So... it's been a while since I've given you all review... at least one worth reading. I know I keep promising you a Max Payne review, and I'm probably starting to sound a bit like a politician, but I swear they aren't empty promises, I'm going to deliver - I swear. I just want to give it a good, rounded, well researched review.
Today, however, you are getting a review... sort of a compare and contrast, if you will. I've been listening to a lot of music lately - mostly Christmas stuff, because I really like Christmas music, and it seemed somewhat okay to start listening to it with Halloween out of the way... and for whatever reason, Christmas music has always gotten me in the mood for Thanksgiving... but music for the most part is a staple in my life. I've been digging around for new stuff, because I'm making a CD for a friend, and I usually ask people to send stuff my way if they find anything they like... so, today I was checking to see if I had any new songs sent my way, and instead found an e-mail asking me to go vote the NKOTB's new video for "Single" as #1 in MTV's top 20 video countdown. I thoroughly enjoy the video - not just because I love the New Kids, but because I am a fan of editing. Anything that is edited so well that it sends chills down my spine deserves a nod where I'm concerned, and "Single" does that in spades, so I had no problem voting it to the #1 spot. As I did so, however, I looked at the videos that "Single" was up against, and upon doing this, I noticed that "Crush" and "Light On" were on the list.
Now, I'm a fairly big David Cook fan, and as such I've been made aware of the "Battle of the Davids" that's been going on. Both Cook and Archuleta released their singles at the same time, and I've listened to both of them... so I felt it only fair to watch both videos as well. As an on looker in this war - I'm not really involved, because I'll be the first to tell you that both are extremely talented, I just prefer Cook's image over Archuleta's - I decided I wanted to give you all a weighed and thorough review on both the songs AND the videos.
THE SONGS:
Light On vs. Crush (Battle of the Davids)
Like I stated before, music is a staple in my life. I listen to more old stuff than I do new stuff, so I have a number of songs done by multiple artists... because of the way I judge music, I usually have a problem choosing one version over the other when it comes to good covers (for instance, I couldn't tell you who did a better job with "Little Drummer Boy" if forced to choose between Aly&A.J. or Jordan Knight)... which is why I was extremely glad that the sounds of "Crush" and "Light On" were so different - made it easier to pick out things I liked and didn't like.
"Light On" - David Cook's first single caught me by surprise. Normally, it takes a while for an American Idol winner's album to come out, so having Cook's single so quickly was shocking. This was good, though, because I approached the single without all the expectations I usually have of an AI debut single. Having it out so quickly and catch me by surprise allowed me to be extremely open minded - my opinion of the song would not be weighed down by the anxiety of waiting for a song, the expectations that come with anticipation... but I feel that, even if I HAD gone into this song with expectations, "Light On" would have easily exceeded them.
The pacing is slow and thoughtful - reminiscent of Cook's performance of "Time Of My Life." It starts out simple enough - subtle guitar backing Cook's vocals. As the song carries on, Cook's vocals become stronger and are backed by a more powerful band arrangement, pulling from the rock image he created during his time on the show. For the second verse, the band pulls back, once again giving way to a simple arrangement and allowing Cook's vocals to lead the song into another powerful chorus.
His voice doesn't fail at it's leading role, either - soaked with passion, Cook leads one to believe in the song, understand it, and relate. It just... fits.
The lyrics are poetic at the very least, and absolutely beautiful... but not so beautiful that the rock song genre would kill them. On the contrary, the lyrics suit the feel of the song perfectly, further assisting Cook's vocals to lead the song, as well as supplying it with the passion that makes a single become a hit.
The song is not just a safe choice for a single, but a smart one. If AI didn't do it already, "Light On" serves to catapult Cook's first album to the top of the charts upon it's release. One can only hope the rest of the album is just as amazing.
"Crush" - Archuleta's first single caught me by surprise, as well - I didn't expect both Davids to release their singles so close together. "Crush" also caught me by surprise, because the piano that led the song off seemed a bit more up tempo than it should sound for a David Archuleta ballad. Like Cook's single, the song starts out slower at first, then picks up tempo on the chorus. A very similar structure, but substance wise, "Crush" lacks what "Light On" had in plethora: reality. Archuleta's single seems much more electronic - using a piano backed by a studio beat. The drum rhythm reflects that of a drum machine, and the guitar laid in the chorus sounds just as fake.
Archuleta's vocals are good, but lacking. His performances on American Idol showed the world how well he could sing, so to put out something less than what he is capable of just leaves the vocals sounding... empty at best. It lacks the passion needed to push the album, and doesn't reflect as strongly on the listener's emotions.
