courtesy of my blog: http://cjferrara.blogspot.com
A former pastor of mine gave a sermon that impacted me greatly. The church reading was the one where Jesus said, "If a man hits you on the right cheek, turn and offer him your left." This has served to represent the peaceful way that we must relate to one another, rather than constantly retaliating against those who wrong us.
The rebuttal to this idea is always, "Yeah, right, what am I supposed to do, just let him hit me with no consequences?" And this thought often leads to a reversal of Jesus' message. This pastor chose to put it a different way. Rather than thinking about the justice of someone hitting you and deserving some form of punishment; maybe Jesus had a different idea in mind.
Maybe He meant that seeking revenge against those who wrong you will hurt you in the long run. I have been in several situations where people have wronged me, and I have felt the need to "get back" at them. This becomes a vicious cycle of one-upsmanship that means that the next few months, years or even the rest of your life will be consumed with this battle of who is the better man. I've been there. It sucks. You feel every day that the world is against you, and find it very hard to be happy. Therefore, it's better for US to leave the judgement and retaliation to God, and yes, actually, let the guy hit you again.
A student once brought this up during an assembly about the behavior in the halls. He asked, "If someone hits you, and then you hit them back, isn't that self-defence?" The answer is no. Self-defence means preventing someone from attacking you successfully. If you are in the midst of being attacked, and the only way to keep the attacker from hurting you is to hit them back, knocking them out; THAT's self defence. If someone wrongs you, then you feel the need to give them one in return; that's revenge.
It also violates Benjamin Zander's "Rule Number Six;" (Stop taking yourself so God damned seriously.) Yes, the assailant in question deserves consequences for his/her actions. But are YOU the guy to bring those consequences? Who are you, Superman? It's like saying, "How dare you slap ME on the right cheek? ME! Don't you know who I AM?"
I grew up having a lot of trouble believing in my father's rule of, "Respect all Adults." Without Question. My father had several friends who were absolute butt-heads. They were rude to me and my brother, talked down to us, even insulted me. When I responded sarcastically, my father spoke with me firmly. "That is an adult! I don't care who they are, you will respect your elders." I never understood it or agreed with it.
Whenever I discuss respect with my students, they define it as "Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you." My adolescent mind felt that these adults, in being rude to me, needed to have that rudeness returned; it's only fair. It wasn't until I grew up, that I realized that it says, "As you would have..." not "Do unto others AS THEY DO unto you." In other words, I don't want disrespect, therefore I shouldn't give disrespect; regardless of their behavior.
Besides, maybe it works like the pastor's sermon. Maybe it's not about them, or justice, or what's right. Maybe youngsters should respect elders because being a respectful person is a good way to be. It builds your character into someone who can fight for justice later on. Or be a leader towards a more respectful world. And not feeling the need to fight all the time makes you a much happier person.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
SLTM Films
courtesy of my blog: http://cjferrara.blogspot.com/
I've become obsessed with my friends Sean and Christine Fitzgerald's work on you tube. They've engaged in a project called "Project 52." They intend to make 52 short films in 2011; 1 per week every week, and post it on you tube for all to see. This would be cute, and fun, and novel of them and best of all: the films are REALLY GOOD!!! They're currently 10 weeks in, and so far most of them have been amazing films done on a shoestring budget with volunteers for casts and local scenery. I highly encourage you all to check these out, then subscribe, follow on twitter (@sltmfilms) and like 'em on facebook. Here are the first 10 in my personal order of preference.
1. Heart and Soles - Without a doubt, my favorite. Also their first. An entire love story shot from the bottom, focusing on their feet and/or shoes. Beautifully shot and very emotionally evocative.
2. The Last Supper - A Horror film about a "Sin Eater;" someone who takes on your final sins before you die. He accidentally eats the sins of another sin eater and, pardon the pun, all hell breaks loose. Very well done. And the best thing, a lot of this isn't directly told to us in exposition, it all comes out through the events of the film. And it's SCARY!
3. We The Sheeple - An inventive take on a silent movie. A very modern idea done in a very contemporary way. The plot involves censorship and invasions of privacy. Very cool, and very well done.
4. Strays - A thriller. A serial killer is out there as a woman ventures out into the night to find her stray dog. Plot twists make this very rewarding and spooky, with a very satisfying ending.
5. Black Rain - A Film Noir. The deepest and most sophisticated of the films about a traveller who mistakenly picks up a hitchhiker with a mysterious bag that turns out to have been stolen. Well done, nicely acted and powerfully surprising.
6. Cracked Up - A comedy about tea cups who have a funny conversation. Sean and Christine tried some special effects to put faces on the cups. They don't think it worked, but I thought it was cute. Only problem was that it went on for too long before the big climax. Otherwise, very funny.
7. Envy - I give Sean and Christine props for tackling animation. A film about two "people" alone on earth who battle over a $20 bill. Nicely done, and nicely executed. Could have done without the sound effects, though.
8. Heart Strings - A Fantasy about a person who wakes up and strangely finds himself tangled up in strings. (I'm trying not to spoil. ) Well done, and a cute idea. I don't love it or hate it, I merely acknowledge the talent behind it.
9. Finding Night - A mockumentary about the disappearance of night featuring interviews with Dusk, Dawn, Day and the Sandman. Nice idea, but kind of lackluster in presentation. A good idea stretched way to far. Worth a viewing, though.
