cookingwpizzazz

So here is a funny story.  I got an external hard drive for Christmas.  And transfered all my music onto it.  But in the process...I lost my playlist of my top 70 songs of 2007.  So....I might try and put it back together I might not.  Ill let you know.  At the very least, Ill let you know what my top couple songs were.  Eventually.  And don't worry it wasn't LCD Soundsystem's All My Friends.  OVER-rated!

No.  60: The Go! Team - Grip Like a Vice

This is just pure fun.  But really really high quality fun.  If I was an old-school hip-hop artist from the 80s trying to sound relevant to today, this is what I would want to sound like. In all actuality, The Go! Team is an indie-rock/dance/hip hop hybrid band from England, who quite honestly...simply rock. Plus, the six member band includes two! drummers.  Automatic points right there, that's what that is.  Proof of Youth was an apt name for their album that came out this year -  listening to songs like this automatically brings me back to my childhood, even though, obviously I wasn't listening to anything near this cool at the time (Raffi anyone?)

Choice lyric: So get ready for this/Get ready for this/Party people in the place get ready for this!




No. 59: The Klaxons - Golden Skans

This song from British indie act, The Klaxons, was on repeat on my iPod for the greater part of my spring and at least half of my summer.  And although by now I've gotten a little weary of it, the impact made initially cannot be denied.  So yeah, while it doesn't stand the test of constant repeat over time (and hence preventing it from placing higher on the list), it was still undeniably one of the best songs of the year.Honestly I have no idea what the fuck this song is about still (maybe I should look into it...but...meh), but that really doesn't seem to matter, now does it?

Choice lyric: Light touch my hands in a dream of golden skans/from now on you can forget our future plans




No. 58: Justice - D.A.N.C.E.

There are some songs that you just cannot be forgiven for failing to include on a best of list for 2007.  And this is one of them.  The French tend to have rather odd musical tastes (and I say that lovingly, having lived there for half a year).  This is certainly no exception, as the hit electro-dance track features singing by a children's choir, lyrics consisting of primarily letters, and heaps of references to Michael Jackson.  But...it works.  And what's more it works outside of France to.  I'm pretty sure its impossible to listen to this song and not want to do exactly what the title spells out. 

Choice lyric: Do the D.A.N.C.E./1 2 3 4 Fight/Stick to the B.E.A.T/Get ready to ignite/You were such a P.Y.T./Catching all the lights




No. 57: Girls Aloud - Sexy! No, No, No...

So while England is generally much more apt at producing good rock and alternative music compared to the U.S., generally I have to say they are less successful in the pop arena.  AKA they are still susceptible to sugary bubblegum pop and overly saccharine ballads.  But....sometimes they actually get the formula right.  I find the rest of Girls Aloud material I've heard to be fairly generic, but this song?  Hot.  The perfect mix of sassy attitude with pure danceability.  And of course: it fits the number one requirement of a good pop song:  it's catchy.

Choice lyric: I give you nothing til you show me/Something, something, something/Cause damn good loving's what I'm really/ Wanting,wanting, wanting




No. 56: Sara Bareilles - Love Song

This song is just now starting to climb the pop charts  (currently the second most downloaded song on iTunes and the 53rd most played song on Top 40 radio).  Thankfully, it will deserves its popularity (hell, I've been singing along to it since June).  Is Bareilles the next Fiona Apple, or Michelle Branch?  Hard to say, but the piano-based pop that the California based singer-songwriter produces is nothing short of infectious. The music is well-crafted, Sara's voice is beautiful (hard to believe she's had no formal training), and the lyrics are clever.

Choice lyric: I'm not gonna write you a love song/ Cause you tell me it's make or breaking this/Is that why you wanted a love song/Cause you asked for it




No. 55: The Rocket Summer - So Much Love

Nos. 55 and 56 remind me so much of each other, which is why they are right next to each other on the list.  Both have a similar piano pop musicality to them, although So Much Love is a bit more complex.  Although Bareilles' voice is more pleasant than that of Bryce Avery (who is the only member of this Texas based one-man band), the overall optimism and lyrical choices of The Rocket Summer makes it the winner of a head-to-head battle.  Plus this song contains one of my favorite lyrics (and choruses) of the year (see below).

Choice lyric: You got so much love in you/I'm amazed that I'm talking to you/ You look like the songs that I've heard my whole life coming true




No. 54: Travis - Big Chair

I love love love the verses of Travis' second (and final) song to make my list.  However I really am not a fan of the chorus, mainly because... I don't get it.  Maybe I'm not deep enough to understand, but honestly, what the fuck is the big chair?  If I could figure out, I'm pretty sure this song would be much higher on my list.  But since I'm still in the dark....I can't place it any higher than this.

Choice lyric: Well you know that I heart everything about you/ And that's why it's quite hard to get through this alone




No. 53: Stars - The Night Starts Here

What starts as a mellow electronic-y vibed song evolves into a party-ready dance groove.  Which makes it hard to decide whether or not to include on party mixes.  Trust me, it's been debated.  The theme is right, as evident by the title, but is the pacing? In the end, I say go for it, because the song is pure awesomeness, and if your guests appreciate music, they'll be patient enough to find out why.The great thing about Stars, the Canadian indie pop band that produced this track, is that they're always full of surprises.  Look for them again higher up on the countdown with a song from the same album and a completely different vibe all together.

