to tweet or not to tweet? or; what the fuck is twitter anyway?

okay, okay, i have a twitter like most people my age, but i'm still a little confused...

I mean, doesn't facebook have the who status thing? and then twitter came along, out of left field and is now HUGE, everybody tweets (i hope that's what it's called). i'm just confused as to why it became so huge to write up to 140 words describing your momentary emotions. i have one, i admit, but i use it rather sparingly, mostly to fill in time when i'm sitting behind my desk at my internship, bored.

it's understandable that it's interesting, and entertaining because celebrities of all ages have a twitter these days, but why don't they just get facebooks? or rather, why didn't they before twitter got so freakin' huge. it just seems like twitter swooped in, said "im going to make a website using the facebook's status idea, and it's going be the next best thing." geniouses though, i don't care how or why they stole the idea, but they did it. they won that battle.

i dont know, i just find it odd that so many people use twitter as their only means of expressing themselves to their friends, so they don't have to explain in normal conversation when they see each other. "did you see what i tweeted today?" "yea, totally, that was great..." ...aaaaaaaaaaaand conversation completed.

i guess im just a fan of one on one interactions (in person, or even on the phone) with another human being, not their technological counterpart. but, in the end, i have a twitter, so i'm just a hypocritical ass.

MY NEW WEBSITE!!!!! SAY WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!?!

FINALLY i decided to buckle down and finish up my website. if you even read this thing, check it out? maybe?

explore away:

CraigJD.com

Too Many Dicks on the Dancefloor!

just bought season 2 of "Flight of the Conchords" and I had to share this gem with you:

Won't Skip A Track

There are very few albums in existence that don't have a single song I skip over.

The list of front to back, never miss a beat, wouldn't ever skip a track type albums (non-greatest hits or best ofs) is as follows (for me):

***this list is in no particular order***

Ten by Pearl Jam- a debut that is truly beyond compare. one of the greatest debut albums of all time.

Siamese Dream & Adore* by The Smashing Pumpkins- Any alt. rock fan or child of Generation X has Siamese Dream, the second album from my favorite band of all time, The Smashing Pumpkins. Corgan's songwriting is flawless on Dream, every track is raw with emotion. However, it is the latter (Adore) that sticks out most for me in the Pumpkins' entire catalog. Adore, which was the follow-up to the infamous double-album, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, is my favorite album of all time. Adore, put simply, is Corgan's most vulnerable and inspired moment.

*i will be writing about Adore in a seperate entry, so if you care to hear why Adore is my favorite album of all time, you can read that.

Rubber Soul by The Beatles- my favorite Beatles album. I grew up listening to this. I refer to Rubber Soul as the album that started The Beatles drug-fueled era.

(What's The Story) Morning Glory? by Oasis- In my opinion this is the best Oasis album. Even the short, untitled instrumentals are great. The is the album that started it all for Oasis, and rightfully so. I mean, how could you go wrong with tracks like "Wonderwall", "Don't Look Back in Anger", and "Champagne Supernova"?

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot by Wilco- The album that changed the game for alternative country rock band Wilco, one of my top 3 favorite bands of all time. This album has everything; great songwriting, great instrumentals, wonderful experimentaion, and most importantlly, originality. Foxtrot is more of a Radiohead-style album than a Wilco-style album, at least compared to it's predicessors. Jeff Tweedy is at the top of his game here, and the collaboration from each member of the band is so relevant. This is the most Wilco of any Wilco record (if that makes sense), because each member's influence can be heard on every bar.

OK Computer by Radiohead- This album needs no explantion. If you ask any lover of 90s music which album is best, it's OK Computer.

Nevermind by Nirvana- Easily Nirvana's best, most well known, and greatest success. I love every track on Nevermind because it's Kurt Cobain at the peak of his greatness. There is a reason why Cobain is a legend, and Nevermind is that reason. I mean come on! "Come As You Are", "Polly", "Breed", and OF COURSE "Smells Like Teen Spirit".

and finally...

Who's Next by The Who- My favorite Who album. Everytime i put this on i get goosebumps. The vocals, the guitar, the drums, the bass! it's insanse how perfect The Who were. not one missing peice. each member was the best at their given instrument, and Who's Next is THE shining example of their artistry.

while i think there are still many great, top of my list albums out there; these are the few that, when i play them, i have never, and will never skip a single track.

touchy subject #1: gay marriage

warning: the following may be offensive. this is stricly my opinion on the matter at hand. read with an open mind.

*REMEMBER THIS?: In the Constitution of the United States of America, the word that binds us all, the word we are SUPPOSED to follow as American citizens. It says to "separate Church from State". So, if we are required, as a country, to do so, then why don't we? Because we never have, unfortunately.

*the argument should end here, but alas, it does not.

"marriage is a sacred institution between a man and a woman". This is the argument we hear from those who are opposed to gay marriage.