10. Why Knot? - Sad to say, not my favorite. It is supposed to be a farce about people preparing for a wedding, except the bride to be is not interested in getting married. And hilarity ensues. I think of farce, I think of silliness, and this isn't zany, it's actually kind of serious. Some poor acting performances also hurt the film. Sean does some clever things with the camera, such as shooting from the videographer's point of view. It had potential to be better, but didn't quite deliver.
I've become obsessed with my friends Sean and Christine Fitzgerald's work on you tube. They've engaged in a project called "Project 52." They intend to make 52 short films in 2011; 1 per week every week, and post it on you tube for all to see. This would be cute, and fun, and novel of them and best of all: the films are REALLY GOOD!!! They're currently 10 weeks in, and so far most of them have been amazing films done on a shoestring budget with volunteers for casts and local scenery. I highly encourage you all to check these out, then subscribe, follow on twitter (@sltmfilms) and like 'em on facebook. Here are the first 10 in my personal order of preference.
1. Heart and Soles - Without a doubt, my favorite. Also their first. An entire love story shot from the bottom, focusing on their feet and/or shoes. Beautifully shot and very emotionally evocative.
2. The Last Supper - A Horror film about a "Sin Eater;" someone who takes on your final sins before you die. He accidentally eats the sins of another sin eater and, pardon the pun, all hell breaks loose. Very well done. And the best thing, a lot of this isn't directly told to us in exposition, it all comes out through the events of the film. And it's SCARY!
3. We The Sheeple - An inventive take on a silent movie. A very modern idea done in a very contemporary way. The plot involves censorship and invasions of privacy. Very cool, and very well done.
4. Strays - A thriller. A serial killer is out there as a woman ventures out into the night to find her stray dog. Plot twists make this very rewarding and spooky, with a very satisfying ending.
5. Black Rain - A Film Noir. The deepest and most sophisticated of the films about a traveller who mistakenly picks up a hitchhiker with a mysterious bag that turns out to have been stolen. Well done, nicely acted and powerfully surprising.
6. Cracked Up - A comedy about tea cups who have a funny conversation. Sean and Christine tried some special effects to put faces on the cups. They don't think it worked, but I thought it was cute. Only problem was that it went on for too long before the big climax. Otherwise, very funny.
7. Envy - I give Sean and Christine props for tackling animation. A film about two "people" alone on earth who battle over a $20 bill. Nicely done, and nicely executed. Could have done without the sound effects, though.
8. Heart Strings - A Fantasy about a person who wakes up and strangely finds himself tangled up in strings. (I'm trying not to spoil. ) Well done, and a cute idea. I don't love it or hate it, I merely acknowledge the talent behind it.
9. Finding Night - A mockumentary about the disappearance of night featuring interviews with Dusk, Dawn, Day and the Sandman. Nice idea, but kind of lackluster in presentation. A good idea stretched way to far. Worth a viewing, though.
10. Why Knot? - Sad to say, not my favorite. It is supposed to be a farce about people preparing for a wedding, except the bride to be is not interested in getting married. And hilarity ensues. I think of farce, I think of silliness, and this isn't zany, it's actually kind of serious. Some poor acting performances also hurt the film. Sean does some clever things with the camera, such as shooting from the videographer's point of view. It had potential to be better, but didn't quite deliver.
What's happening in the world?
courtesy of my blog: http://cjferrara.blogspot.com/
First off: MOVIE TRIVIA CHALLENGE. The title of this blog entry is from a movie. Name it!
Second, let's run down the list of current events. I'm behind in my obligation to keep a record of the news for the year.
Earthquake and Tsunami - Devastating. I can't comment on it, because I don't think there's a debate here that I need to take a position on. See my comments about Haiti. All I can add about this one, is that I first heard about it while sitting at a Kia dealership. I was frustrated about an argument I had with my wife, and Bank of America, and all the stress of the things I needed to do that day. Then I saw the news. And like, many people I heard from, it put everything into perspective. I mean, go to Tokyo and tell someone who is now living with radiation poisoning after losing their house in an earthquake that you and your wife don't communicate well, and you have a lot of phone calls to make. See how they react. Exactly! Remember Rule Number 6.
Charlie Sheen - See above about what's important and not. Bottom line. Charlie Sheen IS a star. The lifestyle of a celebrity occasionally involves booze, drugs, and hookers. I'm actually not really surprised by the news that he's this reckless. I also don't CARE that he's crazy. His psychosis is obvious, and what he's doing now is employing political tactics to try and spin his story into a positive light. "Get out there, do some interviews, and explain your behavior." Bad idea. The truth always comes through in the end. He needs help, but we are not the ones who need to force him to get the help he needs. To finally motivate yourself to change, you need to hit rock bottom. And the rocks at the bottom of Carlos Estevez's hole are well in sight. It's good that he was fired. It's good that Two and A Half Men was cancelled. (The show sucked anyway.) It's good that he's now a joke. It's BAD that we're going to all start saying "Duh! Winning!" over and over.
Wisconsin - I've been blogging about hatred of teachers and unions because of the douche bag running Wisconsin. He's now made the dick move of bypassing procedure using political loopholes to get the Collective Bargaining rights of State workers taken away. Is it over? I hope not. I hope the Wisconsin Union takes it to the supreme court. First at the State level, and going up to the Federal Level. Seriously! I hope the Supreme court rules that NO employer, public or private, can infringe on the rights of their workers. Some teabagger on Bill Maher basically said, "There's nothing in the Constitution about collective Bargaining." Maybe not, but it is in the Declaration of Independence: "Among these (inalienable rights) are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." All of which are achieved through collective bargaining.
