I’ve been watching a lot of the 70’s television show “Good Times” lately. Not only does it bring back a lot of childhood memories, but it also reminds me that while times “they are a changin'”, they don’t really change that much!
An economic crisis occurred in the 70’s, too if you recall. There are several mentions of this in the family sit-com “Good Times.” I was at first confused by the “Oh! Wow! There’s meat in tonight’s stew? What’s the occasion?” remarks, but then they specify in other episodes how much things cost and how they always cost more in “the ghetto.”
Of course I don’t remember grocery shopping as a child or how much specific things may have cost, but I do remember time bing tough and my family really only being able to afford ground beef (or chuck) for most meals. And how the rent went up every year despite the fact that my father’s wages rarely did.
This article sort of points out what I’d been thinking/remembering:
Today’s economic climate is no different than those tough times in the 1970’s! With fewer options America’s poor have fewer choices. Even those not yet at or below the poverty line still face decisions like medical insurance versus a car payment or electric bill. And with medical costs what they are today it’s no wonder more and more decide to pay for other necessities instead. And if someone without insurance (and even some with) need emergency treatment? Well, they are quickly welcomed into debt, poverty and even tougher decisions.
I’m not pointing this out to depress you or even to call the masses into action. I just wanted to remind everyone reading this that things do change for the most part, but when you’re poor it is a higher price you pay than those not much better off. You may not even know that your best friend, neighbor, etc are poor. It’s not something we discuss in social situations. Many Americans were struggling to “keep up with the Jones'” a year ago are now simply trying to keep up with living each day.Â
Please be mindful, not wasteful. You do not realize the priveledges we all have in our daily lives. Try not to take them for granted. Thank you.
I like doing these countdowns! I hope somebody out there is enjoying them, too. Seriously, COMMENT ALREADY!!!
Because I’m in a mood, applied for a “Music Guru” job and randomly found out about Monique Powell’s new band Mojo Wire (she was the singer of Save Ferris-Love them!!!) and then iTunes magically threw the song “Spam” into my ears I figured I’d go the punk route with this countdown. Plus, punk albums are generally much cheaper then the mainstream stuff…so you could call it a recession-y music countdown, too. AND since no one on Facebook or LiveJournal offered up any suggestions either…Fuck ’em! I’m doing this!
WIZO: German Punk Awesomeness! The album “Uuaarrgh!” is mostly in German (although the CD has the translated lyrics in English, too) but you’ll soon find yoruself bouncing along to lyrics unknown and happily faux-singing or lip synching even though you have no idea what they’re singing about (unless of course you speak German). They do have some songs in English which are great, too…but somehow my not knowing the words makes it more fun. I grew to love this band through exposure since my husband Loves them and has all of the albums (thanks to my gifting over the years, too). Always energetic, witty, funny and even multi-cultural! They just rock and you should listen!
NOFX: the Cali bansed punks are the epitome of modern punk! Always generous with their many witty and humorous songs and albums and always ready to party (or so it seems). Yeah, I came to love them through my husband as well, but I have great respect for a band that starts it’s own label (the now infamous Fat Wreck Chords) and signs other punk bands so all can be treated fairly and not part of the major corporate machine. Rock on! It was hard to choose an album and I could probably never pick one fave song of theirs, but I would have to say that “Punk in Drublic” is the essence of what NOFX is to me! (When I hear “Linoleum” I think of my hubby and I when we first got together!)
These Green Eyes: I hadn’t heard of them until today, but I like what I hear and I think you will, too. Definately not like WIZO or NOFX, These Green Eyes are much more melodic and create slightly more pop-traditional song styles. Okay, I like the name, too! I’m a sucker for a good band name AND I have green eyes…win-win! Ha! If you prefer a slightly more mellow vibe in your punk stew then I would go with TGE and their album “Relapse to Recovery.†It’s rare that you can say a punk band had a good singer! Check ’em out! =0
 Relapse To Recovery – These Gr…Tilt: One of the few punk bands fronted by a female singer! I know, rare! I looked! Also from Fat Wreck Chords (I’m not biased, they just have good bands) and from California’s East Bay! RAWK! I actually haven’t heard an entire album, just tracks on different compilations, but they are good! And you should give them a spin…it won’t hurt! I promise!
