February 27, 2007

Sonic Love Byte: Atlantic City by Bruce Springsteen

Posted by Miss Jaime at Tuesday, February 27, 2007 0 comments

You want to see what America's really like? Look through the eyes of an immigrant. You'll see a very interesting portrait of the nation -- one both bleaker and rosier than the one you're used to seeing.

You'll notice a lot of duality like that. See, when you live in the States and you weren't born here, things are different. Now, I can't speak for the rest of the tired, poor huddled masses yearning to breathe, but I can speak for myself.

I love this country. Fiercely. Passionately. Completely. I'm not some flag waving patriot who'll stick a boot up your ass just as quickly as she'll shock'n y'all (Yes, I realize that doesn't make sense, but then again, neither does Toby Keith). I'm just a person who appreciates the opportunity and the life she has.

There is no place in the world I would want to reside besides these here United States. But in this country -- I cannot legally work. If I choose to get married, a horde of officials will demand paperwork and legitimate proof of my relationship is actually a relationship and not a scam. If I wanted to go on vacation abroad, I could not re-enter the country. Next year, my visa will expire and I have no idea what I'm going to do.

In short -- living in America ain't easy, but trying to live here? It's even tougher.

Some days, it seems like the system is doing everything in its power to evict me. But despite that -- I want nothing more than to stay. I believe in America. That it is a good place. That the Algerian ideals are true. I still believe in the American Dream.

That being said, I recently rediscovered something I fell in love with when I was seventeen -- the music of Bruce Springsteen.

My boyfriend made me a mix CD and one of the tracks on it was Atlantic City.

I played it once and as soon as the song was over, I immediately rewound it and played it again. And again. And again. With every subsequent replay, I started to remember more and more about just how much I loved Springsteen. How I've read It Ain't No Sin To Be Glad You're Alive: The Promise of Bruce Springsteen by Eric Alterman from cover to cover at least a dozen times. How I must have listened to Glory Days at least once a week back then. How I referenced American Skin (41 Shots) in a paper I wrote for an English class. How I remembered thinking that Springsteen was a real rarity because he told the truth and no-one hardly does that anymore.

Springsteen epitomizes America. Just like Mustangs, Fender Strats, bottomless cups of coffee and great greasybluesydirty guitar solos.

He understands the country's duality -- the promise and the desperation. The optimism and the devastation. But above all, he understands the hope.

Life is hard and cruel. Sometimes, you don't make enough money to make ends meet. Sometimes, your dream is further out of reach than you originally believed. Sometimes, the guy doesn't get the girl, but in America -- when there's nothing else left, there's always hope. The promise of a new day. A brighter tomorrow. "Everything dies. Baby, that's a fact. But maybe everything that dies someday comes back. Put your makeup on. Fix your hair up pretty. And meet me tonight in Atlantic City."

It may be fraught with peril ("Well I'm tired of comin' out on the losin' end/So honey last night I met this guy and I'm gonna do a little favor for him" -- an obvious reference to Atlantic City's shady criminal underworld), but if you're willing to take the chance and get on that Coast City bus to the place where the sand's turning into gold -- well, you've got a shot. At a better life. At a bigger dream. At rebirth and reinvention.

Despite the elegiac tragedy just waiting to befall the our hero, Atlantic City is a song of promise. Our hero may never win the big money jackpot. He might not ever be a high roller but he's throwing the dice. He's taking a shot and as long as he does that -- well, he's living the American Dream.

No retreat, baby. No surrender.



I couldn't find Atlantic City on Radio Blog Club, so instead -- here's another one of my favorite Springsteen tracks.

February 25, 2007

The Asian Sensation

Posted by Miss Jaime at Sunday, February 25, 2007 0 comments

February 23, 2007

Sonic Love Byte: G. Love

Posted by Miss Jaime at Friday, February 23, 2007 0 comments


Reasons I Dig G. Love:
  • He effortlessly combines hip hop, funk, soul, blues, rock, folk and pop. Now usually when artists try their hands at fusion, it ends up with the listener trying to shave off his or her ears with a cheese grater (see: Fred Durst, KoRn, most any rap-rock hybrid), but G. Love has managed to perfect the sound.

