience he had while working on the band's new album. He heard a loud thud on his door and when he went to check it out he found a bird had crashed into his door and almost killed itself. He did the bird a favor and finished it off but was left traumatised by the incident. The lyrics run parallel to the story and he is quite literal.
Heard it from another room/Eyes were waking up just to fall asleep/Love's like suicide/Dazed out in a garden bed/With a broken neck lays my broken gift/Just like suicide
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
The Mayfield Four - 12/31
The Mayfield Four - 12/31
Most rock fans will be familar with Myles Kennedy. He's risen to fame and acclaim after replacing Scott Stapp in Creed (although named Alter Bridge). However most fans aren't aware his previous band The Mayfield Four created 2 far superior albums. Destined to be modern classics one day.
12/31 is the standout track from the Fallout album. It's builds with a slow crescendo of strings. You can hear it in Myles' voice that he's burned out and in a low place. 'If I had a Drink, I'd drink it/If I had a drug, I'd take it'. Spokane resembles Seattle and did give birth to it's own mini music movement. With nothing to do but sit in the basement and make music, miracles happen. This is one of them. Enjoy.
Skincare Manifesto
In general browsing the internet there are so many people out there that are just looking for healthy, glowing skin. It's a dream they chase, a goal for the future. They buy apricot scrubs and the latest in big budget marketing but never really get anywhere. Most products that are marketed for skin are not healthy or helpful to your skin. Any potential good that can be done for your skin is counteracted by common drying ingredients in the form of alcohol, menthol etc.
Skincare is not an overly complicated thing under most circumstances. You need a few basic products that contain helpful ingredients that are both good for and gentle on your skin. There are things you may need to combat but most skin conditions can be treated with a few simple products as well. I'll break down the steps that need to be following and provide links to sample products that will give good results.
1) Acne
Most humans will suffer from acne at some point. Ranging from mild to cystic. Products sold at the drugstore typically contain too much of the main helpful ingredient. You want to get the bacteria out and calm your skin at the same time. Products like ProActiv dry your skin which will cause more acne. Acne in a very basic description is an inflamed pore. When your skin is irritated your pores may collapse or become inflamed. The first thing to do is throw away all products you currently have. You need 3 basic steps from here on out. Cleanse. Medicate. Moisturize.
Cleansing is the process of cleaning your skin. You want to use a very gentle cleanser that will remove dirt and oil from the face while not drying or damaging skin. When you wash your face never use a face cloth or scrub. Use small gentle circular motions over the skin and then rinse skin. I would highly Recommend the following Paula's Choice product:
http://tinyurl.com/3233aft
At your local drugstore you should also be able to pickup a very basic cleanser. Cetaphil makes a decent one and so does Spectro. While in College I even used the generic store brand and had great results.
2) Medicate
Studies show that Benzol Peroxide is a very effective ingredient for treating acne. Where most products get it wrong is the strength. Benzol Peroxide will dry your skin. There is no way around it. However the same studies also show that going above 2.5% Benzol Peroxide will not increase the effectiveness. A drugstore product will typically contain 10% BP which will aggravate your skin and potentially cause more acne then it cures. The trick is to find a 2.5% BP product and use it liberally. I will warn you that a 2.5% BP product can be hard to find in stores. I've found Spectro does manufacturer a 2.5% BP product that is effective, but it is expensive and comes in a tiny bottle that may last 2 weeks if used twice a day. I would recommend a 2.5%BP made by Paula's Choice or Acne.org.
PC: http://tinyurl.com/2bzfz6x
Acne.org http://tinyurl.com/2fdueea
3) Moisturize
You can't go wrong with this step. You need a solid moisturizer to keep up the moisture content of your skin. This will keep your skin clear and on the road to being acne free. You want to use a moisturizer that is basic and won't cause any irritation. I can highly recommend Complex15 that can be found at any drugstore. Be sure to get the formula intended for the face as it will blend to a matte finish. A moisturizer from Paula's Choice based on your skintype will also do a fantastic job. I'd suggest using a formula that contains a sunscreen for the day and an emollient moisturizer at night.