That doesn't mean the song is BAD, it's just... reminiscent of a One Hit Wonder.
The lyrics don't save it, either - poetic at BEST, "Crush" is Archuleta's "Invisible" - Clay Aiken's hit got his album some sales, but wasn't enough to make the album memorable. Not to mention, both have the same stalker undertones. A safe choice for a single, but not as smart when looked at in the long run. If "Crush" gives us any idea of what Archuleta's album will be like, the outlook is grim. True, it shows that Archuleta can sing more than a normal ballad, but also shows that he has yet to acquire the umph needed to get him some recognition.
THE VERDICT: Screaming teenagers may buy Archuleta's album, but there won't be enough of them to justify a second. Cook's album will appeal to a larger audience, and has the makings of a truly great musical masterpiece. When listening to the songs alone, Cook wins by a landslide.
THE VIDEOS:
Being a fan of music in general, I know what it's like to have a great song backed by an even better music video. The ability to highlight a song with wonderful scenes and pump an amazing arrangement with brilliant cinematography is an art that many have mastered. Many, however, have also failed... and it sucks when that happens, as well. Music, as well as the videos that couple it, is best when moving. As one who has been well versed in music, I feel it safe to say that I know the joys of watching a hit like "Tonight" be attached to a video that, on a bad day, can make me smile up a storm, as well as the disappointment when a song like "Picture to Burn" is stuck to a video that fails to get the point of the song across.
"Light On" - Where Cook's song succeeded in listening, it almost fails in visual.
The music video tells the traditional story of the girl with the jock who doesn't care about her, and the lowly bus boy that loves her more than anything. The "you don't belong with him, you belong with me," vibe is there, but doesn't seem to fit as well as you would think with the song.
However - it IS artistic. The chorus of the song talks about leaving a light on - something I rely on to get home. This idea is woven into the song in a very crafty way, leading to an obvious, yet unpredictable use at the end.
Another thing that stands out about the video is the fact that Cook doesn't use himself as the object of the story - a move that earns him respect. There are scenes of him singing the song with his band, but the body of the video - the story - doesn't involve him. He's merely singing the tune to someone else's story, and it gives the video a little more meaning... and what successes like Jordan Knight, Alison Michalka, Zac Efron, and Amy Grant, had to learn, Cook already possesses: Camera presence. He seems comfortable and natural in the video, so kudos to him for that.
The song does end up tying into the video more than one would initially see, but it's the initial reaction that matters - the initial hook, and "Light On" doesn't have it. If the song itself wasn't amazing at the least, the video wouldn't even warrant a nod.
"Crush" - The video for Crush reflects a lot of the same vibes as the song. Archuleta uses himself as the focus of the video, not really delving below the surface of the lyrics, but delivering them at face value. He is a prepubescent youngin, vying for the affections of a friend. His camera presence is lacking - Archuleta cheeses up his camera time, much like a young Jordan Knight did in the 80's, but without the charm, body, and moves. As opposed to laughing at Archy, commenting on how cute he is, you're stuck feeling uncomfortable, watching him try to sell his emotions. Archuleta tries to relay passion with his mannerisms, and it doesn't fit the emptiness of the song. The idea of the video is the same - you aren't supposed to be with the jerk you're with, you're supposed to be with me... however, there is nothing really woven into the song and the video that locks them together.
Having said that - the video fits the audience it's meant to reach - young, squealing girls. Taken at face value, the song and video couple together well, the song playing the part of narrator for the fairytale playing out before you. Very much what "I'll Be Loving You Forever" was for the New Kids - but without the undertones that launched it to the top of the charts.
THE VERDICT: "Crush" is a far better video for one that doesn't wish to pick it apart, a much better fit for a top 20 countdown, but both videos are extremely lacking.
And that's it... say hi to your mother for me.
~L.
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We made history! (And a New Kids wallpaper!)
First things first!! I made a couple New Kids wallpapers... The one above is on my desktop, the other one is simply another version of the same pictures with different effects. I was soooo bored, and wanted to see how many pictures I had. It's mostly Donnie, Joey, and Jordan... but there IS some Danny and Jon in there, promise. lol. This is why I love Picasa... you just throw everything in there and it organizes it for you... SO cool!
**UPDATE**
I can't get the other wallpaper to post because it HATES me... today is NOT a good blog day. *sigh* I promise, my next blog will have links, and substance... I really am sorry for how LAME this blog is. Please don't stop reading because of it.
