When The Music Dies

Well it's been a hell of a day. First RIP Farrah Fawcett. It's a shame that her death has become a footnote to Micheal's today and I offer my sympathies for her death.

I'm not going to summarize Michael's career - check Wiki. But the significance of his music and the tale of his life paints such a tragicly beautiful tale that it is simply remarkable. Let's establish the following things:

• He is the 2nd most influential musician to popular music today. Beatles take my top stop, but pop music is still recreating what he did 25 years ago. Not just the music, not just the mixture of R&B, rock and club music, but the concept of doing theatrical music videos, of incorporating dance sequences into a live performance and making live music so much more than just the music. That's Michael's influence - beyond the music, just the idea that there is more to the music than what's on a record.
• He brought together black and white cultures. In a time before MJ, there was white music and black music. For many white Americans, Thriller was the first time experiencing this entirely unique culture. People make a big deal out of mixing rock and hip-hop today - he did it before. He made both of them mainstream - he sang "Ebony and Ivory" with Macca, he brought Eddie Van Halen in to record on "Beat It", he helped organize the "We Are the World' record, which is the precursor for just the IDEA that superstars can support a cause. There's so much you can attribute to him - he defines the superstar role in so many ways that it is mindboggling.
• He lived a tragic life. How do you grow up without a childhood? How do you mature when you're recording albums at age 6? There's been a lot of horrible things claimed to be tied to MJ, and there's a good chance that some/many of them are true. But before he was a "criminal", he was a victim of unbelievable mass commercialization, images of grandeur, lack of security and just an overall unability to live a normal life.
• I wanted to see the comeback. So much. There was no more appealing musical idea to me than a MJ comeback. Not just to see him succeed, not just to see him up on stage doing something that few in the world could do, but to hear new music. Could he have made something as revolutionary as Thriller? Probably not........but if anyone could have....... That idea is so amazingly tempting and make's his death so shockingly disappointing.

Sorry that I sort of rambled, but I think you get the idea. I'm going to go listen to some MJ albums, but here's a message to the haters: Say what you will about the man, but the music lives forever. And it makes no aplogies.

Rest in Peace to the King of Pop - I will never forget.

JFK

One Week Update

Okay so it's been eight days but close enough. The knee is coming along nicely - ALMOST can walk on it and should be much more mobile by Friday or so. As much as I love staying on the same couch all day.

Other thoughts....

• The most absurd show on TV is Whale Wars. What they are doing is blatantly illegal - they have no policing power whatsoever. Yet this old dude, who looks somewhat like Kenny Rogers, runs around harassing fishing boats in the Japanese ocean. This week, he RAMS THE OTHER BOAT WITH HIS! Is that really a good plan at sea? Keep up the madness!
• The best show I've recently discovered is Arrested Development. Why haven't I known about this? It's perfect - each character is uniquely fascinating, but right now I'm loving David Cross' compulsive crier and Gob, the insane magician. Not sold entirely on Michael Cera's milksop but I think I'm coming around.
• No Pokemon in two days - hurts my eyes for some reason. I clearly need new eyes.
• It didn't rain today so I'm putting the ark plan on hold, but I'll be sure to let everyone know if we need to start up again. Thanks to everyone for your dual packages!

Off to PT - here's to no more immobilizer (fingers crossed)!

JFK

Maybe we should go dancing.....

The title is a DMB reference - whoever can spot it gets props!

Why don't we dance anymore? Seriously, all we do is grind. When you or I go to the club, we just sort of rub against other people. I don't know why, but I know the following:

• This isn't nearly as sick as old school dances. Have you seen the Charleston? How about people dancing to In the Groove? Even the damn Shuffle is cooler than anything we have now!
• Our stuff now is weak. The best we can come up with is Souljaboi - that was sort of cool, but there's no depth, no improvisation. How can you expect a satisfying dance from a man so shallow that he named his album after his own website? I'm not kidding - look it up. I have the album and it's musical garbage.
  
  And don't even try to argue the Cha Cha Shuffle. The song is a series of instructions set to music. At least it gives me hope that I can write a song that people will dance to - the Lowe's Deck Chair Assembly Slide!
  
  
• Nobody even likes dancing now. Let's face it - who enjoys grinding? Girls hate it - I've asked them and I've never heard any girl say "Yeah I love rubbing up against pants". Girls like the atmosphere, going with their friends, having a few drinks, not the actual dance.
  
  Speaking for guys, we'll take it, but it's not why we got dressed that night. Grinding isn't even first base - it's like taking four steps off home and just standing there, hoping you might advance but probably getting thrown out. In our defense though, the best friend shortstop has a hell of an arm.

