Oh, occupy this!

occupy wall street! occupy boston! occupy rome! oh, occupy this! protesters trying to speak out against corporate greed have prolonged their camp out nearly a month now and are wrecking havoc on residents and small businesses. no longer are the big guys being hurt (if they are at all, despite some minor embarrassment), but it's the little guys these protesters are purportedly standing up for, who are being most affected. cities around the world are taking much of the same action, but none have produced any results, nor have i heard or read any feasible solutions for them to agree to and decide to pack up and move on. just last week i was dropping off my boyfriend at the train station here in our home of boston and i caught sight of the protesters in the business district. my first thought at seeing the crowd, "these are former hippies of the sixties who never quite moved on". my second thought, "so, this is where the homeless and degenerates have migrated too." i realize these comments may seem harsh, and i know friends will be stunned to find i typed this, but unfortunately beyond the message that their signs read, i haven't seen any positive results that speak to people. i admire the drive, organization, and courage that these people have shown, but now it seems all the good they had hoped to produce will likely not happen, at least not in the way they hoped for. continue to educate the masses, but in more productive ways. it was a good show, friends, now get out! isn't their a plan b?

PS: i hope i'm shown up, and things DO work out for the little guy.
further reading:

The Official Occupy Wall Street website

The Wall Street Journal reports on the affects of small businesses.

Aquaman saved my Saturday morning!

remember when saturday morning cartoons were fun? man, as a child of the '80s/'90s i sure do and boy, do i miss it! my love of comic books is no secret so when i came across the two disc dvd set of the 1967 animated series, The Adventures of Aquaman, for under ten dollars, i was thrilled! truthfully i wasn't expecting much. aquaman, dc comics' king of the seven seas had been a minor favorite hero from my childhood, but despite some fun adventures in printed form, his less than memorable adventures beside other favorites like wonder woman and superman in the super friends show were ... eh. it's too bad too, because not only is aquaman fast on land and sea, super strong and durable, but he has the unique ability to communicate and command any oceanic creature telepathically. oh, and don't forget that not only is he the protector of two thirds of our planet, he also happens to be king of the sunken city of atlantis. most of this is shown in simple form in The Adventures of Aquaman, but the simplistic nature of a hero using his powers to defeat enemy after enemy who would threaten his underwater home, well, it's just plain fun! i find it odd that sharks, whales, and even dolphins can do battle with the more fierce and often mechanical foes they're ordered to face, but it seems none are harmed in their fight for good. aquaman even has a teenage sidekick, ala robin to batman, but while aqualad does get in the way from time to time, the young hero is competent in his crime fighting for the most part. i would have loved that as a child watching this show in the late sixties! there's tusky, the comedic walrus, and mera, aquaman's female "friend" who needs rescuing regularly (?!), but aquaman himself is a thrilling and confident hero out to protect the oceans. watching all thirty-six episodes i unwittingly got caught up in the excitement and found a new respect for the hero who would be portrayed as a third or fourth wheel next to his fellow justice league compatriots. i definitely have a new favorite show to watch every saturday morning, this one on dvd.



Album review: 'Drama', Bananarama

i have not heard a more perfect pop album than Drama by bananarama, released in 2005. from beginning to end a listener is engaged to dance, sing along, and often times, hit the repeat button. uptempo sex-tinged songs like "look on the floor", "move in my direction", "feel for you", and "i love the way" flow perfectly through, Drama, harmonizing the voices of bandmates keren woodward and sara dallin magnificently. "waterfalls" and (my favorite) "middle of nowhere" are the album's only ballads amid this collection of dancefused tracks, but proves bananarama can diversify their sound, if only slightly. my enjoyment of Drama caused me to look back at bananarama's discography and discover other gems i had previously missed. the duo's latest album is 2009's, Viva.

