Selected Lyrics from "You and I Both"
Was it you who spoke the words that things would happen but not to me
Oh things are gonna happen naturally
Taking your advice and I'm looking on the bright side
And balancing the whole thing
But often times those words get tangled up in lines
And the bright light turns to night
Until the dawn it brings
Another day to sing about the magic that was you and me
Cause you and I both loved what you and I spoke of
And others just read of
Others only read of the love, of the love that I loved
And it's okay if you had to go away
Oh just remember the telephones, well they work both ways
But if I never ever hear them ring
If nothing else I'll think the bells inside have finally found you someone else
And that's okay
Cause I'll remember everything you sang
Cause you and I both loved what you and I spoke of
And others just read of
And if you could see me now well then i'm almost finally out of
Finally out of
Well I'm almost finally, finally out of words
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Just in Time
Tony Bennett is one of my favorite singers, so I was very excited to see him on the front of the "Arts and Books" section of the AJC this morning. The article focuses on his new album "Duets: An American Classic," which is set to come out on Tuesday. Check out this list of people he's singing with on the new album:
- Bono
- Michael Buble
- Elvis Costello
- Celine Dion
- Dixie Chicks
- Billy Joel
- Elton John
- Juanes
- Diana Krall
- k.d. lang
- John Legend
- Paul McCartney
- Tim McGraw
- George Michael
- Sting
- Barbara Streisand
- James Taylor
- Stevie Wonder
It's amazing that at 80 years old (his birthday was August 3, the day before mine), he can still sing so well and collaborate with so many famous artists.
My favorite quotes from the article:
"So he comes to the studio prepared, expects his partner to do likewise, and after a little relaxation and rehearsal, the idea is to nail it —- 'three or four takes and you have it.' (You may have heard a song by Bennett about leaving his heart in San Francisco. That version released in 1962? One take.)" Wow. One take. That's amazing.
"'He completely shaped pop music,' singer K.D. Lang once said. 'You hear his influence and his phrasing everywhere.'"
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Headlines
Headlines. Every story has one. It has to sum up the main thrust of an article in just a few words, depending on the amount of space the story gets. And I thought it was interesting that something as simple as a headline could be considered unethical. But my media ethics professor pointed out that some can be more inflammatory and one-sided than others. Take, for example, the front page news of the AJC vs. that of the New York Times yesterday. Both papers covered the speeches that Bush and Ahmadinejad made, but they used very different headlines to describe the events.
AJC: "Bush Calls Out Iran: Tough speech at U.N. labels regime a threat to peace."
NYT: "Leaders Spar Over Iran's Aims and U.S. Power."
See the difference? As much as I love the AJC and defend it (especially since my dad writes for it), my professor made a good point. Their headline is one-sided and borderline inflammatory, whereas the NYT headline covers both sides of the story. And that's our duty as journalists--to get the whole story to the public, not just one side of it. We need to be more careful about covering both sides and letting the readers make judgments on their own.
AJC: "Bush Calls Out Iran: Tough speech at U.N. labels regime a threat to peace."
NYT: "Leaders Spar Over Iran's Aims and U.S. Power."
See the difference? As much as I love the AJC and defend it (especially since my dad writes for it), my professor made a good point. Their headline is one-sided and borderline inflammatory, whereas the NYT headline covers both sides of the story. And that's our duty as journalists--to get the whole story to the public, not just one side of it. We need to be more careful about covering both sides and letting the readers make judgments on their own.
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Ribbons
Every so often, when I have a large break between classes or I just need something to occupy my time after I've read the paper, I check Banterist.com. Writer Brian Sack writes all sorts of stories, from interviews with the guy who created the "Tiny House/GEICO" commercial to conversations he's overheard in New York. But I particularly like the article and website devoted to ribbons. Yes, the "support (fill in the blank)" ribbons people so frequently plaster on the back of their cars.
