what a lame generic message.. okay so whatup. my name is vito. i’m a 17 year old boy. i enjoy long walks on the beach and watching a nice romantic movie. i wish i could say that was a lie, but it’s not. i decided to make this blog because i believe i need a place to vent what goes on in that little place i call my mind. i hope you enjoy or relate or laugh at what i write over the next god-knows-how-long weeks. i don’t like to proof read my stuff, so sorry if i don’t make sense, ahah.. maybe you’ll learn a little about life in here. happy 25 hour day.

Shakira’s new album She Wolf is her first album in four years (since 2005’s Oral Fixation volumes 1 & 2, which represented her best work to date, especially on the Spanish-language vol. 1) and represents a similar transformation to Jewel’s 0304 – Shakira has made an almost-purely danceable, modern album.  Unlike Jewel’s efforts prior to 0304, Shakira has made addictive up-tempo music before: see “Whenever, Wherever”, “Objection (Tango)”, “La Tortura”, “Hips Don’t Lie”.  But never before has she devoted an entire album to the stuff; gone are the tender, thoughtful ballads such as “Underneath Your Clothes” or “Illegal”.  The question nevertheless remains – is Shakira, whose image is now more sexually potent than ever (straight blonde hair, dancing in a half-catsuit in her “She Wolf” video), cashing in, or does she still remain herself?

Mainly, I argue for the latter.  Once the initial shock of the dense production and pounding bass subsides, the melding of cultures and instruments that has always been evident in Shakira’s work is here too.  Listen to “Long Time”, and its reggae beat which gives way to an instrumental bridge that prominently features what sounds like a gypsy saxophone; “Mon Amour” employs a rocky half-time clap that is reminscent of Shakira’s spunkier moments such as Fijación Oral vol. 1’s “Escondite Inglés”; the only semi-slow moment on the album is to be found in “Gypsy”, where Shakira employs an island feel with a plucked guitar, Caribbean-esque drums and Eastern-European string accents on the chorus.  Not to forget “Why Wait”, which is 2009’s update of “Ojos Así / Eyes Like Yours” with its Middle-East-meets-West instrumentation and production over a storming 4/4 bassline (which becomes positively incendiary in the bridge).  Musically, although it’s a little bit of a readjustment to our expectations of what Shakira’s music sounds like, it is still definitely her, and her claims of wanting to make a “bassy, beat-driven record that maintains experimentation with sounds from other parts of the world” ring true.

Shakira’s lyrics have always been put under a microscope – a fact that has irritated me immensely through the years.  Not only is Shakira an incredibly intelligent woman, but her lyrics are far and away of a much higher quality than those of the majority of traditional pop made by native-English-speaking artists.  The criticism she has gained from reviewers and comedy sketches alike (see MADTV’s parodies of “Whenever, Wherever” and “Objection (Tango)” on youtube – they’re funny, but they’re also unwarranted) is totally unfair and disrespectful of an artist who has mastered a complex language (once you get past the basics, English is a complicated language to speak fluently – I should know, since I have taught it) when I wager that the majority of these critics can’t speak more than a few basic sentences of phrase-book Spanish.  Because Shakira dared to say “Lucky that my breasts are small and humble” in her first English hit does not make her nonsensical.  Listen to “Octavo Día” and “Timor”, songs in both Spanish and English that express criticism with the way that the world is run and our own media-obsessed culture, and you’ll understand that Shakira is very well-aware of what she sings and what she has written.  On She Wolf, there is nothing as incisive as “Timor” or “How Do You Do” (both from Oral Fixation vol. 2) but its opening salvo of “A domesticated girl, that’s all you ask of me / Darling it is no joke, this is lycanthropy” is certainly more sophisticated than “I think you wanna come over, yeah I heard it through the grapevine / Are you drunk, are you sober? Think about it, doesn’t matter” from Madonna’s current hit “Celebration”.  ”Mon Amour” delivers a fantastic kiss-off to a boyfriend who has gone to Paris with another woman, while “Men In This Town” ruminates on where are all the good men who can appreciate what Shakira has to offer?  (I feel her on that one.)

