This weekend while completing my ritual pre-jog bowl of oatmeal with a healthy dose of New York Times on the side, I came across an editorial that caused me to stop and think…

A Thanksgiving Toast by Anonymous

Sitting down with friends and family today, there will be thanks for the steady currents, flowing out of the past, that have brought us to this table… But it’s worth raising a glass (or suspending a forkful for those of you who’ve gotten ahead of the toast) to be thankful for the unexpected, for all the ways that life interrupts and renews itself without warning…

It will never cease to surprise how the condition of being human means we cannot foretell with any accuracy what next Thanksgiving will bring. We can hope and imagine, and we can fear. But when next Thanksgiving rolls around, we’ll have to take account again, as we do today, of how the unexpected has shaped our lives…

Isn’t that the truth! To think I now live in a city that as a little girl I had no idea existed!

Back to Thanksgiving… Thursday evening, while dining on turkey amongst friends from Syria, Palestine, Egypt, South Africa and Virginia, I told the table that I was thankful for my health, fantastic husband, family and friends. But, having read the aforementioned editorial, I would like to add an addendum…

A Toast To 2009—Whose Unexpectedness has brought so many delights, challenges and wonders!

1) I am thankful that I can read.

Recently, upon arrival to Oman via Air Arabia, I was asked to fill out a standard entry/exit form before passing through customs. While filling in the details I felt a tug at my purse, which immediately cause me to turn and grab hold of my bag. Staring at me was not a pickpocket, nor a little kid, but a 39-year-old laborer from Hyderabad that spoke not a lick of English or Arabic. Wondering what he wanted, I said “Yes?” upon which he thrust his passport and entry/exit form into my hand with a look of “I don’t know what they want from me, but please help me get through customs”. His look was that of desperation and I was reminded of my arrival 6 years before to Japan where I too knew not a lick of the local language. Happy to help, I opened his passport, filled out his form, smiled and pointed him to the right counter.

Not being able to read is like missing one of the vital senses. To Mrs. Cooper and Mrs. Kinney—my kindergarten and first grade teachers—Thank you for teaching me how to read. The skill has come in handy!

2) I am thankful that I am free to dream, do and be.

To come from a place that says that if you dream and work hard, regardless of social circumstance, you can do and become just about anything is very empowering. Or in my case (as a petite female), anything except for a Giants quarterback!

Minor details aside, I remember that before coming to Dubai my friends and family asked questions like—Are you going to have to wear an abaya? Will they let you drive? How are women treated in the work force? What about your freedom? Well, to make a long answer short my responses are no, yes, very well and fine thank you. What I have learned is that freedom comes in many forms… While in NYC I may have the freedom to vote, it is difficult to walk down the street free from whistles, catcalls, requests for money, the sight of daily crimes… Here most expats will tell you they love Dubai because they feel so free—free from violence, from the worry of making ends meet (Although recent news may start to change this. Inshallah, I hope not.), free from whistles, catcalls, cold weather, etc. Freedom to and freedom from… both are vital freedoms!

…

More on freedom to… I recently attended TEDxDubai and was surrounded by a room full of Dubai’s most motivated people. The energy was palpable and the dream-o-meter on high. Surrounded by women covered in black—whispers of excitement, plans to do great deeds and general happiness permeated the air.

Despite what the papers say about the current economic situation… people still come to Dubai for the freedom to dream, do and be and for the freedom from certain things “at home” as well. In the land of palm shaped islands, indoor ski slopes and tall towers, the built environment is a testament to the imagination and will power of its people. This is an amazing place indeed!

3) I am thankful for the unexpected.