However, that very argument begs the question; is marriage really sacred? It might have been when the idea of marriage was first though up, and probably for centuries after that, but not today. Today, marriage is more of a formality, a binding of two people who share one common feeling, love. To some, marriage is still a religious ceremony, and therefore, it must be kept sacred. For something to be kept sacred it must be maintained as such. The sacred must stay clean, and pure it's original form/meaning. If marriage ever was sacred, it surely isn't today. The reason? Divorce. In the Bible, which seems to be the basis for the anti-gay marriage argument, states that divorce is an abomination. It says that the LORD God of Israel said "I hate divorce". So if the word of the Bible is meant to be kept close to the hearts of man, and followed strictly, then divorce shouldn't be legal either, correct? Oh, but it is. (by the way, this is the same book that describes women as more of a property than a living, breathing human being). In America alone, the divorce rate is above 50 %. That means that more than half the country is doing something "wrong in the eyes of God". Whatever happened to "from death do us part"?

Divorce exists because if it didn't it would infringe on a person's right to chose. Everyone in America should have the right to do as they please, so long as it doesn't hurt or lay harm to another human being. Does gay marriage hurt anyone? No. It may infringe on your belief system or your "core values", but at the end of the day, you're heart doesn't stop beating because two people of the same sex fell in love and decided to make it official.

Along time ago, in this very country, black men were not allowed to marry white women. it was illegal to do so. Everyone today knows that this was wrong. It is truly disgusting that, just because of the color of a person's skin, they were not allowed to marry the one they loved. Gay marriage, today, is no different. The country is not allowing two people to get married simply because of their sexual orientation. Things like Prop 8 is not as much a legal document as it is an expression of hate and intollerence. The same intollerence that has plauged American society since the beginning.

America, from day one, has gone from group to group, alienating people because they are different from what people consider the "norm". Who invented this "norm" by the way? Cause it's complete and utter bullshit, but I digress. It started all started when Columbus sailed the ocean blue to come here and paint the ocean red with the blood of Native Americans, all because they were "different". Then, after years of oppressing the Native Americans, white Anglo-Saxon people decided they needed a new race to oppress. That race was African Americans. Then after years of slavery, blacks were finally given their civil rights (and it's still not complete). Just when you thought the hate was over, NOPE, it's the gays turn. Now, even though gays are further along than the African Americans ever were at the beginning of their own fight for civil rights, they are still discriminated against because they are attracted to people that have the same equipment. Just because I love vagina doesn't make me any better or any worse than a man who loves penis. To each his/her own.

God's word is Love. Love above all else is the fabric of human existence. Why then can we not allow two people who are in love, to marry? If your excuse is sanctity, then I defy you to show me how, and not by pointing out a verse in the Bible, because I could point out a verse that proves you've done something "wrong" too. If your excuse is that you believe gays want to get married for the tax benefits, then how is that any different than a straight couple who might get married for tax benefits? It isn't. Gay, straight, we are human beings with beating red hearts, and life-long companionship is a choice as much as waking up in the morning; but the government isn't telling you you aren't allowed to do that are they? Marraige used to be a religious ceremony, the binding of two people in the eyes of God. Like most things, the meaning has changed. Marriage today is more about one's love for another. It is has also become more of governmental institution than a religious one. That was originally reserved for Civil Unions, but, once again, marriage's meaning has changed. By saying that's meaning has changed, I don't mean it has litterally changed, but that time has adjusted it's meaning in society. All around the country (and the world) there are people getting married in non-denomination ceremonies; either because the two people believe in different religions, or that they don't subscribe to any religion at all. This is marriage today, and everyone has their own view on it's true meaning.

The problem does not lie in the same-sex couples who decide to marry one another, the problem lies in the people whose hate is so strong that they are blinded from seeing true love. Love is what separates good from evil, right from wrong, war from peace. If we cannot allow love, then we might as well give up hope of ever living in a peaceful society.


Go here (unfortunately it wouldn't let me embed it):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfPXcCroPJc
- this speech tears at your heart strings like a guitar.

pet peeve #1

people who describe their music taste as "everything".

"what kind of music do you like?" an intrigued person might ask.

"i listen to everything" responds the dullest person you'll ever meet.

and fuck you very much, thank you for ending the conversation there. why does that annoy me? because people that say they listen to "everything" are pretty much telling me they have zero personality.

first of all, you know you don't listen to EVERYTHING. i didn't know you like rockabilly (the type of person who responds with "everything" might not even know what that is), goth rock, classical, chamber music, ragtime, african music, carnatic music, death metal, new wave, opera, brazilian funk, cabaret, and the list goes on and on. if i meet a person who does in fact enjoy ALL types of music, then to that person i will raise my glass.

now, i am not saying, by ANY means, that i am a music connoisseur , or a know-it-all. BUT i am a true lover of music (mostly rock & roll, folk, singer/songwriter, and alternative rock), and when people ask me what music i like, i give them an honest, well described answer. If music is not something you enjoy talking about, then change the already awkward conversation.

and by the way, if you say you listen to "everything", chances are you listen to what your parents are, and whatevers popular on the radio at the moment. so just stop saying you listen to "everything" and give people an honest answer, tell them what bands or artists you like, have a REAL conversation. stop BSing.

do you woot?

if not, do it!

woot.com could possibly the best website you haven't been to. one item a day, and massively discounted. now im starting to sound like a commercial. just go.

