5.26.2005
Ambivalent
Today's theme is AMBIVALENCE.
As in: "I am ambivalent about the selection of Carrie as the winner of American Idol, despite the fact that she puts one too many slides and drags in her vocal style."
Or even:
"I am ambivalent about taking a stand about audio-books versus paper-books, especially because everyone has a different learning style. However, I still disdain abridged works, whether they're audio or print."
Today's theme is AMBIVALENCE.
As in: "I am ambivalent about the selection of Carrie as the winner of American Idol, despite the fact that she puts one too many slides and drags in her vocal style."
Or even:
"I am ambivalent about taking a stand about audio-books versus paper-books, especially because everyone has a different learning style. However, I still disdain abridged works, whether they're audio or print."
5.12.2005
Simply Psychotic
My friends and family have probably heard me say this a million and a half times, but today I really need to say it again:
IF YOU HAVE NO PROBLEM ABUSING, KILLING OR MUTILATING A CHILD OR AN ANIMAL, YOU HAVE SOMETHING SEVERELY WRONG WITH YOU.
I heard this morning that the two little girls who were found stabbed to death in a park in Illinois were killed by one of the kids' dads WHO CONFESSED TO KILLING THE KIDS because (1) his daughter wouldn't come home with him and (2) he'd lost $40.
OK, that's more than fucked up. That's insane.
But, as I understand it, it's par for the course with this guy. He recently got out of prison for assault/harassment charges involving a chainsaw and a trailer park.
Lock him up and throw away the key. Please.
My friends and family have probably heard me say this a million and a half times, but today I really need to say it again:
IF YOU HAVE NO PROBLEM ABUSING, KILLING OR MUTILATING A CHILD OR AN ANIMAL, YOU HAVE SOMETHING SEVERELY WRONG WITH YOU.
I heard this morning that the two little girls who were found stabbed to death in a park in Illinois were killed by one of the kids' dads WHO CONFESSED TO KILLING THE KIDS because (1) his daughter wouldn't come home with him and (2) he'd lost $40.
OK, that's more than fucked up. That's insane.
But, as I understand it, it's par for the course with this guy. He recently got out of prison for assault/harassment charges involving a chainsaw and a trailer park.
Lock him up and throw away the key. Please.
5.06.2005
The Word-of-the-Day Is:
MELISMATIC
Used in a sentence to describe my loathing of what passes for 'talent' on American Idol and any given Top-40 station (ewww) especially Z-100, it would be:
Whoever told those contestants that a melismatic vocal was equal to talent should be drawn and quartered.
OK, here's why American Idol gets under my skin:
"The host, Ryan Seacrest, summed it up in a recent episode when he greeted the crowd by saying, "Welcome to the show where it's all about the singing, but yours is the voice that matters."
I'd amend the first part of Seacrest's claim; unless you've got an unusually high tolerance for belting, the only way to get through Idol is to tape it and fast-forward through all the songs." - Dana Stevens, surfergirl, in Slate
I have no tolerance for belting. Belting, when done incorrectly (n.b. - Vonzelle), forces your tone to be produced with your upper chest, neck and shoulders, resulting in an Ethel Merman-like, brassy, often flat (by quarter-tones, which are notoriously difficult to hear) and shallow tone, completely out of context for most of the ballad-y songs chosen by the most notorious of belters (n.b - Vonzelle, again) or just plain bad.
MELISMATIC
Used in a sentence to describe my loathing of what passes for 'talent' on American Idol and any given Top-40 station (ewww) especially Z-100, it would be:
Whoever told those contestants that a melismatic vocal was equal to talent should be drawn and quartered.
OK, here's why American Idol gets under my skin:
"The host, Ryan Seacrest, summed it up in a recent episode when he greeted the crowd by saying, "Welcome to the show where it's all about the singing, but yours is the voice that matters."
I'd amend the first part of Seacrest's claim; unless you've got an unusually high tolerance for belting, the only way to get through Idol is to tape it and fast-forward through all the songs." - Dana Stevens, surfergirl, in Slate
I have no tolerance for belting. Belting, when done incorrectly (n.b. - Vonzelle), forces your tone to be produced with your upper chest, neck and shoulders, resulting in an Ethel Merman-like, brassy, often flat (by quarter-tones, which are notoriously difficult to hear) and shallow tone, completely out of context for most of the ballad-y songs chosen by the most notorious of belters (n.b - Vonzelle, again) or just plain bad.