What would life be like without the unexpected goat that walks in front of your car, the endless visits to the “male side” of the local courts to get stamps for a business license, the surprising lack of canned pumpkin for certain North American holidays, the tiny fish that brush my ankles in the turquoise blue waters of the Gulf, the friends made via visits to a hidden warehouse in Al Quoz, the newfound ability to run in 100 degree heat (something I never would have been able to do in New York), the vicarious excitement experienced via random quotes and announcements of weddings and now children on Facebook (seems like the world has decided to breed in this year we call 2009), the joy experienced while driving through the desert to Zig Zigler as he explains what life was like growing up as an aspiring businessman in America’s Deep South, the beautiful sounds of Syrian hip hop at a recent concert…

To health, happiness and unexpectedness in 2010 and beyond!

A

P.S. Happy Post Thanksgiving and Eid Mubarak!

When AFK power leveling Gavin at AT LV 109-112 area along with Priscilla and Lucius in the afternoon, our family got reported and sent to the prison. I didn’t use any bots or do any suspicious activity though. So what makes the report to went through. We feel so unfair and it is totally beyond our expectation as we never been reported before, especially in AT! If we were using Catherine the Summoner and power leveling in IoF and got sent to ‘Disneyland’, that would be understandable. But this, in AT! It’s just too absurd that someone reported! Perhaps to steal my spot. Sigh.

While rotting in prison, we need to collect 220 Rat Toenails and 328 Rat Meats. In our first run (yeah, I mentioned first run and you’ll know what I meant later), we managed to obtained 370 Rat Toenails and 328 Rat Meats. Just as we thought we would be back to the real world. We were told by the guard that we didn’t bring the EXACT amount! Gosh, I must have overlooked the EXACT word. The worst thing is, we need to start over again! Yes, with 0 Rat Toenails and 0 Rat Meats.

We feel so frustrated and we decided to ask Aurelia for help. Her acceleration + the Hermes potion managed to collect those items within an hour. And this time we managed to gather the EXACT amount just as the guard said.

And so, we finally managed to go back to the real world. Ain’t it be so good to feel the ‘fresh air’ at Auch~

This weekend’s Soul Food  list is a  Watch!  special…

1. Watch!

… Jody Watley giving further insight into the making of The Makeover.

2. Watch!

… Angie Stone’s fabulous new video I Ain’t Hearin’ U  from the new album Unexpected, dropping late Jan.

3. Watch!

… a hilarious episode of Being Charlie Sloth. New episodes can be viewed first at Charlie’s official website: 

http://www.charliesloth.com

4. Watch!

… Alicia Keys  performing Doesn’t Mean Anything live on the X Factor this Sunday night! Should be amazing!

5. Book!

… tickets to see Teena Maria  at London’s  Indigo O2, January 30th.  This will be Lady T’s  first UK show for 18 years, so promises to be quite an event!

Ticket link here: http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/event/12004379CAD96966?artistid=735590&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=202

Have a great weekend!

OK so this past weekend, I attended an event at the USC film school. I attend panels, network away, yet constantly get distracted by this guy… I can’t place it, but he looks SO familiar. Something about the eyes?

I see him again and again, and we keep making eye-contact (or so I think it’s eye contact) so before I leave, I just go up to him and say “Heyy…do I know you?” to which he responds, “I was thinking the same thing!” First I ask if he went to SC. Negative. I ask if he was sure. Again, he was sure we didn’t go to school together. He ask me where I worked. I say TV Guide Network. He says that may be why… and asks if I do red carpet interviews. CLICK! We conclude that I must have interviewed him at some carpet. We begin trying to figure out exactly which carpet… and well, call me crazy, but I have a photographic sort of memory, and throw out the Acts of Love Autism event, back in November 2008. ..and was right! That’s when “Hi, I’m Austin”/”Hi I’m Samia” happens.

Austin Butler, My Long Lost Friend? Nov 2008.

So after Austin Butler and I discover that we’re long lost friends (sort of?) he introduces me to Sean Covel, who just so happened to a be a speaker on one of panels I attended.  Why is Sean Covel a big deal? He graduated from USC’s film school and well, produced a film that at least 50% of you readers have quoted at some point – “Napoleon Dynamite.”