Choice lyric: The night starts here/The night starts here/Forget your name/Forget your fear




No. 52: Maritime - Guns of Navarone

Milwaukee-based indie pop band Maritime is one of my greatest discoveries of the year.  And I by that I mean I delved into their whole library, and loved pretty much every song.  The same can only be said for We Are Scientists.  Unfortunately, We Are Scientists had no new releases n 2007.  But Maritime did, so I made sure to include them here.  Twice.  Although neither is close to being my favorite Maritime song, they are both good representations of their general greatness.  This track is purely for me, all about the overall feeling.  The words?  I'm not sure I could explain them all.  But I do I know that I can't help bouncing and singing along whenever this song starts playing.  In other words...it's made of win.

Choice lyric: You are going to have to lie to me/Cause I've been breathing in since I don't know when/I didn't know anything





No. 51: The Editors- An End Has a Start

Yay, more English indie rock! I told you I had a weakness for them.  Actually, I kind of think of the Editors as a substitute for a year with not nearly enough of the The Killers.  Is the comparison apt?  Who knows?  But the connection has been made in my mind for some reason, and since I love the Killers, I therefore love the Editors.  I chose this song for my list because I also have a penchant for songs that I feel can be applied lyrically to experiences on a night out (hence my love of We Are Scientists...can you tell I'm bitter that I can't include them on my list?).  Okay, I know the lyrics actually have deeper meaning than that, but sometimes I like to pretend they're more shallow.

Choice lyric: You came on your own/And that's how you'll leave/With hope in your hands/And air to breathe

So, I know we stopped posting like...anything in here long ago. But, I've been making a list of my favorite songs of the year for myself, and thought it would be nice if I could share it with others. So.... here it will be. Shellster, I invite you to do the same. It's fun! Only qualifications were that it had to be either released or made a single sometime this year (although sometimes I bent the rules slightly), and that I loved the song. I've chosen 70 tracks because, well, that was the number of songs that I have on my iTunes from this year that I really like. I couldn't find 30 more to make a solid 100, and I didn't want to cut it down to 50. So 70 it is. I'm gonna split it up and go 10 songs per entry to make it easier to follow, aight? Aight. So with no further ado....


No. 70: Paddy Casey - Addicted to Company

I definitely have a weak spot from anything from the UK or Ireland. I haven't counted, but I'm pretty sure I have more artists from that area of the world than any other on my list. I can't help it, they just make better music than us! So here we have starting out my list a Dublin singer-songwriter by the name of Paddy Casey. An infectious happy song with great lyrics. Seriously, it's the lyrics that allowed this song to make the list. There is a reason it's at the bottom though: I find it quick to get tiresome. So, although it's a good song, I recommend only listening to it sparingly, to avoid early fatigue.

Choice lyric: Maybe I'm just addicted to company/ And I love places to go and I love people to see/ And that's allright/ That's enough for tonight.





No. 69: Bat for Lashes - What's A Girl to Do?

I love the whole 60s throwback that's become a trend in the past couple of years: The Pipettes, Amy Winehouse, Candie Payne (2 of which make appearances on this list). Bat for Lashes fits right in, an awesome indie all girl band from...surprise...England. This song is off of their 2006 album but was released as a single this year. The spoken verses contrast nicely with the haunting chorus. I totally think of it as an existential "Leader of the Pack" for the modern age. Bat for Lashes = 21st Century Shangri Las? You tell me.

Choice lyric: And when he asked me/ 'Do you still love me?'/ I had to look away/ I didn't want to tell him/ That my heart grows colder with each day




No. 68: Rogue Wave - Chicago X 12

I'm not going to lie, I totally only listened to this song at first because of the title. Anything related to my lovely hometown always draws me in. But I'm so glad I ended up giving this California based indie rock band a chance, because they are really quite amazing. Look for another one of their songs later on the list. This one is supposedly about the loneliness of touring as a band, but the real draw for me is the music itself. Also, the beginning sounds startling similar to the beginning of No. 23. Which is....you'll have to wait to find out.

Choice lyric: Well my pain's in a rut/ I've been lonely enough/ I've bled Los Angeles blood/ I've had enough of this stuff





No. 67: Travis - Closer

Man, Travis is a great Scottish folk rock band that gets no where NEAR the amount of recognition it deserves. This is the first of two songs off of their 2007 album The Boy with No Name that made the countdown. The meaning is fairly simple, but I'm a sucker for simple songs that still manage to convey a lot of meaning. Plus, you know, love songs. I am a girl after all.

Choice lyric: And when I see you then I know it will be next to me/ And when I need you then I know you will be there with me





No. 66: Timbaland ft. Keri Hilson and Sebastian - Miscommunication

Wow, I can't believe this album came out this year.  It seems so old already.  Nevertheless, it was pretty huge in the first half of the year.  This was one of my favorite tracks on it.  Great to listen to after that accidental hook up the night before.  Who hasn't been able to relate to Keri Hilson when she sings "Just put you in the game, and here you go complainin', What's up with you?" Seriously.  And...are those tongue clicks keeping the beat in the background?  If theme and sounds aren't enough, maybe the final rap will win you over (see below).  It's so ridiculous it's actually awesome.