You want to be following this regimen twice a day. Morning and night or if you have a different schedule, every 12 hours. If you don't have acne watch this space for another blogpost. I'll be making a post on maintaining healthy beautiful skin and the dos and don't that lead to a great complexion. That routine will work as a great followup to the above routine once you have mostly cleared up your acne.
Skincare is not an overly complicated thing under most circumstances. You need a few basic products that contain helpful ingredients that are both good for and gentle on your skin. There are things you may need to combat but most skin conditions can be treated with a few simple products as well. I'll break down the steps that need to be following and provide links to sample products that will give good results.
1) Acne
Most humans will suffer from acne at some point. Ranging from mild to cystic. Products sold at the drugstore typically contain too much of the main helpful ingredient. You want to get the bacteria out and calm your skin at the same time. Products like ProActiv dry your skin which will cause more acne. Acne in a very basic description is an inflamed pore. When your skin is irritated your pores may collapse or become inflamed. The first thing to do is throw away all products you currently have. You need 3 basic steps from here on out. Cleanse. Medicate. Moisturize.
Cleansing is the process of cleaning your skin. You want to use a very gentle cleanser that will remove dirt and oil from the face while not drying or damaging skin. When you wash your face never use a face cloth or scrub. Use small gentle circular motions over the skin and then rinse skin. I would highly Recommend the following Paula's Choice product:
http://tinyurl.com/3233aft
At your local drugstore you should also be able to pickup a very basic cleanser. Cetaphil makes a decent one and so does Spectro. While in College I even used the generic store brand and had great results.
2) Medicate
Studies show that Benzol Peroxide is a very effective ingredient for treating acne. Where most products get it wrong is the strength. Benzol Peroxide will dry your skin. There is no way around it. However the same studies also show that going above 2.5% Benzol Peroxide will not increase the effectiveness. A drugstore product will typically contain 10% BP which will aggravate your skin and potentially cause more acne then it cures. The trick is to find a 2.5% BP product and use it liberally. I will warn you that a 2.5% BP product can be hard to find in stores. I've found Spectro does manufacturer a 2.5% BP product that is effective, but it is expensive and comes in a tiny bottle that may last 2 weeks if used twice a day. I would recommend a 2.5%BP made by Paula's Choice or Acne.org.
PC: http://tinyurl.com/2bzfz6x
Acne.org http://tinyurl.com/2fdueea
3) Moisturize
You can't go wrong with this step. You need a solid moisturizer to keep up the moisture content of your skin. This will keep your skin clear and on the road to being acne free. You want to use a moisturizer that is basic and won't cause any irritation. I can highly recommend Complex15 that can be found at any drugstore. Be sure to get the formula intended for the face as it will blend to a matte finish. A moisturizer from Paula's Choice based on your skintype will also do a fantastic job. I'd suggest using a formula that contains a sunscreen for the day and an emollient moisturizer at night.
You want to be following this regimen twice a day. Morning and night or if you have a different schedule, every 12 hours. If you don't have acne watch this space for another blogpost. I'll be making a post on maintaining healthy beautiful skin and the dos and don't that lead to a great complexion. That routine will work as a great followup to the above routine once you have mostly cleared up your acne.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Rocco Deluca - Draw
Being a Rock Historian comes with responsibility. Mainly to preach the goodbook to all the peoples outs dere. So 5 days a week I'll be posting a song of the day for people to check out. Giving a bit of background and history on it. Might even be some interesting and cool tidbits along the way!
Rocco's career exists mostly thanks to Keifer Sutherland. Rocco has been a staple on the Calfornia live circuit for about 10 years however the financial support from Keifer's independant label Ironworks helped launch his first album. He has since released an acclaimed followup produced by Daniel Lanois (U2, Scott Weiland, Bob Dylan).
Draw is a standout off the first album Mercy. Probably lyrically the strongest contender on the album. The song deals with struggles with distance as well as everyday conflicts. Rocco has the range of Buckley however opts to play a Doboro as his main signature.