Uh...freakin idiot!

Anyway, as I talk them, I discover “fun facts” like how Sean, though he’s seen the film a million times, has blocked the lines from his memory, and actually gets the lines from the film wrong when he DOES try to quote them.

Austin was on the Nickelodeon show Zoey 101 (co-starring Britney’s sis, Jamie Lynn Spears,) and in a film called Aliens in the Attic (which he was promoting when we first met last year. has been busy in Canada, shooting a new CW series called “Life UneXpected.” had a week off in LA, and decided to pay a visit to his buddy Sean. They actually know eachother because Sean is engaged to actress Alexa Vega, who’s worked with Austin.

Anyway, as we’re parting, the highlight of the convo happens. Do we say “Nice meeting you?” Not quite. Since we’ve met before, the cliche-carpet-line, “Nice to see you!” seems appropriate. Problem? It’s cliche, it’s stock, it’s…well, long story short, it’s a commonly heard line on the carpet, that both stars and publicists use so they don’t offend someone they have/haven’t met. Me, Sean, and Austin joke/banter about this, and conclude that the next time we cross paths, we’ll use a “Hey You!!” or something to that effect.

Anyway, my friend is getting antsy, so I wrap up convo with the guys and… what do I say? “Nice seeing you again.” :-/

Clearly, strategic planning is no panacea. Strategic planning is simply a set of concepts, procedures, and tools designed to help leaders, managers, and planners think and act strategically. Used in wise and skillful ways by a “coalition of the willing,” strategic planning can help organizations focus on producing effective decisions and actions that further the organization’s mission, meet in mandates, and satisfy key stakeholders. But strategic planning is not a substitute for strategic thinking and acting. Only caring and committed people can do that. And when used thoughtlessly, strategic planning can actually drive out precisely the kind of strategic thought and action it is supposed to promote.

Furthermore, strategic planning is not a substitute for leadership. There is simply no substitute for leadership when it comes to using strategic planning to enhance organizational performance. At least some key decision makers and process champions must be committed to the strategic planning process, or any attempts to use it are bound to fail.

In addition, strategic planning is not synonymous with creating an organizational strategy. Organizational strategies have numerous sources, both planned and unplanned. Strategic planning is likely to result in statement of organizational intentions, but what is realized in practice will be some combination of what is intended and what emerges along the way. Strategic planning can help organizations develop and implement effective strategies, but they should also remain open to unforeseen opportunities. Too much attention to strategic planning and excessive reverence for strategic plans can build organizations to other unplanned and unexpected—yet incredibly useful—sources of information, insight, and action.

The discipline necessary for strategic planning can be of two sorts. The first harkens back to Latin root of the word “discipline,” emphasizing instruction, training, education, and learning. The second embodies later interpretations of the word, emphasizing order, control, and punishment. Emphasis should be placed on education and learning, although there clearly are occasions when imposing order, taking control, and enforcing appropriate sanctions are appropriate. Certainly, key leaders, managers, and planners can best use strategic planning as an educational and learning tool, to help them figure out what is really important and what should be done about it. Sometimes this means following a particular sequence of steps and preparing formal strategic plans, but not necessarily. The ultimate goal of strategic planning should not be a rigid adherence to a particular process or an instance on the production of plans. Instead, strategic planning should promote wise strategic thought and action on behalf of an organization and its key stakeholders. What steps to follow, in what sequence, and whether or not to prepare formal plans are subsidiary concerns.

My Consultancy–Asif J. Mir - Management Consultant–transforms organizations where people have the freedom to be creative, a place that brings out the best in everybody–an open, fair place where people have a sense that what they do matters. For details please visit www.asifjmir.com, and my Lectures.

Hey All, this year I decided to write a Thanksgiving story.  And while I intended to write a feel good moral story about appreciating what you have, something else entirely came out (in true Free Stories fashion).  I will endeavor to write another Thanksgiving story for Thanksgiving day, but for now, enjoy this bloody ode to feasts and celebrations!