Album review: 'Do It In the AM', Frankmusik

i had never heard of frankmusik or of his 2009 album, complete me, but upon discovering of his music on itunes, i was excited to find that his latest album would drop this month. frankmusik's unabashed pop/dance is fun, but with some sincere thought provoking lyrics that makes listeners wonder just what lies within the artist's heart. the title track, "do it in the AM", is a fun club bumper, but much of the beginning of, Do It In the AM, is so-so and generic, little standing out from other music being produced today. it's not until the album's fifth song, "the fear inside of me", that this record develops its own retro style, reminiscent of '80s and '90s music. overall i like frankmusik's sophomore album, but it breezes through in just over a half an hour, leaving me feeling like there should be more to offer. strangely enough, two songs featuring duets, "no ID" (ft. collette carr) and "no champagne" (ft. natalia kills) are my least favorite tracks and actually grate on me. i can't exactly explain why, but maybe it's because the album's guest don't match well with the star's own voice. overall, Do It In the AM, is an above average album that i will listen to over and over.

Album review: 'Here I Am', Kelly Rowland

when kelly rowland released her first single and explosive dance hit, "commander", for her latest album over a year ago, i couldn't wait for more! three more singles were released over the course of several months that i also loved, "rose colored glasses", "forever and a day", and "grown woman". Disappointingly these songs did not chart top and were not added to, Here I Am, a collection of ten songs that attempt to blend an urban/r&b vibe with a strong dance sound. unfortunately there isn't much of a balance between the two musical genres and it almost seems like there are two different albums instead of a single whole. and the songs aren't all that memorable, even after listening to the album several times. the exceptions being, "commander", "all of the night", and the most recently released single, the sexy collaboration with rapper, 'lil wayne, "motivation". but three good songs aren't enough to sustain a full album and Here I Am ultimately failed to hold my interest weeks after purchase. i discovered a deluxe edition with additional material on itunes and immediately fell in love with the erotic and bouncy, "each other". i love rowland's voice, energy, and when the song allows, passion, but the album doesn't provide enough punch for me to recommend this to friends. since rowland famously split from the group, destiny's child, in 2002, it seems the artist has been looking for her own distinct sound. judging by Here I Am, kelly rowland is still searching.

Art Class With Mr. Wilber: Student Art Show

check out the latest blog on my other site.

Art Class With Mr. Wilber: Student Art Show: The Youth Summer Student Art Show at the Worcester Art Museum runs till October 11th -- check it out!

Final playlist of summer 2011

i personally don't feel this has been a great summer of music, but that's not to say i haven't discovered or rediscovered some classics from years past. this will be most likely my last playlist of the season that i post, but i'm pleased to report that although this year's summer has been -- blase, it should end with a bang as my boyfriend and i have plans to end the month with a tour of southern mexico. cheers to all!

Video Playlist Vol. !0

Teach peace.

National night out 2011

i'm very pleased to have been asked to helm the worcester art museum's booth for tonight's special event happening all across the united states. national night out was created to promote safe and drug-free neighborhoods and partnerships with law enforcement officials. i'll be promoting summer session two classes and future fall classes for which scholarships through our outreach department are available. while talking about the positive programming we offer, my assistants and i will be working to make windsock kites with young attendees - should be lots of fun! the party runs from 4-8pm, on bell hill, the corner of Belmont St and Oak Ave. check your local city or town announcements to see if there is a national night out celebration in your area.

Summer music for 2011

i'll be honest, this has not been a great year for movies or music. i haven't felt driven to buy a single album this summer, when usually, i'm at my peak of craving for new sounds to listen to on the beach, long road trips, etc. of the four movies i've caught at the theater, i thoroughly enjoyed one, had fun with another, and the rest hardly met my expectations. below is a link of a few jams i can't get out of my head, unfortunately, not many of them are original, rather remixes from songs of old. while that does take a sort of creative genius, mostly it has me looking up music i listened to in the late '80s and early '90s. anyway, it's not the be all or end all of summer, but i had higher hopes for new music to help complete this, my favorite time of year.

Video Playlist Vol. 9










*if you've missed any of my playlists check out my YouTube channel!