Golly Gee, it's been awhile! I think I've grown scared of writing in this thing after The Incident (when my everything got erased). I'm like the kid who just discovered that hot stoves hurt...I'll never have quite the same level of confidence. But here goes....

I want to talk about music. I need some help. Part of my job at Target is to stock all the music and movies and books that come in. I'm realizing that there are A LOT of movies that I haven't seen, but that doesn't bother me so much because most of them look pretty stupid and I can't believe the things that people will spend 16 bucks for the DVD version of. But anyway, this was supposed to be about music. I'm also noticing that there are a lots of bands and artists out now that I've never heard of, which I know is my fault for not listening to the radio or watching Mtv. The radio part is due to the fact that I can't handle any radio stations because of the repetition of crappy songs and the million commercials. The Mtv thing is basically the same...I mean, do they even show videos anymore? Anytime I flip past it's like the Real World 56 or a bunch of people dancing on the beach to some lame somebody rather on stage. Sooooo, the other night I turned on Mtv and there was show on called "Spankin' New," on which they show videos of the latest artists or an old artist's latest album. I thought 'cool' because I figured I would get to hear a lot of those people whose CD's I'm stocking everynight and wondering who the hell they are. And I was right. I saw videos from Ashanti, B2B, Our Lady Peace, Dirty Vegas, Paulina Rubio, I don't know, a bunch of other groups that I can't remember. And the reason I can't remember them is that they ALL SUCK!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't believe the kind of stuff that gets serious air-play. I know at least 7 musicians in my own private life that write better music, I seriously can't believe it. So, the part about me needing help is where I ask you readers to send me some good recommendations. I'm definitely out of the loop since I can't seem to move past U2 and R.E.M and Tori Amos...you know the tried and true. I think the most recent artists I've been into were Coldplay, India.Arie and Badly Drawn Boy - and they're not even recent anymore. I mean, I know there's good new stuff out there, I just don't know where to find it, cuz it ain't happenin' at Target. Even if it's an old artists that you think I might like....please help me!!!! My e-mail address is scoobisnac2000@yahoo.com. I would LOVE to hear from you!!!!!

And there's another thing that kind of bothered me. In the hour and a half or so that I was watching Mtv, there was only one song that I thought interesting and, I don't know, is catchy too dorky of a word? And guess what it was!! Freakin' Eminem (Ahhhhhhh!!!). Some song called "Without Me" where he talks about how awesome he is and how the controversy he causes on Mtv is what keeps it interesting and how everyone's just bored to tears without him and all this stuff. Ok, so it wasn't ground-breaking or anything. I agree with him about how controversy keeps things interesting, and it's hard to disagree with him that he says that he's just trying to be himself and that people want to censor him and everything. I guess I just can't dig on his causes. I mean, homophobic misogyny just isn't my thing, you dig? So I guess it bothered me that I could dig his song. I mean, don't you hate it when you can't stand a person's politics but you like their art? I feel like I'm betraying myself or something. And I'm wrestling, too, with how I feel about his politics. I mean, it's obvious that I don't agree with him, but if I just go around disliking him and talking smack about him, aren't I just as bad as, say, the religious right, who I wish would just chill out and let people live? I think I'm asking for help in this area, too. I think it's an interesting discussion and I would love to hear what other people have to say about it. So write to me!