Stripping Natasha

“Strip Me” by Natasha Bedingfield 

AAAHHHHH!!!!!

This song demonstrates part of what I hate about contemporary popular music.

It’s just so fucking repetitive.

If you strip it down to its basics, except for the bridge, I think it’s pretty-much the same 3 chords over and over and over. But you don’t ever really hear the chords that much. What you hear is vocals and drums, and much of the rest of the “accompaniment” is like repetitive background noise.

I listened to another song by the same singer (“Pocketful of Sunshine”). It’s similarly, annoyingly limited in musical variety, when you “strip it down” to the basics. It’s mostly 3 or 4 chords.

That’s what popular music has been for a while. A few chords plus attitude.

I think the audience has become more technologically sophisticated and wants new and more and better—look at movie special effects. But I think we’ve become so much less sophisticated in terms of our understanding of or our desire for content.

The basics are so damn basic that you have to throw a bunch of shit on top of it. Forget well-crafted songs. Just give us a lot of attitude and a decent-sounding voice (which is likely edited and manipulated in the studio), then layer a bunch of annoying sounds on top of it so it seems like something is happening.

Oh yeah...don’t forget the pretty face.

I don’t know, it just seems a bit like waving your arms and yelling “Whoo-whoo-whoo”, flashing lights in people’s eyes and calling that great dancing.

“Strip Me” lyrics

(from: lyricslike.blogspot.com)

INTRO

La-la-la-la-la La-la La-la-la La-la-la La-la
La-la-la-la-la La-la La-la-la La-la-la La-la

VERSE 1

Every day I fight for all my future somethings,

A thousand little awards I have to choose between.
I could spend a lifetime earning things that I don’t need.
That’s like chasing rainbows and coming home empty.

PRE-CHORUS (This is just like a chorus, but it’s followed by another chorus, so we call it a “pre-chorus”.)

And if you strip me, strip it all away,
If you strip me, what would you find?
If you strip me, strip it all away,
I'll be alright.

CHORUS 

Take what you want, steal my pride,
Build me up or cut me down to size.
Shut me out, but I’ll just scream.
I'm only one voice in a million but you ain't taking that from me.
(Oh oh oh) you ain't taking that from me.

(Oh oh oh) you ain't taking that from me.

(Oh oh oh) you ain't taking that from me.

(Oh oh oh) you ain't taking that.

VERSE 2 (abbreviated—probably nobody notices much, or minds, because it’s all the same repetitive stuff)

I don't need a microphone to say what I been thinking.
My heart is like a loudspeaker that's always on eleven.

PRE-CHORUS

And if you strip me, strip it all away,
If you strip me, what would you find?
If you strip me, strip it all away,
I'll be alright.

CHORUS 

Take what you want, steal my pride,
Build me up or cut me down to size.
Shut me out, but I’ll just scream.
I'm only one voice in a million but you ain't taking that from me.
(Oh oh oh) you ain't taking that from me.

(Oh oh oh) you ain't taking that from me.

(Oh oh oh) you ain't taking that from me.

(Oh oh oh) you ain't taking that.

BRIDGE

‘Cos when it all boils down at the end of the day
It's what you do and say that makes you who you are,
Makes you think about, think about it, doesn’t it?
Sometimes all it takes is one voice.

CHORUS

Take what you want, steal my pride,
Build me up or cut me down to size.
Shut me out, but I’ll just scream.
I'm only one voice in a million but you ain't taking that from me.
(Oh oh oh) you ain't taking that from me.

(Oh oh oh) you ain't taking that from me.

(Oh oh oh) you ain't taking that from me.

(Oh oh oh) you ain't taking that.

REPEAT CHORUS

FADE OUT (intro)

La-la-la-la-la La-la La-la-la La-la-la La-la
La-la-la-la-la La-la La-la-la La-la-la La-la

Michigan Vagina

So, Michigan State Representative Lisa Brown

has been banned indefinitely from the floor of the Michigan House of Representatives, for using her word “vagina” during a debate on an abortion bill.

At least, that’s what everybody’s saying. Apparently, the reason wasn’t specified.  