Choice lyric: And when it comes to sex/ Just a little bit of love and a little bit of that/ Maybe push it back where your ribs is at/ Share a bowl of Crunch Berries/ How real is that/ I'm just jokin' of course/ I'm tryin' to put you sex game back on course/ If you're ever feeling dry/ Like you don't get moist/ If you ever get a minute/ Holla at your boy





No. 65: Chris Brown ft. T-Pain:  Kiss Kiss

I don't really love T-Pain, but I have a huge huge weak spot for Chris Brown, as any friend of mine will tell you. He' s just so cute!  And did you see his performance at the VMAs?  Damn.  This isn't my favorite Chris Brown song of all time, but it was one of the better top 40 hits of the year.  And it's fun to dance to.  the lyrics aren't great, but actually they're so silly, they end up being adorable.

Choice lyric: And I know I just turned 18/ And I get a little manish/ And you see the bandana hangin'/ That means I'm like a bandit/ Like-like a bandit




No. 64: Ferraby Lionheart - Small Planet

By the sound of his music, I would assume that Ferraby Lionheart grew up in a French amusement park.  In fact, he's actually an L.A. based folk singer.  Damn those LA folks, always fooling you.  I can't find the printed lyrics of this song anywhere, but it's a lovely fairly light-hearted song perfect for lazy Saturday afternoons and movie montages.

Choice lyric: I won't forget to remember I love you




No. 63: Justin Timberlake - Summer Love

God, Justin Timberlake is SO 2006.  Nevertheless, last years album produced hit singles THIS year, so he makes the list.  I was debating between this and LoveStoned and this song.  I like them both a lot, but in the end Summer Love won out because....it actually is the quintessential summer song.  I had it on my "Hooray Summer" playlist this May and it always made me dance around my messy messy dorm room with the breeze (and bugs) blowing in through the open window.  Plus a sick beat AND beginning of *love* lyrics?  I'm sold.

Choice lyric: The summer's over for the both of us/ But that don't mean we should give up on love/ You're the one I've been thinkin' of/ And I knew the day I met you you'd be the one




No. 62: Mark Ronson ft. Daniel Merriweather- Stop Me

Mark Ronson pretty much replaced Timbaland as *the* hot producer.  Working with the likes of Christina Aguilera, Amy Winehouse, and Lily Allen, who can deny it?  Unfortunately, although his own album Version, was a major success in his native England, most people in America have no idea he even exists. Which is a shame.  Perhaps they should get to know him, starting with my favorite track off of the album Stop Me.  It's an amazing reworking of a song by The Smith that disintegrates into an elecrtonic-y version of The Supreme's "Keep Me Hanging On".  Pure awesome.

Choice lyric: Nothing's changed/ I still love you/ Oh I still love you/ Only slightly/ Only slightly less than I used to/ My love





No. 61: Michael Buble - Lost

Okay, I admit it.  I love Michael Buble.  I know he's most likely a huge douche bag.  But...his voice is so pretty!  And sometimes I enjoy listening to cheesy jazz vocals, okay???  This is my choice for original song of his new album. (Although as far as standards go, you really need to check out Me and Mrs. Jones, which is just divine!) There's nothing really remarkable about this song, other than it's a just a good old fashioned cheesy love ballad, and sometimes...that's what the world needs.

Choice lyric: Things have seemed to change/ There's one thing that's still the same/ In my heart you have remained

Oh noez.  We haven't been very good at all lately.  Shame on Woo! and myself.  But look I made the page all prettttty.  I like it, at least.

So, um, can I say that I'm not looking forward to life after college?  One month of a desk job/internship and all I can say is zzzzzzzzzzzz....  Boring.  Oh well, it provides cash.  But I miss being a lazy bum.  Even my weekends aren't so lazy, because I have to do all the socializing that I can't do during the week. Blahhhh.

Sigh, I have so many links/news/etc to post, how am I going to get it all in?

Actually since there's so much I think I'll just post in installments for the next couple of days, so this doesn't turn into one monstrous post.  So...this one is going to focus on music.

First up, an interview with the creator of Hype Machine, which is like my love child.  Where would I be musically without you hype machine?  Hmm...the creator is my age.  And awesome.  Call me please.  1 800 Pizzazz.

Speaking of Hype Machine...it has greatly aided me in my two new musical loves.
1.  The Rocket Summer
2.  Mark Ronson

Look them up/download their shit.  You won't be let down.

And finally...I'm hopefully going to be going to Pitchfork Music Festival.  So fucking excited for that. 

On a non-musical note, my new goal is to reread all the Harry Potter books before the new one comes out.  Considering I'm only on Chapter 5 of book one...that's what I'm going to spend the rest of my evening doing.  Except for breaking to watch Flight of the Conchords, which is absolutely an amazing new show on HBO.  Love!

Ack...my next post will be better. I promise.

C-Slice

Sooo my first week on my internship has wrapped up, and I have to say I'm pretty happy. I love working downtown. I love taking the train everyday and people watching. I love most of my job. Sometimes I feel like I'm in a Devil Wears Prada, except with less work and no bitchy boss. And the clothes aren't as cool. Heh.

