Thursday, May 26, 2011

HELLLLLLLLLLO AGAIN!!

Hey there reader(s),

I'm coming back!!! Working on new stuff and I'll be posting it and revamping this blog this week! I needed a break but I'm looking forward to writing for you again!


MUCH LOVE.
Nita Alexander













Tuesday, August 10, 2010

This man is a hero...potentially more?

 "Pulling the chute"
it's the new two weeks notice

 

Yesterday at J.F.K Airport in New York City, one bad-ass flight attendant with the chutzpa usually found in the lead character from the 1970's blaxploitation film, a.k.a Steven Slater- had enough. According to people who claim they are credible, a passenger hit him in the head with a piece of luggage which was stored in the over-head compartment. Slater asked for an apology and when the passenger refused, Slater walked to the intercom and cursed the passenger out, grabbed two beers, opened the emergency door and chute, jumped out, walked across the airport to his car and drove home.


This man, who no one knows much about, has stirred the emotions of people everywhere in America and abroad as well. Some are calling him "A Hero" and I agree. Actually, my silly brain believes he is more. People are pissed. I am one of them. See, this recession doesn't just hurt the people who have lost their jobs; it sucks for the ones left holding the business' together doing twice as much work for the same pay. Just because no one is being paid to do the work, doesn’t mean it doesn’t need to get done. Many, Americans love this man because for one moment they lived vicariously through the person who sent the loudest "F-You!" that's ever been heard in the world of customer service and Corporate America. 

All of us have had dreams of quitting our jobs, in the non-literal, guns blazing sense. The best story I heard was of server who worked at Carraba's and was tipped in nothing but coins. Apparently, she followed the slot winning patrons to their car and threw her handful of silver and copper at the car’s hood and yelled "you obviously need this more than I do". Brilliant woman; as is Steven Slater, who smiled and smirked while he was being arrested by cops who I hope loved him too. 


I do believe that this man is more than a hero; I believe he is the first person to initiate a long awaited "Employee Revolution". It’s pretty obvious that we as Americans "live to work" while the rest of the world embraces the opposite approach and they are "working to live". But an “Employee Revolution” or strike is hard to do, especially in modern times, what with our inability to live without electricity and T.V dinners. But we all think about it. There were days, when I was a server, that I literally imagined beating a customer with the giant wooden pepper shaker that I carried with me to greet the table with. I even wrote a poem about it called "Southern Hospitality" it was a hit among my fellow college classmates who were also servers and hosts. But seriously what would happen if we all did what Slater did.


Regardless though, here we are in 2010 making it through this recession like a classic Bon Jovi song, thankfully things haven’t gotten much worse, but they aren’t much better; basically we are stable. But stable sucks, because it only means the carrot is hanging a little closer to our face. Close enough to smell and touch it with your tongue but beyond that- no luck. What would happen, if for a week, everyday was Christmas except even the Chinese restaurants and 7-11 were closed. What would happen if the economy froze because each American finally demanded the respect that they deserved regardless of the job they have or their status in society. That would be a huge problem! The markets would crash, the economy would completely destabilize and the employee's would be in jeopardy of their jobs. Striking is like Senior Skip Day, when two people actually skip and get suspended, while everyone else (the chickens) show up, thankfully.

James Michael Tyler as "Gunter" on Friends
I actually like my current job, mostly because there is little interaction with other humans. But I have had jobs were the voice in my head, which surprisingly sounds like the brilliant and perpetually angry Eminem, would tell me to "throw that stapler through your bosses glass door, pack your things and go". But I never did it, because I needed the money. I eventually did quit but I took a lot of abuse for nothing. I am one of many living through Mr.Slater and I hope he makes millions of dollars off the memoir he will inevitably write and the endorsement deal, with a very special beer company, he will inevitably make. I hope he has wonderful retirement, somewhere off the coast of Mexico, he deserves it! If I am wrong, which I probably am, and the "Employee Revolution" never comes, than at least a hilarious story will be told, a script will be developed and James Michael Tyler will finally have a leading role in a made for TV film. But for now we will have to see the impact Steven Slater’s public figure Facebook page will have. The group already has over 60,000 friends and it’s only the day after the incident took place; after all we saw what happened with Betty White and Constance McMillen.                                                                    




 Thanks for reading- hope this one doesn’t get me in trouble. Next I'll write on how much the world needs- a Spice Girl come back tour... again.

UPDATE: As of 8 a.m. on 8/11/10 the Facebook page has over 99,000 supporters and Steven posted bail and has been released.

  
Nita 
always the bosses fav

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

heraccompleblog@yahoo.com Email me ideas!!

Hello- hello!

