Jeanne's Blog

2009-12-19T17:39:00.000-08:00

I haven't wrote on this blog in a really long time. It is pretty sweet to write on a blog again.

It is the beginning of the supposed it blizzard. The random and rare snowy weather has finally arrived. Many people hate the thought of even one snowflake landing on the Gotham concrete. However, I enjoy it immensely. But, it kind of gives an extra umph to the Christmas spectacular.

In the coming year, I have officially decided to end my pharmacy career. I am not happy in this position and feel I will be forever locked in it. I am going to enroll in the fall semester of cooking school in 2010. I will go full time and we will see about work. The very thought of all these changes is scaring the shit out of me, but if I don't search for what I want then I can only blame myself for my unhappy situation.

135 million dollars?!

2006-08-02T10:40:00.000-07:00

The Gustav Klimt's Portrait of Adele Bloch-Gauer was sold to Ronald Lauder at the Neue Galerie in oh wonderful NYC. It was on display since July 2006. The painting is made up of gold and oil on canvas. The admission to see the pricey painting is 50 dollars!! I was just wondering if 135 million dollars can possibly.. i don't know help out the homeless, sick, or maybe even Hurricane Katrina victims. Just food for thought.

Keane-tastic

2006-07-22T19:32:00.000-07:00

Its rare that I like a CD automatically at my first listen. But, Keane's new album "Under the Iron Sea" is that CD. I fell in love with their starting song " Is it any wonder?" and "Hamburg song". The East Sussex's band has been under fire and in the tabloids. But, the band seems to be unphased by that. Not only does the band have an awesome album but they have an awesome album cover. Here are some of my favorite lyrics:

From "Is it Any Wonder?"
I always thought that I knew
I'd always have the right to
Be living in the kingdom of the good and true and so on
But now I think I was wrong
And you were laughing along
And now I look a fool for thinking you were on my side

Is it any wonder I'm tired?
Is it any wonder that I feel uptight?
Is it any wonder I don't know what's right?

From "Hamburg Song"
Will you see me in the end?
Or is it just a waste of time
Trying to be your friend?
Just shine, shine, shine
Shine a little light
Shine a light on my life
And warm me up again

Lonely?? You're not alone.

2006-07-01T20:08:00.000-07:00

I recently read an interesting article on NYTIMES.com, health section. Many sociologists have notice a growing trend of people being lonely nowadays. Longer commutes, workaholic mentalities, and striving for success are only some of the reasons why people are becoming hermits. It is believed that on average Americans have only two people they could deeply trust with their darkest of secrets. I kind of find this sad but true.

We are all too busy doing our own thing that we can never really stop and enjoy the day. I hope people realize that is more to life than just money, work, and success. There is the wonderful outdoors, people with great stories, and a life to be lived. I read that people are kind of like body parts. One part of the body can not possibly survive on its. It is the collection of body parts ( all doing different things, providing different functions) that make the body work properly.

Power chicks

2006-06-05T19:58:00.000-07:00

After being one of the few artists to go against the Bush Administration, these Dixie Chicks are riding back the music charts with a vengenance. Do the fans who were the very people who broke their CDs on national television, still feel the chicks are wrong? Doubtful.
Obviously, Maines, Robison, and Macguire are not close in saying sorry to the unpopular President. Just the title of their new CD " Not Ready To Make Nice", sounds like the three talented women are ready to get angry.

Other new albums to totally listen to:
1. The Shins - Without Feathers
2. Pearl Jam
3. The Raconteurs
4. Snow Patrol
5. The Secret Machines

Best start to a song : Tied with Audioslave - Be Yourself and Yeah Yeah Yeahs- Maps or DAvid Bowie...Ground Control.. hmm.
Best song lyrics: Death Cab for Cutie
Best male voice: hmmm. John Legend..
Best female voice: Ella Fitzgerald
Best piano with lyrics: John Legend/ Chris Martin
Best instrumentals: Coltrane/ thelondius monk
Best instrumental soundtrack: Good will hunting/Gladiator
Who I will always think is a hottie: the band members from Franz Ferdinand.

A moment of silence.

2006-04-08T07:08:00.000-07:00

With the possibility of civil war raging in Baghdad, I wondered why? Why would three men bomb a popular Shiite mosque? I wonder what hate would draw them to this point. A point where they are willing to sacrifice their lives to result in over 70 casualties and 140 injured. Why isn't the government doing anything? I think Iraq has gotten the double edged sword in their hands. They want to help but they don't want to act partial to Muslim or non-Muslim groups.

Should the US help out the leader? Or is their enough our plate from the Iraqi government?

One thing is for sure, we should not ignore the subject.

Andrew Wyeth - March 29th at Philadelphia Museum of Art

2006-03-12T10:49:00.000-08:00

When people hear of Andrew Wyeth, they think of his most famous painting to date, Christina's World. The girl, Christina Olson is a neighbor of Wyeth family down in Maine. She suffered from infantile paralysis. He was inspired to paint her one day when she was lying in the grass and looking back at her home. Wyeth captures more than just a glance, he also ties in a bit of loneliness. You wonder what is going through her mind?

But thats not my favorite from the modern painter. My favorite is Wind from the Sea made in 1948. An amazing piece of art that shows Wyeth's skill of portraying rural America at its best.

2006-02-16T20:57:00.000-08:00

Driftwood - Travis
Everything is open
Nothing is set in stone
Rivers turn to oceans
Oceans tide you home
Home is where the heart is
But your heart had to roam
Drifting over bridges
Never to return
Watching bridges burn
You're driftwood floating underwater
Breaking into pieces, pieces, pieces
Just driftwood, hollow and of no use
Waterfalls will find you, bind you, grind you

I'm just waiting ... inching myself towards the completion of this year. This period in my life that seems neverending. The thought of working and being a bread winner for the household is totally daunting. The trepidation instills in me and takes over me sometimes.
I still want to watch cartoons. I still want to wake up in the middle of night and go out with friends talking about school gossip. Swooning over classmates that we would probably never go out with. Some people want this whole period to end so that they can start working and start making money. I actually want to rewind. I want to rewind to freshman year,when my biggest fear was meeting new people instead of planning an ideological future for myself. The dream is that things will never change. The reality of it all .. well we all know.

Kwan Pulls out of Torino!

2006-02-12T07:45:00.000-08:00

Kwan has officially said she would pull out of the Olympics. Emily Hughes, sister of 2002 Gold Medalist Sarah Hughes, will take her place. She will be flying to Torino as soon as the weather in New York permits her to do so.

Kwan realizes that this is her last chance to win a gold medal. She previously won two bronzes and one silver medal. However, all her fans, including myself were hoping her groin injury would resolve and she would be in tip top shape for the 2006 Olympics to win gold. Yet, the televised footage of her practice yesterday clearly shows that she is stiff and not in her full form.

Postal Service Lyrics

2006-02-05T20:41:00.000-08:00

The Postal Service - Nothing Better Lyrics

Will someone please call a surgeon
Who can crack my ribs and repair this broken heart
That your're deserting for better company?
I can't accept that it's over...
I will block the door like a goalie tending the net
In the third quarter of a tied-game rivalry
So just say how to make it right
And i swear i'll do my best to comply
Tell me am i right to think that there could be nothing better
Than making you my bride and slowly growing old together
I feel must interject here you're getting carried away feeling
sorry for yourself
With these revisions and gaps in history
So let me help you remember.
I've made charts and graphs that should finally make it clear.
I've prepared a lecture on why i have to leave
So please back away and let me go
I can't my darling i love you so...
Tell me am i right to think that there could be nothing better
Than making you my bride and slowly growing old together
Don't you feed me lines about some idealistic future
Your heart won't heal right if you keep tearing out the sutures
I admit that i have made mistakes and i swear
I'll never wrong you again
You've got a lure i can't deny,
But you've had your chance so say goodbye
Say goodbye

Ben Gibbard and Jimmy Tamborello are amazing musicians. I heard the song awhile ago when I was at Virgin megastore. Didn't think anything of it? But, now its hard to believe how I can miss such amazing talent... Goes to show that you always hear music at different times inorder to enjoy it.

Welcome to Ladytron!!

2006-01-23T19:19:00.000-08:00

This 80's sounding band is fantastic. It combines the wonderful beats of trance with the synthesizer! I love it. The only I don't like is the lyrics. But, when you are working out, you have the music drive you. This music definitely does so. It has the touch of depeche mode with ATB. Hunt and Reuben Wu are the drivers of the bombastic beat. This amazing duo had done some DJ work in Japan before coming to Liverpool. I highly recommend "Destroy Everything You Touch".