Libya - Seems as if 2011 is kicking off to be the Year of the Protest. There seems to be an energy in the Middle East just like America in 1968. Between Egypt, Jordan, Libya and Wisconsin; times they are a changing. My concern is that Egypt went down rather easily compared to Libya. Qaddafi seems to be of the opinion that Mubarek is a wimp for caving in to protesters. He, instead, is fighting back. Scott Walker seemed to have a similar attitude in Wisconsin. Thousands of protesters can't stop a douche from his tyrannical agenda.
And on the subject of nut jobs, what is up with Khaddafi? (I intend to spell his name differently each time.) I actually saw a BBC quiz asking you to guess if each lame brained crazy statement was spoken by Gaddafi or Charlie Sheen, and you know, you really can't tell. Caddaphi was crazy back in the 1980s, why did we believe anything would be different now?
Did I miss anything? Let me know.
First off: MOVIE TRIVIA CHALLENGE. The title of this blog entry is from a movie. Name it!
Second, let's run down the list of current events. I'm behind in my obligation to keep a record of the news for the year.
Earthquake and Tsunami - Devastating. I can't comment on it, because I don't think there's a debate here that I need to take a position on. See my comments about Haiti. All I can add about this one, is that I first heard about it while sitting at a Kia dealership. I was frustrated about an argument I had with my wife, and Bank of America, and all the stress of the things I needed to do that day. Then I saw the news. And like, many people I heard from, it put everything into perspective. I mean, go to Tokyo and tell someone who is now living with radiation poisoning after losing their house in an earthquake that you and your wife don't communicate well, and you have a lot of phone calls to make. See how they react. Exactly! Remember Rule Number 6.
Charlie Sheen - See above about what's important and not. Bottom line. Charlie Sheen IS a star. The lifestyle of a celebrity occasionally involves booze, drugs, and hookers. I'm actually not really surprised by the news that he's this reckless. I also don't CARE that he's crazy. His psychosis is obvious, and what he's doing now is employing political tactics to try and spin his story into a positive light. "Get out there, do some interviews, and explain your behavior." Bad idea. The truth always comes through in the end. He needs help, but we are not the ones who need to force him to get the help he needs. To finally motivate yourself to change, you need to hit rock bottom. And the rocks at the bottom of Carlos Estevez's hole are well in sight. It's good that he was fired. It's good that Two and A Half Men was cancelled. (The show sucked anyway.) It's good that he's now a joke. It's BAD that we're going to all start saying "Duh! Winning!" over and over.
Wisconsin - I've been blogging about hatred of teachers and unions because of the douche bag running Wisconsin. He's now made the dick move of bypassing procedure using political loopholes to get the Collective Bargaining rights of State workers taken away. Is it over? I hope not. I hope the Wisconsin Union takes it to the supreme court. First at the State level, and going up to the Federal Level. Seriously! I hope the Supreme court rules that NO employer, public or private, can infringe on the rights of their workers. Some teabagger on Bill Maher basically said, "There's nothing in the Constitution about collective Bargaining." Maybe not, but it is in the Declaration of Independence: "Among these (inalienable rights) are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." All of which are achieved through collective bargaining.
Libya - Seems as if 2011 is kicking off to be the Year of the Protest. There seems to be an energy in the Middle East just like America in 1968. Between Egypt, Jordan, Libya and Wisconsin; times they are a changing. My concern is that Egypt went down rather easily compared to Libya. Qaddafi seems to be of the opinion that Mubarek is a wimp for caving in to protesters. He, instead, is fighting back. Scott Walker seemed to have a similar attitude in Wisconsin. Thousands of protesters can't stop a douche from his tyrannical agenda.
And on the subject of nut jobs, what is up with Khaddafi? (I intend to spell his name differently each time.) I actually saw a BBC quiz asking you to guess if each lame brained crazy statement was spoken by Gaddafi or Charlie Sheen, and you know, you really can't tell. Caddaphi was crazy back in the 1980s, why did we believe anything would be different now?
Did I miss anything? Let me know.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Collective Bargaining 101
courtesy of my blog: http://cjferrara.blogspot.com
First of all, I'm sorry. One of my New Years resolutions was to blog LESS about politics and more about music and lifestyle. But just like in Superman II, after he gave up his powers to be with Lois, and then found out that Zod and the Gang had taken over the earth... I have to go back.
A Facebook friend posted this article from the Heritage Foundation. This group was obviously inspired by the Ministry of Truth from Orwell's 1984, because their business seems to be re-writing history to fit the current political agenda. Please click the link and read it before continuing with this entry.
All done? Good. Isn't that a load of Crap? Line by line, I will now refute every part of it:
First off... It's not a Legal Monopoly, it's called a contract. Paying everyone equally and fairly is called being fair. They assert that you have no choice but to be in the union. But the contract and terms of employment are between the Government and the union. Why would you not be in it? I've had my issues with specific chapters of NYSUT in my career, and have toyed with the idea of not joining the union. Then, after several firings, I realize that not joining the union means that NO ONE has your back. I have a career today because of the Teacher's Union. This blog, and my whole campaign this year will be me paying them back.
Private vs. Public sector. Bullshit. There's no difference. It comes down to who your employer is. Public sector, it's the government. Private sector, it's your company's CEO. Union activity never comes down to profit sharing, or any of what's mentioned in the article. It comes down to a simple question: What will be considered fair treatment of your employees?