So I've got some interesting media to share with y'all today. First up is an awesome Lupe Fiasco/Kanye West/Pharell track that samples from Thom Yorke's The Eraser. Tell me it's not fucking hot. Love it. A lot. Must go look for an actual download now.

Next up....is... I don't even know how to explain this. A contestant from Nouvelle Star which is like the French American Idol, singing Britney's Hit Me Baby One More Time on the show. It is delightful and weird and hilarious and just fucking awesome. He's totally from the future, kids.



In other news, every one needs to go see Knocked Up.  Funniest movie I have seen in a long time. I was expecting not to like it, but me and my friends, and the whole theater actually, we're laughing almost constantly throughout the film.  Go, go, go, now!

Media news round up:
-Fox Interactive Media buys Photobucket
-CBS buys Last FM
-Viacom sells Music Publishing Unit to Sony/ATV
-EMI Music will now also be on YouTube in addition to the other big labels.  Yay.

Local news:
-Downtown Skokie to get a face-lift.  Fucking finally.

And to finish on an alcoholic note:  Wine 1, Beer 0.

.CSlice

Apparently I'm the lazy bum on this site seeing how I haven't updated in a while and CSlice just had to show me up and post two times!

I kid I kid, I lurve her.  In a totally nonhomosexual way.  Not that I have anything against that... homosexuality that is.  I don't have anything against her either - just throwing that out there.

Sometimes I really hate being 20 years old and having to face the real world of GREs and the possibility of going to grad school.  That shizz is just some unneeded stress.  Seriously though, the summer before my senior year the LAST thing I want to do is worry about grad school when I'm getting up at 5am everyday to go to my internship.  Maybe it's just because I have Asian parents that I get all this pressure on me.  My dad is pretty ridiculous actually.  For example:  the first day that I got back home from college for the summer, he told me we needed to talk about careers.  No joke.  Thanks Dad, thats the first thing I want to think about when I get home after taking a bunch of finals.

In other news, has anyone heard the story of the TB patient?  If not, you can find the article here
Seriously, how STUPID is this man (and I realize that he's a lawyer so he's got to have some brain cells but he's just lacking some serious common sense).  He KNEW that he had TB... and went on a plane anyway.  A PLANE!  That is probably the fastest way to spread a disease aside from just dropping a biological weapon.

Okay this is all for now, gotta get some work done ya'lls

I've been doing some article reading online and felt like sharing.

First up: yet another look at the future of the music industry.
I know, I know.  Old news, right?  But this stuff actually really fascinates me.  The music industry is the middle of a complete transition but nobody knows where exactly its going.  It's exciting though to watch it all unfold.  I think it's interesting how initially the complaint with downloading was it was illegal, blah blah blah.  But now, that's not even the problem anymore.  Considering how a lot of the free sharing is done off line in addition to on it.  And how free downloads can actually help promote purchases.  If I really like an artist I will shell out the bucks for the album.  And the majority of people don't download whole albums for free, but rather individual songs.  Which is actually where I think the music industry is headed.  More singles and more EPs rather than full length albums.  All in digital as opposed to hard copies.  The thing that's amusing is there are some musicians who still don't get this.  I know of one artist who thinks it's still possible for an album released in the current market to go diamond. Hah!  Music still sells, obviously, but it's selling in different ways then it used to.  Anyways, read the article, it's good, and then tell us what you think.


Apparently I was really digging the New York Times today:  an article about teeny-bopper mags.
Holy shit, I do not recognize any of those people on the covers.  I remember those magazines from elementary school when they were covered with JTT and Devon Sawa.   And then middle school where it was all Hanson, BSB, NSYNC, Britney, etc.  And then I stopped paying attention, and I guess so did the rest of the world.  But now the mags are back with vengence with a bunch of people I only vaguely recognize.  Anyways, the article actually deals with a lot of other interesting issues too, including how the internet is effecting the print industry. Oh my god, I'm such a media nerd. 

Seriously, I love it all. Especially the internets.  Hee. Except...what the hell is happening to Facebook?  I don't like having all these options.  Structure me please.  Too many features makes things not cohesive and soon it will be myspace...And we don't need another myspace.  Blah.

Like, OMG! I can't believe it's been so long since we've updated!!!!!!!111One!!!1

Sorry. Sometimes I'm a thirteen year old girl.

Anyways, I see Woo! is back and with quite a comical anecdote too.  Hee.  I heart you Woo! Now that it's summa-time, I think we can both make an effort to be more...active...around these here parts.  I just mispelled "here" as "hear" and couldn't figure out why it looked wrong.  CSlice am dumb. 

Anyways...so I was supposed to be in the middle of nowhere North Carolina this weekend getting wasted with all my home skillets. However, clearly I am not.  I accepted an internship that starts Tuesday thinking I would be back home Monday night, but it turns out Ha!  Guess what?  Plans were changed and nobody's coming back until Tuesday night, so I had to basically wish them all a warm and fuzzy good time in NC.  Fuckers.  I kid, I lurves you all. 

Hmm...I have an idea.  But it might be lame.  I must consult with Woo! 

Okay, music time.  Mmm..most of my downloads as of late have been a lot of oldies but goodies.  Everything from Ella Fitzgerald (Take the A Train is fucking amazing) to the Platters (Smoke Gets in Your Eyes is so pretty) to Sam Cooke (Love HIM!  Everything he does is golden).  The only new stuff I've gotten lately has been some Junior Boys and some Arctic Monkeys.  I've listened to all of Maroon 5s new album online and I think I like it.  Some of the tracks aren't too remarkable, but others are pretty damn awesome.  I think I might cave and buy it off of iTunes tonight.  Also, I've DL'd a bunch of stuff from Blake Lewis from AI.  I know.  Shut up.  His original music is good. I swear. 

Today marks a week and three days since I have been home from college.  What have I been up to?  I watched 28 Weeks Later (which was actually better than the first one), went to the beach almost everyday (my mom actually yelled at me for going outside today, stating "You're going to turn black!!  Your internship starts tomorrow!!), ate delicious chinese food everyday, and of course, saw friends.

Here's a crazy story about my mom:
So sometime in March a guy tried to break into our house.  He rang the doorbell and figured that since no one answered it, there must be no one home.  So then he went around back and broke the glass on the back door.  My mom hears it and goes downstairs.... sees the guy.... then OPENS the door and goes "What are you doing?".

ARE YOU CRAZY MOM?!

But wait - the story gets better.

So then the guy was shocked and made up some bullshit story about how he works for the painter across the street (who was painting my neighbors' garage door) and was "looking" for an extension cord (so he breaks into our house??).  My mom somehow believes him and he tells her not to call the police and gives her all of his information (name, addresss, cell number) and tells her that he will come by the next day to fix the window.

He doesn't show up the next day (obviously) and my mom goes across the street to talk to the painter.  The painter says the dude was looking for a job but since he didn't know how to paint, the dude was useless.  The dude then used the painter's cell phone to call his mother and he still had the number.  So my mom called the dude's mom and the mom was like "He's 27, he needs to take responsibility".  Soooo my mom had no choice but to call the cops and gave them the information he gave her.  It turns out that the dude gave her his REAL name and address and phone number.  AND the police already had his information and mug shot.

Welcome back home.

C-Slice is back after a long long absence.  What can I say?  It was houseparty weekend.

Speaking of house party, how was everybody's?  Full of bad decisions with good results I hope.  I know mine was.  My third house party and I gotta say, this one defintely schooled the other ones.  Only bad part was the insane amount of shutting downs.  I can't remember so many frats getting shut down in the past.  S'all right though, because we all know that the frats are only the basis of house party and the real magic lies in who you are partying with regardless of location.

Guys, honestly, I want to be all mean and bitchy today, but I can't.  Today is just too amazing.  Everything is falling into place for me today, so excuse me for sounding like a sappy sappy idiot.  I don't care.  And to top it all off, me and Woo!  have pretty much been assured a Gateway next year.  I can't wait.  And I know you can't wait for me and Woo! to get our own radio show next year soo....we have a present for you.  Listen to Bucknell radio this Wednesday afternoon, cuz we'll be guest hosting.  Not sure of the exact time, must consult with Woo!  But we'll let you know. 

Music rec of the day:  Orson.  Awesome happy pop music to party to from England.  I actually got Woo!  to like some of my music for once, and all this music just is perfect for a weekend like houseparty.  Or working out. 

Woo! is in :) Woo! Woo! Woooooooo!!!!!

Are you excited yet?

Alright so has anyone noticed how the TV side of the Bison (the place where we get fast food style stuff on campus) is always monopolized by guys? And how the other side is always filled with girls? As of this year (junior), I'v been sitting on the TV side more and more. As a result, I'v been feeling quite comfortable just walking over there and picking my way through huge guys to find a table to sit at.  Today I had the revelation that perhaps I'm feeling too comfortable sitting on that side.  So me and C-Slice were eating lunch and just talking about whatever as usual.  I was talking about how I've been pretty off this week due to stress (a research paper and econ presentation due the Monday after House Party??) and feeling cramps.

Me:  So yeah, I think I've been feeling pretty emotional and on edge because of stess and -
C-Slice (Interrupting):  Oh yeah, your period.

All of a sudden, the large male sitting with his back to us whipped his head around as if in shock that someone was actually talking about girly unmanly things (gasp!) while ESPN was on.  Then he sadly shook his head and turned his attention back to ESPN.  (Actually I don't know if he shook his head at us, we were too busy laughing).

C-Slice (after seeing him turn around):  Uhh yeah... I like commas... semi-colons... colons...

I love the Bison.

In other news, C-Slice has just informed me that Grey Goose has Pear flavored vodka.  You can all thank her later when you're in rehab :)
Disclaimer:  We are in no way promoting alcoholism.  Please drink responsibly.

This is it for now, there will be another post later tomorrow.

WOO!!!!

C-Slice in, feeling guilty about lack of contact. My bad. The gym has been much distracting. And you know, school. Speaking of the gym, the other day I saw some fool there who almost immediately after stoping his workout had one cigarette in his mouth and another behind his ear. Seriously, you can't wait till you even leave the building? Gross.

