Saturday, June 2, 2007

Sandy Cohen's Advice

Sandy Cohen and I are having dinner and we start talking about work. I tell him there are things I like and things I don't like about my job. He asks if I feel under appreciated. I say "yes."

Now Sandy is the kind of guy you can always confide in and he gives great adivce so trust is no issue.

He asks how much I make, I tell him. Then he asks how much I would make contracting, doing the same work but billing by the hour. I tell him.

Sandy says that if he were me, he would quit my job and start contracting. I respond that I don't have his guts and he replies, "you only have to try and if it's right, it will happen."

Right then I wake up--that's the only reason I can remember this dream in such detail.

Sandy Cohen isn't in my dream book.

Now what does this mean? Aside from the fact I've been watching too much of The OC?

Friday, June 1, 2007

Avril Lavigne is The Best Damn Thing

I’m a closet Avril fan and actually enjoy a lot of “chick rock” or pop. If there were a 12-step program I’d do it. Nothing really explains the shame of looking at yourself in the mirror everyday knowing you have Hilary Duff, Kelly Clarkson, and Jennifer Love Hewitt (big, big mistake) in your iTunes library.

Avril’s new release, The Best Damn Thing, is more pop and a noticeable departure from the angry chick-rock anthems from Let Go and Under My Skin. This is a more refined and grown-up Avril (image search “Avril Blender” on Google for details). At any rate, many fans feel betrayed--I find that sentiment intriguing as her first exposure was the single Complicated (sounds like pop to me).

I was prepared to give The Best Damn Thing a fair appraisal after ordering the unedited version (with the DVD) from Amazon. I still don’t understand why I had to but the DVD version to hear a four letter word every once in a while—I hope this doesn’t become a trend.

After hearing about Avril’s experiences; getting married to that Sum 41 guy (we’ll call him Mr. Avril) and having two major releases solidifying success, I was ready to hear some grown-up lyrics. Imagine my surprise to hear this on the title track…

“I'm the best damn thing that your eyes have ever seen

Give me an A, always give me what I want
Give me a V, be very very good to me
R, are you gonna treat me right
I, I can put up a fight
Give me an L, let me hear you scream loud”

Full lyrics

Yes, I understand we have reached the pinnacle of selfishness in society. Yes, I understand that certain artists have been singing about how great they are for some time now. Yes, I know the images of the self-absorbed dominate media (count the times you see or hear about Paris Hilton in a given day).

Are we at a point where pop/rock has explored every viable topic and we’re now reduced self-centered ego rants? I hope it doesn’t go this way, it’s the last thing an already spoiled generation needs to hear.

The music gets an overall thumbs up, but some of those lyrics, I just don’t know…