I killed him after slicing the turkey.  One swift rake across the jugular and thick globs of red squirted all over the stuffing and cranberry sauce.  His jaw dropped, and his face immediately paled.  He gasped.  After long long seconds he gasped again and then reached at me with splayed fingers, his wide eyes glaring at me with malice.  The fingers of his claw like hand curled into an accusing finger which pointed at me before shaking wildly.  The flabby ball of his torso struggled to remain erect and began shaking also.  Finally, he gasped one last time and slumped forward, landing his pale fat face in the thick slice of pumpkin pie he had stubbornly insisted on eating first.

With the evening’s daunting task completed, I sat down.  I touched my face and realized I was grinning madly, my lips frozen in a sort of snarl.  I felt a ball of energy swelling in my chest and realized I was holding my breath.  I barked a laugh.  I stopped.  Was that appropriate? I wondered.  I laughed again.  I let it roll out of my chest.  Waves of laughter rolled out of my frozen lips and flooded the table, lapping at the edges of the still warm dinner rolls and the steaming turkey.

“Oh God,” I moaned when the laughter finally left me, “thank you.”

I decided not to eat.  Instead, I wrapped my thickest cloak about me and pulled out the sled.  After positioning the long planks of the sled by the dinner table, I heaved that dead body onto it and dragged it out the front door.  With a crackling torch in one hand, and the sled’s reins in the other, I plodded through the snowy woods.  The menacing crunch of my boots on the snow, the long shivering shadows and the needle thin fingers of the branches did not frighten me, nor did the wolf howls that seemed to grow closer and closer.  Good, I thought, hopefully they can smell the blood.

Upon reaching the clearing, I set to work cleaving the body into smaller pieces and scattering them in a circle.  In the middle of the circle lay the pyre of dry wood I’d been accumulating all year.  I poured oil on it and used my torch to set it ablaze.  ”Come!”  I shouted, and the wolves howled.  ”Come and eat your fill!”

In the middle of the scattered body parts I stood waiting all night.  The wolves came and I watched them creep at the edges of the light, snatching up the body parts in hungry, slobbering jaws.  But before they did, each one lowered its head, as if in thanks.

If you didn’t check out Angie Stone’s fantastic video for I Ain’t Hearin’ U on singersroom.com last week, it is now here at Soul Food for you to enjoy…

This is the lead cut from Angie’s  new album Unexpected, dropping in UK late Jan.

Happy Monday!

One reason I enjoy primitive firing processes is the glorious unpredictability of the results. In giving up rigid control over my work, I am blessed with beautiful, organic markings that are completely unique and impossible to reproduce — markings that reflect the richness and diversity of the universe.

In a pit-firing, the vessels are surrounded by flammable material, and then a fire is built on top of them. The surface of the vessels is marked by pockets of hot gas that form in the heart of the fire. (Some potters smother the fire to concentrate this effect; I prefer to let it burn down unhindered so that some vessels are exposed to air and others are buried in the ash.)

Here are some of my favorite pieces from a recent pit-firing at my in-laws’ house in Indiana. My apologies for the mediocre photography.

It has taken me a long time to to embrace that lack of control. When I first began sculpting, I agonized over every part of the process, polishing and fussing and worrying in a vain effort to make everything “perfect” — exactly as I pictured it in my head. It was a good way to get really excellent at my process, and some of those early pieces were very beautiful.

Yet in time, my own head simply began to seem too small; too finite and predictable to express the wonderful serendipity of the universe.

The first place I began to let go of control was in my drawings, as I began to use water, smoke, powdered pigments, and other unpredictable materials to create richly organic markings. Later I fell in love with the loosely-controlled firing methods that would create similarly rich markings on my ceramic work: raku-, saggar-, soda-, and finally pit- and barrel- firing. In addition to producing beautiful results, these processes felt better to do. I wasn’t desperately wrestling against the materials and process to force them to do my will, but working with them in cooperation and dialogue. I was co-creating.