"See? We can make a difference. That difference starts with you. Don't be discouraged by the seemingly overwhelming task ahead of us. Though there are countless un-ribboned causes--like Fat Acceptance and Dandruff Pride--we can come up with ribbons for all of them. But we need you to help. "
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Today's Lyrics (from the musical "Wicked")
Selected Lyrics from "For Good"
I've heard it said
That people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are led to those
Who help us most to grow
If we let them
And we help them in return
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
I do believe I have been changed for the better
Because I knew you
I have been changed...for good
I've heard it said
That people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are led to those
Who help us most to grow
If we let them
And we help them in return
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
I do believe I have been changed for the better
Because I knew you
I have been changed...for good
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Post Secret
My friend Alison is addicted to Post Secret, which, for those of you who don't know, is "an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard." There's a book out filled with them and there's a blog that updates with new ones every Sunday. Some of them are really sad, some are funny, some are serious, some are just downright scary. I decided to look at the website this afternoon and here are a few of my favorites:
I'm an anglophile. And I love Spongebob. I do believe it's evident why I like this one.
Awww. Too cute.
Yesss. Story of my life!
I'm an anglophile. And I love Spongebob. I do believe it's evident why I like this one.Awww. Too cute.Yesss. Story of my life!There are a lot more on the blog, and they change them every Sunday. Check them out!
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Baby Steps
As of late, I've realized just how afraid I am of challenging myself. I'm afraid to take really hard classes. I hesitate to challenge where I am in my faith because I'm content to stay right where I am. I'm afraid to go past the "Easy" setting in Guitar Hero. And I'm afraid to tell people how I feel about something because I'm afraid of their reaction. If I have something on my mind, I can write about it, tell the friends that it doesn't affect, think about it at great length. But when it comes to telling them, I chicken out. At first, I set a deadline. "I'll talk to them about it tomorrow when I see them." But the time comes and I freeze. I can't bring myself to express what's going on inside.
Once I find my comfort zone, I stay there and tell myself that I'm content where I am--why mess with a good thing, right?
Wrong.
It's easy to stay right where you are, to convince yourself that if you just continue on the track you're on, things are going to be okay. But how do you grow as a person if you're content to stay exactly where you are for the rest of your life? Let me answer my own question--you don't. So now that I've realized this, where do I go from here?
Baby steps. I'm working on it one little step at a time. For example, I played a few select songs on Guitar Hero on the "Medium" setting today. I know that sounds lame, but I'm trying. And I went to a Bible study group last night...I'd never been to one before last night. But I tried it, and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Like I said--baby steps.
Once I find my comfort zone, I stay there and tell myself that I'm content where I am--why mess with a good thing, right?
Wrong.
It's easy to stay right where you are, to convince yourself that if you just continue on the track you're on, things are going to be okay. But how do you grow as a person if you're content to stay exactly where you are for the rest of your life? Let me answer my own question--you don't. So now that I've realized this, where do I go from here?
Baby steps. I'm working on it one little step at a time. For example, I played a few select songs on Guitar Hero on the "Medium" setting today. I know that sounds lame, but I'm trying. And I went to a Bible study group last night...I'd never been to one before last night. But I tried it, and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Like I said--baby steps.
Saturday, September 09, 2006
Childhood TV
Ah, the magic of dvds! My friend David and I went to Target last weekend and came across a bunch of dvds of shows from our childhood. Here are some of my favorites:
The Animaniacs. Who didn't love this show? Yakko, Wakko, and Dot; Pinky and the Brain; Buttons and Mindy; Slappy the Squirrel; "It's time for another good idea, bad idea..."; "Wheel of Morality, turn, turn, turn...tell us the lesson that we should learn." Brilliant.
Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers. 2 chipmunks, 2 mice, and a fly making the world a safer place. It was one of my favorite shows and now they've put it on dvd. FAAANTASTIC.
Tailspin. Baloo and the gang flying planes around. I always really jealous of Kip's board that he used to fly behind the plane on. It was so cool!
The Muppet Show. Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo the Great. The whole gang's here. And this dvd is the original muppet show that debuted in the 1970s, which is so entertaining.
