My sister gave birth to my nephew Joseph yesterday. I haven't blogged in so much time, I'd forgotten to let all you people whoever the heck you are know that my life has forever changed! Well, not really. I haven't even met him yet. Yes, I'm a heartless old fart. "How could you forsake your only child!" Yeah, whatever. I'll meet him when I have a reason to. I'd prefer not to have to visit him at a hospital. My sister had a terrible time. He was supposed to be born on the 19th, so they put her in something called "induced labor", which still took over 24 hrs to get done w/. Luckily, she's still alive, but she's got some wounding from the process --- the dude's 9.5 lbs!!! --- and the doc wants to make sure the antibiotics for the wound are fully absorbed and do what they're supposed to do before letting her back into the MUST DO HARM segment of planet Earth.
My sister probably has much more intense and detailed blogposts you can read. As for me, I just hope the little interaction I do have with him in the future will not steer him away from The Lord's desire for him. I hope this is the beginning of a happier chapter in the Cardwell/Stephens/Conway family tree.
Sunday, May 29, 2016
Add comments, quantity & priority
NOTE: This blogpost is a substitute for the "Comments" section of an item on my Amazon wish list. You can find it by typing in the Amazon search bar: B01B2M9RM6. Amazon's wish list comments allow for up to 300 characters per item.
NOTE2: It sounds like I'm miserable b/c I don't own this item, but I'm fully aware this item means very little to my life overall. I'm posting all of this here b/c I'm an obsessive nut and a stickler for detail dying for attention. I understand if nobody wants to read all of this.
Recently, as I think I've written about here before, Epic (Sony) rectified a problem that had been in existence since 2001. Michael Jackson BAD was re-issued at that time, with remastered sound, (surprisingly good) bonus tracks, and RE-VAMPED COVER-ART. The iconic front cover-art was left alone, except for a slipcase which was later done away with, but the back cover-art, which went hand in hand with the front cover-art (IMO) was totally wiped away and replaced with some lame concert photo. They reinstated the back cover-art in 2012, when the 25th Anniversary edition came out (identifiable as BAD25), but re-vamped the front cover-art. They weren't so dumb as to do away with the entirety of it, but they didn't need to do anything to it. It was iconic b/c it was perfect. I don't think the photographer just asked Michael Jackson to stand in front of a white backdrop and snapped a pic at random and submitted it to Epic Records for approval. It's possible for an icon to become an icon at the first try, but icons generally need grooming. This was a work of art -- and it's not as if it it was just some random thing that nobody cared about that the creator wasted his time and money on b/c it was important to him; this was part of a cultural phenomenon that is synonymous with the entire three years that remained in the 1980s at the time of the album's release. The 2012 cover-art seemed more akin to a ripoff or an amateur (hack) paying tribute. If you want to post your fan art publically, go ahead, but for Epic/Sony to slap it on the front of the album is a huge disrespect to the music and the good memories it made for those who lived it through back then.
This issue has been addressed. Apparently I'm not the only who has felt this way. In 2015, the remastered sound, bonus tracks and amateurish meddling with the graphics were removed and we now have the exact same item I remember owning and loving when I was a toddler and as a teenager wishing I was a little younger.
The only problem is the jewel case. It's not a problem with the particular jewel case. It's an industry problem. CDs are considered on the verge of extinction. The return of the vinyl LP is only exacerbating that fact. So record cos have to cut costs. Jewel cases are no longer as durable. Sometimes you go into a store and the case seems OK, but you open it up and the center that holds the disc in place is in shatters. And it's not just that. The cases scratch much easier. A lot of CD cases used to be fat and shiny upon unwrapping. Now they're often dull and fragile. If you treat your stuff right, your fat and shiny jewel case can stay just as shiny as it was when you bought it. A lot of people don't, and that makes buying used CDs often less satisfying than buying them brand new. But in this case, you're not buying it brand new. You're buying a historic relic (classic) that most people don't care about and probably wouldn't consider buying if the prices of older CDs weren't so low nowadays. The CDs that just came out this year often do still come in shiny thick cases. Usually they don't come in a jewel case, but rather a combination of cardboard and plastic or sometimes they'll just wrap them in cardboard which I hate b/c the disc is no much more prone to scratches. But the new recordings released on CD that aren't housed in cardboard or hybrid packaging are very nicely packaged usually. That fact is not exclusive to Billboard Top 20 musical acts either. I bought a CD called NERVE ENDINGS by Too Close To Touch. The music was good, not great, got boring after awhile and I really hesitated to get rid of it because it was so nice to have a good quality jewel case in my hands. But record companies will often repress a CD when the band that makes it follows it up with another. When Hot Band releases their follow up to HB2014 titled HB2016, HB2014 is considered "old" and instead of discontinuing production of the older sibling to HB2016, the factory continues to produce copies of HB2014, albeit on cheaper quality plastic inside of an even cheaper plastic casing.