“Co-creator” is a word that my undergraduate mentor, Rudy Medlock, used all the time. A man of deep faith, he never let his students forget that we weren’t just making art for fun or for a class, but that we were actively participating with the Creator of the universe. It’s an idea that has steadily deepened for me in the years since then. There is a vast difference between knowing something in an intellectual or religious sense, and stepping into it as a personal experience, both vibrant and transformative.

That’s what unpredictable processes are to me: a chance to eagerly and playfully cooperate with the Creator and with the universe itself — the richest collaboration of all.

Another round-up of this week’s hot soul clips and interviews. You ready?

1. Angie Stone ‘I Ain’t Hearin’ U’

Lead cut from Angie’s forthcoming album Unexpected dropping Jan 2010. Hot hot hot! Check the just-released video exclusively at the singersroom here:

http://www.singersroom.com/video/Angie-Stone/I-Aint-Hearin-You/1010

2. Jody Watley  ‘A Beautiful Life’

Another k-i-l-l-e-r video by Jody from The Makeover album.

Read about Jody’s own favourite makeovers exclusively at Soul Food here:

http://soulfoodpr.wordpress.com/2009/11/19/exclusive-jody-watley-selects-her-top-10-makeovers/

3. Charlie Sloth ‘One More Drink’

An artist to watch for 2010. Single drops Jan 18th and looks set to be one of the first big urban hits of the year!

4. Maxwell interview with David Nathan

Maxwell chats with the ‘UK’s Ambassador of Soul’! Great interview…

http://www.soulmusic.com/ma20in4.html

Enjoy your weekend!

Ask a room full of creative directors what the qualities of a great ad are, and I bet most of them include “unexpected” on their list. Here at Copeland, we’ve done ads for a funeral home featuring milkshakes and wine glasses, ads for a daily newspaper featuring a guy eating spaghetti, and ads for a recycle depot featuring a box of skulls. All unexpected. And all great ads.

But do great ads always need to be unexpected? When what you are selling is a sensory experience, I say no. A fast food joint usually puts hamburgers in their ads. Unexpected? Hardly. But is there a better way to stimulate appetite appeal and showcase the guilty pleasure waiting in store than using a fully-loaded burger? I can’t think of one. And if you’re selling a trip to Niagara Falls, is there a better way to capture the majesty and amazement of the experience and than putting the Falls in the ad? No! Of course, having a concept in there with the product shot makes it even better.

Putting the product in the ad is a common client request that creative teams often resist, but if the product shot elicits a strong emotional reaction*, I say PUT IT IN!

*among regular consumers, not the client’s marketing department

Unexpected is the new album by Soul/R&B Singer Angie Stone. This record is produced by Kerrim “Ikon” King and Fitzroy “Art Teacher” Reid. The new single is “I Ain’t Hearin’ U”.

::Download::

** This is a guest post from UK soul singer Raff **

It’s happened … Angie Stone bought the T-Pain app on her iPhone and went crazy! Well not quite! Unexpected delivers classic Angie with mainly slow jams and ballads, harking back to her debut Black Diamond. But, in my opinion, dark forces were at work, leading to 2 tracks which stand out from the crowd and not in a good way: ‘Free’ and ‘Tell Me’, although not bad songs, just don’t sit well for me on the album due to their vocoder-laiden and synth-soaked production…was this the label demanding radio-friendly-mass-appeal tracks to keep up with the Jones’, namely the rnb kids in the charts? Which is strange considering she talks about having to be original to survive in the business on the title track. I guess we’ll never know.

But these 2 tracks aside, Angie doesn’t disappoint, with her smooth melodies and old skool harmonies that she does so well, best showcased in ‘Think Sometimes’, with it’s Motown-esque backing vocals. The title track rounds the album off as only a reprise of just over 1 minute, but for me offers the most interesting sound, reminiscent of tracks such as ‘Wish I Didn’t Miss You’.

