The hardest lesson I ever had to learn is: love isn't always enough

I've had two very serious relationships, and unfortunately, one thing that I've learned during those relationships is that no matter how much you love someone, or how much they love you, love isn't always enough. For a relationship to be everything that it can be and needs to be it takes more than love, it takes like-mindedness, open mindedness, endless compromise, complete trust, and you have to want the same thing for your future together (among countless other details) for everything to run smoothly.

I am currently remembering that lesson right now, and it is really making this transition so much easier for me. Me and my now ex-boyfriend are still very much in love, but he has decided that children are no longer in his future, and so I had to leave. I’ve always seen myself as a mother and that is a non-negotiable for me. So I am now licking my wounds and am moving into an apartment where I will be on my own for the first time in my life. I am really trying to stay positive, but I feel like my entire future was laid before my feet and the carpet was just ripped out from under me and I find myself wondering where that beautiful carpet has gone. It is amazing how quickly things change, but I am very very fortunate that I am blessed with the friends and family that I have. They are what is keeping me going, and keeping busy is what is keeping me from breaking down.

I am a very strong person- I always have been and I hope to God I always will be. But one has to wonder how many times a tree can bend before it breaks in half.

I’m hoping I’m filled with bamboo rather than oak.

Mourning the death of the Art of making an album

Have you noticed that most albums (or cd's for you youngins) that are released now-a-days are complete shit? The general model seems to be make one or two hit songs that you can blast in clubs and bars (and most of these are over-systhesized as to hide the artist's lack of talent- but I digress as a tangent of my lack of love for most modern music would last forever- perhaps I'll save that topic for a later date) and then spend the rest of the time in the studio making filler-songs that suck. The end result is a tumultuous gathering of mixed-matched ideas that neither flow together, or result in a singular message or intent. This leaves the listener either vastly disapointed or simply confused (as well it should).

Now don't get me wrong, I am all for showing your range, and I am all about being ecclectic and trying different things, but you can do that on one album and still have a linear message/sound/purpose. Remember Alice Cooper? Now HE knows how to make a good album! 'Along came a Spider' and 'Welcome to my Nightmare' are both great examples of albums that have a singular message and a fluid sound from track 1 to the last seconds of the album (although, granted, they are both concept albums) and yet have depth and meaning. Another band that knows how to make a good album is U2, from day one (I'm talking the 'Boy' days and before here kids) their albums had a purpose, their music had direction, and their albums were well constructed and took you on a musical journey that was both technically satisfying as well as musically diverse. This band is also an example of the use of range as their albums tend to be mood driven: the early ones more political, the late nineties more dance-pop driven, and the rest just good old fasioned tunage- but you can see the band evolve and grow and try new things while still managing to maintain a straight line of intent.

I guess the music industry is both loving and hating the rise of music downloading in the age of the ipod. On one hand you have the problem of the industry loosing money hand over fist due to illegal downloading (although perhaps if they marketed TALENT rather than ATTRACTIVENESS they might sell more records) but on the other hand, being able to get songs one a time works great for this new craze of hits and shits- let me explain: you can buy the one or two good tracks on an album and leave the shit songs alone; in this model your ears aren't assaulted by the crap filler tunes and your wallet isn't bitter about spending $20 on an album just to get a few good tracks. This seems to be a great problem solver! But how about this: how about the music industry decides to dedicate time and TALENT to the records they are putting out? Let's go for QUALITY rather than a "right now hit" that will flood the clubs and fade with the last call and die with the hangover. How about that?

Well Hello world of the Internet! (again)

So, I'm blogging now. And why is that? Because as usual my sister won't leave me alone about doing it, so now I am. It's how I started my internet parusal via myspace (yes, my sister made my first myspace account, shaddup) and many, many life experiences that we don't need to go into detail on the internet, lol. So sissy, this is for you, I hope it's everything you wanted it to be; and if it isn't, I hope it annoys the bejesus out of you. As for the rest of you, I hope enjoy the ramblings of a Heifer Walrus, and if you don't, then don't read them.

P.S. If you haven't picked up on this by now, she's the eldest, and I'm the annoying lis sis :)