Also - we've finally made history!!! For the first time, in the history of America, we have a Chief of Staff with only 9 fingers!!! THAT'S RIGHT - Rahm Emanuel, Chief of Staff elect, only has 9 fingers. He's missing his left middle finger... how awesome, huh?? I heard we made history some other way, too... but I can never remember what that was for... :P For the first time in forever, I really don't have a lot to talk about... how lame is that??
Only a few more weeks until I go on vacation - should be going to Nevada, then New Mexico... that'll make for a GREAT blog, and plenty of pictures as well! :P
Man, I'm lame today... but at least you guys get SOMETHING, right? yay. Ha, I'm really REALLY disappointed at how lame this blog post is. I could have sworn I had much more to talk about!! Honestly, you guys, I would NOT have started this blog if I knew I was going to be lame as all git out.
*twiddles thumbs*
There's gotta be SOMETHING I can talk about....
*twiddles thumbs some more*
**UPDATE**
I feel like I should say this... how awesome are the words to "Stay the Same?" Joey Mac gets a gold star for that song... I feel special when I hear it - I wanna cry.... it's such a self esteem boost - Ana, I can see why you love Joey so much... outside of his looks. :)
The song is on my playlist, over there
Well, craptastic. This sucks. PIC SPAM! YAY!
YAY NEW KIDS!
I'm so sorry that this post sucks... I'll make up for it later.
**UPDATE**
Went to dinner tonight, so you'd think I'd have more to talk about. But, I don't... I'll talk about it tomorrow.
Get ya mind right.
~L
SONG OF THE DAY
Covergirl
New Kids on the Block (Donnie)
Greatest Hits
Sears has Lay Away!
lol... sorry, I just wanted a REALLY random title and that seemed to do it. :) It's been 2 days since my last blog... I AM SO SORRY! I know you must all be going through wicked withdrawals!!! I know, I know... I'm a selfish person, I didn't even think about my readers as I went on with my life over these past few days... but I hope you all will forgive me, and we can start anew... :)
I voted on Tuesday... Obama won... don't blame me, I voted Petrelli (I'M JOKING PEOPLE). But congratulations to the democrats, and Mr. Obama. :)
I had jury duty yesterday... interesting experience... I TOOK NOTES THOUGH, GO ME!!!
- Call was at 10 am. (Yes, I'm a theater geek and use terms like "call," get over it. :P)
- 9:55am I arrived at the courthouse and stood in line for 12 minutes... in the cold... without a jacket cuz I couldn't find my hoodie... lame. We went through the medal detectors, and I was a LOSER and left my iPod cord in my bag... they didn't like that. Apparently, iPod cords are....dangerous?? I wasn't told WHY it was a problem that I have it, just that the guy looked at it and said "yeah, that could... mmhmm." Then he asked me to return it to my car. First off, I didn't have a car present... secondly... um... I was NOT going through that line again. I wanted to get into a warm room, not stand in the cold again! lol. So I just told him I didn't have a car, and he begrudgedly (WORD OF THE DAY!) let me go through, just told me (rather rudely, I might add) to not take it out of my bag. While this guy was being rude to me and paranoid about my evil iPod cord, he forgot to tell me where to go... which was fine, I just followed the other confused people with Jury slips upstairs to the Jury room... it was SO full, there were no chairs... the lady scanned my thing and I went waaaaaaaaaay into the back, in the break room, and finally found a chair, and started reading.
- 10:10am a strange alarm went off... it sounded like a fire alarm, but no one seemed to react to it, and the guards just stood there, so I stayed put, and continued to read.
- 10:20am some woman came onto the intercom and gave us orientation. A couple of us laughed at what she said... some things were funny, some were just absurd... all of it was fairly obvious. BUT, I had been reading a rather dull part in my book so, despite the fact that Annmaria Bolyn's bottomless pit of wickedness always fascinates me, the break was welcome. (I did, however, make a mental note - I don't think SUMMONSES is a word... but I could be wrong)
- 10:36am Judge Ash came on the intercom and swore us all in... all 200 of us. YES, there were TWO HUNDRED of us. She told us it was a murder case, and should only last from the 13th - 21st of November... which works out perfectly for me. I won't say anything more, because I don't know what I'm allowed to say, and what I'm not allowed to say, and I'd like to not go to jail. lol.
- 10:50am we recieved our questionnaires, and began to fill them out. I was amazed by the thickness of the packet, and some of the questions were VERY confusing... about half way through filling this sucker out, the alarm went off again. I change my mind - I think it sounded more like a storm trooper's blaster than a fire alarm.