Risking Public Services. When unions strike, it's because the Government, or Government representative in charge of this branch is treating their employees unfairly. The ultimate turnaround in disputes like this is that the unfair employer says that the strike is denying people services; when it's the unfair action on the part of the employer that is doing it. Gov. Walker and the Governors of a few states are cutting back on their public funding. You don't think THAT will deny the public important services? This is a political tactic, not a legitimate concern. Besides, I've been involved in union job actions on several occasions, and a strike is ALWAYS a last resort. Most public unions begin with picketing on their own time, slow downs, or non-volunteerism before an all out strike.
History of collective Bargaining
Again, bullshit. If you produced quotes from the 1800s, you could probably cite opposition to many of the things unions have fought for over the years; such as a 40-hour week, overtime, benefits, safe workplaces, decent breaks, adequate time to complete a task, sick leave, family leave, and the list goes on. It's a list of things that no sane person would ever take a job without. And yet in the 1800s, none of them were even considered by most employers. Thus the Labor movement. And ever since, employers, including the government for public jobs, have been trying to get away with denying these things to their employees. Ever been asked to work extra hours without overtime? Denied pay for vacations or holidays? What's happening in Wisconsin and soon to be everywhere is an extension of that.
Consequence of Collective Bargaining
Leverage over Government: Yeah, it really sucks that you have to treat people fairly. People need to be paid a decent wage that they can actually survive on. If you need to raise taxes to afford that, then yeah. In the private sector, by the way, companies need to raise prices of goods to afford these wages. They also do it to grant themselves inflated salaries and benefits. As does the government.
Inflated Government Pay: If "the average government employee enjoys better health benefits, better pensions, better job security, and an earlier retirement than the average private-sector worker," then your private sector unions really must suck. This is their most insidious tactic in opposing unions. Waging the private sector against the public sector. You can bet that once busting the public unions sets the precedent, private sector jobs are next. Incidentally, these government employees also have higher education and training than average private sector jobs, which may account for the discrepancy of salaries and benefits. Teachers, by law, HAVE to have a Master's degree. And compared to other careers that require a Master's, we get paid like shit.
Forced Union Dues: Again, not forced, voluntary, but in your best interest. That's what unionizing is all about. Employers are not facing a few disgruntled employees, they're negotiating with the entire workforce. We stand together, or the union is pointless. (Probably their point.)
Politicized Civil Service. Yeah, and your point? If private employees buys stock in their company, they gain the same rights. AND no matter how much funding the union puts into supporting union supporter running for office, anti-union voters are still going to vote against them.
All of this is to set up the last section discussing Wisconsin. And of course, they tell you that Scott Walker is not trying to bust the union. He just wants to take away everything the union stands for... which is basically busting the union. They say, "Walker’s proposal restricts government unions to negotiating over wages only, and not benefits or work rules." So, one of the several things that unions have achieved will remain in place.
Bottom line... by law, thanks to the unions, the government CAN'T do the things it wants to, specifically, screw government employees out of their rights. So, Walker wants to change the law so that he can. If he succeeds, your state will be next. Once it's done on the public level, then it will set the precedent for the private sector. And it we'll go back to the 1800s work force.
First of all, I'm sorry. One of my New Years resolutions was to blog LESS about politics and more about music and lifestyle. But just like in Superman II, after he gave up his powers to be with Lois, and then found out that Zod and the Gang had taken over the earth... I have to go back.
A Facebook friend posted this article from the Heritage Foundation. This group was obviously inspired by the Ministry of Truth from Orwell's 1984, because their business seems to be re-writing history to fit the current political agenda. Please click the link and read it before continuing with this entry.
All done? Good. Isn't that a load of Crap? Line by line, I will now refute every part of it:
First off... It's not a Legal Monopoly, it's called a contract. Paying everyone equally and fairly is called being fair. They assert that you have no choice but to be in the union. But the contract and terms of employment are between the Government and the union. Why would you not be in it? I've had my issues with specific chapters of NYSUT in my career, and have toyed with the idea of not joining the union. Then, after several firings, I realize that not joining the union means that NO ONE has your back. I have a career today because of the Teacher's Union. This blog, and my whole campaign this year will be me paying them back.
Private vs. Public sector. Bullshit. There's no difference. It comes down to who your employer is. Public sector, it's the government. Private sector, it's your company's CEO. Union activity never comes down to profit sharing, or any of what's mentioned in the article. It comes down to a simple question: What will be considered fair treatment of your employees?
Risking Public Services. When unions strike, it's because the Government, or Government representative in charge of this branch is treating their employees unfairly. The ultimate turnaround in disputes like this is that the unfair employer says that the strike is denying people services; when it's the unfair action on the part of the employer that is doing it. Gov. Walker and the Governors of a few states are cutting back on their public funding. You don't think THAT will deny the public important services? This is a political tactic, not a legitimate concern. Besides, I've been involved in union job actions on several occasions, and a strike is ALWAYS a last resort. Most public unions begin with picketing on their own time, slow downs, or non-volunteerism before an all out strike.
History of collective Bargaining
Again, bullshit. If you produced quotes from the 1800s, you could probably cite opposition to many of the things unions have fought for over the years; such as a 40-hour week, overtime, benefits, safe workplaces, decent breaks, adequate time to complete a task, sick leave, family leave, and the list goes on. It's a list of things that no sane person would ever take a job without. And yet in the 1800s, none of them were even considered by most employers. Thus the Labor movement. And ever since, employers, including the government for public jobs, have been trying to get away with denying these things to their employees. Ever been asked to work extra hours without overtime? Denied pay for vacations or holidays? What's happening in Wisconsin and soon to be everywhere is an extension of that.
