Kirsten's musings...

Friday pix

Not really a picture, but fairly accurate.  With kids heading back to school, this seemed appropriate:

 

(although they forgot "I can't even balance my checkbook!"...(*headdesk*))

Friday pix

I can't believe I never knew about these statues until this summer.

J.P. Patches...



...and Gertrude.

Chris Young - Neon

You can never get new music from a favorite artist fast enough, and this is no exception.  It feels like I've been waiting for Chris Young's third CD for a very long time, glad that it's finally been released.  Which means that it's time for another review.

1.  I Can Take It From There
Chis has said that this is almost an extension of one of his previous hits, "Getting You Home", although this couple never leaves the house.  A fun song about staying home instead of going to hit some party downtown. If she gets some glasses and a bottle of wine, he'll take it from there.

2.  Lost
Some times life just gets too hectic, and you need to get away from it all.  A fun sing-along song about turning off the GPS and just getting into the truck and driving until there are no more bars on the cell phone.

3.  Tomorrow
The lead single from the CD, this one took a while for me to enjoy.  The phrasing was different than I was expecting, which can turn me off.  After listening to it a few times I really started to appreciate it...the video certainly didn't hurt either.  It's about a couple that can't seem to stay apart, they keep coming back together with disastrous results.  But tomorrow he's leaving for good.  Or at least he says he is.

4.  Save Water, Drink Beer
A classic bar band party song, they're doing their part for the environment by drinking beer to get through the long drought.

5.  Neon
An "unapologetically Country" song, with a slower tempo and twin fiddles.  Find a neon sign and it will lead you somewhere you can order a drink or two and forget your troubles for a while.

6.  Old Love Feels New
This is emerging as my favorite song on the CD, for fairly obvious reasons.  The chorus talks about how a new love feels old, and an old love feels new.  It's a nice feeling when your spouse/partner/love interest/whatever still feels strong and comfortable, yet can still surprise you.

7.  You
A mid-tempo song talking about all the things that seem better now that she's in his life, and how much he's changed.

8.  Flashlight
This song sounds like a combination of two songs from his last CD, "The Dashboard" and "The Shoebox".  (I sense a theme).  A nostalgic look at how he and his dad spent Saturday nights working on the car, talking about everything that dads and sons talk about.

9.  When She's On
Kind of a play on words in this song.  When you talk about someone being "on" you tend to think of them being up and alert, playing the part of the sales rep/subject matter expert/whatever they need to be.  This song turns that slightly, using the classic definition of "on".  "On the front porch", "On the leather couch", etc.  She looks great when she's out in public taking on the world, but he really appreciates the simple moments at home with the family.

10. She's Got This Thing About Her
Chris went all out with the production on this songs.  It's a love song that tries to describe what he loves about her, but can only come up with pale comparisons.  He's backed by strings in this song, instead of the normal guitar/keyboards backing.  "Like the magic in your favorite song, you just can't put your finger on".

(*grumble...still only getting 10 songs...don't like this at all...although now that I have Jim's old iPhone I can download the bonus tracks from iTunes...just don't think I should have to.*)

Anyway, I am enjoying this CD.  It didn't resonate with me the first couple of times I listened to it, but the more I play it the more I like it.  I did find it odd that none of the songs jumped out at me the first time I listened to it, as that is usually the case.  Most times there's one I *really* like and one I don't like as much, but all of these songs started out on even ground and rose up in unison.  There has been some separation since then, but not much.  Interestingly enough, I have identified "Old Love Feels New" as my favorite, but when I think about this CD the song I hear in my head is "Lost".

Friday pix

I'd never know about this Totem pole in West Seattle until a few weeks ago.  Pretty cool...

Dr. Seuss anti-government rant meme

So there's been this anti-government, Dr. Seuss-like rant floating arount Facebook recently, and it's made me all kinds of stabby.  What do you do when you get all stabby?  Break it down and refute it, that's what you do.  Here's the original:

***************
I do not like this Uncle Sam, I do not like his health care scam.
I do not like these dirty crooks, or how they lie and cook the books.
I do not like when Congress steals, I do not like their secret deals.
I do not like ex-speaker Nan, I do not like this 'YES WE CAN'.
I do not like this spending spree, I'm smart, I know that nothing's free.
I do not like their smug replies, when I complain about their lies.
I do not like this kind of hope. I do not like it. nope, nope, nope
***************

Sigh.  Okay, here goes:

**I do not like this Uncle Sam, I do not like his health care scam.

This health care "scam" is an attempt to help millions of Americans, mostly children, who don't have basic health insurance.  It will make for a healthier population and will save billions of dollars in the long run.  If you have a better way to achieve this please share it with the rest of us.

**I do not like these dirty crooks, or how they lie and cook the books.

This is true enough.  Unfortunately it was a *lack* of government and institutional control that allowed it.  You do realize that S&P signed off on a lot of them, right?  The same group that downgraded our debt?  In a capitalist society the only thing that matters is money, no matter how it is acquired, and lobbyists know this.

**I do not like when Congress steals, I do not like their secret deals.

Like Iran Contra?  You remember that, right?  During the Reagan presidency?  This has always been a problem, so don't be so hypocritical to think that it just started.  Until the bulk of voting Americans really take advantage of the power they have to remove these people from office it will continue to happen.

**I do not like ex-speaker Nan, I do not like this 'YES WE CAN'.

It's fine that you don't like Nancy Pelosi.  We don't like John Boehner, so I guess we're even.  Although it's odd that you don't like 'YES WE CAN', since that should be everyone's rallying cry.  We have one of the biggest populations with the most freedom, we should be able to do anything.

**I do not like this spending spree, I'm smart, I know that nothing's free.

This is also true.  The military, wars, schools, teachers, roads, police, fire and hundreds of other programs do cost money.  Fixing almost any problem requires a balanced approach.  In the case of a budget deficit you should be reducing costs and increasing revenue.  Unfortunately the extremely vocal minority on the right has a problem with one of these things.

**I do not like their smug replies, when I complain about their lies.

That's usually because your 'complaints' are so hypocritical they're laughable, or completely invalid.  What's the phrase?  "Let him who is without sin cast the first stone."  If you have valid issues and can state them reasonably, more people might listen.

**I do not like this kind of hope. I do not like it. nope, nope, nope

Again, that's fine.  Many of us do.

Obama 2012

Friday pix

Awww...what a cute little fountain.

 

Okay, this is a little better:

 

I happen to prefer our fountain: