Showing posts with label advice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label advice. Show all posts
Saturday, June 11, 2016
Saturday, December 22, 2012
DJ X-Mass
Supposedly the Saturday before Christmas is the busiest shopping day of the year, even busier than Black Friday in the U.S. Fortunately - and uncharacteristically - I finished early and was able to avoid it all together. But there's one thing you can't avoid unless you complete your shopping a month-and-a-half early: Christmas music. Of course it's not just in stores, it's also on much of the radio dial and many TV commercials too. For the Christmas overloaded like me, the non-stop music is the hardest thing to take. I realize I can't stop it, so here are some tips on how we can make the Christmas tunes a little less annoying:
A lot of songs we associate with Christmas actually never mention it:
Just about any well-known artist has recorded a Christmas song at some point in their career, even if they haven't gone the full Christmas cash cow- I mean, "album". For instance, last year a number of radio stations seemed to remember U2's "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" So it's worth a look.
The Pogues' "Fairytale of New York" is not technically about Christmas, but it does mention it. All the music from the Peanuts Christmas special is just instrumental, but it's become associated with the holiday. And if you're filling a month of songs, you're going to have to consider that close enough.
It's modern, light, and by one of the most beloved musicians in the world, so it seems like a marketing dream. Too bad it's such an annoying song. I don't like to exaggerate, but this song may just cancel-out Paul McCartney's positive contributions to music.
That's such a creepy song. For one thing, it's sexualizing Santa, a concept I felt dirty just typing. If you think about it, that song is exactly the thing "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" is making fun of. We don't need to hear about how much mommy wants to kiss Santa Claus. The fact that the song has such a dated feel only accentuates the feel of listening to your mother's love song.
Go Easy on the PC Winter Carols
A lot of songs we associate with Christmas actually never mention it:
- Winter Wonderland
- Marshmallow world
- Jingle Bells
- Sleigh Ride
Look Deeper into Back-Catalogues
Just about any well-known artist has recorded a Christmas song at some point in their career, even if they haven't gone the full Christmas cash cow- I mean, "album". For instance, last year a number of radio stations seemed to remember U2's "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" So it's worth a look.
Try Tangentially Christmassy Songs
The Pogues' "Fairytale of New York" is not technically about Christmas, but it does mention it. All the music from the Peanuts Christmas special is just instrumental, but it's become associated with the holiday. And if you're filling a month of songs, you're going to have to consider that close enough.
Never Play "Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time"
It's modern, light, and by one of the most beloved musicians in the world, so it seems like a marketing dream. Too bad it's such an annoying song. I don't like to exaggerate, but this song may just cancel-out Paul McCartney's positive contributions to music.
Never Play "Santa Baby"
That's such a creepy song. For one thing, it's sexualizing Santa, a concept I felt dirty just typing. If you think about it, that song is exactly the thing "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" is making fun of. We don't need to hear about how much mommy wants to kiss Santa Claus. The fact that the song has such a dated feel only accentuates the feel of listening to your mother's love song.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Tattoo Advice From Someone with No Tattoos
I just read in a coffee shop newsletter that 24% of Americans have a tattoo. After checking with a far more credible source (Wikipedia) it seems the overall numbers aren't that high (only in the mid teens, but over 30% for some age groups.)
Anyway, I thought this was as good a time as any to share my ideas about them. I know, you've heard the advice, like the only names you should get on you are your own and your mother's. Anyone can tell you that, here are some rules you may not have heard.
1. If you're going to get a tattoo, get a tattoo. This isn't as much of a problem now that they're getting more socially accepted, but in my day there was a rash of people getting tiny little tattoos in easily concealed areas. Ooh, I'm a bad boy/girl, I have a tattoo - here, try this magnifying glass.
2. Spend some time with it.
A lot of people get a sketch of the design they want and think on it for a few days before going through with the procedure. That's a nice start, but there's another step I recommend: find a friend with Photoshop or other graphic editing software, scan in the design, then blur it a little, and take out some of the colour. That's what your tattoo is going to look like for most of its existence, so judge it on that.
3. Think about design.
It seems many people just get a picture of something they like and put it on their body. In other words, they treat their tattoo like their Facebook Cover photo. Except many people seem to put more thought into Facebook. Remember that it's not just a picture you like, it's a picture that looks good on your body. Sure you like your iPhone, but that doesn't mean you want a picture of it on your arm. To put it in artistic terms, less Mondrian, more Van Gogh.
4. Be careful with sleeves.
Getting "sleeved" means getting an arm completely covered in tattoos. See, that's the sort of commitment I can respect. But if you're going to make that kind of commitment, you want credit for it. The problem is, you can get fake sleeves - that is, actual sleeves with tattoo-like designs on them. So make sure your arm tattoos come to an uneven edge on your wrist so everyone knows they're real.
Anyway, I thought this was as good a time as any to share my ideas about them. I know, you've heard the advice, like the only names you should get on you are your own and your mother's. Anyone can tell you that, here are some rules you may not have heard.
1. If you're going to get a tattoo, get a tattoo. This isn't as much of a problem now that they're getting more socially accepted, but in my day there was a rash of people getting tiny little tattoos in easily concealed areas. Ooh, I'm a bad boy/girl, I have a tattoo - here, try this magnifying glass.
2. Spend some time with it.
A lot of people get a sketch of the design they want and think on it for a few days before going through with the procedure. That's a nice start, but there's another step I recommend: find a friend with Photoshop or other graphic editing software, scan in the design, then blur it a little, and take out some of the colour. That's what your tattoo is going to look like for most of its existence, so judge it on that.
3. Think about design.
It seems many people just get a picture of something they like and put it on their body. In other words, they treat their tattoo like their Facebook Cover photo. Except many people seem to put more thought into Facebook. Remember that it's not just a picture you like, it's a picture that looks good on your body. Sure you like your iPhone, but that doesn't mean you want a picture of it on your arm. To put it in artistic terms, less Mondrian, more Van Gogh.
4. Be careful with sleeves.
Getting "sleeved" means getting an arm completely covered in tattoos. See, that's the sort of commitment I can respect. But if you're going to make that kind of commitment, you want credit for it. The problem is, you can get fake sleeves - that is, actual sleeves with tattoo-like designs on them. So make sure your arm tattoos come to an uneven edge on your wrist so everyone knows they're real.
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