Music, Lyrics and a History Lesson
I spent a large amount of time this weekend discovering albums I've listened to many times. In some cases hundreds of times. However we had agreed to see other people for awhile. Part of the brilliance of music is walking away from a band or album for awhile and coming back to rediscover the magic held within. I also got thinking about what makes music great. What makes a perfect song. In some cases it's age. A classic example is Led Zeppelin. During their hayday in the 1970s most rock critics labeled the music as complete trash as it was loud, excessive and in your face. In a singular album they would frequently completely deviate from their staple sound and just have something totally out of left field. However with a bit of age the music has been labeled as groundbreaking and people speak of Zeppelin as the legends of our time.
Another pondering this weekend was the lyrical content of music. It's probably the most commonly overlooked aspect of music. People tend to not really know or understand what the artist or band is trying to convey. It could be that pop music is to blame. The artistry really goes out the window when you have 9 outside songwriters writing the next Britney or Christina song. The lyrics are typically trash that talk about partying or foolish love. Lyrics are also entities that typically don't live well outside a song. We all have facebook friends that quote their favorite lyrics all the time and we get a chuckle at how pretentious or dumb the lyrics sound. However when combined with melody all of a sudden they hold meaning. However typing out the lyrics doesn't convey the picture or emotion that the entire package causes you to feel. There are some standout cases however. Some lyrics that contain power just in the words alone. Combined with melody such songs contain great emotional power and connect with many people across many backgrounds. Here are a few of my favorites.
There you lie like a painting of christ
Bleeding on the heads of the ones who nailed you down
/
Now my foolish boat is leaning, broken love lost on your rocks
For you sang, "Touch me not, touch me not, come back tomorrow"
Oh my heart, oh my heart shies from the sorrow
/
Pleased to meet you
Hope you guessed my name
What's puzzling you is the
nature of my game
/
Looking out the door
I see the rain fall upon the funeral mourners
Parading in a wake of sad relations
As their shoes fill up with water
Maybe I'm too young
To keep good love from going wrong
But tonight, you're on my mind so
You never know
Another pondering this weekend was the lyrical content of music. It's probably the most commonly overlooked aspect of music. People tend to not really know or understand what the artist or band is trying to convey. It could be that pop music is to blame. The artistry really goes out the window when you have 9 outside songwriters writing the next Britney or Christina song. The lyrics are typically trash that talk about partying or foolish love. Lyrics are also entities that typically don't live well outside a song. We all have facebook friends that quote their favorite lyrics all the time and we get a chuckle at how pretentious or dumb the lyrics sound. However when combined with melody all of a sudden they hold meaning. However typing out the lyrics doesn't convey the picture or emotion that the entire package causes you to feel. There are some standout cases however. Some lyrics that contain power just in the words alone. Combined with melody such songs contain great emotional power and connect with many people across many backgrounds. Here are a few of my favorites.
There you lie like a painting of christ
Bleeding on the heads of the ones who nailed you down
/
Now my foolish boat is leaning, broken love lost on your rocks
For you sang, "Touch me not, touch me not, come back tomorrow"
Oh my heart, oh my heart shies from the sorrow
/
Pleased to meet you
Hope you guessed my name
What's puzzling you is the
nature of my game
/
Looking out the door
I see the rain fall upon the funeral mourners
Parading in a wake of sad relations
As their shoes fill up with water
Maybe I'm too young
To keep good love from going wrong
But tonight, you're on my mind so
You never know
Friday, September 24, 2010
Blogs
There should be rules to publishing a blog. There are so many useless, untalented people that just write blogs out of sheer narcissism. The sheer need to post about everything they do because in the grand scheme they hope someone out there cares they walked down the street yesterday. It really seems to be a growing trend with my generation. Extreme narcissism, constantly needing the feeling of connection. Afraid to just live and exist inside your own skin for a little awhile. Isn't there some simple beauty in just existing? Observing whats going on around you rather then trying to control whats going on around you. The world will always be moving by, so why not let it? Get out of the 100MPH lane. Exist. Be. Feel. Focus on self preservation, making sure your around for tomorrow.
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