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 ‘Til It Kills – Tilt Against Me: I’m including these guys for my friend Marc. He turned me on to them last year and they are pretty damned good. I have this album and I like it. Another from Fat Wreck Chords and another semi-aquired taste. I found myself liking them more on the second and third spin. I think it’s important to give some artists more than just one shot, ya know? Check it out!
No Use For A Name: Another band from Fat Wreck Chords and another great punk band, too! Perhaps an acquired taste for many, but the song “Chasing Rainbows†is truly a masterpiece in it’s own right and thus the album “More Betterness†hits my list today because it is seriously good. (Okay, and another of my husband’s faves…but you know how it goes when you hear something often enough…) Check them out! (Sorry, couldn’t find an embed for this one, but you can buy the CD for like $5 at the link…worth it! Plus you can hear the whole albumn for free…once!)      http://www.lala.com/#album/72339069014973764
 The Hot Melts: I heard this 3 song single awhile ago and I guess I forgot all about it…but upon another listen I remember why I liked it the first time. It’s fun, upbeat and easy on the ears! I would like to hear more from this band, but for now I leave you with “Edith.â€
Rancid: Can you have a punk countdown without including Rancid? I don’t think so, so I didn’t chance it! While I’ll admit I haven’t truly kept up with them since I saw them back in…Ugh! 1996?! Wow, I had no idea. But hey, they are rad and from CA and I love this album! Who doesn’t remember when “Time Bomb†and “Ruby SoHo†were on the radio? C’mon, reminisce a little!
L7: One of my favorite albums of all time. Ahh, the good old days! Raw female anger and frustration with chops and power-riffs to prove it! I love L7 and I probably always will! This album is a true classic though. I was recently delighted (and very surprised) to find their would-be hit single “Pretend We’re Dead†on Rock Band 2! Oh yeah, you know I rocked the shit out of that one! But get this album because it’s bad ass!
I guess 9 is the lucky number for my Friday music countdowns…who knew? I certainly didn’t plan on it. Ha! But please, listen and tell me what you think of my selections! I wanna know, for real!
In no particular order (of course), these are just some music picks that have tickled my eardrums, fancy or other such things that are ticklish!
NOFX “Coaster” (Released 4/28/09): What? You haven’t heard of or listened to NOFX? You are missing out, Buddy! I’m fortunate to have a husband who loves their music, so I’ve sort of grown to love them by osmosis. They had an awesome anti-Bush album awhile back that kicked my ass (it was that good)! Please, check out their new album, “Coaster” and enjoy the ride. You deserve a little punk today!
                                                                                                                              Coaster – NOFX
Peaches “I Feel Cream” (Released 05/05/09) The ever strange and fabulous Peaches is back with more rawness and raunchiness. Mixing cool synths with tongue-in-cheek rap-ish ryhmes, she never stops and neither do you. You’ll find yourself trying to resist her clever rythms and cheeky lyrics, but you can’t…you will soon find yourself shakin’ your ass to “Serpentine (I don’t give a__).” Give up and succumb to beat. Have fun and cut loose…I did! (I was also pleasantly surprised by the 80’s throwback stylings and vocals on some tracks…Excellent!)
                                                                                                                                          Feel Cream – Peaches
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart “The Pains of Being Pure at Heart” (Released 02/03/09). Puts you right back to when the shoegaze-craze was brand new and fun. Daydreamy and sweet, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart is the perfect lazy spring day kind of music. Reminiscent even of early New Wave, too! I’m digging this and I know you will, too!