- 11:40am I finished my questionnaire. YES - it took me almost an hour. I think things out... and elaborate a lot... goes hand in hand with being overly annalytical and open minded. Not to mention, that sucker was looooooooong. I'm pretty sure I answered a lot of the same question. Come on, now, let's proof read these before handing them out, it makes all of our lives easier... lol. I turned it in, and they asked me to come back on the 13th. We were ALL asked back. Nice. *sigh* So I'm not done. Bummer.
- 11:54am I was outside... nothing REALLY big, just something that made me laugh - I was standing next to this little girl and her grandma. They spoke spanish... I could understand most of what they said, but not all. Everytime the wind blew, the grandma would wrap the little girl up in her coat and go "ai ai ai frio frio frio!" to which the little girl would reply "ai ai!!" It was adorable.
You all ARE still getting your Max Payne review, I PROMISE you that... I've been doing research, and I saw something on ShowTime that made me smile - it was a "behind the scenes: Making the Movie" featurette (I always feel special saying that word... professional...lol), and it showed how they used as much real stuff, as opposed to CGI, as they could. The fact that they shyd away from CGI for a movie like Max Payne makes me smile... I seriously don't think this movie is going to be as bad as everyone says it is. IT'S COMING, I PROMISE... say hi to your mother for me. :)
Last blog post I let you all know that I had been Knighted - I have to admit, Jordan Knight grew into his looks... and his fans are persistant. I didn't stand a chance... but... shortly after that, I saw a music video... not him with the New Kids, but by himself... honestly... WOW. HE CAN DANCE. I'm not going to lie to you, dancing is a huge weakness for me... why do you think I'm so in love with Zac Efron??? lol. So... I'm pretty much in LOVE with Jordan Knight right now... just a heads up... still LOVE Donnie, he'll always be the most important to me, but... Jordan... wow... the dancing sold it, but I also noticed in the music video that he learned how to handle himself better - well, less cheesy...ish - in front of a camera. Don't take my word for it - compare his performance in the "Never Let You Go" music video, to that in the "Give It To You" music video... he's much more sexy, and less cheesy, in GITY. Yeah... I'm twitterpated right now... lol! The best part was, when I told my friend Casey... the convo went like this:
ME: ....I'm in loooooooooove
CASEY: Jordan?
ME:....yes....
CASEY: I knew it.
She was the one who was really pushing for me to ditch my Donnie avatar (which will NEVER HAPPEN, CASEY), and she told me from the beginning she was gonna convert me. haha. CURSE YOU FOR BEING AN AMAZING DANCER, JORDAN!!
I've also recently decided that all Olympic swimmers should have a blogger account, and let all of us read it... I've been following Garrett Weber-Gale's blog, and it really supplies a completely different aspect and love to not only olympic swimming, but the people who participate in it. To me, it shows a lot about Garrett's character that he's willing to take the time to give us all a glimpse into his life. And I love reading it! All swimmers should do this! And, Garrett's pretty awesome, he replies to comments left on his blog, as well. :P If you guys haven't checked it out yet, you should! And, Garrett, IF you're reading this - thanks for everything! Keep it up, and I'll keep reading!! (And I really am working on leaving you shorter comments! lol)
I was planning on giving you all a music review as well - a few days ago I told you all about a Canadian band called Down Here... I gave their album a more thourough listening and decided... I really, REALLY like them. I wanted to give you a review, but everytime I think about what to say, this is what my brain produces:
"Check out the new album from Down Here! It's seriously jflkdasjflkdsmclkanlwjafjaslkjclhneoiwagjkdsajfklda!!!" Because there are NO words that describe how great that album is... JUST LISTEN TO IT. :)
The last thing I want to say is directed at all my Merced based readers:
There's a hot dog place on the corner of N and 16th called "The Dog House." Used to be a mexican place, but now it's a hot dog place... and it's SO good. It's a cute little place - there's this great statue out front of a hot dog putting ketchup on his head that just SCREAMS photo op. The whole restaurant is Nascar themed, there's Nascar stuff EVERYWHERE... and the BEST thing is this sign inside that says:
"Practice safe lunch - use CONDIMENTS!"
and the guy on it looks like the man from the Enzyte commercials... it was worth a good laugh. :)
So, if you like hot dogs - and who DOESN'T?? They've got a cool shape, and they're full of fiber - then check the place out. It's REAL good, and the people that work there are real nice. :)
That's about all - keep sending stuff! :) That blog is comin, too!
Get ya mind right.
