Watermelon Man

I've found myself more apt and able to accomplish things when the weather is in the 80's. Thank the Lord for warm fronts!

This week hasn't been all that bad. As is customary, I shall review thus far.

Monday: Performed my group's presentation of the third act of "La Casa de Bernarda Alba" in my Spanish class. Although speaking Spanish in front of the masses makes me blush rather fervently, leaving my face burning, this was definitely my favorite unit.

Tuesday: Harbored deep appreciation for my English teacher once again for her admitting that as an undergraduate, she watched Tess of the d'Urbervilles on film instead of reading it. Presented my team project in psychology. Ran into the professor after class and she exclaimed, "Great job in class today!"

Wednesday: I can't say much of anything notable happened yesterday.

Thursday: Had to conceal my excitement over discussing Thomas Hardy's poetry and T.S. Eliot's prose. It's surprising how well I can understand Eliot although he is one of the twentieth century's most "opaque" authors.

I dare not glance at the week ahead, as I know school is winding down and finals, projects, papers, and presentations are full steam ahead. One project I can not bear to sit down to is psychology. I have a lot of reading and research to do in addition to making a presentation for the class. I took a completely different route with my project than anyone else and the fact I am working solo is a contrast in itself. I'm not sure I'll be convincing enough in my arguments and I'm just plain stressed. Maybe if I don't do it, it will go away?

I've been a bit stressed out in my home life lately as well, so in order to distract myself I have decided to compile a list of my top ten favorite male singers. In my defense, these are very general and do not include classic R&B/soul/funk, country, or people that are most known for the band in which they reside (with few exceptions). There will be more to come! Here goes...

1. Paul McCartney/John Lennon: The greatest musical duo of the twentieth century. Although I believe Paul McCartney to be a better musician, John Lennon is still my favorite Beatle because as my History of Rock 'N Roll professor so perfectly expressed, "He was the weirdest." Even though the Beatles had their struggles over power, they just loved making music together and they were good at it! They are forever immortalized in history.

2. Jim Morrison: No one will ever know if Jim Morrison's genius was all just the drugs talking, his own creation, or a combination of the two. Although I am not necessarily an avid supporter of Morrison's beliefs, I am obsessed with his deep, sexy voice, at times shocking and incoherent lyrics, and his stage presence, although bizarre at best. If you watch any old performance of The Doors, Jim Morrison is swaying about in his tight black leather pants and just freely letting the music flow. He'll let out a high pitched scream here and there, which surprisingly works. His music to me is so sensual, and even though he screams about wanting to kill his family in "The End" I love Jim Morrison.

3. Jack White: I think Jack White gets a bad rep sometimes because when he performs live, it can be disappointing because he doesn't seem to be trying. I think it's just his personality to be aversive to what people expect so he doesn't want to give a stellar performance and be main stream like everyone else. Nonetheless, he is genius. Although I am a fan of the White Stripes, I prefer the Raconteurs, as they are basically the White Stripes - estrogen + bass. Every song produced by the Raconteurs speaks to my soul! Oftentimes, I will drive home and pretend I am on the way to band practice with them as I belt out every song. Also, White's songs on the Cold Mountain soundtrack are intensely fabulous. (His role in the film wasn't so bad either. Who knew he could be such a convincing inhabitant of the Civil War-era mountains?)

4. Ryan Adams: Rolling Stone listed Heartbreaker, Adams' first album as one of the top 100 of the last decade. Absolutely, YES. Some people tire of Adams' laments over women but I feel like each

album has something new to offer. Heartbreaker is by far his best, evocative of so many genres and full of great lyrics and heartfelt vocals. The song "Amy" is one of the most serene and reflective I have ever heard. I adore Love is Hell especially for "Political Scientist." I saw Ryan Adams in concert last year before he took a hiatus from The Cardinals and he sounds just as great live as recorded. He had fun with the audience too; I felt like he was genuine.

5. Jeff Buckley: Many people claim Jeff Buckley's rock god status and they are RIGHT. How that man held so many notes for so long I will never know. His falsetto and guitar skills were so far ahead of his time and it's a shame he is no longer with us. He could've done great things.

6. Elvis Presley: The original bad boy of rock 'n roll. Why don't singers look and sound like him anymore? I'd be screaming in the front row too!

7. Elton John: Is there any stopping Elton John? No. "Bennie and the Jets" will always be my favorite but "My Father's Gun" is a close second.

8. Ben Folds: Although I have mad love for Ben Folds, no album has ever topped Ben Folds Five's Whatever and Ever Amen. I love his intriguing lyrics, incessant piano genius, and infinite ability to create wonderful music. Way to Normal is evidence of this.

9. Billy Joel: "It's still rock 'n roll to me!" I guess I'm a sucker for dudes playing pianos. I really love Billy Joel for a lot of the songs he isn't best known for like "Vienna," "Lullaby (Good Night my Angel," and "And So it Goes." In high school, we sang "And So it Goes." It may be one of the only contemporary songs that gave me goosebumps when we sang it.

10. Jay Clifford: There's a bumper sticker that says something to the effect of "I was the only one who attended a band's concert last night and then I killed them so I could be the only one who'd heard them." This makes me laugh because so many people get cranky about being the "only one" to really get a band or know a singer. Well, Jay Clifford may be one of those singers. He only has one album, Driving Blind, but his voice is insanely catchy to the ear and he seems like such a chill dude that I love listening.

So there's my list. It was difficult limiting myself to just ten, but there's so much more on the way. (Favorite female singers, possibly?)

Spring has made its long-awaited appearance and I get so excited about so many more things in the spring.

Things I'm obsessing over this week:

Wendy's Chicken Caesar Salad

When did rabbit food get so tasty?

Thank you Kroger for finally making it affordable to gorge on three flavors of Pop-Tarts at once by creating a multi-pack.

Cherry, strawberry, blueberry, oh my!

Almay's Intense Blue Eyes collection is hypo-allergenic and safe for contact wearers! Not only do I love the emphasis on my baby blues, but the liquid liner doesn't give me raccoon eyes!

And no, I was not endorsed to say that.

As for my post title, "Watermelon Man," it is a song by Herbie Hancock (derrr) and it remains to me, the ultimate jamming out on campus song.

I suppose my work here is done. On to the tedious aspects of...

My English Life.