Blank Tape

The making of a great compilation tape, like breaking up, is hard to do and takes ages longer than it might seem. You gotta kick off with a killer, to grab attention. Then you got to take it up a notch, but you don’t wanna blow your wad, so then you got it cool it off a notch. There are a lot of rules. Anyway …I’ve started making a tape … Rob Gordon, High Fidelity.

I miss mixed tapes. There were different kinds of mix tapes.

The I’m going to share all my favorite songs with my best friend mix tape.

My favorite songs from the radio mix tape because I don’t have the cassette tape, or CD yet.

The I miss you mix tape. Aka the break up tape no one is ever going to hear because it will be worn out from being played on repeat.

The road trip mix tape.

The songs that make me the happiest mix tape.

The riding public transportation mix tape.

The songs that are my guilty pleasures that I don’t want anyone to know about mix tape.

And of course, the ever famous, songs for new sweetheart mix tape.

When I was in school Rob Gordon’s quote was right it did take a long time to make a mix tape. Okay grant, it was pre iTunes. It was also before a time when everyone had computers, and you could easily burn a CD. When I was a senior in high school you could still walk into Sam Goody and buy a cassette tape. Kids if you don’t know what Sam Goody is, it was like Best Buy back in my day.

When it was time to make a mix tape, I would have all my cassette tapes and CDs laid out in front of me. Then I would have a paper and pen to write down the possible songs and their order. There was something personal about a mix tape when I was growing up because you knew how long the process was. And you knew if a person made you one it was special. It’s like when you write someone a letter …. you know paper, pen, it was called mail … it means something because it’s from one person’s hand to yours. They took time for you.  

The most difficult process of making a mix tape is when you had to get songs from the radio. Of course you would have your tape ready to go, but then one of three things would happen.

The DJ would come in at the end of the song.

You would have to wait through two or three songs and a commercial break before the song you wanted came on.

You missed the song because you were on the other side of the room.

It’s like when I was growing up and we had HBO we made sure that whatever movie they were showing Saturday night we recorded it. Yes, before DVDs we had HBO. That’s where they showed all the new movies like Ghostbusters, Enemy Mine …. Okay they were new movies to me growing up. And if you have not seen Enemy Mine, this is me shaking my head. A movie about a two warriors, one from Earth and another from Dracon … nough said.

Speaking of missing things. I miss VH1 and MTV. On the weekends you could watch the Top 20 songs. Ah, those were the days. Now you have to go on YouTube. Don’t bet me wrong I like the YouTube but it’s not the same. If that makes sense. I don’t even think they show music videos on tv any more. When I say it’s not the same. It’s like when you are flipping channels and you run across a movie you own but the fact that you ran across it is like a happy accidental. Or, as I normally say inside my head, I have to see it now … even though I own it .., because it’s on now.

I’m glad Guardians of the Galaxy was made, it has introduced the youths to the mix tape. Okay that sound cheesy. But I didn’t have to explain what a mix tape is. *She says the only in the room laughing at her won joke.* I recommend at least making a playlist. A kind of soundtrack that is special for someone or for yourself. I would highly recommend making a mix tape if they still sell radios with cassette tapes. Man you can’t even buy a care with a cassette player anymore. Oh technology you make me both happy and sad.

It’s about vampires, ostensibly

 “It’s about vampires, ostensibly ...” Yep, this is the title I am sticking with.

Well it’s about social media, but not really. It started off that way but did not end that way.

So I think a while back I attempted to write about social media, Twitter in particular. But I was as the kids say a newb. Or, is it noob? I am attempting to write about it again because it’s been on my mind. I’ve been wanting to write about it for a while, but have been afraid of coming across as “complaining,” or it just won’t come across right. In thinking about it, it has lead me to other thoughts that are a bit more serious. I think it will make sense. It will. I hope. Stick with me on this one.

How do you make a lighthearted observation without coming across as hating the something you are making an observation about anyway? I guess it’s a subtle art, like making a mix tape. As Rob Gordon would say, “The making of a great compilation tape, like breaking up, is hard to do and takes ages longer than it might seem. You gotta kick off with a killer, to grab attention. Then you got to take it up a notch, but you don’t wanna blow your wad, so then you got to cool it off a notch. There are a lot of rules.”

I’m not sure how I’ll do but hopefully this comes across that way. Social media sometimes reminds me of a high school setting. “You see us as you want to see us ... in the simplest of terms and the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain … and an athlete … and a basket case … a princess … and a criminal.”