~L
SONG OF THE DAY
I Wish
Jordan Knight
Love Songs
And the World Keeps Turning...
So... updates from yesterdays post -
First things first... I know you all are simply DYING to know how the Fantasy Football match up went... I let you all know that I needed to score 9 points between the two... and Santana Moss brought 1 point to the table. 1 POINT, THAT'S IT!! And Clinton Portis only pulled in 9... THAT'S RIGHT! 9!!!!!! I WON MY MATCH UP BY TWO POINTS! WAHOO!!!!! I am now 6-2 with a 2 win streak, YES!!
Also, I was able to fix my NKTV problem, and the most recent episode is hilarious!! Like everyone told me, it is about Donnie... it's adorbs. Apparently, people have been spreading rumours around the internet that FACE TIME isn't real!!! So, he made a little video to prove that face time was real - he was at a waffle house with some fans at 3 am... the vid is hilarious, AND it looks like Donnie is feelin' much better... but there hasn't been an official update about that, so don't take my word for it. :)
I, however, am not feeling better. I went from one type of illness to another, my stomach has been rollercoaster-ing ALL. DAY... I got my butt out of the house though, and went to class, and that helped a LOT. I think getting out and interacting with other people really helped work on how I've been feeling lately. I got rid of a lot of the stress that kind of RUSHED in after the show. :) We'll talk about more of that later. lol.
I think Cody Linly is going home on Dancing with the Stars, which makes me really sad... but I'm not gonna give up!! EVERY ONE!!! VOTE FOR CODY!!! ((unless you have your own person you wanna vote for)) Cody is stuck on team Cha Cha for the team dance... it's kind of good, because that gives them Lance and Tony, but it also gives them Erica and Lacey, whom I don't care for... plus, Cody is with Edita, and he's not very comfortable with her.
:( I want Julianne back... well wishes to Julianne as she recovers from her surgery!!!
Okay, so... we're doing a comedy show. It's extremely exciting because, after putting in a bit of input, I've been selected as one of the writers. :) I just finished my first skit today - and I must say it's not half bad. I won't spoil it by telling you what it's about, but it's called Bon (aSALT) a Petite.
Team Cha Cha just danced - I still don't think Cody is comfortable with Edita, but they did real well. Erica and Tony were "eh," and Lance and Lacey were absolutely PHENOMENAL. The judges are tearing them apart... I think Erica killed them, and their unison was WAY off. HA... she just said that too... lol. Alright, group score: Cary Ann: 6 Lynn: 7 Bruno: 7
That gives Cody a total tonight of: 42
I think Cody's goin' home... BUT I'M NOT GIVING UP!!! EVERY ONE VOTE!!!
Back to the skit - I'm still fleshing it out, but as far as writing it, it's basically finished... and I'm brainstorming a bunch of ideas so... here's to hoping I can at least make my mark as a writer, because I don't know if I can participate. :(
I apologize, I'm not linking anything in this post - I'm REALLY tired, and don't want to go digging for links... lol.
I'm gonna announce, though - I was never much of a Jordan Knight person. I felt he was talented, but he wasn't really "cute" in my book. I was more of a Joey/Donnie person...
But recently, I've been Knighted. I got into another pic war, and I resisted as long as I could... but then I got this little gem:
I couldn't say no... the other pictures really wore away at my "shield," but I think it's safe to say that some time along the way, Jordan Knight got really, REALLY, sexy... lol. I had to hand it to her, she absolutely converted me. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Donnie... but now I also LOVE Jordan, and of course, Joey. :)
Team Pasa Doble just danced... and they WRECKED... and I mean that in the positive sense... >.<
Cary Anne: 10 Lynn: 9 Bruno: 10... SADNESS. :(
I don't know who I'm gonna watch if Cody goes home... please vote everyone! If you don't already have someone to vote for:
Cody Linly: CALL 1-800-868-3401 TEXT: VOTE to 3401 PLEASE!! I think Erica should go home... but Cody has less points then her!!!
I guess that's all I'll blog about today... except, my friend and I were talking and she reminded me of Twister, and this video... so I think everyone should watch it and leave comments!!
Also - BIIIIIIG SHOUT OUT TO TYNIECE FOR DOING SOMETHING THAT TOTALLY MADE MY DAY!!!! And, judging by how that could or couldn't turn out, tomorrow may be the best day EVER. haha...
So, I'm gonna head out. No Jury Summons tomorrow but voting SO GO VOTE TOMORROW VOTE VOTE VOTE!!!
Night everyone!!!
Get ya mind right.
~L.
