Dear Apple iTunes,

I don’t regret spending an obscene amount of money on your website recently.  In fact, I would rather view it as helping out starving artists everywhere.  Artists, who peddle their trade earnestly on the streets of L.A., need this kind of money from me to just make ends meet.  How else would Brittany be able to afford her bi-polar medication?  (I confess, sadly, none of my purchases went to that cause, however.)

David Draiman can now afford to purchase another piercing!  I am equally thrilled to support another round of rehab for Ms. Winehouse as well.

I would ask that you somehow endeavor to make your site less addictive.  Perhaps you can make those little sound clips longer, so I didn’t feel the need to download just to complete the rest of the chorus.  I know, there are other sites out there that would offer me not only the music, but the video as well, however, the thrill of ownership will not be denied!

iTunes, when did you make illegal downloading a thing to be despised?  When did you manage to make purchasing something more thrilling than secretly thieving it from across a thousand shared servers?  Was that switch made when I got Madonna calling me a thief on her ‘Like a Virgin’ .mp3?  Was it when that one song I wanted was never available?

WHEN, I ask, WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN???

iTunes, you are my drug.  I am now going to overdose on a mixture of the following:

• Apocalyptica - Inquisition Symphony (Alas!  A full album download of music that I can fuck N too)
• Through Glass - Stone Sour
• Lovers in Japan (video)- Cold Play (Free!  Like a drug dealer passing out samples!!!)
• Little Toy Gun (video) - Honey Honey (Another Free one!)
• Over and Under - Egypt Central
• Hurt - Christina Aguilera
• Wanted Dead or Alive (video) - Bon Jovi (Why do you insist on keeping classic Def Leppard and G n R videos out of my reach?)
• Fast Car - Tracy Chapman
• The Killers - Hot Fuss (Special pricing, my downfall)
• Black - Aaron Lewis
• Black Balloon - The Goo Goo Dolls
• Strong Enough - Sheryl Crow (iTunes, when did you find out I love older women?)
• Real Gone - Sheryl Crow
• Here is gone - The Goo Goo Dolls
• Winter Wonderland - Tony Bennett (Free!)

I hope you are pleased with yourself, iTunes.  I’ll be back.

Yours eternally,

D

I am not cheating you with this post. I went looking for music to inspire a writing spree and found the following. Some are recently acquired, some are a little older, but weren’t on my last list published not long ago. Don’t worry, work is forthcoming - patience is a virtue, remember?

• Addicted - Saving Abel (When I got this one, I wasn’t sick of it as I am now.)
• Angels on the Moon - Thriving Ivory (Wasn’t on a list, but was mentioned)
• Disturbia - Rihanna (I’m disturbed on how mainstream my tastes were running at the time)
• Everything - Alanis Morissette (The Acoustic Version)
• Shadow of the Day - Linkin Park (Video)
• Beat It - Fall out Boy (feat. John Mayer) - (Michael Jackson got his ass handed to him on this one)
• Black Hole Sun - Soundgarden (A nod to the 90s grunge lover in me)
• I’m Yours - Jason Mraz (Happy little song)
• Fade to Black (Live) - Disturbed (Who cares if Metallica did it first?  They did it better.)
• Album Purchase - Rodrigo y Gabriela (If you like Spanish Guitar…)
• Album Purchase - Quantum of Solace

I’ve linked a few of my favorites.  Now that I have some music firmly in place, I am going to continue writing…. Shhh.

I’ve read the Gargoyle.  It was the rare book that caused me to pause during my usual rapid devouring phase wherein I consume books like an open flame in a communist regime.  I liked the first person perspective, but then I’m a blog reader and that view is mother’s milk for those like me.  From what I’ve read of the criticism of this book, it seemed to be a huge deterrent for most.  I think you’ll find, if you are a regular reader of mine, a sort of familiar trust that comes with a first person accounting.

Narrators do so often tend to put a spin on things, you know.

Second flaw from the reviews?  The unlovable lead character.  Hm.  While he did make choices I wouldn’t have made and cannot understand, what I can understand is imperfection.  I’ve got it in abundance and in so, can relate to his and his sort of need to feel superior in spite of the obstacles he faces, hell, because of them. It didn’t make him any less, just perhaps a little more difficult to embrace.

I found a sort of dry sarcasm punctuated his dialogue and I found it uplifting and amusing.  I laughed out loud at least twice that I can recall (bananas come to mind).

I won’t go into the details of the book.  I don’t offer, or want to offer, a cliff’s notes in my mini review.  I will say that many stories were woven together with great skill.  I will say that I was impressed with the progress the character made and indeed, my patience in waiting for the author to reveal the story rather than skipping ahead.  It was tempting, but I would have had to break off reading long enough to think to do so.  Rather, I found myself picking the book back up, over and over again.

All things in a single book, bound by love.

Yes.  Yes.

Thank you for finding this. Watch it.