So how do we fix this? We don't. If you create your own dance, you're either a) so legit I shoudn't be allowed in the same room as you or b) that guy who thinks he's amazing but really just had a few too many drinks. Chances are you and I aren't making a legendary dance anytime soon that has mainstream appeal and can redefine an era. So until then enjoy your grindin and keep the Macarena favorited on your laptop for those lonely nights.....

JFK

I was SOOOO WRONG!

Pokemon LEAF GREEN! All the charm of the original with updated graphics. Get this? Instead of having signs in front of people's houses, now the names are on mailboxes! Of course! Who the hell has a sign in front of their house with "Insert First Name"'s House?

JFK

What's Been Up

Howdy ya'll,

So here's what's been happening with me:

• Pokemon Silver! Amazing! The depth of characters, the rich battle system, the plotline! Okay not really but it is lots of fun to make some Pidgeys faint again.
• Rehab is going well. My range of motion is higher than expected (can bend it down to 90 degrees) and strength is going pretty well. Next session is Wednesday and I might be ditching the Immobilizer by then!
• Horribly behind in my summer classes but now catching up!
• Eating a lot of fruit these days. Who knew they were so good for you? Beats cake anyway.
• Just kidding cake - our relationship is solid.

In other random news, I am wearing a white shirt with white pants today - it's basically my Montey the Cat costume.

Chelsea - have fun in Conneticut. Serena - have fun in Paris. Damn am I the only one staying put this week?

JFK

Why Brett Favre should come back

The reasons are endless. Here's a few:

• He's still good. Like almost led a team in his first year with a new offense to the playoffs if not for a shoulder injury good. You can't hate on a guy who can still play.
• He still wants to play. He's a legend, plain and simple. He's the definition of the everyman quarterback, tough as nails and dedicated to winning. He's an asset to most any team.
• He's entertaining as hell. What's more fun than seeing what crazy new pass Favre will come up with this week? He's my favorite QB in the NFL because he's so damn unpredictable.
• It wasn't time for him to leave. He was forced out by a team he gave everything to.

And now it's time to stick it to the league, the naysayers and all the haters. He earned the right to go out on a good note - now it's going to be at the Packers expense. Now that's good football!

JFK

Surgery: Day 2

What I Learned Today:

• Painkillers are great, but not two at a time. Talk about losing focus........and a grip on reality.
• Exercises hurt. A lot. But no pain, no game.
• Physical therapists have difficult jobs. I want to like them for helping me out, but showing up each day to be tortured is going to form some animosity eventually.
• http://www.gameready.com/products/index.htm - I'm getting one of these things. And it's the absolute bomb. Think an ice pack with no ice - thanks Doc!
• There is no way to comfortably sit with leg elevated and type an essay. We'll work on this

Exercises start up tomorrow - here's to getting some more sleep tonight! Cheers!

JFK

Old stories are therapeautic - they wash away "What If?" and make the future your present.

Surgery Day 1

Might as well chronicle my surgery on here.

Surgery was today at 730 AM (see previous post for details). Woke up from anesthesia and immediately remembered that good old feeling of a bum knee. No pain pretty much all day - actually had a fun time poking my leg at varying places to see where feeling was coming back to. Just made the trip upstairs to bed and its starting to throb. Even with an immobilizer and some Oxycontin I can tell tomorrow is going to be rough.

PT begins tomorrow in Hershey at 930 - wish me luck!

JFK

When our laws tie our hands

http://bit.ly/3s07l

A grammar school outside Los Angeles is being required to stay an extra 34 days during the summer to make up for shortened days in the school year. Instead of the shortened days being the required 180 minutes, they were 170 minutes. All 34 days were disallowed to keep from failing to meet requirements for recieving $7 million in state funds.

Sometimes it's interesting how our government makes laws that make a lot of sense on paper, but fail to apply to the real world

JFK

Top 5 Weirdest Things about Knee Surgery

5 ) Figuring out how to get up steps again. It sounds so easy until you go for that 8" vertical leap and fail miserably. Cheers to sleeping downstairs tonight!

4) Touching my numb left leg. It feels like I'm petting a very pale bear. Who doesn't exercise.

3) Finding out what you said under anaesthesia. Apparently I'm a huge fan of the Baconator and my blue surgery hairnet.

2) Texting people to tell them you're still alive. And knowing that they secretly hope you're drugged and ready to discuss something quite ridiculous.

1) The nurse asking "So, have you ever been drugged before?" Some kind of awkward cross between a Maury interview and a come on. Too bad he was a guy.

JFK

My New Blog

Hey everybody,

I'm back on the blogging scene (aka I need a new hobby for the next couple weeks). Hope you enjoy my random thoughts and musings. Tell your friends and neighbors!

JFK