Banner 2.0, Guitar Hero World Tour, and Fantasy Football
***UPDATE***
The score is now 46-38 killerB... that means I need to score a minimum of 9 points between my two players to win.... I think I can do that! I'll keep you updated!!! Lemme hear it for Portis and Moss!! WOOOO!!!
So - last night I wasn't feeling good. Today, I feel even WORSE. Interesting how that happened... and SO quickly, too! And it SUCKS, cuz I was SO SUPER CUTE today. :( I even wore a skirt... but I'm dealing with it, I suppose. Just kind of chillin' and listening to music. I went to lunch with my family, but it's not sitting well, which sucks because Qdoba is actually really, really good. We don't have any Chipotle's around here, so we have to go to Qdoba but IMO the rice is better at Qdoba, and in every other aspect they're about the same. (This was my first time, though, so maybe in future visits that view will change) Steven pointed out when we were in line that, if the tortilla tears while they're making your burrito, they'll throw it away and get another one. That's kind of neat, because NOTHING is worse than a torn tortilla... except, maybe... death.
Anyone been to the New Kids on the Block website?? They have a thing called NKTV, which is such a cool idea, except for the fact that, all of a sudden, I can't watch it. I'm a little miffed, too, because this happened right around the incident with Jordan's ankle, and all my block heads are giving me a heads up because apparently today's is by Donnie. Would be nice to see it and see if he's feeling better (as of now, no update on that... not even the blog), but NO. My computer has to be LAME and not let me see it!! It won't even tell me why, either, just decides that it doesn't want to show it. If it's a plug in that I'm missing, it usually notifies me... but it also did this with the Watchmen movie site - decided it didn't like it and made it stop working. I was able to get around that by using Internet Explorer instead of Firefox - which may be the problem here... may not be my computer at all. I just haven't gotten around to testing out that theory. SO - if any of you CAN watch NKTV, let me know if you needed to install a plug in or something, or what browser you use... cuz I miss watching it.
The internet "drama" I've been dealing with has gotten increasingly more stupid, but I've been in a fairly good mood thanks to all my readers, ESPECIALLY ANA (This girl... I've been looking for a pic of the Wahlberg brothers for MONTHS, and she found me one!!! *runs around dancing* CUZ SHE ROCKS)!!! Keep sending stuff, you guys, I'm gonna throw it all into one big post soon... I may not post everything and just link to some of it - I have SO MANY New Kids pics it's not even funny! - or make a slide show for all the pictures. Got a few songs and videos today, so that's cool. Keep it comin, guys!
Moving on... one of the up points of getting my sick butt out of the house and going to Qdoba today was the fact that Qdoba was next to an EB Games... and Guitar Hero World Tour is out. I went over to get my brothers and ended up playing it - the PS3 version. The graphics on that are AWESOME, and the singers are less creepy... but they throw in some crazy note things in this one... for instance, they want you to learn how to strum while sustaining a not. I've yet to figure that trick out! They also offer an easier than easy level, Beginner, along with the other 4 difficulty levels: Easy, Medium, Hard, and Expert.
I play on Expert now - I'm exciting. I want a cookie. Can't have one, though. haha.
The song selection is kind of sad, but I don't know how much of that had to do with the fact that we were playing it in the store. Steven tried a few songs, losing only on one by Lenny Kravitz. I took up after him, starting on Expert (something unheard of a few months ago), and lost twice on "Eye of the Tiger," before finally beating it with a fairly embarrassing percentile... I won in the red, we'll just say that. The other two songs I played, I faired slightly better in... and by slightly, I mean WAY better. I beat Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer" on Expert with a 96%, and Linkin Park's "What I've Done" on the same level with a 92% - first try. I'm way into Guitar Hero, and it looks like World Tour will be promising (this is the one with the mic, drums, and other guitar) once all the instruments are into play... but I must say, what they have to offer - outside of the Kravits song that I can't for the life of me remember the title of - in terms of Expert is pretty sad... it's not very fast, and as far as note combinations go, it's not that difficult. If I'm able to beat it on the first try, it's way too easy... or maybe I'm just getting accustomed to Expert. *shrugs* If I was able to own the game, or play it in a more natural setting, I could give a more accurate review. We did impress some other kids that were there, though... they said that what we were doing was "insane." :P Last time I had a comment similar to that, it was during DDR... I guess Guitar Hero is the DDR of today... what do you all think? The music is interesting, too... I'm sure there are more selections than what were there, but for the most part I hadn't heard of almost any of those songs.