Yeah Yeah Yeahs “It’s Blitz” (Released 03/10/09): I cannot stop talking about this album! It’s been kicking my ass since it’s release date and I just keep spinning it, too! I’ll admit it, I’m stuck on the first track & single “Zero!” There’s just so much to love about it! The simple but quick-witted lyrics, the synths, Karen O’s cooing and screaming…I love it all! And that’s not the only song I love…the entire album has elements you may not expect from YYY, but it’s a lot to love!
                                                                                                                                        It’s Blitz! – Yeah Yeah Yeahs
The Vaselines “Enter The Vaselines” (Deluxe Edition Released 05/05/09) Formed in 1986, the band was originally made up of Eugene Kelly and Frances McKee, but later added James Seenan and Eugene’s brother Charlie Kelly on bass and drums respectively from the band Secession.Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain once described Kelly and McKee as his “most favorite songwriters in the whole world”, and even named his daughter Frances Bean Cobain after McKee.
To be honest, I forgot about The Vaselines. I had never actually heard the original recordings of the songs Cobain famously covered (“Son of a Gun” “Molly’s Lips” “Jesus Don’t Want Me for a Subeam”). They are some of my faves though, so when I saw this I leaped out of my seat with joy! Weather you’re a Nirvana fan, Moldy Peaches fan (they remind me a bit of them), folk fan or just love good songwriting, The Vaselines are just what the doctor ordered! Check ’em out!
                                                                                                                                  Enter The Vaselines – The Vase…
Telefon Tel Aviv “Immolate Yourself” (Released 1/30/09): I’ve been into a few instrumental/electronic groups lately. This falls right in line with that for me; it’s dream-like synths and easy rythms make for a great weekend chill-out album. I’m all about appreciating a good chill-out session! =0)
                                                                                                                                 Immolate Yourself – Telefon Te…
Metric “Fantasies” (Released 04/14/09): Sweet, sythned-out (hmm…a trend for me today?), fun-girl vocals (reminds me of my fave Lush!) and just good alternative dance music! I don’t have anything else to say about this album…I gotta go listen to it again right now!
                                                                                                                         Fantasies – Metric
The Bran Flakes “I Have Hands” (Released 02/24/09): Wow! Clever samples, fun hooks and an overall playful vibe… I love it! I love the rad-retro feel, too. Oh just check it out, dammit!
                                                                                                                                           I Have Hands – The Bran Flakes
Silversun Pickups “Swoon” (Released 04/14/09): I am super biased here, I love this band! They rock my socks and they never stop! When I heard the first single “Panic Switch” on the radio I felt at home. This is how this band and this album make me feel, comfortable and comforted! This is true rock with fuzzy guitars and great songwriting! Okay, synths, too. But this album (like their other two) are just awesomely good. Don’t deprive yourself, enjoy!                                                                                                                                          Swoon – Silversun Pickups
That’s it folks! I know, “9? Why 9?!” Tough! That’s what I chose and it is my blog afterall…but please!
Tell me why you love or hate my picks!
Also, check out the music site www.Lala.com it’s great! You can listen to anything once all the way through! It’s often cheaper than iTunes and is just a great site overall. Check it out! (You can even “follow” me on there: Notblueatall {of course}). Thanks for reading and listening!
Some of us love handbags. Many reasons come to mind…For one a handbag can be appreciated by people of All shapes, sizes, beliefs, ethnicity, etc! Of course many prefer a bag that is both fashionable and functional. Certain necessities must be carried with us at all times: chap stick, lipstick, hand sanitizer, tissues, wallet, keys, cell phone, pen, checkbook, notepad, condoms, tampons, contact lens case…the list can go on and can contain some interesting items depending on the owner. While I love handbags and have far more than I could use on a given day/night I find it particularly interesting the excitement and awe that designer handbags bring out in people.