Okay, so apparently Squat has decided to rename herself Shelby, but that just makes me think of the Mystery Files of Shelby Wu on Nickelodeon way back when. Anyone remember that? I loved old Nick. Ah well. Anyways, in honor of this, Im renaming Squat myself...to...Woo! So, for future reference...Squat, Shelby, Woo!...all the same person. Got it? Got it. Anyways, I can't believe Woo! left out totally the best part of that story about the Orthodox Jewish women. The highlight for me was when she told Woo! "Wow, you speak English really well!" Hmm..yes, that tends to happen when you were born in America and have lived here all your life. But I could easily see how she would get confused. I mean, there aren't all that many non-white people in America under those conditions. Oh wait...yes there are. Fool.

Anyways, concerning the world at large. I'm sure you've all heard about Harry Potter, err... I mean Daniel Radcliffe, getting all naked on stage in Londong. With fake horses. And while that's certainly....interesting, what really concerned me more than anything was all the praise he was getting for his acting skillz in it. My question to the casting agents in this play...HAVE YOU SEEN THE HARRY POTTER MOVIES? Becuase his acting...not good. In fact, pretty downright terrible. I guess it has gotten slightly better through time, but, honestly, we all know this kid would not have been cast in the play was it not for his insane fame that would bring mucho revenue to a show that would have otherwise probably just done fairly. On the other hand, maybe Dan really has gotten better at acting. I'm sure he wouldn't be getting positive reviews if he truly sucked ass. And I must admit....the episode he did of Extras had me cracking up. Watch it below!



Hee!

Music time. Well actually music/tv show time. Becuase I want to talk about American Idol. Yes, I know what you're thinking. But honestly, that show is so awesome. Because it is so horribly cheesy, and I am a fan of the cheese. The more cheese the better, because the more to mock. Anyways, AI gives me something to laugh at for two nights a week for a couple of months, so I usually enjoy it with a huge dose of irony. Or something like it. I love watching contestants get fucked over by the producers, I love watching the American voters getting fooled into likeing someone who they'd never actually by music from by the producers, and I love watching the producers accidently fuck themselves over in the process. I love that winning means shit, and coming in what 7th? can lead to an Oscar. Love it. What I do not excpect, is to actually like a contestant to the point that I would like them just as much had I accidently stumbled across their stuff on the internet. I mean, okay, back when I was in high school and had no taste in music, I actually liked some of the contestants who I will now not name for fear of deathly embarrasment. But you know, now that I have developed my own musical likings, I have pretty much removed myself from taking most contestants seriously. But, holy shit, have you kids heard this kid Blake Lewis? I have slowly realized I flove him. For one, his song choice on the show has blown my mind when they had free reign: Keane, Jamiroquai. And even though he sang 311, who I hate, he actually made me like the song. Which...that's impressive right there..making me like a 311 song. Secondly, when the song choice is limited by themes, he fucking makes new arangements of the songs to make them modern. He's basically a producer. And I am a fan of the musician/producer...see Timbaland post below. So...Dear whoever is in charge of AI record deals: If Blake wins, or if you give him a contract...please don't make him sing sucktastic typical American Idol crap. Normally I laugh at the cheesiness of it all, because its awesome and I really don't care if all you have is a great voice, because tons of people do, but when you stifle actual music genious, then it becomes a tragedy. Anyways...to accompany what became a way longer rant than I intended...I leave you with this clip of Mr. Lewis being awesome before AI struck. P.S. listen to the lyrics....they're pretty damn hot.

Shelby here!

Here's a quick story to start off:
On the bus back from New York City, I happened to sit next to this Orthodox (is that suppose to be capitalized?) Jewish lady.  I didn't even realize she was an Orthodox Jew at first because it was dark on the bus.  So she starts off talking to me by going "Ugh, I had such a bad day".  I politely responded with some grunt to acknowledge that I heard her and proceeded to put my headphones on.  Somehow she mistook my grunt for real interest and immediately began babbling her entire life story about how she was visiting her mother who was in the hospital and how she has eight children and three of them are studying in Israel to become rabbi's (at this point I started getting an idea that she was really religious) and blah blah blah.  I could not get this lady to shut up so I ended up sitting in my seat with my headphones in my hands halfway to my ears, ready to stick them in my ears during a lull in the one-sided conversation.  Seriously lady, I don't particularly care about your life story and if I did, I'm sure I wouldn't be sitting there with my headphones in my hands halfway to my ears... just let me listen to my music please!!  Then she asked me about my boyfriend so I told her we were in the same class and we met at a frisbee party (which is the truth).  Then I asked her how she met her husband (somehow C-Slice found this funny - but hey, she asked me the question so I figured I was allowed to ask her it) and she just said that they knew each other for a while.  Then somehow she ended up talking to me about great deals that I can get at GAP and Old Navy for dress shirts - hellooooo Orthodox Jewish lady.