I suppose that a certain amount of lyrical straightforwardness is to be expected on an album which is almost purely uptempo and flirts specifically with the electro-pop genre – I can’t get too mad that some of Shakira’s more insightful and wittier metaphors have been sacrificed.  But the three Spanish tracks that round out the album – “Lo Hecho Está Hecho” (“Did It Again”), “Años Luz” (“Why Wait”) and “Loba” (“She Wolf”) – are lyrically superior to any of the album’s English tracks.  For example, “Años Luz”’s “Esperar es un mar que aún no sé navegar / No te quedes años luz, ya estoy decidida y quiero saber si lo estás tú” translates as “Waiting is a sea that I don’t know how to navigate / You haven’t got light years, I’ve already made my mind up and I want to know whether you have too”.  The English version, “Why Wait”, says “One more night with you, I won’t think it through / Time’s money, but you knew / There’s nothing in the world you can think of that I won’t do to you”.  It’s the same thought, but in Spanish it just comes across as much more elegant and sophisticated.  Not to mention that “Loba” in particular seems to flow much more naturally in Spanish than in English, and the lyrics are perhaps more comprehensible.  In any case, the Spanish tracks add to the album, even though they are retakes of English songs from its first half – it serves to reinforce the fact that Shakira is a bilingual artist who refuses to neglect either her Spanish or English audiences, but instead (as on the Oral Fixation era) seeks to satisfy them both.  This is laudable, and I hope that Shakira comes out with a full Spanish album next year (as has been rumoured).

So it all sounds good so far.  Well, the album is a consistent listen, and its brevity means that each song gets you moving but doesn’t outstay its welcome.  The dense production, in the main courtesy of Pharrell and John Hill, flows throughout (except for the break provided by the relatively lightweight “Gypsy”).  Because of this, there are no really weak tracks, although surprisingly, the Wyclef Jean collaboration “Spy” seems the most rote and uninspired song on the set – its straightforward 4/4 beat has nothing extra to catch the listener’s ear, and sounds lazy compared to Pharrell’s musically adventurous soundscapes in “Why Wait” and “Long Time”.  ”Gypsy” sounds like nothing else on the album, but its dip in tempo serves as a break which can sometimes be appreciated by the listener, but at other times seem like an interruption of the party, so depending on your mood, it could be a help or a hindrance.  Other than that, all the tracks are solid, but none of them are immediate standouts save the last track, “Mon Amour”.  With its decidedly rocky, guitar-led music and handclap-driven beat that intensify into a crunchy, heady chorus, it’s the kind of track that you can’t help but get wrapped up in.  Shakira’s vitriolic lyrics, snarling vocals and cutesy airline announcement closing out the song are the icing on the cake, and perfectly embody a girl’s anger with her straying lover’s neglect of her (perhaps similar to 2005’s “Don’t Bother”).  With repeated plays, the appeal of “Did It Again”, “Why Wait” and “Men In This Town” reveals itself, but the songs are certainly not immediate hits like “Hips Don’t Lie”, “La Tortura” or “Objection (Tango)”.

I therefore think that this is a solid Shakira album, and definitely stronger than her breakthrough Laundry Service which contained some fantastic songs but also some uninspired, pedestrian ones (here, the only track I recommend skipping is “Spy”).  However, for me it falls just short of Oral Fixation Vol. 2, because She Wolf is a tiny bit too one-note in its electro-pop approach, and slightly diminishes Shakira’s lyrical mastery in the process.  In terms of her entire catalogue, Dónde Están Los Ladrones? and particularly Fijación Oral Vol. 1 (the Freudian / Eve in the garden of Eden / Madonna and child symbolism were inspired and have yet to be matched in this album’s artwork and photography) are still Shakira’s crowning glories, but the Spanish-language tracks on She Wolf are lyrically more adept than their English counterparts and a worthy addition to both the album itself and to Shakira’s Spanish-music legacy as a whole.  In short, Shakira has far from sold out, and has made a pop album that other artists should be humbled by, such as it melds other cultures and quirky wordplay more than most radio-oriented pop.  And perhaps it is a compliment to Shakira herself that this album still falls somewhat short of her best work, and what I know she is capable of.

