Protect yourself!

I got caught up in a time warp, and haven't listened to much music that was top-40 since the late-70s. I honestly don't know much of MJ's music since Thriller.

But... I have seen P-Funk twice in concert.

Ohmann. Speaking of sexy. To be honest, Kamran Delan's "Vaseh To" has a rather sultry beat to it, enough to make me dance. "Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing" is SO good, and it's my absolute FAVE out of all of Stevie Wonder's music. I love it when artists fuse different genres to create a new sound. I also think you might rather like The Funky Lowlives as I mentioned earlier, sampled here. If not, check out Luciana Souza for amazing bossa tracks.

And uhhh WOW about your experience today (yesterday by the time you read this?)! I'm guessing they weren't as moderate as you thought, and at least now you know better...However, I'm not surprised about getting into serious trouble for playing that in public - I'm glad you got home spared of an arse-kicking, though! Only a select number of people can truly appreciate Carlin for the badass he is...

...He laughed at the "pussy farts" bit? Seriously? Wow, the inherent contradictions abound...Communism = godless? Wtf? And umm. I can only imagine how angry this kid would have gotten if he actually knew you were atheist!

I'm about to check out Fairuz when I come home from work.

Want me to send you reminders? "Arkan, it's 10 pm. Do you know where your money is?" LOL, but aren't you also in Jordan? I imagine it isn't so easy-peasy to just pick up a job while you're over there.

... yes, everything has to ultimately be made about me.
Yes, but it's also amusing. :P

Sukran! And heh, nice clips :)

And nope! I mean travel to NYC for a weekend or whatever. I had every intention of going up there during Fall Break, but now I can go at any time plus Thanksgiving break without my accounts going into negatives lol

AHAHA YES! It's so annoying! Even the kids here on campus sound like that but without the lisp - just long, vacuous drawls.*So* cringe-worthy.

Aaand I'm celebrating my rapid transition from having no job to THREE. They're campus jobs sooo its not that serious, but it means *gasp* I have money now. I can seriously go wherever the bloody hell I feel like. Including back to NYC.

Ha! I knew it, I thought it was either going to be the glove, the 12" record or the turntables. :D

Damn it! How did you know?! I was considering giving you something random, but those were the final three!

Jealous. Oh. so. jealous. But please, do flaunt the tickets, lucky you! I want to see the film "This Is It" so badlyyy...

I bought a book last week called "Modern Music" which delves into the threshold of the modern era with the late Romanticism of Debussy and Mahler. It's because of Rach and Chopin that I thought I really want to delve deep into this world of late-19th to early-20th century classical.

WOW. I am excitedly anticipating your review!

I'm hesitant, confused, and scared (by maybe making a wrong decision) to what I really want to do in life. Hence my envy admiration of you. And hence the depressed talk of self-pity.

I mean, honestly, I'm in the same place. I'm freaking out because even the things that I am passionate about don't have a clear-cut career path. It took one anthropology class to make me transfer from the business school, and I'm afraid that I'll change my mind again when it's too late. I feel kinda mixed up, too, because I'm passionate but...about what, particularly? What will be strong enough to guide me in a certain direction?

And what drew you to genetics?

Girl you're nuts but in a very special way.
Hehehe :D But you are, too! Mr. Funkmaster Geneticist Army General.

Keep showing off. I like it, and at least you're showing off with good reason!

I want to thank you for your input of time and effort in our conversations. It's kind of inspiring and giving me a bit of a kick, actually.

Arkan, you've been the first person in a while to really engage and intrigue me, so I couldn't even help myself when I put effort into what I said. I'm not gonna lie and say I haven't been looking forward to your posts on my wall in the morning, because I can tell you have much to say and I like how you say it. We've given each other a kick, really! The question is, with what type of shoes...hmmm....

Awwhl. And you were so cuuute as a kid!

No self-pity! *hug!* But I totally understand. It feels like the music describes you perfectly without saying anything at all. Dark music can do that to you without draining you. Hell, I've cried while playing Schubert's Unfinished Symphony No. 8, but it was probably one of the most euphoric musical experiences I've ever had in my life. If you really want to feel something, I would recommend:

Schubert's Unfinished Symphony No. 8
Rachmaninoff's Concerto No. 2
Mahler's Symphonies No.s 1 and 6
Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5
AND this.

And woah, that's really very disappointing about the UN chair muppet. And I thought this was just in Islamic countries...
The info about this is somewhere on AN, but...actually...the UN chair is Muslim...

I completely feel you on the passion of activism vs. the numbness and emotionally-bankrupt forms of diplomacy.
You've put it SO much better than I could have, gaah! That's the thing, though - I realised last year that I couldn't do what I've been preparing myself to do and go into the corporate world as a business major. I'm way too passion-driven, and I'm far too philosophically lusty to settle in something that will drain me entirely. And while I know that I won't have that absolutely breath-taking gig, I want something I can come home from and still have a bit of life left in me, if not more. It's interesting that you said "please don't become a politician" because that's exactly where everyone tells me to go.You're a first. :)

What about you? Where do you see yourself going, and where is your passion?

*imagines Emekan rippin an Um Kulthum jawn to the beats of her own debkah.*
Can't...stop...smiling...aghhhh! Um Kulthum is AMAZING; it's kind of scary to hear traces of her in Najwa Karam's voice, too. Um Kulthum's music is so deep, ethereal and wrenching (in a good way), so it makes sense that even the modern bellydancers are using her as inspiration.

Your mixes are GREAT. Looove 'em!