The Music of the 90s

Man, the 90s were great. I'm watching Top 100 Songs of the 90s, and it always makes me nostalgic for the 90s music scene. I'm sure in a decade, I'll miss Beyonce and Eminem and Jay-Z and Green Day---wait.

Just kidding. They were around in the 90s and are still around today. But seriously, that was a unique decade for music. The emergence of hip hop (yes, I know it was around before 1990, but it wasn't as mainstream) and grunge, and the new direction of pop music was a really experimental time which allowed for individuality.

I don't think the same thing can be said today. There are some gems, of course, but I feel that is more segregated. Or maybe that's just because I watched a lot of MTV and VH1 in the 90s, and had a grungy older brother, so I was exposed to a wider variety of music. And since I was a kid, how could I say I didn't like something? Besides that song "You're still the one," which annoyed me. I didn't like that song. The rest I liked. (I like it now, but then, you couldn't get me to stay in the same room as that song)

Maybe I'm just too laid back to have tastes. And by laid back, I mean that I'm uptight, but easygoing. I thrive in stressful situations, but I roll with the punches. In any case, I rarely dislike music. It's a form of art, and self-expression. Even if it doesn't move me as much as other songs, how can I dislike someone's inner soul? Or even if they just write it for money, how can I hate something that moves someone else? Even if it physically moves people (try not dancing to Baby Got Back)

There are exceptions, of course. I dislike music on the basis of lyrics. "Fix You" by Coldplay made me hate Coldplay, for example. Arrogant bastards. Also, I like Rage Against the Machine, but only 1 song at a time.

I hate country western. I like country, and bluegrass, and folk, and most pop country. I guess I like bluegrass, folk and female country stars. Dolly Parton, Shania Twain, Reba McEntire, Jewel, even Taylor Swift. I have a lot of respect for women in such a sexist and male-dominated industry. Especially those who mean what they sing, wrote what they sing and/or play their music while they're singing it. Most country western songs involve this cowboy losing his little lady because he drank too much and it made him sad, so he's drinking more. Yeah, can't empathize or sympathize with you, deadbeat alkie. Get some help and face the consequences.

Granted, most mainstream rap isn't much better. Drugs, bitches, guns and cars. I could care less. I love meaningful rap that isn't bragging about how they're so G, and so real because they disrespect women, do a lot of crack, and shoot people. Can't stand it. Grow up. Even angsty emo kids singing about how they hate their dad are more real than they are. It's all a front, imo. They aren't impenetrable macho gods. They're just as experiential as the rest of us.

Anyway, this was probably enough topics for like 10 posts. Ah well. I don't have many opinions about music, and yet, I have as many as anybody else, I guess.

Childhood pro

It is a lot harder to be spontaneous when start to grow up.

I was recalling a summer evening by the lake when a cousin and I decided to jump in a lake, and did.

I didn't have to take my watch off, or my cell phone out of my pocket. I didn't have to worry about my contacts falling out, or whether or not the shirt I was wearing would be ruined.

I just jumped in. She got in trouble. I didn't.

Good times

Tonight, I enjoyed a leisurely evening. I watched some tv online, made dinner and put a movie in, resigned but not disappointed that my Friday evening would be spend alone. To my surprise, two of my friends called to see if they could come over.

So they popped over for a few hours and we played Mario Party on the N64. Apparently we're not very good at it. We lost to the computer every time. I'm good at a couple of the mini games, but not many. I came in last overall every time, although that made for entertaining endings where I got carried away by a fish or a cloud thing.

Also, the application on Facebook known as Farmville is addicting! I just added it this afternoon and I can't stop! : )

Tshirt Blanket

I've started a new project today which I better stick with.
I'm turning 22 of my t-shirts that I never wear but can't get rid of because they have personal meaning into a blanket. I have all my theater shirts, Girl Scout shirts, extracurricular acivities, work shirts, non-profit shirts, etc. It probably won't be very warm, but that's ok. I'm not going to even try to quilt it. It would be a disaster. I'll just use it in the summer or over my comforter.

My sewing skills are extremely limited. I can't use machines, and I'm really bad at hemming. I can make button holes like no other, though. Not sure why. I almost never make button holes, but I can do it really well. I can't really sew in a straight line, nor do I have patience to make a good strong seam. Maybe I just need a really simple, easy sewing machine that doesn't confound me. : )

Thus, because of my impoverished sewing skills, I am doing the 2nd laziest way of making t-shirt blankets. I am cutting off the sleeves, sewing a square around the image while it's inside out, then turning it right side out and finish closing it up. Then I will take these squares and cross stitch them together with yarn. For the edge of the blanket, I will line it with the sleeves and my girl scout t-shirts. So the leftover fabric becomes stuffing that doesn't shift around, and I use the whole t shirt. And I don't mess up cutting. I can just take out the stitches and start over.

The laziest way would be to cut out the squares and fringe them without sewing anything and then just tying it all together. Works better with fleece than with cotton t shirts, but it'd work. It would be very thin and not blanket-like though.

Fleece tie blankets are really nice though. Takes about an hour to make, easily personable and relatively cheap, so it's a good gift for kids and teens. : )

Actually, I take that back. The Absolute Laziest Way would be to make a pile of t shirts and sleep under it. Like a hobo. : )

When I'm done, I'll take pictures and show you. Don't hold your breath though, it will take a few weeks, I think. I spent 3 hours working on it today, and got the shirts marked and 1 square done.

Tomorrow, I fill water balloons. A lot of them. Family reunion on Sunday!