And, speaking of songs that I've never heard of - Leon Jackson. Anyone know him?? I got his album yesterday - I was in search of new music, and home boy is CUTE. So, I got his new CD... and lemme tell you, he's more than a pretty face. I dunno if he's a new artist or not, but DANG, he can sing. Doesn't look like he sounds, either!!! His cover of "Right Now" is absolutely phenomenal... and other songs like "Don't Call This Love" and "Ordinary Days" are absolutely beautiful. I'm listening to the album right now for the second time - the first time, I listened to it as I tried to sleep last night... so now I'm giving it an honest listen to and I'm a fan. The album is called Right Now - check it out if you're in the mood for something new.
Also, check out the Canadian band Down Here - they're a christian group. My dad bought their CD last night and they're actually REALLY good. They don't really have a set style - they kind of do their own thing, but it's a real good listen. I deeply emplore you to check it out. Also - give mah boy Evan Milby a shout out!! Haha, I don't really know him, but he's been on the Revolve worship team for 2 years now, and he just released his first EP.... it's real good... and he's REAL cute! haha! But def check him out if you're got the time, and buy his EP!! :)
Alright - I realize I haven't given you all a real, honest to God Fantasy Football update, so - here goes!!
I'm the head of my league - Mojave Vista - and when I started, I didn't think I'd get ANY takers... I signed up WAY late. But, at the last second, right before my live draft, I got some takers and filled all 4 slots.
For a while, I'd been getting my butt kicked by the Flowery Branch Falcons (yeah, I know XD) and was constantly stuck in second place. It wasn't too big of a deal, because I'd never ranked higher than 3rd in a league... but it was kind of lame because my previous leagues had had like, 40 teams... better to be 3rd out of 40 instead of 2nd out of 4... haha.
But, recently, I made a few VERY wise trades, and ended up first in the league! I've held the title for a few weeks, and it looks like I'll have it next week, too. The league stands as such:
TEAM NAME W-L PCT PTS
Twinkies at Large* 5-2 71.4% 576
Flowery Branch Falcons 4-3 57.1% 539
killerB 3-4 42.9% 469
Colts 2-5 28.6% 410
If you were wondering, Twinkies at Large is my team. The team I'm matched up against is killerB this week, and they're winning by one point... I had a REALLY GOOD week last week, scoring nearly 100 points... but this week is significantly worse, having 4 of my players score in the single digits. The way it stands now:
Jay Cutler .....................14
Brian Westbrook............9
Lee Evans.......................4
Brandon Marshall..........2
Tony Scheffler................0
Titans Def........................9
Santana Moss and Clinton Portis don't play till tomorrow - I'm hoping Portis will prove to be a beast and get me some MAJOR points... Moss as well. But that's still 2 people I have points coming from... worse case scenario, they both only score 2 points and I still break 40... but Portis and Moss are beasts, so if I'm really lucky, they'll be on top of their game, and I'll get double digits out of both of them. Only problem is, they're both injured. Portis' ankle should be able to play tomorrow, but he's going against the Pittsburgh defense, which is NOT a good thing, and Moss' hamstring may keep him out of the game. Zorn says him playing will be a game time decision... thanks for the heads up, dude, so I could change my line up. <_< href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_England_Patriots">New England Patriots Defense, and Adam Vinatieri. Good news is, the two teams are playing eachother, so if one gets big points, the other is likely not to. Plus, Vinatieri is a kicker... not a LOT of points there... but at the same time, if the Pats defense is really strong, Vinatieri may end up getting more chances than he should. I'm vying with two injured players, I don't need them getting a huge lead on me... lol.
So, my match up is 39-38 killerB... I'll keep you updated about how many points I need tomorrow in order to win. :)
The even BETTER news is, the Flowery Branch Falcons have NO CHANCE to win their game - they're losing 43-85, with all their cards having already been played. FBF has already lost their game - and with only 43 points to bring to the table, I still hang onto my lead, by about 35 points. That means, I remain number one in the league for another week!
And next week looks promising. The Redskins have a BYE, meaning I'm losing Portis and Moss... which is good. They could both use the rest. I'll be replacing Portis with LaDainian Tomlinson, fresh off a BYE - and promising, to boot, as well as bringing in Bengal's TJ Houshmandzadeh for Moss. Also, Jay Cutler (who has NOT been stepping it up) is being replaced by Philip Rivers, fresh off a BYE. I'm hoping he'll really gimme something, because I had to dump JT O'Sullivan for him. (O'Sullivan was benched in favor of 3rd string QB Shaun Hill... not fun)
That's bout it - still send out those well wishes! :P
Get ya mind right.