In real world news, North Korean delegates boycotted a meeting of chief delegates about its nuclear plans- they stated that they would only participate if they could access $25 million of its money that was frozen in a bank.  How many people are sick of North Korea like me?  Seriously, every single year they have been threatening to build nuclear weapons/enrich uranium and every single time its been "if you don't give us economic aid/food we will build a nuclear weapon".  I suppose it is smart of Kim Jong Il to threaten to blow up the world (or whatever he's planning in that mind of his) to the degree that it is the only way anyone will ever pay attention to North Korea and give aid.  Also, most countries will play this game with North Korea - I mean, would you want to be responsible for North Korea going ahead with its nuclear plans when you could have stopped it?  In addition, most country are willing to play ball with North Korea due to the fact that no one really knows if they are bluffing or not since relatively little information comes out.  So what am I proposing?  I say we just kidnap Kim Jong Il.  Speaking of which, how does the man remain in power for so long without someone trying to kill him?  Or maybe people have tried to kill him in the past and no one heard about it because the media is controlled by the government.  That's the way you get to rule a country for a long time - keep your people in the dark so they won't get any crazy ideas.  Write that shit down.

In other news, you all should check out Matt Nathanson - I'm pretty sure he came to our school to play but I dismissed him as a lame ACE sponsored event (my bad).  Anyway, he's actually pretty good - I'd say that his music is something for fans of Jason Mraz and the like.  It's just damn good catchy solid alternative rock (thats a lot of adjectives there).  I highly recommend "The Curve of the Earth" and "Suspended".  You can listen to clips of the songs here.

Thats it for now... I'm out (?).  That rhymed and I hate it.

C-Slice is back in the bubble. Yeah, I'm slightly upset too.  Mainly because of the snow.  And I actually LIKE snow.  So if I'm pissed it's here, you know it's out of season.  Grr.


Despite the uck-y weather, I ventured down to CVS today.  As I walked past the now alarmingly large display of ping-pong balls near the front of the store, I was reminded of a time not so long ago when they weren't stocked at our dear neighborhood CVS.  And then I thought of the tale Squat related to me a few weeks ago when she purchased them there for the first time.  It was a dialogue that went something like this:
CVS sales lady:  Do you go to Bucknell?
Squat: Yes....
CVS lady:  Yeah, we've been selling a lot of these and we just started stocking them.  Do you kids play a lot of table tennis over there?
Squat:.....No.
I wonder if the CVS lady stays up late at night pondering what in the world those Bucknell kids could be using all those ping pong balls for.  Squat I think you need to go hunt her down and just tell her and put her out of misery.  I don't mean kill her!  Eeep!

You can always expect something interesting to happen whenever you go to CVS.  Seriously, never once have I gone there and not returned without at least one amusing anecdote or running into someone interesting.  Today was no exception.  I managed to wind up in line behind 3 high school girls all in line together to buy one can of Enviga.  Now,  I love me some Enviga, so I'm not judging...on that. And sure, high school girls have managed to somehow refine the art of just their presence being  extremely annoying, even more so than college girls, impossible as it may seem.  But you can't fault them for that, it's a natural stage in development for most.  What I can shred them to bits about, however, is their ownership of Vera Bradley bags.  Girls, seriously, I applaud you for not turning to Mary Kate Olsen as your fashion icon, but Bucknell students are not necessarily a good alternative.  Ugly quilts do not make for attractive bags, I don't care if the price tag tells you otherwise.  I'd tell you where I buy my infintely cheaper and much cuter bags, but....I don't want to give away my secret.  Deal with it.

On a different note, since this journal IS supposed to be a jumping off point for our radio show...hopefully...I'm going to try and make a point to discuss music more often.  I'll tell you what I've been downloading, what musical moods I'm in at the moment, and the like.  Even if I don't talks about music in an entry, chances are anything I list at the end of the post is a good recommendation.  Anyways, lately I've been mostly in the mood for hip-hop type stuff.  I just downloaded a bunch of songs from Timbaland's new album.  I must confess that I have a weakness for anything Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, etc.  I know, I know, how TOP 40. But whatever.  It's not like I'm grooving to Fergie.  Anyways, the Timbaland album is pretty good from what I've heard so far.  One of my favorite tracks so far is Time featuring She Wants Revenge.  Check it out if you get the chance.

AND....to round out the day, I'm going to leave you all with a little present.  A wonderfully delightful present that just keeps on giving.  Here it is: SEARCH WITH KEVIN FEDERLINE!
I know, I  know.  It's amazing.  Let me count the ways.  1.  You get to Play with fire as the title at the top says. Because K Fed is just that hot.  2. Look at Kevin!  All the time!  While you search!  He's soo dreamy.  Especially with that...is that a smoking jacket?  Oh no, its just a red velvet blazer with black roses on it.  It takes a special person to pull that one off.. Oh wait.... 3. Quote: "Everytime you search the web you stand a chance of winning a prize from Kevin Federline.  It's that simple.  Really."  Okay this slighty concerns me, because as far as I can tell the only thing Kevin really has to give out is sperm.  Which...hey wait, did Shar and Britney use this search engine?  4.  Oh wait, no!  Keving has something else to give:TICKETS TO HIS PRIVATE BIRTHDAY PARTY!  EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!  5. Firefox plugin.  Sweet. 
Google, I think you've finally found yourself a real competitor.

C-Slice comin' atcha from the Chi-Town.

Actually...I hate when people call it that.  It sounds absolutely ridiculous.  So just...stop it Kanye West.  Plus, you're not even the best hip hop artist from Chicago, let alone the world.  Let's think:  Rhymefest, Common, Lupe Fiasco, and Twista all own you.  And that is all I have to say about the Chicago hip hop scene for today.