Consequence of Collective Bargaining
Leverage over Government: Yeah, it really sucks that you have to treat people fairly. People need to be paid a decent wage that they can actually survive on. If you need to raise taxes to afford that, then yeah. In the private sector, by the way, companies need to raise prices of goods to afford these wages. They also do it to grant themselves inflated salaries and benefits. As does the government.
Inflated Government Pay: If "the average government employee enjoys better health benefits, better pensions, better job security, and an earlier retirement than the average private-sector worker," then your private sector unions really must suck. This is their most insidious tactic in opposing unions. Waging the private sector against the public sector. You can bet that once busting the public unions sets the precedent, private sector jobs are next. Incidentally, these government employees also have higher education and training than average private sector jobs, which may account for the discrepancy of salaries and benefits. Teachers, by law, HAVE to have a Master's degree. And compared to other careers that require a Master's, we get paid like shit.
Forced Union Dues: Again, not forced, voluntary, but in your best interest. That's what unionizing is all about. Employers are not facing a few disgruntled employees, they're negotiating with the entire workforce. We stand together, or the union is pointless. (Probably their point.)
Politicized Civil Service. Yeah, and your point? If private employees buys stock in their company, they gain the same rights. AND no matter how much funding the union puts into supporting union supporter running for office, anti-union voters are still going to vote against them.
All of this is to set up the last section discussing Wisconsin. And of course, they tell you that Scott Walker is not trying to bust the union. He just wants to take away everything the union stands for... which is basically busting the union. They say, "Walker’s proposal restricts government unions to negotiating over wages only, and not benefits or work rules." So, one of the several things that unions have achieved will remain in place.
Bottom line... by law, thanks to the unions, the government CAN'T do the things it wants to, specifically, screw government employees out of their rights. So, Walker wants to change the law so that he can. If he succeeds, your state will be next. Once it's done on the public level, then it will set the precedent for the private sector. And it we'll go back to the 1800s work force.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Music Reviews: More Singles
courtesy of my blog: http://cjferrara.blogspot.com/
More great songs without albums. I can only hope that they will be followed by a release.
This Little Light of Mine - Addison Road
Nice country/Christian song. It seems to me that this song belongs in a movie of some kind. Good tune, based on the famous spiritual lyrics. This made my daughter call out that she recognized the song; even though it's a totally different setting.
I Won't Give Up - Jana Kramer - The debut song from the star of One Tree Hill. Wait... Come back, it's actually pretty good. I'm not sure if this will turn into a career for her, but if she can keep the material quality, then maybe.
Something to Die For - The Sounds - Retro music styles tend to go in 20 year spans. In the '80s, people reminisced about the '60s; in the '90s, they brought back the art rock and trends of the '70s. That means that the "Aughts" (2000-2010) should have seen a resurgence of music from the '80s. I was psyched, because I was very into '80s hair metal. And it made a bit of a comeback. Groups like Stryper and Iron Maiden had good albums last year. And there's Jimmy Fallon's now legendary Fight Power Ballad featuring Sebastian Bach. But that's not the big comeback of the year. Nope, it was the cheesey New-wave Alternative music of the '80s that came back. Groups like The Killers and Muse are bringing back that alt-'80s trend. Add to that the Swedesh group, The Sounds. This song is blatantly riffing on the synth-pop sounds of Human League and Eurythmics, but in a good way. Keep listening beyond the cheesy Buchla synthesizer opening, and get to the chorus, and you'll be hooked.
A Little Less Comfortable - Carter's Chord
Took a few listens to get the point of this country ballad. I think it means that the girls miss the old days when their relationship was exciting and passionate. They're too comfortable with each other's company and weant to get the spark back. Newcomers Carter's Chord seem to be picking up where the Dixie Chicks and Wilson Phillips left off. Good harmonies, and just a plain 'ol well written song.
More great songs without albums. I can only hope that they will be followed by a release.
This Little Light of Mine - Addison Road
Nice country/Christian song. It seems to me that this song belongs in a movie of some kind. Good tune, based on the famous spiritual lyrics. This made my daughter call out that she recognized the song; even though it's a totally different setting.
I Won't Give Up - Jana Kramer - The debut song from the star of One Tree Hill. Wait... Come back, it's actually pretty good. I'm not sure if this will turn into a career for her, but if she can keep the material quality, then maybe.
Something to Die For - The Sounds - Retro music styles tend to go in 20 year spans. In the '80s, people reminisced about the '60s; in the '90s, they brought back the art rock and trends of the '70s. That means that the "Aughts" (2000-2010) should have seen a resurgence of music from the '80s. I was psyched, because I was very into '80s hair metal. And it made a bit of a comeback. Groups like Stryper and Iron Maiden had good albums last year. And there's Jimmy Fallon's now legendary Fight Power Ballad featuring Sebastian Bach. But that's not the big comeback of the year. Nope, it was the cheesey New-wave Alternative music of the '80s that came back. Groups like The Killers and Muse are bringing back that alt-'80s trend. Add to that the Swedesh group, The Sounds. This song is blatantly riffing on the synth-pop sounds of Human League and Eurythmics, but in a good way. Keep listening beyond the cheesy Buchla synthesizer opening, and get to the chorus, and you'll be hooked.
