"I Love Things!" Thursday - The Random One

I am loving some random things this week. Mostly music, but there are some other things in there to round it out. I've been feeling quite zen, and I am convinced that I used up all my available stress hormones over the previous two weeks, so even if there is something worth getting worked up about, it's just not happening. Everything is groovy - for now. The downside of this is that I'm kind of walking around in a hippy-dippy-trippy fog, with very little focus. Then again, for me, that's status quo, so what am I worried about? 

On the bright side, my list is also pretty hippy-dippy, and I think that's a good thing. I am currently angst free and my loves reflect this. So, without further ado, I bring you: 

1. John Mellencamp - "Rain on the Scarecrow" and "Little Pink Houses"

On Monday, I was thinking that The Cougar was going to be this week's Spirit Guide, but it seems that I'm just obsessed with those two songs. Lou Reed seems to be staying for a multi-week engagement and the Mellencamp songs are what I would call supplemental feel-goodery. I have been reflecting on roots quite a bit as I've been working on my portfolio for Syracuse and these songs remind me so much of where I'm from. If you've never heard "Rain on the Scarecrow", then stop what you're doing and watch the above video. It's haunting. Sad songs, yes, but I'm finding a lot of creative inspiration in them this week, so, LOVE.

2. Spectacle - Elvis Costello with . . . 

I don't know what it is, but I find Elvis here incredibly attractive. Source.

I have been on the fence about Elvis Costello for a great many years now, ever since my friend Jeff (a man a respect more than I can say) told me that Elvis called Ray Charles that word that white people aren't allowed to say. You know the one. Rhymes with "bigger". Not cool. 

After doing some research, it turns out that it was in a drunken stupor that these words were uttered and Ray Charles forgave him almost immediately, so who am I to question him? Yet, I do. I always feel a little bit guilty about liking him. It feels like I'm betraying my father or something. Be that as it may, I have always been fond of "Watching the Detectives", and I've made it right with myself by preferring Duran Duran's cover to Elvis' original. 

I'm evolving though, and since watching several episodes of Spectacle I know this: even if I'm not sure about Elvis as a person or a musician, I am sure that he is an incredible interviewer. This show only lasted 2 seasons and yet he interviewed 6 or 7 of my favorite people. The very first show was with Elton John for crying out loud! How fantastic is that? And the interview with Bill Clinton? You must watch it. Seriously. Go. Now. Just go. Despite his past questionable word choices, Elvis Costello's Spectacle is LOVE.

3. Keith Negus - Popular Music in Theory: An Introduction

Click HERE to Purchase. Source.

I bought this book when I still lived in Raleigh and it's been moldering and collecting dust ever since. However, since I am on the quest for higher education, I figured that it would be worth a read, if for no other reason than to refresh my academic writing and research skills. While I'm not so sure that the content is entirely sound, I am happy to find that there may be a career for me in academia writing about music. Nothing would please me more. The book is also full of great research sources, so very soon you might find me writing about the music I love in a far more rigorous and analytical manner. LOVE.

4. Chamomile Tea

I kind of want to live in the picture on the box. Source.

By now you are all well aware that I struggle with anxiety and manic depression. The good Lord invented drugs with which to combat these things, but those drugs often cause even more problems. Apparently, just about every kind of pill you can take for anxiety will do a number on your liver. Now me, I have liver issues already due to my whale-like stature, so I don't need to go making more trouble for an already troubled organ. What's a person to do? Chamomile! Historically known for it's calming effects, chamomile has recently been proven (in a study, with both doctors and mice) to help heal the liver. This is a win-win. A no-brainer. Even if the chamomile doesn't help my liver, it certainly can't hurt. I've got nothing to lose in giving this herbal remedy a try. I like this. I like this a lot. Dare I say, I LOVE this?

5. Burt's Bees Peppermint and Rosemary Body Wash

After this, I gotta go to my drum circle. Source.

I suddenly feel as though I've gone all crunchy, what with my chamomile tea and my Burt's Bees soap. I assure you, there's a logical reason for it all though. I'm trying to feel better. If the tea makes me feel better on the inside, so much the better. The soap on the other hand, is to help me feel better on the outside. Apparently peppermint oil, a key ingredient in the above body wash, is a natural libido enhancer. So, I take a shower and wash my lady bits. For a little while thereafter, they tingle and I think that "mommy/daddy time" isn't such a bad idea. Supposedly, if you use the stuff regularly you can see longer lasting, long term benefits. Either way, it smells good and it makes me feel good, lady bits or no. What's not to LOVE?