Pinky and the Brain. "Pinky and the Brain, yes Pinky and the Brain. One is a genius, the other's insane..." "Gee Brain, what are we going to do tonight? ... The same thing we do every night, Pinky. Try and take over the world!"
There you have it. There are tons more, but those are the ones we saw last weekend. More to come later I'm sure.
Side note: I must admit that I was VERY distraught when I found out that they're not releasing any more Boy Meets World seasons on dvd. There goes my collection...
The Animaniacs. Who didn't love this show? Yakko, Wakko, and Dot; Pinky and the Brain; Buttons and Mindy; Slappy the Squirrel; "It's time for another good idea, bad idea..."; "Wheel of Morality, turn, turn, turn...tell us the lesson that we should learn." Brilliant.
Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers. 2 chipmunks, 2 mice, and a fly making the world a safer place. It was one of my favorite shows and now they've put it on dvd. FAAANTASTIC.
Tailspin. Baloo and the gang flying planes around. I always really jealous of Kip's board that he used to fly behind the plane on. It was so cool!
The Muppet Show. Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo the Great. The whole gang's here. And this dvd is the original muppet show that debuted in the 1970s, which is so entertaining.
Pinky and the Brain. "Pinky and the Brain, yes Pinky and the Brain. One is a genius, the other's insane..." "Gee Brain, what are we going to do tonight? ... The same thing we do every night, Pinky. Try and take over the world!"
There you have it. There are tons more, but those are the ones we saw last weekend. More to come later I'm sure.
Side note: I must admit that I was VERY distraught when I found out that they're not releasing any more Boy Meets World seasons on dvd. There goes my collection...
Friday, September 08, 2006
"I Don't Wanna Be A Stupid Girl"
I opened up the Red and Black this morning, as I do every morning as I walk to class, and what did I find? An editorial from a girl that needs a serious attitude adjustment.
Right smack dab in the middle of the editorial section, sophomore Eli Dillard wrote that our generation (of men) is devoid of manners and politeness. Apparently, men aren't allowed to sit on the bus unless every single female is sitting. Wait, what? What sort of logic is that? In my humble opinion, I think that members of both sexes should be able to sit. I believe that's the point in riding the bus--sitting as it takes you to your destination (gender aside). It's nice if a guy offers his seat to me, but I don't think it's something that all girls should automatically expect.
She then moves into a more feminist approach, saying that since women can vote and hold office now like men, we should have the doors opened for us by those men. To me, that seems a bit contradictory. We're equals but men should open doors and give up seats? I don't think so.
Towards the end of the piece, she briefly turns the blame to women. She says that girls objectify themselves by the way they dress and behave, ergo men don't respect women who don't respect themselves. But wait...it gets better...she says that if men had boobs, they'd do the same. Suuure. So women might be to blame, but men would be to blame either way. Uh huh.
So here's what I think: If guys want to open the door for me or give up a seat on the bus, then so be it. That's nice. I'll thank them for the gesture. BUT it's not disrespectful (in my opinion) if they don't. I don't think men sit there and say, "Hmm...I think I'll be selfish and keep sitting in my seat on the bus today." Besides, girls can open doors and offer seats too. What if some guy with a broken leg and crutches gets on the bus and can't find a seat because all the girls have to sit? What then? I'll tell you what then- you give up your seat so that the guy with the broken leg can sit.
And for Miss Dillard's (and current or future boyfriend's) sake, I hope she's not one of those girls who always has to stay sitting in the passenger's side of the car until the boyfriend comes around and opens the door (and potentially gets mad at the boyfriend when he fails to do so). Last time I checked, I learned how to open the door for myself when I was a kid. I'm sure she did too. Again, it's a nice gesture that I appreciate, but not something entirely necessary. Polite? Yes. Disrespectful? Nope.