Oh, and as if that wasn't annoying enough, I've recently come to realize that replacement jewel cases are also hard to find. Nobody is making them anymore. Staples is the only place I could find any w/o paying an arm and a leg.
The vinyl LP edition that was recently released (listed as an import on Amazon) is the way to go. The CD edition has never been THE BEST way to go. Vinyl is usually better at capturing iconic cover imagery anyway, especially for albums that came out before 1988. I have a mini-LP CD, but the plastic sleeve is dirty. I don't think it was like that when I got it in the mail from someone on Amazon selling it super cheap. I'm afraid to buy another one 'cause I'm likely to ruin that one too. The design is striking though. The disc is housed in what they call a gatefold cover. It opens up like a book and the disc is housed inside a slot on one end. I even like the way the track list is printed on the back cover. It doesn't specify "Side A" vs "Side B". The lettering is bold and in all caps, just like the thugs in the beginning of the music video questioning the degree of the others' "Bad"-ness.
The vinyl edition is expensive. It's always been the best way to go and at the current rate of $20 apprx, it's really not bad. If one wants to send me a birthday present, christmas present, or let me know I have a stalker (it could happen...right?), then it's also not only a terriblly outrageous price to pay, but it also saves the time of inquiring to sellers on the Amazon Marketplace and Discogs' about weather or not their copy of Michael Jackson BAD comes in the original jewel case and if the original jewel case is damaged and if so how badly etc. etc...nobody that I know has the time and inclination to do all that.
NOTE2: It sounds like I'm miserable b/c I don't own this item, but I'm fully aware this item means very little to my life overall. I'm posting all of this here b/c I'm an obsessive nut and a stickler for detail dying for attention. I understand if nobody wants to read all of this.
Recently, as I think I've written about here before, Epic (Sony) rectified a problem that had been in existence since 2001. Michael Jackson BAD was re-issued at that time, with remastered sound, (surprisingly good) bonus tracks, and RE-VAMPED COVER-ART. The iconic front cover-art was left alone, except for a slipcase which was later done away with, but the back cover-art, which went hand in hand with the front cover-art (IMO) was totally wiped away and replaced with some lame concert photo. They reinstated the back cover-art in 2012, when the 25th Anniversary edition came out (identifiable as BAD25), but re-vamped the front cover-art. They weren't so dumb as to do away with the entirety of it, but they didn't need to do anything to it. It was iconic b/c it was perfect. I don't think the photographer just asked Michael Jackson to stand in front of a white backdrop and snapped a pic at random and submitted it to Epic Records for approval. It's possible for an icon to become an icon at the first try, but icons generally need grooming. This was a work of art -- and it's not as if it it was just some random thing that nobody cared about that the creator wasted his time and money on b/c it was important to him; this was part of a cultural phenomenon that is synonymous with the entire three years that remained in the 1980s at the time of the album's release. The 2012 cover-art seemed more akin to a ripoff or an amateur (hack) paying tribute. If you want to post your fan art publically, go ahead, but for Epic/Sony to slap it on the front of the album is a huge disrespect to the music and the good memories it made for those who lived it through back then.
This issue has been addressed. Apparently I'm not the only who has felt this way. In 2015, the remastered sound, bonus tracks and amateurish meddling with the graphics were removed and we now have the exact same item I remember owning and loving when I was a toddler and as a teenager wishing I was a little younger.