Great news, heraccomplice sprung into the 21st century and now has an emial address that I can be reached at! So if you have any ideas, or anything you want to hear about or you think I should get a life please let me know by emailing me at heraccompliceblog@yahoo.com

I have a couple of new blogs I'm working on involving Justin Biebers hair and my obsession with kit kats- but I've stumbled upon a bit of writers block- so until then... you look delicous.

yours,

Nita

Saturday, March 20, 2010

When everything breaks open album review

I first came across Matt Morris while watching the Hope for Haiti telethon earlier this year, as he sang "Hallelujah" with Justin Timberlake, I wondered who is that guy with the wild mustache. To be honest, I wasn't blown away, but I was intrigued enough to listen to uploads on his myspace page and now I'm big fan.

In an interview with a radio station in San Diego, Morris described his album as "eclectic" and I would agree. The album is comprised of 13 very individual tracks each with a very distinctive rhythm, unique lyrics and passionate melodies. The best part of this album is the layered musical quality it presents through its use of specific instruments especially his use of string instruments, a few heated and controversial lyrics, and his soulful, beautiful and at times rugged voice. He is a truthful artist; the most honest I've seen in a while. His lyrics are current and relevant, especially on tracks like "The Un-American"and "Bloodline".


Because each song is so different I decided to dissect each of the albums songs below, so that you have a better idea of what to expect from this superbly unique album.


1. Don't you dare- I'm personally not to crazy about this track, it's a bit harder than the rest of the album, but his voice sounds great and at times the song incorporates wicked breaks of classically infused piano solo's which I am a big fan of.


2. Money- In money he really touches his jazzy- soul roots, in a Justin Timberlake sounding track- that bounces in and of the truths that come hand in hand with money. This song is great to jam to, reminds me a lot of a Maroon 5- back in the "Songs about Jane" days. I really love how chill this song is


3. Love- "It's like an angel kissed my lips and then held me close and it said this is love" An obvious love song, to a reggae rhythm this song blows me away with its simple musical background combined with beautiful lyrics identifying the love in the first person's life.


4. Bloodline- This song, like many of his songs, tells a story. This one, with full characters and scenery, is the story of a woman living in a big city, unable to make it on her own, the struggles he witnesses her enduring, the truths about how God and the Christians feel about women like this character. It's not only the story that is being told that makes this song unreal, it's also the beautiful string accompaniment that add the life to these, I'm assuming, fictional characters.


5. Live forever- This song is another one of my favorites, it's a bit harder and sounds like he incorporated a light touch of auto-tune... but it never gets annoying, like most other auto-tuned songs. Live forever has great lyrics of how he is going to love like they are both going to live together... that's exactly what I love about his writing, because how often do you hear live like you were dying, or love like you'll never love again etc. this is a totally new approach to viewing love in a true forever and eternal sense and I think that is amazing.


6. The Un-American- In an interview Morris claims he wrote this song after eavesdropping on a conversation a couple of people were having in a hotel. The lyrics are comprised of the characteristics that make a person Un- American. I personally feel that verse 1 and verse 2 are juxtapositions of each other. Each line revolves around things that are current, be it politically and or socially, red vs. blue or just a 3rd person perspective on how things are today. I feel like there are flares of anger in his voice, which combined with a beautiful string arrangement and the stern use of snare and symbols, makes "The Un-American" what I truly believe as the closest thing to a perfect song.


7. Let it go- Slows the albums momentum, and takes it down to a heartfelt acoustic final plea for a chance to speak. Morris' voice sounds pure, solid and honest throughout the song... again complemented by the strings; another great song.


8. You do it for me- I can't stand this song. I actually don't make it past the first twenty seconds of it... it just sounds way too much like Stevie Wonders "Signed, sealed, delivered". So there is not much else for me to say but I do urge you to give it a shot.


9. Just before the morning- Love this song! This is another great story song... something that I could imagine from the "Garden State" soundtrack. This song has an amazing lyrical base and very nice Damien Rice sound to it... Love it!


10. In this house- This song is- Damien Rice meets Ray Lamontagne and they take a vacation to beaches of Jamaica... very cool, guitar infused song. "These buildings grow like weeds, like dandelion seeds, they spring up where they please".


11. Forgiveness- I don't know why but when I hear this song I imagine a travel song... great road song. This is another lyrically driven storyline with wonderful music and a great vocal performance to support it. Very good!


12. Someone to love you- Very simple story... acknowledging the desire to be loved. Beautiful. I love to hear him sing these sensitive truths.


13. Eternity- I'm on the fence about this song, it reminds me of the theme song from True Blood, dreary and mystical. It's dramatic and dark which I like but I feel like there is too much going on, too many words. On a plus he does dabble into that southern rock/ blues/ country genre and that I do like.