Right smack dab in the middle of the editorial section, sophomore Eli Dillard wrote that our generation (of men) is devoid of manners and politeness. Apparently, men aren't allowed to sit on the bus unless every single female is sitting. Wait, what? What sort of logic is that? In my humble opinion, I think that members of both sexes should be able to sit. I believe that's the point in riding the bus--sitting as it takes you to your destination (gender aside). It's nice if a guy offers his seat to me, but I don't think it's something that all girls should automatically expect.
She then moves into a more feminist approach, saying that since women can vote and hold office now like men, we should have the doors opened for us by those men. To me, that seems a bit contradictory. We're equals but men should open doors and give up seats? I don't think so.
Towards the end of the piece, she briefly turns the blame to women. She says that girls objectify themselves by the way they dress and behave, ergo men don't respect women who don't respect themselves. But wait...it gets better...she says that if men had boobs, they'd do the same. Suuure. So women might be to blame, but men would be to blame either way. Uh huh.
So here's what I think: If guys want to open the door for me or give up a seat on the bus, then so be it. That's nice. I'll thank them for the gesture. BUT it's not disrespectful (in my opinion) if they don't. I don't think men sit there and say, "Hmm...I think I'll be selfish and keep sitting in my seat on the bus today." Besides, girls can open doors and offer seats too. What if some guy with a broken leg and crutches gets on the bus and can't find a seat because all the girls have to sit? What then? I'll tell you what then- you give up your seat so that the guy with the broken leg can sit.
And for Miss Dillard's (and current or future boyfriend's) sake, I hope she's not one of those girls who always has to stay sitting in the passenger's side of the car until the boyfriend comes around and opens the door (and potentially gets mad at the boyfriend when he fails to do so). Last time I checked, I learned how to open the door for myself when I was a kid. I'm sure she did too. Again, it's a nice gesture that I appreciate, but not something entirely necessary. Polite? Yes. Disrespectful? Nope.
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Confused.
I've found that the best way to understand everything that's going on in my jumbled head is to write. That's just how I've always handled things...I think and analyze and write out what I'm feeling so that I can make sense of it all. So if you're reading this and you don't want to hear about the complications in my life, then I advise you to stop reading right...about...now (I'll post something of a lighter nature soon, I promise).
So tonight I went to the Wesley Foundation for the second time. There are a couple of people that I've known since freshman year who go...I've heard them talk about it but I never had any interest in going. But this semester I came more closely in contact with it, since my then boyfriend and several of his friends were active members.
Now, I'm a member of the Catholic Church, and I have been since I was baptised (a few months after I was born). I went to Sunday School (CCD as it was called) through the 8th grade, and I was confirmed before I went to a Catholic high school in Atlanta. I go to Mass every Sunday morning and I'm proud to be a Catholic.
Wesley, however, is slightly different from what I'm used to in an organized religion. At Mass, we have a certain routine and structure that we follow. The priests are in vestments, there's an altar and a crucifix...it's formal and structured and I've always liked that. But Wesley is different...there's a minister who gives a sermon, but he's in jeans and a polo shirt instead of formal robes. They sing songs like we do, but the songs I'm used to are more like hymns. When I went to Wesley for the first time and heard their music, the first words that popped into my head were "rock concert for Jesus." If Jesus were around today and he wanted to rock out loud, then he would go to Wesley. And that's not a bad thing--it's just very different from what I'm used to. It's tailored for college students, which is something I think the Catholic Church could work on.