The only problem is the jewel case. It's not a problem with the particular jewel case. It's an industry problem. CDs are considered on the verge of extinction. The return of the vinyl LP is only exacerbating that fact. So record cos have to cut costs. Jewel cases are no longer as durable. Sometimes you go into a store and the case seems OK, but you open it up and the center that holds the disc in place is in shatters. And it's not just that. The cases scratch much easier. A lot of CD cases used to be fat and shiny upon unwrapping. Now they're often dull and fragile. If you treat your stuff right, your fat and shiny jewel case can stay just as shiny as it was when you bought it. A lot of people don't, and that makes buying used CDs often less satisfying than buying them brand new. But in this case, you're not buying it brand new. You're buying a historic relic (classic) that most people don't care about and probably wouldn't consider buying if the prices of older CDs weren't so low nowadays. The CDs that just came out this year often do still come in shiny thick cases. Usually they don't come in a jewel case, but rather a combination of cardboard and plastic or sometimes they'll just wrap them in cardboard which I hate b/c the disc is no much more prone to scratches. But the new recordings released on CD that aren't housed in cardboard or hybrid packaging are very nicely packaged usually. That fact is not exclusive to Billboard Top 20 musical acts either. I bought a CD called NERVE ENDINGS by Too Close To Touch. The music was good, not great, got boring after awhile and I really hesitated to get rid of it because it was so nice to have a good quality jewel case in my hands. But record companies will often repress a CD when the band that makes it follows it up with another. When Hot Band releases their follow up to HB2014 titled HB2016, HB2014 is considered "old" and instead of discontinuing production of the older sibling to HB2016, the factory continues to produce copies of HB2014, albeit on cheaper quality plastic inside of an even cheaper plastic casing.
Oh, and as if that wasn't annoying enough, I've recently come to realize that replacement jewel cases are also hard to find. Nobody is making them anymore. Staples is the only place I could find any w/o paying an arm and a leg.
The vinyl LP edition that was recently released (listed as an import on Amazon) is the way to go. The CD edition has never been THE BEST way to go. Vinyl is usually better at capturing iconic cover imagery anyway, especially for albums that came out before 1988. I have a mini-LP CD, but the plastic sleeve is dirty. I don't think it was like that when I got it in the mail from someone on Amazon selling it super cheap. I'm afraid to buy another one 'cause I'm likely to ruin that one too. The design is striking though. The disc is housed in what they call a gatefold cover. It opens up like a book and the disc is housed inside a slot on one end. I even like the way the track list is printed on the back cover. It doesn't specify "Side A" vs "Side B". The lettering is bold and in all caps, just like the thugs in the beginning of the music video questioning the degree of the others' "Bad"-ness.
The vinyl edition is expensive. It's always been the best way to go and at the current rate of $20 apprx, it's really not bad. If one wants to send me a birthday present, christmas present, or let me know I have a stalker (it could happen...right?), then it's also not only a terriblly outrageous price to pay, but it also saves the time of inquiring to sellers on the Amazon Marketplace and Discogs' about weather or not their copy of Michael Jackson BAD comes in the original jewel case and if the original jewel case is damaged and if so how badly etc. etc...nobody that I know has the time and inclination to do all that.
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
My excitement renwed...is it worth it?
Ok, I'm still pretty much broke, at least broke enough to seriously question weather I can afford paying for a movie theater ticket x2.
But I'm not nearly as down about seeing the new GHOSTBUSTERS film. I think it gets to seem more depressing when sitting haunched waiting for the kill...that is two months down the road...it gets to feeling like idol worship and S&M combined...ig...
I still highly doubt it will be as good as the first or anywhere near. BUT -- I am indeed in better spirits about it. I figured I was being a little critical of the movie basing it soley on a trailer. I knew there was a lot of stuff that wasn't included in the trailer...there still lots of stuff that isn't in the trailer. The movie's got to be at least 90 minutes long and the two trailers released have a combined total of maybe 4 minutes of that footage.
