345: Soundtrack. New Order - Regret

This song came out in 1993, when I was 13 years old. Up to this point, I "liked" a lot of music that was influenced by my parents and my brother, but hadn't really gotten into any kind of my own identity as a newly angst ridden teen. I was going through the process of recently getting my period and these extremely large breasts. (I had my first training bra in the 3rd grade, I was nine or so, but they had become more prominent with this finally hurrah of puberty.) Talk about awkward.

I listened to the radio A LOT. The only channels that came through in this area were either Top 40 or adult contemporary. I'm extremely grateful for the commercial successes that hit for this band, the Cure and Depeche Mode in this time frame. I have no idea what might have become of me if not for that.

This song peaked at #28 on the US Billboard Top 100 list. The band made a video for "Top of the Pops" on the set of Baywatch. As odd as that is, it still somehow makes more sense than "World in Motion" to a lot of people in the US. I loved (still do) soccer and I'm sure that New Order's UK following doesn't have any questions about what a big freaking deal it is have been the countries theme for the World Cup, but I digress.

This song played in the background, over and over and I knew every.single.word. but I somehow missed the impact it had on me until I was older.

I rediscovered this song when I was in my early 20's. I was shopping at a shoe store, heard the chorus overhead, and without a thought, started singing along. It became stuck in my head, the mother or all ear-worms, endlessly looping throughout my brain. However, I had no idea who or what it was. It was also popping up on the radio and various places more often, due to the band Orgy releasing a cover of another New Order song, "Blue Monday" that had recently made a dent in the alternative radio charts.

I was hanging out with some friends, and mentioned it to my friend Laura. Laura worked at a local record store, and was a cyber punk/goth goddess who knew just enough about pop culture to be the "go to expert" with this sort of thing. This was of course before she came to know "'Tina"; but that's a story for another day, and was still a few years later down her timeline. But I digress; I sang the snippet I remembered from the chorus for her; "I would like a place I can call my own, have a conversation on the telephone..."

She looked at my very plainly and said; "It's New Order. You know...the same band that did the original version of "Blue Monday"."

"Are you sure? I could have sworn it was Erasure or something else."

"I'm about 93% sure, but feel free to look it up."

Well, I did. Laura was right, it was indeed New Order. This was the first and last time I would question her about music. This was also about the time I really dug deeper into those "essential" new wave/synth pop bands more deeply. Sure, I listened to the Cure, and as I previously mentioned, I  knew the Top 40 hits from  New Order, Depeche Mode, and Morrissey that briefly surfaced in the early 90's, but I didn't know the albums. I wasn't listening to the Smiths or Joy Division. However, after this happened; I drove right in. Shortly after a few months of discovering my new found loves that were instantly put into heavy rotation, Laura gave me CD she thought I would really enjoy.

"People who like Morrissey all really seem to dig this artist, and this album is killer," she said. "Give it a listen and let me know what you think."

That CD was a promo copy of Gene's "Drawn to the Deep End." I loved it instantly, and it still stands as one of my favorite albums.

Writing challenge: Book titles with new stories

A writing challenge that is, so far, between Plex and myself.

The challenge is to write original works based off of just titles of exiting books or stories. The new works shouldn't have anything to do with the original work beyond the title (unless by accident).

So list 10 book titles or story titles of books that you really liked (or out-right loved). Then pick 5 titles from another list to base your new writing on. Any writing style can be used.

One story should be done by the end of the month for the next five months, starting in March.

Here is my list of 10:

1. Magician: Apprentice
2. Foundation
3. How Few Remain
4. Kaleidoscope
5. Nightfall
6. Under the Banner of Heaven
7. Cat's Cradle
8. Beggars of Spain
9. The End of the World News: An Entertainment
10. The Windup Girl

238: Open Poetry

Upon having to face some of my bad behaviors,
I have thought long and hard-
and offer this in addition to what I've already done and said: 


At some point you have to move on,
you have to look at things from another perspective,
I feel like I can see through your eyes today.

I'm not a saint
and my sinner moments can haunt us
but I know where my heart lies.

With you.

At some point you have to
put others before yourself,
and the moment I wanted to do this
for you, I knew exactly where
my head and heart finally connected.

The two entities may still
have disagreements but
I know how to balance them.

I love you.

And finally, I think I have a grasp of
the reality of that statement.

213: Songs that inspire. Tycho - A Walk

There was something about the sunset

even with all the snow,

that reminded me of warmth

And sunny vacations.

Bronzed bodies,

cocktails with cheap novelty toothpicks

And miles and miles of sand.

I felt that azure glow against my face,

and was also reminded of the desert 

in Tucson, Arizona.

The road trip there,

the Mission San Xavier del Bac, 

and how awful negotiations were

after crossing the border in Nogales 

obtaining that Mayan calendar;

the one that you just HAD to have.

This might only be a reaction 

to those warm colors and wishful thinking,

but while engaged in those thoughts

I somehow did feel a bit warmer.

213: The songs that inspire

213: The songs that inspire

Writing challenge 213: Instrumental music inspired writings.

Battle between Thomas, Bren, and (hopefully) Marq.

(However...other users and anonymous responses to each song are welcomed in the comments section) 

No "deadline"; just post a link to an instrumental song you enjoy or that inspires you. Then each contributor should post their responses to that song in the comments section. This can be done in any writing style. 

238: Poetry

Writing challenge 238: Open form Poetry

Anyone can participate. 

Post one poem a month. Can be on any topic. 



Can't wait.
For a reason,
for a deadline,
for a whole new way

To get this brain's rambling out into the open.

Let the games begin!!

Writing challenge 345: Soundtrack

Battle between Plex and Bren. 

Pick twelve songs that "mean" something to you. Then the other picks half of the list for the other person to write about. 

Deadline: Every other month. First "assignment" is due by the end of the day on March 1st, 2014.



Here are my twelve songs, Plex; You pick six of them. 

New Order - Regret
Stone Temple Pilots - Plush
Poe -Hello
Jimi Hendrix - Castles Made of Sand
Radiohead - High and Dry
Miles Davis - Blue in Green
REM - You are the Everything
Bjork - Bachelorette
A Perfect Circle - 3 Libras
The Cure - the Walk
The Zombies - Care of cell 44
Son Volt - Ten Second News