All in all, a good album but by no means her best. One to switch on when you’re relaxing…lights down low…and maybe a special someone by your side…i’ll leave the rest to you…

I admit it. I missed yesterday’s entry. I’ll post up two today to make up for it. Reason for missing it? A little friend by the name of Bacardi.

Yeah. Things did not go according to plan. High school friend came up to visit and we were going to hit up the city, or go bar-hopping in Berkeley. Decided to pre-party before heading over to the bars. Never ended up leaving the apartment. I KO’d for half an hour, and when I came to, other friends had a bit too much, and were physically/emotionally gone. Not exactly the way I’d hope things would turn out, but you know, shit happens. I’m just glad everyone is doing fine this morning.

Lesson learned: know your limits and avoid the slippery slope. I don’t think any of us will be drinking hard liquor for a while. Look out for another entry later today!

10/365.

Coincidence is the word we use when we can’t see the lever and pulleys.

-Emma Bull

Does anyone believe in coincidence? I’m split on the subject leaning more toward the no part, but sometimes things happen that make you have to look at it in a different perspective.

Then that leads me to a question of does coincidence coincide with fate and destiny – and to go further, do those connect with religion?

Coincidence is a messy thing. But usually a lot of fun when it happens. Unexpected things, the little things, are what put high points in your day

So my question is any of the above. lol Opinions anyone?

Nah, just kidding. It is just dyed to look that way.

Will took photos tonight after I spent a most lovely evening with the most lovely girl. Here is a picture we took and sent Will after the lightening treatment. We told him that my hair was finished, you know, as a trick. Muah hahahahaha

But anyway…

What-d-ya think??

I think I really love it!!

love, scout

(clicky) Quiet Storm (album download) (clicky)

Here’s part 3 of the track walkthrough for my new album Quiet Storm.  Enjoy, download the album if you haven’t heard it (at the link above or the one at the foot of the page) and find parts 1 & 2 of the track walkthrough too, if you haven’t read those.

12. Rain (Interlude)

This was nothing more than a simple segue between “Quiet Storm”, and the literal idea of a storm, and the next track, “Jump Off (Part II)” which has a very dark, sad feel.  I thought that the rain was effective, atmospheric, and also reminds me of the interludes on Janet Jackson’s janet. album where there would be short, simple interludes of rain and wind which would keep the mood flowing.

13.  Jump Off (Part II)

This song is another of my favourite songs on the album, and is one of the more personal tracks also.  Lyrically, it discusses feeling like even when you fall for people, they can tell you the nicest things but by next week, you’re old news and they’re onto the next.  It’s about feeling used, even if you were down for it at the time, but realising that just because someone tells you that you’re beautiful or that they love you, doesn’t mean they mean it.  So in the song, I’m wondering whether even in all my dalliances over the past couple of years, I’ve let my heart get hurt all the time when it was just about sex and I should have just focused on the fun.  Musically, I like the combination of the deep beats and the music box / piano over the top, which gives it a combination of darkness and fragility.  Originally, the song was going to be a straightforward R&B ballad (and you can hear a snippet of the original version on my High Fashion mixtape), but having heard The-Dream’s original version of Mariah Carey’s “H.A.T.E.U.” (as well as the snippet of her version, on the fantastic Memoirs Of An Imperfect Angel) I was inspired to totally revamp the track, restructuring the lyrics somewhat as well as making the music much more R&B and much more emotional and sensitive.  I think it worked, and I was so pleased with the way that this track turned out.