I think the best thing at this point for my sanity is to sit back and see how things go. If I don't see it in theaters, so be it. I need to at least get a $5 concession at the counter or whatever + pay the movie ticket price which is between $12 and $21 depending on what time of day I see it and if I go the Fandango route or not.
hmmm...
But I'm not nearly as down about seeing the new GHOSTBUSTERS film. I think it gets to seem more depressing when sitting haunched waiting for the kill...that is two months down the road...it gets to feeling like idol worship and S&M combined...ig...
I still highly doubt it will be as good as the first or anywhere near. BUT -- I am indeed in better spirits about it. I figured I was being a little critical of the movie basing it soley on a trailer. I knew there was a lot of stuff that wasn't included in the trailer...there still lots of stuff that isn't in the trailer. The movie's got to be at least 90 minutes long and the two trailers released have a combined total of maybe 4 minutes of that footage.
I think the best thing at this point for my sanity is to sit back and see how things go. If I don't see it in theaters, so be it. I need to at least get a $5 concession at the counter or whatever + pay the movie ticket price which is between $12 and $21 depending on what time of day I see it and if I go the Fandango route or not.
hmmm...
Thursday, May 12, 2016
THE RETURN OF THE KIDZ
Sony and Mattel will soon be trying to remind kids of how awesome Paul Feig's new GHOSTBUSTERS film is so they don't forget how awesome it is. How? By mass merchandising.
And just like a lot of other things in this modern world, they are cheaply made and overpriced. Amazon has them in stock and the hero figures are $20 a pop. The ghost figures are $12. I haven't bought any of them. The Melissa McCarthy hero figure has 5 Amazon customer reviews and an average of 1.5 stars or something like that (out of 5). That is just pathetic. One reviewer said the plastic feels dangerous to have young kids playing with. So not only will these toys be lucky to survive the next 20 years if they're NOT opened, but the kids who play with them are lucky to survive childhood doing so. Ugh. I think I'll pass on this whirlwind of b.s. I'm not feeling the love. I get the impression the film will be Ok, but nothing to shout about. I'm starting to wonder if I even want to see it in theaters. Two tickets would be cheaper than a DVD or Blu ray copy of the movie, but then I always feel the need to buy popcorn and soda to go with it...I'd be saving money just buying it on DVD if I end up doing that...(sigh)...
And just like a lot of other things in this modern world, they are cheaply made and overpriced. Amazon has them in stock and the hero figures are $20 a pop. The ghost figures are $12. I haven't bought any of them. The Melissa McCarthy hero figure has 5 Amazon customer reviews and an average of 1.5 stars or something like that (out of 5). That is just pathetic. One reviewer said the plastic feels dangerous to have young kids playing with. So not only will these toys be lucky to survive the next 20 years if they're NOT opened, but the kids who play with them are lucky to survive childhood doing so. Ugh. I think I'll pass on this whirlwind of b.s. I'm not feeling the love. I get the impression the film will be Ok, but nothing to shout about. I'm starting to wonder if I even want to see it in theaters. Two tickets would be cheaper than a DVD or Blu ray copy of the movie, but then I always feel the need to buy popcorn and soda to go with it...I'd be saving money just buying it on DVD if I end up doing that...(sigh)...
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
MM/DD -- still kinda lukewarm
I attended a seminar thing on May 1 at a church I've been regularly attending for about a month now. It was a very convincing and informative session about having zeal for the Lord God. I have been making more of an effort, but I still fall into the lull of not praying. I prayed kind of extensively 5/8 (I would just say "the day before yesterday" except in 3/4 of the United States it's still Monday).