I understand when the bags are all glitz and glam because we all want a touch of that in our lives. But when a bag looks like any other and has no discernable features other than that famous logo? Not to mention the price tag the name carries with it? Forget it! Not for me! Sure, I’d love to own an original “Kelly†bag by Hermes…but for $5,000+? Nah, I’m good! I’ll stick with my Ross (Dress for Less) purchased Nine West bag.
I do love a more recent trend of having high-end designers carry lines in regular-Joe stores like Vera Wang’s bags and clothing at Khol’s. Very cool and super cute…still a bit out of my price range though (I stood holding a bag I longed for with a price tag of $79 or $89 and I just couldn’t do it). Target often has designers do limited lines (Isaac Mizrahi comes to mind) and at very good price points, too.
But then there is the part of me that just can’t bear the thought of walking around with a bag, while designer, that I purchased for a bargain on say eBay.com…people might actually think that I’m stupid enough to spend $500 on this bag?! How embarrassing! (Yes, this is how I think sometimes). I once lusted after every Tokidoki bag ever created and stalked the internet for the right one for me! As though his whimsical designs would somehow enlighten or complete me. No such luck (I ended up with a *counterfeit bag and had to fight with the seller and paypal.com to get my money back).
One of the other things about buying such a highly sought after bag regardless of that price tag is that you run a great risk of bumping into other people with the exact same bag! The horror! So, what’s a person who loves bags and designer bags at that to do? Oh my darlings! Buy handmade of course! What better way to get the style or color or design you want and almost guarantee that no one else will have the same bag! Plus, you save hundreds of dollars while still looking stylish! You cannot go wrong with this!
Don’t get me wrong though…there are high-end handmade bags, too! Many would even rival those of the mass produced set. But what you end up with is a work of art and not just some signed/stamped/numbered product created in a foreign land by who knows who. No love! And when you can get a custom bag? Why not?! Yes, I said custom! There are many people out there who make handbags and sell them online. Many of which would be more than happy to create one especially for you! You can tell them how many and what style of pockets and zippers and buttons…the possibilities are truly endless! Or perhaps you love a specific thing or design or color? No worries! I have personally purchased a few handmade and custom handbags on www.Etsy.com and I can assure you that the sellers are beyond nice! (Including myself, ahem…but I make aprons. Although I may still have a couple of pouches left!) You can find someone to make you virtually anything on Etsy!
When you do go onto www.Etsy.com for your handmade handbag searching, may I suggest that you know what you want…at least in terms of style or color or theme (or vegan, cruelty-free). For instance, I love Amy Butler’s fabrics, so I typed into the search box at the top: Any Butler Handbag. And I got about 56 pages of Amy Butler fabric bags! You can even sort them by price (low-high or high-low) or by when they were listed (recent-older or older-recent). Did I mention how the possibilities are endless? I even saw some bags that were band themed or animal or flower (I love daisies!). Have fun with it and if you find something you like, but it isn’t exactly what you want, Just Ask! You can **convo the sellers and ask them about stuff. They can do so many amazing things! Also, check out the vintage selection…it’s incredible! All you need to do to buy anything on Etsy is create a username and password and have a www.PayPal.com account for when you pay. It’s that easy!
This post was inspired by this post from aol.com which lists the ten most searched handbags on the internet. I had never heard of some of them and, well…#3 just perplexes me all together. Their top ten?
Or maybe you really love a bag on one of the designer sites, you can post a picture and the price you’re willing to pay for the bag and post it on Etsy Alchemy: http://www.etsy.com/alchemy/
Here’s some near look-alikes I found on etsy with the original designer’s style in mind:                                (Please see links by number for each item pictured at the end of this post)
*Know what you want before you hit eBay for designer bags! I found a wonderful and informative site for the Tokidoki bags that was how I found out mine was a fake! I even included links to the info in my Paypal.com claim! Knowing what you want will also help you find the price you can live with!
**You can convo an Etsy seller by clicking “Contact†next to their profile/shop picture on the right of the page. It will say Shop-Profile-Contact, just click on that “Contact†button and the lines of communication are wide open, baby!
