Story Line

When I have nothing else to do, I draw entertainment from two main sources.  I’m a self-admittant TV junkie, and I love listening to music.  But recently, I’ve noticed that for me, the two just don’t mix.  One of my favorite TV shows, Supernatural, airs right after this new show The Vampire Diaries.  So when I go to watch “my show” – we all have one, right? – I usually catch the last couple minutes of the latter show.  Right from the beginning, I knew I wasn’t going to watch it, simply because of what I heard.  Every week, I can barely hear the dialogue due to the incessant alt-rock music playing in the background.

Threading music through TV scenes is far from a new concept, especially for the CW.  But according to www.tvshowmusic.com, a website that lists all the songs used on various programs every week, The Vampire Diaries used nine different songs in last week’s episode.  In the pilot, it used THIRTEEN.  This is an hour-long program – with commercials, it averages to be about 40 minutes.  Even if the show only uses snippets of each song, this means that there can hardly be any air time without lyrics blaring in the background.

Using music in TV is a fine art – there are some shows that do it extremely well.  Another of my favorites, Friday Night Lights, is perhaps the best example I can come up with.  And oddly enough, TV Show Music’s website lists an average of about eight songs per episode for them, as well.  Maybe I’m biased – after all, I actually watch this show, not the vampire one.  Maybe it’s simply the quality of the show itself.  (I can’t help but plug FNL as one of the most well-acted and art-directed shows on TV).

I feel as if shows are trying so hard to get in with the younger generation these days by filling their shows with (in all but a few cases) god-awful music.  I’m not trying to sound like a music snob, but I kind of hate it when I hear a song I love on a show I hate.  Bright Eyes on Melrose Place?  Bloc Party on THE HILLS?!  Phoenix on pretty much everything lately?  Ugh.

I would love it if more television programs only relied on musical scores.  Take my hands-down favorite show, Lost.  Michael Giacchino’s score for each show fits the suspense perfectly, and during the more emotional scenes, is downright beautiful.  I even have some of the pieces on my iPod.  It’s much more worthwhile to focus on the show itself – isn’t that why they were made in the first place?

So this is my first blog for the Baruch blogs website, and honestly I have no idea what to write. I write another blog on Tumblr, but somehow I don’t think any of you guys will be interested in reading that, nor am I sure if anyone is really even reading this blog.

I guess I’ll write about something that’s currently occupying my attention, and that would be the topic of vinyls, otherwise known as records or LP’s

Most people, when approached with the word records, are like what? Those big floppy black discs? Didn’t they die out with the 80’s? Well, the answer is yes, and a resounding No.  Most of the population stopped buying, looking for or taking care of their records after the invention of compact discs, or cassettes, as they were seen as more convenient, and can hold more music.

Even though I was born too late to really appreciate and live through the time of mass production of records, it’s still a huge part of my life. Something about the sound of the record, and a relic from the past really draws me in.  I have upwards of 300 records that range in everything from early Jazz to Rock ‘n Roll to folk and more recently, some of my favourite bands have been releasing their albums in vinyl form, as somewhat of a tribute to the past.  It’s mostly Indie, or unknown bands that still release on vinyl, but I happen to think it’s pretty cool that someone out there still cares about vinyl.  Not that I don’t purchase mp3’s or CD’s; I mean obviously it’s so much more convenient to buy a few tracks off of iTunes than it is to find a good record player, but nevertheless, LP’s will always be my favourite.

Currently, I’m listening to an old Arctic Monkeys‘ record, the vinyl version of Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, and actually storing and rediscovering some of my other vinyls.  Though nothing can replace the sound of the Houses of The Holy (Led Zeppelin) record that I have in my storage box, newer presses, such as Conor Oberst‘s Souled Out!!! have impressively tried to recreate the grainy sound that older records possess.

Most often, vinyls are repressed, or recreated, as clear, marbleized or colourful versions to attract new audiences to an old sound (and a dying business).  While the idea is creative, the lack of carbon in the colurful versions often creates a lack of magnetism in the record, which distorts the sound and unfortunately takes away from the beauty and sound of a record made 25 years ago.  Another flaw with the revival in vinyls, is the lack of attention to detail.  25 years ago, vinyl was pretty much the only source of music that was able to be carried around.  Now that we have other alternatives, less care is put into production, and the grooves in the record (which allow it to play), and the molded weight (the grams in the record) are flawed, and often not of the greatest materials, or with the best equipment.  I love that the world is somewhat reverting back to vinyl, but I wish that more attention to detail and the proper and necessary care were employed.

State Senator Ruben Diaz Sr.

“The people of the nation don’t want gay marriage…they don’t want gay marriage.  Forget it.  People don’t want it.” These words were spoken by State Senator Rubén Díaz to the New York Times in an interview on Monday.  Mr. Díaz, a Pentecostal minister who strongly opposes same sex marraige went on to say that he’s not a homophobe because he has friends, a granddaughter and two brothers (one of whom died recently) who are gay.

Before I read this piece that was in today’s Times, I’d grudgingly accepted the fact that every single person in this world has the right to exercise their minds and come up with their personal opinions on the world, their environment and the people in their lives, even if those opinions are flawed and bias.

This morning, as I opened my front door to welcome the crisp autumn leaves that covered the ground like a blanket and collect the Times that was thrown within three feet of my door, the memory of Ellen DeGeneres and her wife Portia De Rossi talking about their love on the Oprah Winfrey Show was still on my mind.

It was still swimming in my subconscious long after I finished the article about Mr. Díaz and read about a nurse who accidently pierced her finger with a needle that had the blood of a hepatitis C patient.

And feeling for others is the only tool that truly builds.

This weather is ridiculous. Americans are intrinsically skeptical of flip-floppers. There is no reason that this preposterous weather should be subject to any different, easier standard just because it’s a “force of nature.” I mean, come on. Two weeks ago, I was wrapped up tighter than a medieval Japanese ninja to defend against the biting riverside October cold. Now, I’m walking around outside with a t-shirt, wondering to myself what kind of a world we live in where the weather is allowed to pull hijinks like this. I yearn for the days when cold meant cold. Today, cold means that it’s time to pull out your heavy-duty winter wear and wear it for two days so that you survive till the weekend, when it will be a bajillion degrees Fahrenheit outside. In the good old days, cold weather meant snow up past your face and hypothermic temperatures. I remember skiing out my door with my parents on cross-country skies. I certainly don’t remember the atmospheric monkey-business we call weather nowadays. How about, instead of spending money on war and a failing economic system, we develop a dependable weather machine. It’s about time the American people got some reasonable, dependable weather. It’s the least we deserve.

Do you need excersise? want to meet new people? then have I got a deal for you. Ok, seriously I am not selling you the newest workout program. So what am I talking about? I am talking about soccer. Its fun, easy to learn, a great way to workout and you get to interact with new interesting people. How should I get started? well since you asked, its really quite simple and very cheap. first you can buy a ball for a relatively cheap price, under $20. Next head out to your local park and check for games. What? there are no games in your area? that is easily fixed, sign up to meetup.com and search for pickup games in your area and choose the group that best suites your needs. Remember now there is one all powerful rule in soccer that stands above all else, HAVE FUN!!!