A Little Less Comfortable - Carter's Chord
Took a few listens to get the point of this country ballad. I think it means that the girls miss the old days when their relationship was exciting and passionate. They're too comfortable with each other's company and weant to get the spark back. Newcomers Carter's Chord seem to be picking up where the Dixie Chicks and Wilson Phillips left off. Good harmonies, and just a plain 'ol well written song.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Music Reviews: More Good albums
courtesy of my blog: http://cjferrara.blogspot.com/
Ian Axel reminds me of Ben Folds SO MUCH. Maybe it's the happy peppiness of his songs juxtaposed against sadness in the lyrics that give it just a hint of sarcasm. Maybe it's the piano riffs that bring the song together. Maybe it's his voice. For some reason I can't put my finger on, I absolutely LOVE his debut album, "This is the New Year." It's a contender for beating Greg Jasperse's "Tournesol" for happiest album on earth. You just can't feel bad listening to this stuff. Even the "Waltz" which goes into a random, minor-key, French, Carousel type of rhythm which borders on maniacal, you can just sense the humor behind it, and that's all you feel. Try out the opening song, "Leave Me Alone," and just enjoy the ride.
Adele - "21" I'll be honest, I resisted Adele's first album. It was such a gimmick. Like Joss Stone and Natasha Bedingfield before her, Adele fell into the "She's white and British, but miraculously sounds like an American R & B singer" type. And like Susan Boyle, you didn't expect this voice to come out of someone with, shall we say, less than sellable looks. The thing is, and many gimmicky groups fall into this trap; once the gimmick wears off, it all comes down to the music. That's why millions of American Idol fans who rabidly call in and support their favorite "singer" on the popular "music" "reality show" never seem to show up to buy the album. Because AmId has a bad reputation of picking horrible songs for their superstars to sing.
So, I followed my project's rules and listened to Adele's first track "Rolling in the Deep." I kinda got into it. It's nice, and hey, follows the genre nicely. So, I moved on to the other tracks. And with each one, I loved it more and more. Yeah, she can sing, of course. That's what brings you to the table, but the songs are good, and her performances and arrangements are solid. I didn't think I'd be an Adele fan, but now I might just go back and check out "19" and see what I've been missing.
Stryper - "The Covering" - I may have surprised a few regular readers, (snicker!), with my selection of "Murder By Pride" as one of my favorites of 2010. First off, who the hell is still a Stryper fan? But I'm going to stand by my review, and what I've always believed about this group: Christianity aside, they're a great freakin' band. And they got better with maturity. Now their new release is an album of covers. You'd think they'd go for covering Christian groups, or stick to the metal songs that can reference God with a simple change of lyric. "Dr. Feelgood," for example? "Heaven" by Warrant? "Signs" by Tesla, but change the ending? Nope. They cover Sabbath, Judas Preist, Kiss, Scorpions, Kansas, Iron Maiden, Van Halen, Ozzy, Led Zeppelin; and they do it well! Like "Against the Law," their secular album from 1990, "The Covering" shows off their chops as a metal band, and it doesn't disappoint. For nothing more than the selection of songs, it's worth checking out.
Ian Axel reminds me of Ben Folds SO MUCH. Maybe it's the happy peppiness of his songs juxtaposed against sadness in the lyrics that give it just a hint of sarcasm. Maybe it's the piano riffs that bring the song together. Maybe it's his voice. For some reason I can't put my finger on, I absolutely LOVE his debut album, "This is the New Year." It's a contender for beating Greg Jasperse's "Tournesol" for happiest album on earth. You just can't feel bad listening to this stuff. Even the "Waltz" which goes into a random, minor-key, French, Carousel type of rhythm which borders on maniacal, you can just sense the humor behind it, and that's all you feel. Try out the opening song, "Leave Me Alone," and just enjoy the ride.
Adele - "21" I'll be honest, I resisted Adele's first album. It was such a gimmick. Like Joss Stone and Natasha Bedingfield before her, Adele fell into the "She's white and British, but miraculously sounds like an American R & B singer" type. And like Susan Boyle, you didn't expect this voice to come out of someone with, shall we say, less than sellable looks. The thing is, and many gimmicky groups fall into this trap; once the gimmick wears off, it all comes down to the music. That's why millions of American Idol fans who rabidly call in and support their favorite "singer" on the popular "music" "reality show" never seem to show up to buy the album. Because AmId has a bad reputation of picking horrible songs for their superstars to sing.
So, I followed my project's rules and listened to Adele's first track "Rolling in the Deep." I kinda got into it. It's nice, and hey, follows the genre nicely. So, I moved on to the other tracks. And with each one, I loved it more and more. Yeah, she can sing, of course. That's what brings you to the table, but the songs are good, and her performances and arrangements are solid. I didn't think I'd be an Adele fan, but now I might just go back and check out "19" and see what I've been missing.
Stryper - "The Covering" - I may have surprised a few regular readers, (snicker!), with my selection of "Murder By Pride" as one of my favorites of 2010. First off, who the hell is still a Stryper fan? But I'm going to stand by my review, and what I've always believed about this group: Christianity aside, they're a great freakin' band. And they got better with maturity. Now their new release is an album of covers. You'd think they'd go for covering Christian groups, or stick to the metal songs that can reference God with a simple change of lyric. "Dr. Feelgood," for example? "Heaven" by Warrant? "Signs" by Tesla, but change the ending? Nope. They cover Sabbath, Judas Preist, Kiss, Scorpions, Kansas, Iron Maiden, Van Halen, Ozzy, Led Zeppelin; and they do it well! Like "Against the Law," their secular album from 1990, "The Covering" shows off their chops as a metal band, and it doesn't disappoint. For nothing more than the selection of songs, it's worth checking out.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Why People Hate Teachers
courtesy of my blog: http://cjferrara.blogspot.com/
Last week, on my week off, I engaged a remarkably stupid woman in a heated debate over the current big issue in Wisconsin, budget cuts to education, and the firing of teachers. It started on Facebook when a friend of mind wrote a status labeling public employees as being lazy, unfirable and overall a waste of money. Some of his facebook friends, including myself, gently clarified that we do, indeed, work hard at our job; that we are NOT unfirable, a common misconception about union protection; and that we are worth the money invested.