The first time I went to Wesley was a week ago today, but my reaction then was different from the one I had after tonight's service. When I left last week, I started to get mad. I don't think I was mad at anything or anyone in particular, but suddenly I found myself in a really bad mood. I couldn't explain it. All I knew was that Wesley and the Catholic Church are both Christian institutions, but they are very different in practice. And I couldn't figure out how I felt about the service I had just attended. It was nice...I liked the message that the minister gave, I saw all the people that I have known for a while as well as some friends that I had made in recent months, and my opinion on the music was still up in the air. But after careful consideration (over a couple of days), I felt torn between the two institutions. I've always loved the Catholic Church--like I said, I'm very attached to it and proud of it and I enjoy going to Mass. But Wesley wasn't so bad, either. I liked the sense of community I felt (it was an everyone-knows-everyone-else sort of thing, which I admire) and the message in the sermon (if that's the proper term for it...we call it a "homily" in the Catholic Church). To some extent, I felt that truly enjoying Wesley would be an insult and a betrayal to the big part of me that's attached to the Catholic Church. And because I was afraid that it would be more like Life Teen Mass, I was ready to dismiss the service before I even set foot in the door. And for that, I'm ashamed and sorry. Being judgmental is something that Christians are taught to avoid, and there I was on my high horse, assuming that attending a service at Wesley wouldn't be as great as going to a Mass in the Church. My boyfriend and I discussed what we felt that night and ended up breaking up based on our separate religious affiliations and the consequences of staying together despite our beliefs.
So I decided late Friday night that I needed to give Wesley another chance. If I could legitimately get something out of the sermon and apply it to my daily life, if I could somehow grow in my faith thanks to a service like that, then I should try to go again. I shouldn't condemn it just because it takes me out of my comfort zone and shows me a different aspect of Christianity. And knowing how much it meant to my ex-boyfriend and several of my friends (and many of his, too) also drove me to abandon my assumptions and judgments and give it another go. I just got back not too long ago, and I realized that I liked Wesley more than I expected, mostly because of the message that I got out of it. The music still throws me off, especially when people start putting their hands in the air and nodding their heads to the beat. Again, it's not a bad thing, it's just a different way to worship the same God. So I guess what I'm getting at is that I still feel torn between the two. I'm lost and confused, as it were, and I don't like it. Do I keep attending Wesley? Do I just stick to Mass? Do I do some combination of the two--but then which do I associate myself with? I don't know. What I do know is that I'm terribly sorry for judging and condemning Wesley the way I did. I'm so sorry.
___________________________________________________________________
Gold Watch and Chain lyrics
Darling how can I stay here without you?
I have nothing to ease my poor heart
All the world, it seems sad, dear, without you
Tell me now that we never will part
I will pawn you my gold watch and chain, love
I will pawn you my gold wedding ring
I will pawn you this heart in my bosom
Only say that you'll love me again.
So tonight I went to the Wesley Foundation for the second time. There are a couple of people that I've known since freshman year who go...I've heard them talk about it but I never had any interest in going. But this semester I came more closely in contact with it, since my then boyfriend and several of his friends were active members.
Now, I'm a member of the Catholic Church, and I have been since I was baptised (a few months after I was born). I went to Sunday School (CCD as it was called) through the 8th grade, and I was confirmed before I went to a Catholic high school in Atlanta. I go to Mass every Sunday morning and I'm proud to be a Catholic.
Wesley, however, is slightly different from what I'm used to in an organized religion. At Mass, we have a certain routine and structure that we follow. The priests are in vestments, there's an altar and a crucifix...it's formal and structured and I've always liked that. But Wesley is different...there's a minister who gives a sermon, but he's in jeans and a polo shirt instead of formal robes. They sing songs like we do, but the songs I'm used to are more like hymns. When I went to Wesley for the first time and heard their music, the first words that popped into my head were "rock concert for Jesus." If Jesus were around today and he wanted to rock out loud, then he would go to Wesley. And that's not a bad thing--it's just very different from what I'm used to. It's tailored for college students, which is something I think the Catholic Church could work on.