The dread of being alone

2005-10-04T21:35:00.000-07:00

Over the past weekend, I realized how bad my life would be if I just married a guy just for the sake of it. My aunt was fighting with her husband about getting a job. He refuses to get one. As my aunt cried about her regrets to my mother, my family sat around the living room realizing that we might have a party of three (my aunt, her daughter, and son) arriving at our doorstep at any moment. After my mom hung up the phone, she just sat there and made a great big sigh. The idea of divorce came up in everyone's mind, but no one had the guts to say it to my mother. Only, my mother was able to say it.

How is like to be married to a guy who you can not connect to? Who will never see you as equal to him? As I am "growing" older, I see so many of my friends getting married or thinking about marriage. I always wonder is it because they want to marry the guy or is it because they are afraid of being alone for the rest of their lives.

In archaic times, men were the protectors of women and children. I wonder if majority of women still have this idea that men are the protectors; and women without men would be left exposed and vulnerable.

Do all women dread being left alone?

Losing Grip of the Band

2005-08-16T18:59:00.000-07:00

At the rise of their new CD, Monkey Business, the Black Eye Peas seem to evolving phunk music to a new level. I believe this album is better than its predecessor, Elephunk. Monkey Business is jam packed with different artists from Justin Timberlake to Jack Johnson to the king of soul, James Brown!! I especially love the remake of Jack Johnson's song, "Gone Going". William seems to put the rap at the right moments that the song just flows like butta. "They Don't Want Music" has that shaft background music that I just want to get a car with hydrolics. haha

But, I heard on the radio that Fergie was thinking about doing it solo.. Hunny no! Black Eye Peas is like a jigsaw puzzle. They need each other to make good music.. Lets not relive the drama of No Doubt, TLC, Oasis, Smashing Pumpkins... shall I go on. At the height of the Black Eye Peas's career, the band is already be thinking about their own albums!!

The rise of the X and Y planet

2005-07-07T20:31:00.000-07:00

As the age of the hip-pop rages on, Coldplay always shines the light for the rock world. After A Rush of Blood to the Head, a trend of Coldplay-esque bands have been discovered, from Travis to Athlete. Coldplay create sounds that are dreamy and surreal. I think thats why people like coldplay. Listening to coldplay is like yoga but no cobra or downward dog crap. The first single off their new album X&Y is a prime example of Coldplay's mystical sounds. I have to admit. I was a little shy of listening to their new album because of my high expectations. I still like A Rush of Blood to the Head a bit more than their new album. I think cause I totally played it out.
Fine useless information to note to fans: Chris Martin has stopped playing "Green Eyes" because of Gwenyth Paltrow. The song referred to an ex-girlfriend of his and supposedly his lovely wife would get jealous every time she heard it. I think that is a bunch of BS, but I just read this from Fader mag. Awesome song though.
Other recommendations:
Don't Panic
Yellow
Politik
Amsterdam
Clocks
Scientist ( awesome video)

2005-05-02T08:34:00.000-07:00

Different look for a different album

Rob Thomas , the lead singer of Matchbox Twenty, has ditched his fellow bandmates for long waited solo debut. Matchbox Twenty loved lyrics on the trials and tribulations of the heart. Well, Rob Thomas has not changed those types of lyrics. Actually, some of his songs from his new solo cd, Something To Do, were songs rejected by his fellow Matchbox 20 bandmates.
The fans seems to be enjoying songs like "Lonely No More". The album debut at number one on the Billboard chart.

I still have to say. I miss the old stuff like " If You're Gone" or " Bright Lights".
Well, I guess you can think of Rob Thomas new CD as a Matchbox Twenty with a Lemon Twist.

2005-02-22T20:46:00.000-08:00

What happened?

What happened to this wonderful band called No Doubt? What happened to Gwen Stefani's diary like lyrics? As more hip hop starts to grow in pop culture, more rock is starting to fizzle away. UNo example eh... NO DOUBT. I actually loved the album Return to Saturn. I loved songs like " Simple Kind of Life" and " Ex-Girlfriend". Gwen Stefani's new album leaves me wanting the old gang of Tom Dumont and always naked drummer boy. Either Ms. Gwen Stefani realized rock was not in anymore or she realized she can never get tony.