  • The band's name is Special Sauce. Who would have thought that a condiment found at McDonalds could be so cool?

  • He collaborates with Ben Harper, Jack Johnson and Blackalicious on his seventh studio album, Lemonade.

  • The man digs food in a serious way. I think he was even featured on the Food Network once. My general rule of thumb? If they ain't all about food, don't trust 'em.

  • One of his biggest influences is John Lee Hooker and John Lee Hooker is bad-ass. Real bad-ass.

  • Three words -- Milk and Cereal

  • And the most important reason I dig G. Love -- he sounds good.
For more G. Love -- check out the official G. Love and the Special Sauce website, Philadelphonic or you can head on over to I Am Fuel, You Are Friends for these two posts.

In other news -- I have a headache, we're getting free HBO and Showtime at Lush Manor and in eleven days -- I'm seeing Dan. I can't wait.

February 20, 2007

Sonic Love Byte: Lily Allen

Posted by Miss Jaime at Tuesday, February 20, 2007 0 comments

Reasons I dig Lily Allen:

She's English (like me)
She's a pint-sized pottymouth (again, like me)
She's a blogger (I'm seeing a lot of similarities here...)
Her music is a helluva lot of fun -- she sings about having her ex boyfriend beaten up (Smile), her pot-smoking scrub of a brother (Alfie), her frugal grandma (Nan, You're A Window Shopper which is actually a take on 50 Cent's battle rap Window Shopper) and life in London (LDN).
She's down with puppets.


February 17, 2007

Well, Sinead O' Rebellion! Shock me shock me shock me with that deviant behavior

Posted by Miss Jaime at Saturday, February 17, 2007 0 comments
Britney Spears Then:



Hot.

Britney Spears Now:




Bald.

Dub. Tee. Eff?

February 14, 2007

Love ain't for the faint of heart

Posted by Miss Jaime at Wednesday, February 14, 2007 0 comments
Happy Valentine's Day.

February 4, 2007

CONGRATULATIONS COLTS!

Posted by Miss Jaime at Sunday, February 04, 2007 0 comments

Colts: 29
Bears: 17

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS!

They deserved this.

February 2, 2007

Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together - mass hysteria.

Posted by Miss Jaime at Friday, February 02, 2007 0 comments
The Best Friend woke me up this morning at 6:45.

I don't have class on Friday, so usually he just comes in to say goodbye before he leaves the house but this morning, he roused me from a deep slumber with this little nugget of wisdom:

"The Best Friend? Wake up. Listen -- if you hear a freight train, go the bathroom, lock the door and get in the tub, you hear me?"

If it was anyone else, anywhere else -- you could assume insanity or inebriation and you wouldn't be far off.

However since it was The Best Friend in Florida, it could only mean one thing:

Tornado watch
.

Living in Florida is like living in some epic weather-based disaster movie. A couple of days ago, it was freezing and this today -- we might just see a spinach-toned woman riding a bicycle in mid-air.


February 1, 2007

Even when it was the bears, I knew it was the immigants!

Posted by Miss Jaime at Thursday, February 01, 2007 0 comments
Damn it.

I came here LEGALLY fourteen years ago.
My parents own two successful businesses.
I graduated high school with a 3.4 GPA.
I'm currently enrolled in the journalism program at the University of Central Florida where I have a 3.4 GPA.
According to visa regulations, I am not legally allowed to work in this country but when I was awarded $3000 for my writing, I still had to pay taxes on it. I wouldn't mind paying taxes...if I had a chance to work for my money like everyone else does.

I am a legal immigrant and I get the short end of the stick on a daily basis.

I am sick and tired of people championing the causes of illegal immigrants. I'm sorry if their situation is tragic, but you know what else is a tragedy?

A family that's been here for fourteen years, doing everything the legal way and still having nothing to show for it.

And in other news, I knew Pats fans were stupid, but this is just too much.
 

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