14. Devastate Me

This song is based on a track that is allegedly an instrumental from Britney Spears’ Blackout sessions (IMO, her best album along with In The Zone), since I found it on a mixtape with lots of other songs.  If you listen closely in the background, then you can hear what sounds like tiny snatches of Britney’s voice once or twice.  Anyway, I liked the dark, intense feel of the track, along with its pulsing beats and menacing strings, so I just decided to write some lyrics over the top of it.  The idea of feeling devastated seemed to go with the dramatic nature of the music, and lyrically the song speaks about somebody having you wrapped around their finger, and even though you might be in love with them or have formed some attachment to that person, you still know that they’re not necessarily good for you, and at any moment they could let you down or leave you in the dust, and you’ve put so much effort into loving them that you’re left with nothing – devastated.  The idea of knowing this is where the line “you done tricked me twice so the shame is not on you” comes in – you know exactly what you’re letting yourself in for, you just can’t make yourself resist, however hard you try.  It’s a tricky and intense situation!

15. Kissing You

This song was a really happy accident!  Some of the tracks on here took months of planning and development to come to fruition production-wise, whereas this took maybe a day or so.  I remember waking up in the morning and just having the refrain “Kissing you…. all I can think of is” going round and round in my brain.  One of the songs that inspired the whole nocturnal, R&B/dark concept of the album (when I was deciding what kind of feel I wanted to explore for my next project) was the track “When We Kiss (Missing You)” by an old girl group, Solid Harmonie, which I used to listen to when I was about 13 or 14!  So I doubt many people will recognise the sample of that song, which is what this track is based upon.  The deep, sparse bass and Japanese martial-arts type yell are from that song, as well as the bridge (which sneakily uses the girls’ vocals as backing, while I sing over the top).  I accentuated the oriental aspect of the production by adding some piano and shamisen to the mix, as well as extra beats towards the end.  I wanted the song to be mysterious, as its about an obsession that you can’t explain or logically untangle, but something that you can’t resist and just have to follow.  It’s where your heart rules your head, be it through lust or love.  The song is focused on the physical (a kiss) but also the emotional, of a love arriving when you least expect it and taking over your world.  The negative (as explored in “Jump Off (Part II)” and “Devastate Me”) ceding to the positive (this song and the next).  Love triumphing.  This song is one of the sexier songs on the record, even though it’s not really about sex.  It’s one of my favourites too, as it really has that mysterious, nocturnal feel that I wanted to be the overarching theme of the album.  It’s subtle, yet intense.

16. In Love

Like the last track, this song is largely built upon a girl-group sample.  In this case, it’s Mis-Teeq’s “It’s Beginning To Feel Like Love”, which was an album track from Eye Candy.  I liked the spacey feel of the song (a track that didn’t make it into the album or the mixtape was actually called “Space”), and I wanted to write a ballad that was very chilled, that you could relax to.  I said that I thought “Secret” was possibly the most romantic track on Quiet Storm, but perhaps this gives it a run for its money.  It’s just about how happy love can make you feel, and how unexpected the intensity of that happiness can be.  It’s about feeling untouchable in the midst of love, and about all your pain being healed by your feelings for that other person, and their reciprocation of those feelings towards you.  It’s a very optimistic, healing track lyrically, and the calmness of the production adds to that.  I added in some piano (again!) in the bridge to give it a little extra kick towards the end.

17. Come Home To Me

For me, this track is definitely going to be a single from Quiet Storm.  It’s very short and sweet, very immediate, and the beat is quite reggae-inspired, despite the overall feel of the production being straightforward R&B/pop.  The thunder rumbling at the very start of the song fits in with the overarching idea of a “Quiet Storm”, but it also represents the lyrical motif of the song, saying that although we had storms in the past, it’s time to get over it.  It’s about a lover who may have been unfaithful or made mistakes, so you had a bust-up, but now you’re ready to forgive them and give things another try.  It’s about recognising that sometimes, even though we may try to be strong and independent, ultimately we have to forgive someone’s transgressions and not cut our nose off to spite our face.  That’s not always the right message, and sometimes someone may do something too serious to be able to let them back in.  But when it’s the little things that cause a breakup, with time you can see whether it’s really worth being alone or whether it’s better to forgive and make up.  The song steals from Rihanna’s “Umbrella” towards the end, with the “forever ever ever eh eh eh” at the end – that was just a little bit of fun!  The backing vocals in the second verse are also inspired from a nu-classic Janet Jackson track, “Take Care”, from her 20 Y.O. album, which IMO is one of her best works and seriously underrated – another track which infused the concept and production within my album.