So there it is… I hope you have an opportunity to check this guy out… he really is a refreshing new sound given the current state of the music industry. Below are some links for him.


http://www.myspace.com/mattmorris




"Looking for a way- to change the weather, whether you or I survive tonight- I promise you that I will love you like- were gonna LIVE forever",

Nita

Friday, January 29, 2010

Ayla Brown... "what's up wit you?"




If you don't know who Ayla Brown is, well, until two minutes ago, neither did I. But thanks to the beauty of the internet and more specifically Yahoo.com, I came across the headline "Idol reject is web star". Needless to say, curiosity got the best of me and here I am now.

Miss Ayla Brown is the daughter of the newly elected senator of Massachusetts, Scott Brown. Turns out though, Ayla is a singer. She's also a former contestant on American Idol and now she's released her debut album Cicles. The first single is called "Pick it up" and its surprisingly not that bad; it's actually decent. It'll probably do good with conservative and Christian music scene.

However, the video for "Pick it up" is one of the worst music video's I have ever seen! It is absolutely awful and it looks like a high school film class production with no budget. Simply put, it's terribly cheesy. Please check for yourself and have a laugh on me...







Well, not leave you with a bad taste in your mouth, here is another American Idol contestant and winner Jordin Sparks with a song and video that I think is absolutely fantastic! This video shows her off with great artistry, beautiful backdrop scenes, great angles, cuts and special effects. This video is awesome!



Actually, I have to give a little credit to Ayla Brown, because it's obvious that Jordin Sparks' video probably had a budget of several million dollars and Ayla probably did not have much to work with. And to prove that even big budget videos can fail, check out this masterpiece by my favorite, Michael Jackson and funny man Eddie Murphy



Hope you all are enjoying 2010 so far! Yea!! The economy grew 5.7%!! Even more Yea!!


Please keep praying for Haiti.
Nita

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Music for the new year


Happy New Year by the way!!

Welcome back!! It is day 6 of 2010 and I couldn’t feel better and more optimistic about the future and what it holds for all of us. I feel like we survived the first year of the economic depression and now we can carry on with our lives and continue our recovery as individuals and as a nation. So happy New Years again!!

On a more exciting note, this Christmas brought me the gift of music!! My cousin gave me the new Alicia Keys album, "The Element of Freedom" and John Mayer's new album, "Battle
Studies". I have been anxiously awaiting both of these new records because of my deep rooted love for both of these artists. And now after listening to both for over a week, I write to you with a review of both. Put simply one was a tremendous let down, and the other has my heart exploding with excitement.

First of all, let me to tell you a little about my love for music. Ever since I was little I have loved music more than anything else. Music makes me feel good, it keeps me focused, it keeps me happy. I have played several musical instruments in my life, but to be honest, I prefer to be on the receiving end of music rather than the writer of riffs, rhythms and beats. I first came across both John Mayer and Alicia Keys in high school and I was not an immediate fan of either. I thought Mayer’s music and lyrics were immature and rather frat boyish and I wasn’t really into Keys music at that time.

When Mayer released Heavier Things, which included "Daughters", "Something's Missing" and "Split Screen Silence", it was obvious that
he had gone through a tremendous amount of growth as an individual and as an artist, since Room for Squares. His second album was deeper and heartfelt, less poppy, more guitar oriented and lyrically much more mature. Then came Continuum. In my personal opinion, Continuum, Mayer's third album is one of the greatest albums out there to date. On this album his focus is Blues/Jazz and it can be felt on every track. The album also goes to new depths and areas lyrically with songs like "Belief" and "Waiting on the World to Change", both of which are drawn reactions to the political/social climate of the 2000's. The album also touched on sensitive subjects such as the impact of fame, life and living with a broken heart. Continuum showed a side of John Mayer that I was hoping to get more of on Battle Studies.

I first started getting into Alicia Keys through ran
dom songs like "Karma", "This woman’s worth", "Girlfriend", "Fallin’" and a few others. But it wasn’t until she came out with "No One" off her As I Am album, that I was sucked in and consequently blown away. I also regard As I Am as one of the greatest albums released in the past few years. From beginning to end it's solid and exciting. It's romantic, angry, sexy, mature, sensitive and respectful. I love this album so much that I never got sick of listening to it and then boom, two years later, The Element of Freedom came out and here I am falling in love with her stories, rhythms and voice all over again. The Element of Freedom lived up to all my expectations of how she would top As I Am.





The album is comprised of 15 new songs. Some of which seem to be a direct continuance of a few songs from As I Am, but show a continued growth and purpose. So far the songs that stand out to me are "Doesn't mean anything", "Try sleeping with a broken heart", "Un-thinkable", and "Like the Sea" which sounds like she borrowed the rhythm from an old Russian piano piece. This album is beautiful, original and a new stepping stone for her career. Each song is a consistent bala
nce of great music, paired with great lyrics and vocal arrangements. If you haven’t figured it out yet, this is the album that I found an outstanding accomplishment and Mayer's was the let down.