Next week I start at University. It’ll be freshers’ week for the entrants and that got me thinking. Hopefully, if all goes well, everyone will be meeting lots of other people, so it gives me a chance to write a brief guide on how to meet and greet new people (especially if you’re of a younger generation). I’ve done this in the form of a short dialogue outlined below.

GUY: Hi, I’m Adam.
GIRL: Hello, I’m Rebecca…

Now, you would have noticed that the above was terribly short. Should you not say ‘pleased to meet you’, I hear some of you ask? No. ‘Pleased to meet you is just never said’ – I won’t bore you with a whole detailed explanation as to why (but jn short, it’s partly due to the fact you may not be pleased to meet them at all and it’s best not to lie). ‘How do you do’ is a far superior greeting, although some freshers may give you strange looks if you said that to them, which is why I left it out of the script above. Some vehemently state that ‘how do you do’ is the preserve of the landed gentry et al – rubbish. It’s custom, etiquette, the done thing. But for University I’ll just use the simple ‘hi’.

Ga tau kenapa tiba2 penasaran aja sama kalimat ini…

How do you do yang biasanya dibalas balik dengan how do you do lagi?

Nape musti gityuuuu…

Belum dapet jawaban yang memuaskan sih, tapi dari beberapa hasil yang gw dapet kalimat ini merupakan salam konvensional yang sering digunakan ketika kita diperkenalkan pada seseorang. Meskipun ini merupakan pertanyaan, namun sebenarnya tidak dibutuhkan jawaban. Asalnya, pada tahun 1600an, pengungkapan ini merupakan penyelidikan terhadap kesehatan atau kedudukan seseorang. How do you do berarti “how do you fare?’” atau bagaimana kondisi (toko/bisnis/kesehatan)?

Saat ini kita umumnya menggunakan How are you? atau How are you doing? atau How goes it? atau How’s going? Bahkan pengungkapan yang lebih umum lagi adalah How are things? atau How’s tricks? yang berasal dari pertengahan 1900an.

Yes I have decided not to put a number in because it just dates me, no not you, me! I am becoming paranoid perhaps it is the looming eek day, the one that I normally go in hiding for, not happy about this.  Anyway what a week indeed.  Thanks all for sharing the posts via Google Reader *bows* you are starballs for sure… you know who you are.

Every day is a winding road whether we are Flying the Farty Skies or Rocking the Rudy the Red Horse.  Sometimes things can get so busy that we forget to savour those little moments in life like enjoying a giant eclair with three forks, we forget to Just Say “Yes” to what life has to give us and enjoy The Sandpiper tweeting away on the Sign posts.

So often we believe we don’t deserve the good things life throws our way forgetting that there is a Time for Lessons and a time to just be happy, live and be free.  Happy being of course the fact that a Judge ruled cell phone contract termination fees illegal in CA! (jeepers I thought Africa was behind, no offence!!!). 

A lot of questions that go through our heads and often confusion reigns… I’m a Zebra. I’m white. I’m black. I’m scary. I’m bad? and all the while I Was Going to See Saint I’s for a nice cup of coffee (with a dash of whisky in).  Saint I tells me now that God doesn’t make ugly ducklings and the real truth is that I am NOT an abomination, relief beyond words.  The Saddest Thing I’ve Ever Learned though is that not everyone believes, not everyone showers either.

