Jiminy Dana

It is 5am on a Saturday morning. I certainly do NOT have to be awake right now, but I think my subconscious is winning the battle between my baser desire to sleep and my more righteous desire to maintain the 100-day pledge. Gross.

So, "sophomore album". Alright. Upon examining sophomore albums from major-label female artists, a predominant trend is to include an ass-kicking, you-done-me-wrong-and-now-I'm awesome-despite-it, or I-need-to-remind-myself-how-awesome-I've-always-been kind of song.

Britney Spears - "Stronger"
Christina Aguilera - "Fighter"
Kelly Clarkson - "Since U Been Gone"
Beyonce - "Irreplaceable"
Mariah Carey - "Make It Happen"
Jordin Sparks - "Battlefield"

I've also found that these songs are really wonderful for a) getting pumped up for a workout and b) getting frustrated at major-label singers because WHAT THE F DO THEY HAVE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT? Really, Jordin Sparks, do I really have to get my armor? Britney, putting out a second album really made you stronger than yesterday? Interesting. Just something that I noticed.

I got around to watching the latest 2-part episode of The Office, and definitely cried. But, I really wish that the writers hadn't been so harsh on this YouTube thing -- I think it's kind of charming. I'd love to be in a bridal party like that. Two former co-workers of mine were both musicians (he, a composer and pianist, and she, a singer), and they made all original music for their wedding. The processional was a ballad written using words from love letters they'd exchanged as lyrics. Fantastic. I am very snarky and sarcastic, but I hope my snarktasticness never gets in the way of enjoying something harmless and fun. (I still enjoy awful chick-lit books and the song "We Built This City" by Starship, so I think I'm in the clear for right now.)

I read a lot of commentary about Obama's Nobel win today. I'm still on the fence as to whether or not it was warranted. But, I do know with utmost certainty that it's time for a lot of us to shut up and just get on board. In the Chris Matthews book that I'm still reading, he cites a speech that Jimmy Carter made right before it was clear that he was about to get clobbered by Ronald Reagan. The book is in another room, so I'll fudge the words a little-- something about "stop crying, start laughing, stop talking, start walking, stop cursing, start praying". It was a call to action for all of us to get off our collective asses and start rebuilding what was lost. Obama is taking his Nobel as a call to action, or at least that's what Robert Gibbs and his colleagues have told us. If that's the case, then WTF is the big problem? I'm working on this one.

Ok-- back to sleep.