HAPPY HOLIDAYS..... or whatever.

With thousands of cashier drawers making that funny opening/closing sound every second another Christmas season has begun and almost ended. I haven't been in the Christmas mood at all this year. No shopping, no lights, no Christmas treats, and no bad Christmas films... I simply just don't have it in me.

The older I grow the more aware I become of the public's insane attitude toward the holiday season. It all just makes me a little sick. One such attitude that I’ve been noticing is the strangely aggressive intolerance. It's actually become comical in a way, when I tell someone "happy holidays" they reply "MERRY CHRISTMAS!" loudly and full of fire. They might as well not say anything; it would have the same affect.

Ok, first let me just specify that I do not understand peoples' dilemma with words. Everyone is so easily offended by EVERYTHING! We have a million southeastern Americans calling the Middle Eastern population "towel heads", yet they can't bear to be wished anything but MERRY CHRISTMAS. It's expected but no less unfortunate. I was listening to the talk radio station my bosses were playing on Tuesday; it was something really conservative and backwards. The speaker was on some religious soap box about how other religions have basically come to America to destroy Christmas (consumerism beat 'em to it, sorry.) Oh!!! He also said gays were doing the same but I’ll save that for another time...What is certifiably religious about Christmas anymore? Jesus wasn't crucified on a Christmas tree to be resurrected as Santa Clause only to bring us what videogame we want regardless of if we've been good or bad.

they explain it best (plus other FUNdamental facts)

In fact, most of what we associate as part of Christmas is pagan anyway... I won't get on my own soapbox about how religion is halting our progression in becoming a smarter more civilized society, because that’s not my point.

Why does it matter!?!?!? That’s my point.

How does it affect you if I celebrate Kwanza, Hanukkah, Eid al-Adha, or whatever??? Wishing someone "happy holidays" is the most neutral wish ever. If you're offended by "happy holidays" than you're an idiot who has spent their entire life under a rock and who no business talking to anyone about anything, because you simply don't know how to communicate...

Spend the holidays with your family; don’t spend it feeling threatened by an idea that has such little involvement in your life.

The Magic Place

I've been away for a while. i am simply very lazy...

I've been listening to Julianna Barwick's music alot lately, in particularly, 'The Magic Place'....

I'm in love...
It's really funny if you look back over the course of music from the last decade and examine. A good percentage of our most innovative and creative voices have been buried under a mountain of reverb. Julianna Barwick isn't an exception. However, what she's doing musically is something that i have never heard done so relevantly (maybe even at all.)

The music is mostly a capella, she loops single vocal melodies with an RC-50 loop station until she has a choir of just herself. Each song is like one big crescendo, building and building until it fades or dismantles. On occasion there is sparse instrumentation but its just enough, never too much.

Another interesting fun fact is that most of Barwicks music is impromptu.

The timing of each loop is perfect and her voice is absolutely beautiful. What Barwick does is ethereal, arresting and human without the slightest bit of pretense. There is also a vein of creepiness, keeping it from sounding like window dressings; pretty and frivolous.

If you haven't heard Julianna Barwick then I suggest you give her a listen.

good places to start: 'Bob In Your Gait', 'Prizewinning', and 'White Flag'
Her Bandcamp