The final part, iv, coming soon!  Keep it locked, and thankyou all for the support once again.

(clicky) Quiet Storm (album download) (clicky)

A while back,  I found a few big patches of wild flowers on the side of the highway on the way to Will’s parents’ house. I was so excited because my sister had been wanting to take photos in a field of sunflowers. While these weren’t those flowers, they sure were close! I called her and set up a day to go back to those areas and snap some shots. We definitely had fun!

After about an hour or so, we went to the ‘rents’ house to check on the cats (they were in Alaska… luckies). We decided to show Jackie around. I saw this pile of wood during a little walk in their woods and I literally looked at Jackie and said, “Dude, let’s take photos here!” So, we did. It turned out amazing, I would say. I mean, the photos from this shoot are probably the best ones I’ve posted E V E R. I am really happy. It makes me really want to take more photos. Like, all the time. So… if you want some… you know… I’d take them for you.

If you would like to see more photos from this day, go to my photostream. Thanks! Feel free to write me about your thoughts or suggestions or ideas.

love, scout

Angie Stone – I Ain’t Hearin’ U

I have a confession, my orignal choices for songs of the week I couldn’t find on the internet (and i’m not gonna upload something without permission) so its down to Ms. Angie Stone to provide this weeks groove.  But don’t be fooled by my little intro because this is no second rate song.

Angie Stone returns from a relatively long hiatus with a slice of smooth soul for the steppers.  It has one of those throwback summertime vibes (perfect thing to warm us up during winter) and is coupled with Angie’s wholesome vocals.

The album is due out in a few weeks time (Nov. 23rd in the US) and on the evidence of this we should be treated to yet another great record; and yet more weightwill be added to the case for her dethroning Jill Scott as the queen of Neo-Soul.

Soulside Funk

State of emergency events and their consequences. For them, the case for contingency planning is open and closed. Archie Steacey has a firefighter for more than 30 years. Prior to his retirement in 1989 he was the fire chief for the District of North Vancouver. It is very important, a contingency plan that provides for the safety of employees and protecting property, and all along the line in terms of the environment, that's really important to develop today. Jim LaMorte is an emergency …

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvltDKg9DcM&hl=en

….Isn’t expecting the unexpected….

….making the unexpected expected????

….If you try to fail and succeed……..

….What have you done???

D:

My domain name apparently was renewed for another year, much to my surprise. So antiplath.com still gets you here. yay! Thanks to Web Jesus. Web Jesus answered my prayers! heh.

*ahem*

“All hail the God of the Intertubes! In your name we fervently blog and give thanks. May the power of the Holy Spirit bless our typing fingers with speed and agility, and may you bestow upon us the grace to deal patiently with n00bs and the resounding wit to humiliate all douchebag trolls. In his Holy Web Jesus Name we bow and pray.”

/Ramen

In a brilliant turn of events, I was let go from jury duty today in time to attend the Russian spa with Eugene and Matt! So excited. Almost as excited as I was to spend last night with my friend Lana, who I haven’t seen in way too long. Putting off panicking about apple party treats that have yet to be made in favor of relaxing all day and attending a mysterious event tonight.

Those crazy Russians love their pickles. This is the pickled platter of watermelon, tomatoes, cabbage, and of course cucumbers.

Eugene brought Soju, a mixture of vodka and sake, to the spa, and we discovered that it's dangerously sippable due to its lower alcohol content. Luckily there was also fruit tea!