Anyways, the real reason for my post is this.  Last night I finally discovered the wonders of Wii.  Seriously, have you tried this shit yet?  It's amazing.  You can play video games without feeling like a complete bum because you're still sort of active.  Tennis is my favorite.  Mainly because I enjoy swinging the racket around like an idiot.  But honestly the best part of Wii are the Miis. Making little mini cartoon replicas of yourself is always a blast.  Don't lie.  Last night, me and a friend actually stayed up till about 3 making Miis of all our friends.  It was hilarious, mainly because they weren't actually there so we could be scarily accurate without worrying about offending.  So, if you ever find yourself incredibly bored, I highly recommend you find the nearest Wii as quickly as possible.  If you are unsuccessful, may I suggest this little online replica of the Mii creator.  It's not as good, but it gives you an idea.

Anyways, I'm off to go watch some more March Madness.  Anybody else's brackets as busted as mine?  Might have something to do with the fact that I picked ridiculous picks.  Whatever, Xavier came THIS close to beating Ohio State.  If only they hadn't choked....

C-Slice is in the house:


Uhh...I sure hope the President doesn't read this journal, because if he finds white people wearing "bling bling" grills offensive, then about half of what we're going to say is probably way out of line.  Shit, yo.  Maybe I'm just trying to make this homogenous wasteland a little bit more diverse by acting more ghetto. Even if it is in jest.

Speaking of diversity, I've seen some great leaps forward lately amongst the student body.  For example, the other day in the Bison, this one guy really stood out for daring to be different.  Sure, he had the same pink pop-collared shirt on as the 10 other guys around him. BUT he took a chance with his hat.  Instead of the standard forward or backwards routines that are SO overplayed, this guy brought something new to the table.  To be specific, he had the cap turned backwards at precisely a 45 (not 44, not 46, but 45) degree angle and tilted slightly upward. The amount of effort he clearly put in to the placement of his cap made an immediate impression on me.  He's defintely one of the edgier people I've seen around campus lately.  Let's all try to learn a little something from this fine specie-man (yes, that's how I pronounce it, fool, don't mess with me). Maybe one day this campus will truly be diverse: hats at whichever angle you so choose will become socially acceptable.  Or maybe that's just a fools dream....


P.S.  Spring Break starts today.  Oh parting is such sweet sorrow.  Wait, scratch that, I can't wait to be back home.

Welcome to Cooking with Pizzazz!  With your hosts C Slice and Squat!

Squat says:
This journal will be used as a springboard for our radio show next semester (also titled Cooking with Pizzazz!!).  Mostly it will be a combination of rantings/celebrity gossip/news for your entertainment.

I'm going to start off on the right foot with a campus wide email from our President:
------
Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,
In recent weeks, students at Clemson, Johns Hopkins, Tarleton State, the University of Connecticut, and the University of Colorado have made the national news by participating in parties full of racial stereotyping. Reports have surfaced that theme parties have occurred on and off campus where participants were in "blackface"; were asked to place shiny caps on their teeth as "bling bling" grills; and were dressed in gang gear and drank malt liquor from bags. "Gangsta" theme parties have occurred as well.
Because these parties have appeared on a variety of college campuses, I wanted to bring the issue to the University's attention. It is interesting that some commentators have argued that these parties are not offensive because they would be acceptable on MTV, BET, or in the rap culture, or because they are meant to be humorous. I strongly disagree. As far as I see it for Bucknell, these events are instead a reminder to all of us of how important it is that we protect and strengthen our commitment to being an institution where mutual respect and civility prevail. These events are also an opportune reminder to thank you for your own efforts to make Bucknell such a university.
-----
First of all, I would like to note that we have already had a mixer on campus (and they have it every year) that promotes being gangster/ghetto:  Forties and Shorties (or some variation of that) where people are encouraged to dress up in that style.  As for the "malt liquor from bags", I believe the president is referring to "Slap Bag".  On a side note, does anyone else find it funny that he actually said the words "bling bling" and "grills"?  On a serious note, I can see why this type of theme party would be regarded as offensive - especially in more Southern regions.  However, I don't believe that anyone is actually participating in this in any malicious manner - at least in my knowledge.  Should this particular theme be banned?

In other news, today marks the start of spring break.  In what normally should be a 3-4 hour car ride home turned into a 7 hour journey, courtesy of my father.  Instead of driving EAST to New Jersey, my brilliant father ended up driving 100 miles (about 2 hours into driving) WEST.  We only realized this when a friend who was along for the ride home pointed out that all the signs we saw said "West".

Timeline:
5:00                 - leave Lewisburg PA
7:00 - 7:15       - realize that we have been driving about 2 hours in the wrong direction
8:00 - 9:00          - pass Lewisburg PA  (again).  if we had gone in the right direction i would have been home by now
10:40 or 11:00    - drop off my friend in the Boston Market parking lot where her parents were waiting (my dad had no idea where it was and we ended up cutting a sharp turn into the parking lot - I really think we might have gone on 2 wheels.  I'm sure her parents are never going to let her into our car again)
12:00               - finally get home

This is it for now - the structure is still a bit rough but I'll work on it.

Squat out!

Testing