Another Representative—Barb Byrum—was also banned, for trying to speak out of turn, which is a violation of the rules, but rarely results in being banned.

Now, concerning Representative Brown’s banning, I’m sure it’s quite possible that it was simply her use of the word “vagina”. But it might also be more her attitude when using the word. She said, “I’m flattered that you’re all so interested in my vagina, but no means no.”

I feel, after listening to her, that the tone changed there at the end with what seemed perhaps a mildly incendiary comment.

That’s not to say she should be banned for it. I’m sure plenty of other things that I’d find offensive have been said on that and other legislative floors.  

Anyway...if, in fact, she was banned for using the word “vagina” because the Michigan House Speaker felt it was inappropriate...well, that’s absolutely ridiculous.  

And here’s why I’m writing about it in my naked blog.

I think, and have said many times before, that if people were generally more comfortable with their bodies and others’ bodies, it would likely be part of a more general openness and comfortability in dealing with topics like sex, or perhaps scary words like “vagina”.

Vagina, vagina, vagina.

Come on, Michigan—you need to get comfortable with vaginas.

I’d certainly like to.

(Hey, just puttin' it out there, ya know?)

politico.com article

Native Nudity 2

I was reading this morning (1421: The Year China Discovered the World by Gavin Menzies) and found a reference to the Yaghan—a group of indigenous people of the Tierra del Fuego. 

Now, I remember from grade school learning that Magellan on his voyage around the earth named the Tierra del Fuego (“Land of Fire”) because of the many fires they could see. But I certainly do not recall hearing that that the indigenous people went around naked or mostly naked, gathering around fires to keep warm,

even taking fires with them in their boats.

Oh, yeah, by the way...it’s cold down there. This is the southernmost part of South America we’re talking about. 

Apparently the Yaghan also smeared grease from animal fats on their bodies to help stay warm, plus, they seem to have some slight genetic adaptation—higher metabolism. 

Now, I’m sure I would’ve remembered naked people, but no...native nudity never came up in grade school, or any school that I recall. I probably would’ve been much more interested in history then if that had been a topic.

Well...Good morning

Okay, so this is maybe too much information. But I figure what the hell, if you’ve seen this blog, you’ve seen a lot of me.

I haven’t had sex in a while—too long, really. Like 6½ years. There are a couple of young ladies that I fooled around with in that 6½ years, but we didn’t actually “do it”...you know, fuck.

And I’m starting to feel a little hopeless.

I mean, certainly I’ve had sex with myself. But more and more that feels less and less satisfying.

I don’t even really try to meet women much at this point. I was never one to just go out to bars or wherever looking for women to fuck. That’s just not me.

The women I’ve liked are generally people I’ve met while working—in a show or whatever. Lately when I have become really interested in someone, it’s ended with a fair amount of pain and anger. It used to be that I found most women (and most men) to be stupid, shallow, boring...generally unappealing in various ways. Of course, now the longer I go without “getting any” the less that seems to be an issue, or the maybe the more I’m willing to overlook that. And I think that’s what’s lead to the pain and anger. Mostly it’s anger at me for allowing myself to get that interested in someone who’s clearly not right for me for whatever reason.

There was a woman I met about 3 years ago who I was just crazy about. I mean, I was just completely lost in my attraction for her. It was kind of insane. Anyway, she was the first person I’d really been interested in since I’d broken up with my ex a few years before (6½ years ago). Nothing physical ever happened between this woman and me. We just hung out together all the time. She was unhappily married and didn’t want to deal with it.

I tend to talk about stuff, put things out there on the table. But that didn’t happen, ‘cause she wouldn’t. So I got crazier and crazier. I wrote a bunch of songs and poems about her. Eventually I had to stop. Nothing was ever going to happen, and I just couldn’t be her friend. And it was making me crazy, obsessed. I had a rough several months after that. I just sort of went away, literally. I was sort of a hermit. I went to the beach for the winter, where I had no work and didn’t know anybody, didn’t meet anybody or interact significantly with anyone for 3 months.