Then this woman chimed in, stating that unions, the teacher's union in particular, were "sucking the life out of this country." We challenged her and asked her to clarify her statement, at which time she must have read our profiles, because she began her next tirade with "Ah, ... a teacher...." She then shifted from mindlessly spewing Republican rhetoric to mindlessly spewing epithets at teachers and the whole teaching profession. She cited our "unreasonable demands," mentioned how we "care more about our paychecks than the kids," and a ton of other ridiculous bullshit statements. I was taken aback.
I know why politicians sling mud at teachers and unions; because they are politically trying to garner support for their evil agenda of privatizing every public service; but why would an ordinary citizen hate teachers so much? I know, because the simple minded believe, repeat and follow what they hear on TV without questioning, but I think it may go deeper than that. The opposition needs to tap into an existing fear or hatred to really drive it home. The PLO had Anti-semitism, the Tea Party has deep seeded racism; what do public education opposers have? I have a theory about this:
Try to remember back when you were a child in school; especially Middle School and High School. Kids HATE teachers! I mean, they give you too much work, won't let you doodle in class, take away your cell phone, never let you have any fun. And of course, as an adolescent, you never take responsibility for your own actions. I didn't fail because I never did my homework and never studied; I failed because Mr. Carp hates me, and has always had it in for me; just because I threw that spitball that one time. I'm not suspended because I cut class; I'm suspended because the principal is a dick who's out to get me. Really, Mom, I didn't do nothin'! Honest!
It's wrong, but it's what you expect from pre-teens and teenagers. To quote Dennis Miller, (or was it Bill Maher?), "Kids are going to do stupid things, and as the adults, it's our job to tell them that those are really stupid things." But most of us normal, intelligent people GROW UP. Usually in college, or when you reach college age, you end up at a crossroads in life where you need to take responsibility for your actions. In fact, sometimes it happens at your High School Graduation, when you see that teacher and shake his hand and say, "Sorry, I was such a pain in the ass."
But some people never grow up. They never mature; never get to the point where they can accept responsibility for their actions; and hold on to the resentment of teachers that they had in High School. Except now, they're the parents of children, whom we have to teach. Now they have a bit of power, and it's payback time!
When the book "A Nation At Risk" was published back in the '80s, it opened up a window. I remember in school, you never questioned the teacher. He or she set the requirements for passing his or her class, and if you met them, you passed, and if not, you failed. They didn't have to prove it, document it; and parents who questioned it would have been overruled. So now, the teacher haters have parental power to file complaints. And they bring it all the way up to their elected officials; from School Board all the way up to Congressman and President. These complaints led to the so-called education reform plans that have come since: America 2000, Goals 2000, No Child Left Behind, and Race to the Top. And they're all based on a similar premise: Kids don't fail because they're failures, they fail because the teachers are lousy, unqualified, and occasionally abusive.
Now I won't lie. There is such a thing as a bad teacher. I've encountered many of them, often vacating the position I took over. But in reality, for every bad teacher out there, there are about 50 good teachers. And we're all getting even better. The one good part of recent Education Reform is that it encourages, allows for, and even demands that districts pay for Staff Development. Teachers, indeed ALL intellectuals, never stop learning. And we study new techniques, we incorporate new technology, we collaborate and discuss approaches, we share lessons; all in the name of becoming better. And I'll tell you a little secret. We hate bad teachers, too. They make us all look bad, and the people teaching the next grade level have to do remedial work to catch those kids up.
Now, fuel the fire of anti-teacher prejudice with resentment of their higher education, jealousy of their time off and "easy hours," and strike the match of political rhetoric, and POW! We have the inferno that is our current situation. And the result... States are cutting funding to school districts, teachers are mercilessly being fired, and public schools replaced with private charter schools, (which are not, repeat, NOT better! But that's another blog.) Teachers feel the resentment from parents; we get micromanaged and harassed by untenured administrators trying to keep their jobs; and it's passed on to the kids, who now don't respect us enough to take our classes seriously. And worst of all... I have to deal with an idiot on Facebook calling me lazy and elitist.
Teachers don't hate your children, people. Teachers became teachers because they care about children and want to impact onto future generations. They may jokingly have a sarcastic attitude towards their job, but they are the most underpaid, underappreciated profession around. They get home at 2:30pm, but their day starts at 6:30am, and they take their work home with them. They get paid more than the average construction worker, but then again, they do have a Master's Degree. You can't intelligently believe that they got into teaching for the money or the "juicy benefits." Teachers Unions had to fight for years to get those benefits and salary. Without Unions, they'd be working in conditions you wouldn't wish upon a prisoner. And these "perks" are constantly in danger of being taken away. Case in point... Wisconsin.
So, hug your teachers. Let them know you appreciate them. And most importantly, let your School Board, Administrators, and State Politicians know you appreciate them. Tell them that public education is a priority in your life, and you demand that Government support it. When budget time comes around, pass it. And like me, if you hear an idiot on Facebook ragging on teachers, let them have a piece of your mind. They desperately need it.