Anyway....as I was saying, I prayed more than usual then, but I still ran out of things to say to Him after a grand total of maybe half an hour of prayer (that's a generous estimate too...I'm not really convinced it was that much time, but it's possible). I then proceeded to read where I left off in His word, and then found myself kind of half following along. I sorta lost track of who is who and what is what. I'm on the sequel to the book of Kings. I'm under the impression I missed something. It keeps talking about King so and so of such and such land, and it keeps mentioning these nations that are not explained, as far as I am aware. I have the freedom to assume that they are neighboring nations, but somehow I got the impression that at least one of those nations are fragments of Israel. The nation of Israel was split into two nations as was explained in my small group's study of THE STORY, but I don't know if there was any further division of the land or if I read something that I forgot I'd read or if my eyes were looking at a critical verse or series of versus while my mind was wandering in whichever direction(s)...Anyway; I found myself rather lost in the midst of God's word on...I guess it was Sunday. And now I should be in bed, I'm sleepy as all get out even though I really don't want to be (!)...and I didn't read a lick of God's word and I prayed very little if at all today...I don't specifically remember praying, although I think I may have thanked Him for a few things. And Saturday went by in a rather similar fashion -- just wasted...I was rather exctatic about a nice fantasy I had about going to see GHOSTBUSTERS on opening day and then walking into Target as if I was 5 years old again and seeing all the GB toys gracing the shelves with their twinkling presence. And then of course topping it off Chick-Fill-A. Me and my mom were going to go to Chick-fill-A today in fact, but we had some trouble finding it. So we went to an Italian dine-in restaurant instead and spent almost all my money and some of my Mom's (it was my idea mainly, so I shouldn't have even asked her to pay for any of it, but I did...drats! The day after mother's day too!)
I've been eating homemade pumpkin bread that my mom made over the last few days. It's loaded with fiber as it's made with whole grain flour (1 cup of it per loaf), and so I've had a more healthy amount of BM than I had been, but I the downside to that is I really need to take a shower...if I weren't sleepy as heck, I would still be trying to think my way out of it since I just don't like the ordeal of taking my clothes off, getting in the shower, and then getting dried off etc and then getting dressed. The whole process takes like half an hour and it seems bigger to me than it apparently does to most people...like a giant leap forward for myself and a step back for man kind...ugh...
Ok...
g'night
Anyway....as I was saying, I prayed more than usual then, but I still ran out of things to say to Him after a grand total of maybe half an hour of prayer (that's a generous estimate too...I'm not really convinced it was that much time, but it's possible). I then proceeded to read where I left off in His word, and then found myself kind of half following along. I sorta lost track of who is who and what is what. I'm on the sequel to the book of Kings. I'm under the impression I missed something. It keeps talking about King so and so of such and such land, and it keeps mentioning these nations that are not explained, as far as I am aware. I have the freedom to assume that they are neighboring nations, but somehow I got the impression that at least one of those nations are fragments of Israel. The nation of Israel was split into two nations as was explained in my small group's study of THE STORY, but I don't know if there was any further division of the land or if I read something that I forgot I'd read or if my eyes were looking at a critical verse or series of versus while my mind was wandering in whichever direction(s)...Anyway; I found myself rather lost in the midst of God's word on...I guess it was Sunday. And now I should be in bed, I'm sleepy as all get out even though I really don't want to be (!)...and I didn't read a lick of God's word and I prayed very little if at all today...I don't specifically remember praying, although I think I may have thanked Him for a few things. And Saturday went by in a rather similar fashion -- just wasted...I was rather exctatic about a nice fantasy I had about going to see GHOSTBUSTERS on opening day and then walking into Target as if I was 5 years old again and seeing all the GB toys gracing the shelves with their twinkling presence. And then of course topping it off Chick-Fill-A. Me and my mom were going to go to Chick-fill-A today in fact, but we had some trouble finding it. So we went to an Italian dine-in restaurant instead and spent almost all my money and some of my Mom's (it was my idea mainly, so I shouldn't have even asked her to pay for any of it, but I did...drats! The day after mother's day too!)
I've been eating homemade pumpkin bread that my mom made over the last few days. It's loaded with fiber as it's made with whole grain flour (1 cup of it per loaf), and so I've had a more healthy amount of BM than I had been, but I the downside to that is I really need to take a shower...if I weren't sleepy as heck, I would still be trying to think my way out of it since I just don't like the ordeal of taking my clothes off, getting in the shower, and then getting dried off etc and then getting dressed. The whole process takes like half an hour and it seems bigger to me than it apparently does to most people...like a giant leap forward for myself and a step back for man kind...ugh...
Ok...
g'night
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