~L
**PS**
No Heroes tomorrow night, and Tuesday is election day! GET OUT AND VOTE! GET AT THE POLLS!
Song of the Day
Stargazing
Leon Jackson
Right Now
New Banner!!! ((And Happy November!))
***UPDATE 2.0***
MORE well wishes needed!!!
Friends Hannah and Matt are sick, as well as MEEEEEE. *sigh* It's the apocalypse. Also, learned that there is prune juice in Dr. Pepper. More on this later.
**UPDATE**
NOT going to dinner with other families, plans fell through. BUT - I am going to dinner with MY family. :P
Also - more well wishes. My girl Maxii needs some, she's sick, too. ((Everyone I care about is getting ill!!!))
And finally - GOT THE BANNER ON THE PAGE!! AAAAH! I'M SO EXCITED! GO ME!!! LOL!!!
So... I've been playing with this new software I've got - Picasa... and I've been toying around with the collage function, so I figured I'd make a banner for my blog... what do you all think?? It plays off the "face time" theme, depicting most of the face time I've gotten already, as well as my "goal" thrown in the middle!! ((I'MA GET MAH FACE TIME DONNIE! GET AT YOUR GIRL!))
**UPDATE**
Haven't heard anything new about Donnie's health status... he hasn't updated his blog or anything - none of th boys have. Keep the well wishes coming! Hopefully, it's just a cold!
ALSO - if you're in the mood for sending well wishes - toss some out to my girl Jordan, she's been having back problems as of late, and could use the wishes and prayers. :)
This is so cool - I'm actually updating my blog FROM Picasa!!! Seriously, you guys, if you haven't tried this stuff out already, you should! It's a free download, and it's fairly basic software, but it's good for a quick fix! ((Shout out to Melissa who totally told me about it!))
Since I've got you here, might as well update about the other night -
Got a few pics, but don't have them yet... the kids were totally all dressed up and SO adorable! My little Asher was a skunk (I say my, but he's not my kid... I just steal him from his mom every chance I get hahaha), and there was a Tinkerbell, and plenty of superheroes running around INCLUDING IRON MAN!!!
My costume didn't pan out, so I ended up going as a fan girl - so I had my Iron Man shirt on. Needless to say, when I met Iron Man, I freaked, shaking his hand and telling him how much of a fan I was and could I please get a picture... and he was so sweet, said that'd be fine, and he even posed and everything and you better believe it when I get that pic it'll be up here!!! (That was quite possibly the longest run-on sentence I've ever written, but I figure I'll leave it - it shows how excited I was. haha)
I got a bunch of candy, too, which is great because I JUST finished my halloween candy from LAST year!!
Oh, and interesting little tid bit. You know how Mexico has the Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration?? Well, I learned that Spain has something a tad similar, called Dia De Todos Los Santos (All Saint's Day). It's still a time to remember the dead, like Dia De Los Muertos, but instead of a celebration, Dia De Todos Los Santos is a time of mourning and remembering those lost.
Interesting, I didn't know such a "holiday" existed! I'm still learning about it, so if you all want to know more, post comments and I'll update you as I learn stuff. :P
Still working on that Max Payne review - I know, I know, I sooooo owe you guys... but I promise, it'll be epic.. EPIC I TELL YOU!
KEEP SENDING ME STUFF!!!
BIG SHOUT OUT to my Block Heads for all the WONDERFUL pics, the Madison Square Garden ones are still, by far, my favorite!
Hannah - I'm fairly certain you find the craziest cakes in the world... that's SO awesome!
Also - I've added a playlist to the page... if you send me songs, I'll do my best to add them to the playlist. :) Also... you guys are my readers... so... don't be afraid to tell me what you want to hear about! Be it my take on news articles or even what movies you want reviewed, just let me know! :P
I have a dinner tonight with a few families... it should be fun. The day itself is rather blah... but it's windy and looks like it'll rain again which is great. I love the rain!
And of course Tuesday is election day, so we've got that coming up... and I have a Jury Summons the same day! I'm hoping when I call they won't want me, because I really don't want to do it right now lol.
I guess I'll call it a blog! ha...
Get ya mind right.
~L
***P.S.***
I am involved currently in an EPIC PIC WAR with another block head, and right now - she's winning. I have no idea where she gets her pics from but if you guys find any New Kids on the Block pics - past or present - send them to me, cuz she's got like, a secret stash or something!!! HAHA!
SONG OF THE DAY
ScreamZac Efron
High School Musical 3: Senior Year
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