Feel free to link to this blog. http://tinyurl.com/4cpxujq
Last week, on my week off, I engaged a remarkably stupid woman in a heated debate over the current big issue in Wisconsin, budget cuts to education, and the firing of teachers. It started on Facebook when a friend of mind wrote a status labeling public employees as being lazy, unfirable and overall a waste of money. Some of his facebook friends, including myself, gently clarified that we do, indeed, work hard at our job; that we are NOT unfirable, a common misconception about union protection; and that we are worth the money invested.
Then this woman chimed in, stating that unions, the teacher's union in particular, were "sucking the life out of this country." We challenged her and asked her to clarify her statement, at which time she must have read our profiles, because she began her next tirade with "Ah, ... a teacher...." She then shifted from mindlessly spewing Republican rhetoric to mindlessly spewing epithets at teachers and the whole teaching profession. She cited our "unreasonable demands," mentioned how we "care more about our paychecks than the kids," and a ton of other ridiculous bullshit statements. I was taken aback.
I know why politicians sling mud at teachers and unions; because they are politically trying to garner support for their evil agenda of privatizing every public service; but why would an ordinary citizen hate teachers so much? I know, because the simple minded believe, repeat and follow what they hear on TV without questioning, but I think it may go deeper than that. The opposition needs to tap into an existing fear or hatred to really drive it home. The PLO had Anti-semitism, the Tea Party has deep seeded racism; what do public education opposers have? I have a theory about this:
Try to remember back when you were a child in school; especially Middle School and High School. Kids HATE teachers! I mean, they give you too much work, won't let you doodle in class, take away your cell phone, never let you have any fun. And of course, as an adolescent, you never take responsibility for your own actions. I didn't fail because I never did my homework and never studied; I failed because Mr. Carp hates me, and has always had it in for me; just because I threw that spitball that one time. I'm not suspended because I cut class; I'm suspended because the principal is a dick who's out to get me. Really, Mom, I didn't do nothin'! Honest!
It's wrong, but it's what you expect from pre-teens and teenagers. To quote Dennis Miller, (or was it Bill Maher?), "Kids are going to do stupid things, and as the adults, it's our job to tell them that those are really stupid things." But most of us normal, intelligent people GROW UP. Usually in college, or when you reach college age, you end up at a crossroads in life where you need to take responsibility for your actions. In fact, sometimes it happens at your High School Graduation, when you see that teacher and shake his hand and say, "Sorry, I was such a pain in the ass."
But some people never grow up. They never mature; never get to the point where they can accept responsibility for their actions; and hold on to the resentment of teachers that they had in High School. Except now, they're the parents of children, whom we have to teach. Now they have a bit of power, and it's payback time!
When the book "A Nation At Risk" was published back in the '80s, it opened up a window. I remember in school, you never questioned the teacher. He or she set the requirements for passing his or her class, and if you met them, you passed, and if not, you failed. They didn't have to prove it, document it; and parents who questioned it would have been overruled. So now, the teacher haters have parental power to file complaints. And they bring it all the way up to their elected officials; from School Board all the way up to Congressman and President. These complaints led to the so-called education reform plans that have come since: America 2000, Goals 2000, No Child Left Behind, and Race to the Top. And they're all based on a similar premise: Kids don't fail because they're failures, they fail because the teachers are lousy, unqualified, and occasionally abusive.
Now I won't lie. There is such a thing as a bad teacher. I've encountered many of them, often vacating the position I took over. But in reality, for every bad teacher out there, there are about 50 good teachers. And we're all getting even better. The one good part of recent Education Reform is that it encourages, allows for, and even demands that districts pay for Staff Development. Teachers, indeed ALL intellectuals, never stop learning. And we study new techniques, we incorporate new technology, we collaborate and discuss approaches, we share lessons; all in the name of becoming better. And I'll tell you a little secret. We hate bad teachers, too. They make us all look bad, and the people teaching the next grade level have to do remedial work to catch those kids up.
Now, fuel the fire of anti-teacher prejudice with resentment of their higher education, jealousy of their time off and "easy hours," and strike the match of political rhetoric, and POW! We have the inferno that is our current situation. And the result... States are cutting funding to school districts, teachers are mercilessly being fired, and public schools replaced with private charter schools, (which are not, repeat, NOT better! But that's another blog.) Teachers feel the resentment from parents; we get micromanaged and harassed by untenured administrators trying to keep their jobs; and it's passed on to the kids, who now don't respect us enough to take our classes seriously. And worst of all... I have to deal with an idiot on Facebook calling me lazy and elitist.
Teachers don't hate your children, people. Teachers became teachers because they care about children and want to impact onto future generations. They may jokingly have a sarcastic attitude towards their job, but they are the most underpaid, underappreciated profession around. They get home at 2:30pm, but their day starts at 6:30am, and they take their work home with them. They get paid more than the average construction worker, but then again, they do have a Master's Degree. You can't intelligently believe that they got into teaching for the money or the "juicy benefits." Teachers Unions had to fight for years to get those benefits and salary. Without Unions, they'd be working in conditions you wouldn't wish upon a prisoner. And these "perks" are constantly in danger of being taken away. Case in point... Wisconsin.
So, hug your teachers. Let them know you appreciate them. And most importantly, let your School Board, Administrators, and State Politicians know you appreciate them. Tell them that public education is a priority in your life, and you demand that Government support it. When budget time comes around, pass it. And like me, if you hear an idiot on Facebook ragging on teachers, let them have a piece of your mind. They desperately need it.
Feel free to link to this blog. http://tinyurl.com/4cpxujq
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