The one positive thing about that whole experience—meeting that woman and how I felt about her—was the fact that, at almost 40 (then), when I’d sort of felt that I might never meet anyone I really liked again, I did. I REALLY liked her...loved her.

Similarly, the fact that I can still get it up means that if I do meet someone else that I like, I can still, you know, “do something about it”.

...at least for now. 

dream scream

This morning around 3am I woke up screaming. Okay, with a scream. Or maybe it was more like “Uhnn.” I don’t know if there was an actual vocalization, but it seemed like there was. There was definitely a scream in the dream I was having, and I woke up suddenly at that point feeling like I had just screamed.

There’s very little detail in the dream that I can remember.

The mood of the dream was like a haunted house or a suspense/thriller sort of thing. Some other person—I think it was a man—and I were looking for someone or something, or maybe we were trying to not be found by this someone or something.

So either we didn’t find it or it didn’t find us, and then we were in some other place, like a house where we were supposed to be safe. And we were going to bed. (Not together—it wasn’t a sex dream.)

I thought I heard something, or maybe I just got up for some other reason, turned on a light and looked into the hallway. There was a man there in the hall. He was clearly a bad guy. I think he had a knife or something, maybe claws. And he was there to get us. I’m not sure if he was the thing we had earlier been seeking or avoiding, but he was somehow connected with it.

Well, as soon as I saw him, I screamed and woke up. When I woke up, I knew that I was awake. There wasn’t that feeling of maybe it was sort of real, that maybe there was someone in the room with me, trying to get me. I knew it had been a dream. But I didn’t know if I had actually screamed or not, and if so, how loud was it?


After that, I was awake for some time. I don’t know how long exactly. But I did not sleep peacefully for the rest of the morning. I feel quite tired now. And I just want to say “Uhnn,”  because I haven’t the energy to actually scream.

Topless in New York

In the state of New York it is legal for a woman to go topless anywhere that a man can go topless, except if she’s selling something. It has been since 1992, after the NY Court of Appeals ruling in People v. Santorelli.

Holly Van Voast has been going around New York City topless.

Holly Van Voast as Harvey Van Toast

And so has Moira Johnston.

Moira Johnston as Moira Johnston

Van Voast appears as her mustachioed alter ego “Harvey Van Toast” taking pictures and video of herself, other people, and herself while taking pictures and video of other people.

Yes, that is Bill Cosby in the background.

And sometimes other people video her.

At NYC Apple Store

She seems to be interested in the attention, and seems to consider toplessness as a possible route to fame or notoriety or something.

Moira Johnston just appears.

She’s promoting awareness of the law.

Yay! Go ladies.

Holly Van Voast was arrested and went to court last fall for her topless appearances. While in court she removed her jacket, exposing her bare breasts.

The New York Times article

Huffington Post article

She says about the incident that “not much” happened.

At comic con 2011

Moira Johnston was taken into police custody and detained for a short time.

But it’s legal and the police can’t really stop a woman from being topless.

She talks about it in part of this video. 

A few years back another woman was arrested in New York for being topless. She was released 12 hours later, sued the city and settled out of court for $29,000.

Tuscon Citizen article

Yeah! Ya gotta hit ‘em where it counts. 

Battle Beyond the Stars—the ships

Battle Beyond the Stars is a sci-fi film from 1980. It’s a version of Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai. 

I watched it not long ago on the netflix and noticed something about the ships.

The bad guys are a big conquering group that takes over planets by force. The good guys are a small, peaceful, agrarian group on a little, backwater planet.

The first thing I noticed was the opening shot of the bad guys is very much like the opening of Star Wars (Episode 4).

(you can forward through the credits to around 1’40”)

Actually there are a lot of Star Wars references in the film. Or maybe they’re rip-offs, or perhaps just innocent similarities.

Anyway, the next thing I noticed about the bad guys’ ship was that it’s sort of phallic, although slightly triangular.

Now, the good guys ship? A uterus.

However, from some angles you may notice a resemblance to testicles. Or, if you get up close enough, it may resemble breasts.

Now, I don’t know if that whole phallic/yonic thing was intentional. Maybe I’m reading more into it than is there. But you look at it and tell me what you think.