I sat down to listen to Battle Studies a few days after I listened to Alicia Keys new album...maybe that’s why I'm not thrilled. Well, viewing the album on song-to-song bases, it has a couple strengths; but as a whole, this album has bombed. It almost sounds like a mixed tape. The songs "Heartbreak Warfare" sounds like a borrowed anthem from U2. The song "Half of my Heart" sounds country, my brightest guess is because it features Taylor Swift, ... in the background! "Friends, lovers or nothing" sounds like a cheap attempt at sounding like The Beatles. The songs "Assassins" and "Crossroads" begin with an annoying guitar solo or synthesizer, I can't make it past the first 10 seconds of either song. Oh and let’s not forget "Do you know me" which sounds identical to "Stop this Train" from Continuum. The only consistency was the common theme of heartbreak, but not much else.

However, on a good note, the song "Edge of Desire" is where this album did do good. The lyrics, match the guitar perfectly. He tells a good and honest story. His voice sounds pure and at ease. This is the direction that this album should have gone down. But somehow it took a wrong turn. This album ignores the BB King and Eric Clapton influences heard throughout Continuum. There are very few guitar solos but the ones that are featured are simple and not as melodic as those found on his last album and especially on Where the Light is: Live Album.

Well, there it is. I hope I helped you save 13 bucks, or maybe I made you want to spend it to see for yourself. Whatev. Either way I would like it to be known, not that it really matters, but I still love the shit out of @JohncMayer and I continue to anxiously await an album that will match or surpass Continuum.

If you like good- chill music. The Element of Freedom is it. Best album I've heard in a long- long time!! :) Me happy.


If you're still reading at this point, THANK YOU!!

Me Love You Long Time,
NITA




Monday, December 21, 2009

Great new show on TV


A few months ago, following the death of one of my favorite singers, Michael Jackson, I wrote a blog about how he inspired and affected me and my family throughout our lives. And with all the things we know and don't know about MJ, there is even less known about the four other members of the Jackson 5.



About a month before Michael's death Tito, Jermaine, Jackie and Marlon, the four remaining members of J5, decided to get together and put together a 40 year anniversary album. They also decided to film their journey, for a documentary style show, which was not going to include Michael, but he was often spoken of. Unfortunately, only one episode was filmed before the tragic and unexpected death of Michael happened. So, naturally the tone and motif of the show changed from chronicling of an anniversary album, to recovering from the loss of a worldwide phenomenon and brother.

I didn’t really know what to expect when I first heard about this show, but I knew instantly, it was something special. For me, it's difficult to recognize that MJ was human. Because, as much as I love and respect his talents, he did a lot of weird stuff that I will probably never understand. And to see his brothers speak of him, the way I speak of my brothers was a new and enlightening experience.

The brothers speak a lot about how "normal" they are, and with the exception of Jermaine, I agree. On the other hand the three other brothers seem to be sweet, mature men, continuing to live their lives with the sweet memory of Michael and their time in the band together. They live in nice houses but nothing like Neverland Ranch. They have wives and kids, that if I ever saw them in the street, I would have no idea they were related to the world’s greatest family of entertainers. I exclude Jermaine, because he is a very unusual man, who I believe has ulterior motives for reuniting with his brothers; and being so outspoken in regards to MJ legacy. He seems like a phony trying to get his share of fame now that his super famous brother is out of the picture.

In one episode, at the request of their mother Katherine, Marlon and Tito return to the house on 2300 Jackson Avenue for inspiration for the new album. In following episodes they speak directly of the effect Michael's death had on their lives and where they were when they found out and such. For me, it's something different and extremely emotional, to watch grown men cry. In person or on TV, it's just something that gets me. And in this show, none of them hold back.

Out of 5 stars, I would give this show a 4.5. I really love its authenticity and introspective look at people I've always wondered about.

Happy Holidays and may 2010 be brighter and filled with love for everyone!




Out of 5 stars, I would give this show a 4.5. I really love it's authenticity and introspective look at people I've always wondered about.

Happy Holidays and may 2010 be brighter and filled with love for everyone!


All my love,
Nita

Currently Listening to:
"Stop the love you save"- The Jackson 5


http://www.aetv.com/the-jacksons-a-family-dynasty/video/?bcpid=51283313001&bclid=55831980001&bctid=58401345001&baseURL=/bcconfig/Player/3Tier/TheJacksons_3TWS/config-xml/&baseDIR=/bcplayers/Player/3Tier_ws/baseDIR/