2005-01-10T16:27:00.000-08:00

JACK JOHNSON IS AWESOME

This Hawaiian native is definitely keying in making good music. Jack Johnson's new album Bushfire Fairytales displays the musician's awesome songwriting skills. But, he wasn't always a musician. Jack Johnson grew up creating surfing movies, which are displayed on his website www. jackjohnsonmusic.com. He grew up learning how to play guitar from Metallica. But, heavy metal haters don't be shy to listening the new tunes. Jack Johnson's tunes are a mixture of Dave Matthews Band and Jason Mraz.

I especially like Flake and Losing Hope... and ahhaa.. The whole album is good.

Snow Patrol - Final Straw

2005-01-09T18:49:00.000-08:00

Snow Patrol

"Whenever we go anywhere new, we're like kids in a huge empty house. We want explore all these big spaces, climb into the attic and rake among boxes and get down into the basement and find the stuff that has been stashed away. For us the world could never be too big....." Gary Lightbody

Lightbody has always been a nomad of his music career. Well, the big break finally came with Snow Patrol's third album Final Straw. The album is a bit different than their other albums. There is a little bit more rock. Great for fans. The breakthrough single Run got things started for this band. Now, these lucky bastards will be touring with U2 and opening up for them. Man, that would be an awesome concert.

The band said that they were strongly influenced by the Pixies, Dinosaur Jr. (questionable), and Soundgarden.
I can't really picture how Black Hole Sun got into songs like Spitting Games and Chocolate. Who cares...?
I totally dig the sounds of Snow Patrol. It kind of reminds me of a Chris Martin ora.

Green Day

2005-01-07T17:18:00.000-08:00

Green Day

Green Day, a rather small band in the late 80s to early 90s, was part of the growing punk scene in northern California. Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, and Cool make this awesome band that created so many of our bands today such as Sum41 and pennywise.

So, it is not suprising that Green Day's new album American Idiot is a new hit. Like Eminem's Mosh, the song American Idiot comprises the essence of the political views of Americans. Due to the sudden fuck ups in Iraq and many American soldiers casualities, it is no wonder American citizens are suddenly interested in our democratic system. I guess what the American people want to know is how. How is it possible that the President of the United States is able to execute a war on a land that has done nothing to us except to provide us with oil? As the American citizens' scratch their heads, the words of Green Day can sum it all up "The subliminal mind fucked America."

Mos Def

2004-12-05T21:11:00.000-08:00

I never really listened to Mos Def until recently. I once mistakenly thought Mos Def was a heavy metal rock band. I am proud to say that I am an avid listen of the fellow Brooklynite.

Mos Def's new album The New Danger is an awesome and new wave of hip hop. Beside working on his acting career, Mos Def definitely has not slowed down his music career. I love the song, Ghetto Rock. It is the ultimate mesh of rock and rap, which is actually the new wave of music ( thanks to Jay Z and Linkin Park ). I like rappers like Kanye West, Mos Def, Common because they talk about girls and not gross the public out. A pure example of vulgar talk is Ludacris. I love Ludacris' beats and the way he raps, but Damn.. that boy can be vulager.

Well to give you the bottom line. I dig the album.
Black Jack Johnson. NYC... R O C K I N G.

Artist of the day : Kelly Clarkson.

2004-12-04T23:43:00.000-08:00

Since her debut as the first winner of American Idol, Kelly Clarkson has always walked in the shadows of the American Idol failures. Her previous songs " Independent Woman" and " A Moment Like This" fell into the bitter category of teenage pop. Unlike her previous album "Thankful", Kelly Clarkson's new album Breakway has hit a high note with me.

With her new hit "Breakway", which was on the soundtrack of the Princess Diaries, Kelly Clarkson has risen above the shadows of American Idol and its winners' fate. Kelly Clarkson had evolved her music from teenage pop to something more. When listening to the album, I felt a little blues with a hint of alternative rock and a sprinkle of pop, just enough to make the fans wanting more.

Everyone has a hidden guilty pleasure when they listen to music. Kelly Clarkson's CD should be one of them.