While out walking today I found myself humming a Ballad of a Blogger Finch wondering Within my mind if the aliens had visited Today.  I was too busy Reading cricket (and about why American sports suck).  Cricket is fine when one considers the amount of “sunblock” (aka beer) used but perhaps it becomes a bit of a handicap when Mobbed by Children.

Now while on the topic of sample humans the biggest thing for me is the idea of How I could Be a Better Mom,  it really scares me.  I suppose it isn’t as scary as trying to work out What A Man Wants! I mean is it a lover, a wife or both??? I believe you are really lucky when you have found that soul mate, the one that puts up with you and loves you because of your bad habits!

Ah the real question above all others is whether Shaving in “Private” fashion trend, healthy option or just plain sexy? Are there Differences Between Men and Women and what they prefer, never mind that, how they act or is it rather just hardwired? Oh while on the topic What’s up with the porno pose?

Adoption comes in all forms – and gives me faith that friends are more like my family, my real family.  The feeling that I have brings me a bit closer each day to believing that the world isn’t such a bad place even though I haven’t had a Starbucks in almost a year! Remember Everybody hurts but when you are open to having friends, when you are open to receiving their love, things get a bit easier.  I am talking from experience.

9 July 2008, 10 July 2008, 11 July 2008, 12 July 2008 all calendar dates filled with travel delights and treats… aaaaah going back in time to places past, dreaming the dream.  The Maryport Blues of crafting blogs and the real horrorscopes are all the Next Week’s News Today but the real kryptonite  is how to Decorate Your Home on the Cheap. 

All of that was brilliant, I mean it has been an awesome week of note but I think the best is what A-Broader View started.  She Revisited her Bucket List and morphed it into a F@#*%! List.  PersistentIllusion then took it further and it became far More Fun Than A Bucket List, it became the F@#*%! List Meme.  Now you know how they start because I then went on to do it and Kwoneshe2 did it as well – don’t be scared just do it because this is pure Inspiration!

Talking about inspiration everyone has been putting what inspires out them in true Meme fashion.  Deeps for some reason likes to tag me, either that or it was my guilty conscience, who knows because either way I really enjoyed this one.  I am proud to say that I wasn’t the only one in the end for it was passed on to Glaize, Vanessa, Kwoneshe2, Enreal and Vishesh – thank you all wow! (Cordie thinks I have forgotten, I haven’t…)

Just so you know, I may be quiet for a little bit (probably much to your relief) but I have been tagged with that 100! thing – apparently I must list 100 things, I have avoided this one since I started blogging almost a year ago (omg its a year next month!!!)

Thanks all for an incredible week, again I have been almost brought to my knees (ok I have many times) with laughter, wondered at the incredible insights and just amazed at how many brilliant people are out there.  Good Luck to brave woman moving to Australia via Hawaii – takes guts and I admire you!!! (Lara I am seriously doing pom poms for you!!!)

*if I have forgotten anyone apologies, I try to keep track of all the posts I really enjoyed.

** If you see anything you really enjoy please add me to your google reader and share it… Thanks again all that do this already!!!

… and remember to tell anyone who upsets you the word gOOfy – if you don’t understand that one then you don’t understand it… there are no explanations.

There is a new blog called “How Do You Do,” which features tutorials from around the web. There are many interesting things including my tutorials on handmade jewelry displays!

Oh, you’re here. This is great. I was worried all night that people were going to get lost or that Blogger wouldn’t do its redirect thing or that I set this up wrong, but look you’re here! Yay! I, for one, am so happy that you are here.

Ahh, the badgers–they’ve taken over the blog. They’ve staged a full-on coup. HuberHadley tipped them and Ava guided them. My defenses were down. I knew they were after my pantry and club chair, but my HP? What do Badgers want with an HP? Well, you have your answer now. Top billing–the badgers want top billing.

So this is where we are now. And it would be great if you would type in www.badgersontheloose.com into
your browser the next time you want to come visit. Blogger will only keep redirecting you for so long, and really I don’t want you to get lost.