RAAAAAAAANDY!

Touchy Subjects

every now and then i blabber on about different things.

i'm a fan of lengthy, intelligent (not that i am) conversations about different subjects. i especially love ones about non-PC subjects. being "politically correct" is not something i enjoy doing. it gets boring.

so, with that in mind, i've decided to start a part of my blog called "touchy subjects". this is where i will blabber on about different things that are on my mind, but the subject matter will not be completely PC.

sometimes everyone needs to get something off of their chest. i figure that's what a blog is for anyway, right?

How To Start A New Life

haven't really figured it out yet, but starting a new life is not an easy task.

i've come here (L.A., la la land, tinsletown) because of a passion. it's not easy picking up and leaving because you have a love for something. it's make sense to leave home cause of a job, but not the pursuit of one. sometimes i think i must be crazy, but most of the time i know it had to be done. had to cut the chord at some point, why not do it right away?

i do miss home, however. i don't miss the town i grew up in, never was for me, but i do miss the people i love. my family, my friends, and significant other. now i'm getting sappy.

ok, i'll stop right there.

chicago was my city, and will always be my city. there's no other place like it in this country. L.A., despite it's constantly great weather and it's relaxed laid-back atmosphere, is not a place you could ever call home. damn it's big. i'm so tired of driving everywhere.

by the way, if you are coming out here, everything is twenty minutes away. i've found myself saying "oh, i'll be there in twenty minutes" or "yeah, it's not that far, it's only about twenty minutes" more times than any human being ever should in one lifetime.

i guess this isn't really a how to, it's more of a how come.

i don't regret leaving home. i don't regret having to say goodbye to my friends and family, but that doesn't mean i don't miss them.

here is a list (in no speicific order) of the people i miss most back home:

(my family are my obvious #1, all tied for first, but after that, there is no order)

mom, dad, ryan (my sis)
mike
stephanie
kelly
ricky
denney
ben
schuff
adam
jon
mary jean, john, and the entire roselli clan
cara
waterman
amy
matt
nate
taryn
ethan
faisal (even though he's not technically home)

those people made me. i don't know if i made an imprint on their lives, i hope i did, but each of those people have each had a hand in shaping the person i am today. life is not about what you do, it's about who you are with when you do those things.

thank you to all of the above. hopefully one day i can make you proud out here.

being a kid.

do you ever just sit and think about when you were a kid? cause, that's pretty much all i do.

on the 4th of July (which was a month ago, i'm aware), I went to Disneyland for the first time since i was probably 12, maybe younger. i have such vivid memories of it. i wasn't afraid to ride any roller coaster, no matter how far my stomach dropped, or how wet my clothes would get. i wasn't worried about time constraints, or how long the lines were. i wasn't concerned with my life beyond the current moment i was living in.

life was so simple back then. now, i'm not going to sit here and complain about my life today, cause there really isn't anything to complain about. i just find it funny how life just passes us by in the blink of an eye, and we rarely stop to think about it. everyone grows up, unfortunately. we aren't lucky enough to be Peter Pan. though, in the end, i think my goal in life, outside of being able to make films for a living, is to be a kid again. now, i'm talking about actually running around from theme park to theme park or toy store to toy store, i'm talking about living worry free. isn't that what everyone wants out of life? to be worry free? maybe not, maybe some people feed off of worry, it makes them work harder, and therefore, makes them more successful.

i currently live with a friend of the family (or, after this living situation and the things he's done, he'' soon be an ex-friend of the family). he has two boys, who he gets to see twice a week and every other weekend. i have yet to see the boys with any friends. i feel as though their father doesn't allow them to hang out/go out with their friends when he has them. maybe he's doing it because he doesn't want a moment without them, being that he only gets to see them a few times a week, but still i can't help but feel bad for the kids. they go to camp, come home, and play video games with each other. now, while i think brotherly love is great, friendship with others is what makes our hearts grow. their mother has been out of town for the past 10 days, so the man i live with has had them that entire time. not once have i seen them go out or come home with friends. they are 14 and 12. this is the age to make life-long friendships, and do things you'll keep in your memory bank for years to come. why then aren't they being allowed to do so? maybe i'm reading too much into it, and maybe it isn't their father's fault, but these kids are very likable, i know it's not their fault. at the end of the day, it's not my place to butt in. i guess i'm just a concerned outsider.

though i know life only gets more complicated as you grow older, i still feel like i have a chance at accomplishing my goal... maybe not, but hey, i can still dream like a kid right?

have a bite...

well, i'm attempting to blog again. we'll see how this goes. i've tried maybe 4 times before this, but i think this will stick... maybe. hopefully it becomes interesting enough that you check up every once and a while, if not, i apologize. so...

welcome.