The first time I went to Wesley was a week ago today, but my reaction then was different from the one I had after tonight's service. When I left last week, I started to get mad. I don't think I was mad at anything or anyone in particular, but suddenly I found myself in a really bad mood. I couldn't explain it. All I knew was that Wesley and the Catholic Church are both Christian institutions, but they are very different in practice. And I couldn't figure out how I felt about the service I had just attended. It was nice...I liked the message that the minister gave, I saw all the people that I have known for a while as well as some friends that I had made in recent months, and my opinion on the music was still up in the air. But after careful consideration (over a couple of days), I felt torn between the two institutions. I've always loved the Catholic Church--like I said, I'm very attached to it and proud of it and I enjoy going to Mass. But Wesley wasn't so bad, either. I liked the sense of community I felt (it was an everyone-knows-everyone-else sort of thing, which I admire) and the message in the sermon (if that's the proper term for it...we call it a "homily" in the Catholic Church). To some extent, I felt that truly enjoying Wesley would be an insult and a betrayal to the big part of me that's attached to the Catholic Church. And because I was afraid that it would be more like Life Teen Mass, I was ready to dismiss the service before I even set foot in the door. And for that, I'm ashamed and sorry. Being judgmental is something that Christians are taught to avoid, and there I was on my high horse, assuming that attending a service at Wesley wouldn't be as great as going to a Mass in the Church. My boyfriend and I discussed what we felt that night and ended up breaking up based on our separate religious affiliations and the consequences of staying together despite our beliefs.
So I decided late Friday night that I needed to give Wesley another chance. If I could legitimately get something out of the sermon and apply it to my daily life, if I could somehow grow in my faith thanks to a service like that, then I should try to go again. I shouldn't condemn it just because it takes me out of my comfort zone and shows me a different aspect of Christianity. And knowing how much it meant to my ex-boyfriend and several of my friends (and many of his, too) also drove me to abandon my assumptions and judgments and give it another go. I just got back not too long ago, and I realized that I liked Wesley more than I expected, mostly because of the message that I got out of it. The music still throws me off, especially when people start putting their hands in the air and nodding their heads to the beat. Again, it's not a bad thing, it's just a different way to worship the same God. So I guess what I'm getting at is that I still feel torn between the two. I'm lost and confused, as it were, and I don't like it. Do I keep attending Wesley? Do I just stick to Mass? Do I do some combination of the two--but then which do I associate myself with? I don't know. What I do know is that I'm terribly sorry for judging and condemning Wesley the way I did. I'm so sorry.
___________________________________________________________________
Gold Watch and Chain lyrics
Darling how can I stay here without you?
I have nothing to ease my poor heart
All the world, it seems sad, dear, without you
Tell me now that we never will part
I will pawn you my gold watch and chain, love
I will pawn you my gold wedding ring
I will pawn you this heart in my bosom
Only say that you'll love me again.
And so it begins...
First entry of the new blog...and I don't know how to begin. Thanks to Brian and Tyler for inspiring me to make the blog, and especially to Brian for helping me come up with the name.
And now an explanation behind the name "Claiderbaider" : My best friend Amy and I used to babysit for our neighbor, Drew. So one time Amy tried to get him to say "Claire Bear," but it came out more like "Claiderbaider." And the name stuck, somehow. Amy's family still calls me that to this day.
So what's new with me, you ask? Well, I just got my new assignment from the Red and Black. I'm going to interview a doctoral candidate in the department of anthropology about her 1-year scholarship to study in Mozambique. How cool is that? I'm interviewing her tomorrow and one of her professors on Friday. My editor said that it should run sometime early next week, so be sure to watch the Red and Black (or check the online archives for it)!
But alas, I must leave you to do homework. I have a good amount of reading to do before the day is through.
And now an explanation behind the name "Claiderbaider" : My best friend Amy and I used to babysit for our neighbor, Drew. So one time Amy tried to get him to say "Claire Bear," but it came out more like "Claiderbaider." And the name stuck, somehow. Amy's family still calls me that to this day.
So what's new with me, you ask? Well, I just got my new assignment from the Red and Black. I'm going to interview a doctoral candidate in the department of anthropology about her 1-year scholarship to study in Mozambique. How cool is that? I'm interviewing her tomorrow and one of her professors on Friday. My editor said that it should run sometime early next week, so be sure to watch the Red and Black (or check the online archives for it)!
But alas, I must leave you to do homework. I have a good amount of reading to do before the day is through.
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