Sorry that felt like a John Hughes moment. I guess my point is there are days when you feel like you don’t belong. You’re not exactly in any category. And sometimes it’s not just a once in a while thing, it’s like your whole life thing. I wanted to bring this is up because words matter, and most of all people matter.

Whenever I find myself in that kind of a mood. You know the mood where you think you don’t fit. There is one thing that has recently come to make me feel better. I thought I would share it. Most of you might know it …

“Every inch of me shall perish. Every inch, but one. An inch, it is small and it is fragile, but it is the only thing in the world worth having. We must never lose it or give it away. We must never let them take it from us. I hope that whoever you are, you escape from this place. I hope that the world turns and things get better. But what I hope most of all is that you understand what I mean when I tell you that even though I don’t know you, and even though I may never meet you, laugh with you, cry with you, or kiss you. I love you. With all my heart, I love you.”

I know what you’re thinking Melissa, why would you pick a sad scene from a movie to make you feel better? It’s like I said words matter. And one of the greatest things about words are even though they are the same in spelling, they always have a different meaning to everyone. And that’s why people matter because without the differences how would we come to understanding and forgiveness.

As the Doctor would say “900 years of time and space and I’ve never met anyone who wasn’t important.”

Where have you been? And other VERY random thoughts

Or should I say where have I been? I was looking at my last post and I should have said to myself I hope you are sitting down for this, because my last post was November 18^th! November 18^th! Aca-Scuse me? Aca-believe it.

The last thing I blogged about was my love for Begin Again, don’t worry that love is still there. But then Thanksgiving came, then it was back to work again and then I was like huh? Then I just got lazy. There I said it. What don’t look at me like that. No you. I just realize I am mostly talking to myself here. Anyway…

To be honest, I have not felt very motivated to write a blog. When I write, I have to write for myself and I have to feel it. I can’t write just to write. Which is another reason my writing is not very structured. Not that structure is a bad thing. For me, I like to write as if I am having a discussion. Well, more like a conversation. Well, more like my brain is just rambling.

Well … well. Thank you to the 10^th Doctor for that one. Saying well a lot. Speaking of the Doctor, I have been watching the series again starting from number 9. Who was/is the Doctor’s brother? There’s a scene where Martha Jones ask the Doctor is he has a brother. He says No, not any more. What? And where is the Doctor’s daughter? Going way back, what happened to his granddaughter? My husband brought up a good point, she is a Time Lord, so wouldn’t she have regenerated a couple of times since leaving the TARDIS. I will stop now because, too many unanswered questions.

Where was … oh feeling motivated to write. I can honestly say now I know where that conversation comes from. You know the one where someone ask, what are you writing? And you say nothing. That’s me. Well, sort of. Well, not today!

It’s kind of like when I was about to write about the Hunger Games. Hunger Games! I just got stuck on the third paragraph. That movie was dark. Don’t get me wrong I love the Hunger Games book series. When I first read Catching Fire I was like it this is getting dark. When I got to Mockingjay, all I could say was it just got real people.

So confession, I cried for like the first 30 minutes of the movie. I know fictional characters, but there is something about oppression and war, that is too real. One of the other things that pulled at my heart strings is the first scene where Philip Seymour Hoffman appears.

There were other moments that did not make me feel sad. Like when Katniss kisses Gale and he says the only way he can get her attention is by being in pain. I was like there’s no time for false drama we got bigger issues up in here.

I truly think the movie does need to be in two parts. What we just saw just scratched the surface. There is so much that happens in the book, one movie would not cover it all and would feel rushed. But at the end of the movie, I said to myself, I guess they are waiting to show how crazy Coin is in the second part.

To sum up my feelings for Mockingjay Part I, I’d like to quote Rob Gordon from High Fidelity.

“Nobody worries about kids listening to thousands, literally thousands of songs about heartbreak, rejection, pain, misery and loss. Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music?”

In this case replace music with books.

Speaking of films, I finally saw Edge of Tomorrow. And it was pretty good. Yes, Tom Cruise is in it. Yes, I know how some people feel about it. But the movie was not too Tom Cruisey and Emily Blunt is excellent in this movie. Her character, Rita, does not have to rely on Cage (Cruise) to come and rescue her.

In regards to writing, I think sometime it’s good to take a break, or in my case be a little lazy and enjoy good movies and spend time with loved ones because it can help clear the mind. For me it’s my zen thing. Because hey, look, I actually write something today. To sum it up, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”