And if you are one of those insanely nice people who has me on your blogroll or link to me on your blog (for which, by the way, I am so grateful. The fact that you actually come back to read this blog endears you to me, but that you also want other people to come over here–wow, that’s amazing), would you be willing to change the URL from my old blog to my new one. We wouldn’t want to wear out the redirecting folks over at Blogger now, would we?

Now if you were to come to an actual open house like actually at my house, then it would be my fondest pleasure to fill your bellies with something tasty. It’s cold up here in January so it would probably be soup. And I’m married to HungryMan so it would probably be chili.

And since you were so kind to stop over and see our new home, I thought it would be fair that I share my new favorite chili recipe, compliments of my friend Jess’ sister-in-law.

Here’s What You Need:

1 giant Stock Pot, 1 Onion, 1 Green Pepper, 1 pound of Ground Beef, 1 can of Tomato Sauce, 1 can of Tomato Soup, 1 can of Water, 1 can of Diced Tomatoes, 1 can of Pinto Beans, 2 cans of Black Beans, 1 bag of Frozen Corn, 3 tbsp Brown Sugar, 3 tbsp Chili Powder, 1 tbsp Cumin, Salt, Pepper, and your favorite Bbq Sauce, oh and Olive Oil.Here’s What You Do:

Chop the Onions and Green Peppers and saute them in Olive Oil over medium heat about three minutes or until soft. Add the Ground Beef and cook until no longer pink. In the meantime, pull out your can opener and open all those cans. Throw the Beans in a colander and give them a good rinse. Tear open that bag of Frozen Corn and defrost the Corn in the microwave. After the meat is cooked thoroughly, drain the fat, but not all of it. And then start pouring in the rest of the ingredients: Tomatoes, Tomato Sauce, Tomato Soup, can of Water, Beans, thawed Corn, Brown Sugar, Chili Powder, Cumin, Salt, Pepper, and a couple of shakes of your favorite Bbq Sauce.

Pretty soon it should look like this. Let it simmer until you are ready to eat.

Mmmm, doesn’t that smell good.

Now if you were actually coming over, I would set the table, make some cornbread, and Ava would get all dressed up and play hostess.

We’re fancy like that.

Phew this open house thing has worn me out, so I’m off to bed. But feel free to stick around and make yourself comfortable. Or check back later, I still have to tell you about the Great Purge and there is another contest in the works.

See you tomorrow.

Incroyable le nombre de gens qui tous les matins me demandent comment ça va. C’est le grand truc en France. Peuvent pas vous rencontrer sans vous demander comment ça va ; avec un point d’interrogation et une insistance qui en fait une vraie question. Alors qu’il faudrait précisément ne pas le demander mais au contraire le dire comme les anglais le font, très vite, discrètement ; avec juste une formule n’appellant pas de réponse. Moi je leur dit “bonjour” et ne leur demande jamais comment ils vont, parce que je trouve que c’est indiscret et totalement déplacé. Mais bon, c’est comme ça. Je préfère de loin la formule des anglais : ils vous demandent effectivement How do you do mais ils n’attendent pas de réponse. Vous n’êtes pas supposé répondre mais renvoyer immédiatement, comme un boomerang, un même “how do you do”. L’avantage c’est que les deux demandes s’annulent en plein milieu et que personne n’a le temps de répondre. La classe. Alors qu’en France c’est la poisse : faut répondre. Ils vous laissent même le temps de répondre les vaches ! Bon, tout ça pour dire que ma réponse à la question c’est : “San Sebastian, Andrea Mantégna, c. 1506, Oil on canvas, 213 x 95 cm, Galleria Franchetti, Ca’ d’Oro, Venice”.
Voilà, ma réponse. Et comme ça c’est clair. Moi, si jamais je croisais un jour Saint Sébastian dans la rue ou au bureau, jamais je n’oserais lui demander “comment ça va” !

Mort de fatigue

“Accompagnant Alzheimer”