singing duets

I learned to enjoy Kara-oke (kara=self oke=okestra=orchestra) when I spent time in Japan. At first I hated karaoke because I thought I was a horrible singer and I didn't want to subject anyone to my terrible voice. But then I learned that I'm not actually tone deaf and if I tried I could do a half decent job singing most songs that I was familiar with. Upon that realization I started enjoying karaoke a bit more. But not too much.

The problem was that in Japan the selection of english songs, while large, consisted of the standard items: Golden oldies, The Beatles, 80's long-standers, and modern pop songs by brittany spears and her clones. You could find Green day or Nirvana at some places but that's not so fun to sing. These standard items are ok, but I don't know them so well because they're the kind of music that I deliberately try to stay away from - because I've heard them so much (typically when they first came out, or when I first started listening to the oldies station) . My dislike of a vast majority of songs (very few exceptions) exponentially increases with every listen. And since I don't pay much attention to lyrics I have a ton of trouble karaokeing these tunes.

My biggest problem was male-female duets. They were all basically songs I didn't know so when I was asked to take part it just wasn't easy or fun. I've since thought to myself "what is it about duets that I don't seem to like?"

It turns out that there's probably nothing wrong with duets. Today, as I was listening to my iTunes collection while working, a song from a cd that I've owned for a while came on. It was a duet, and one that I actually liked quite a lot. That song is from a more-than-half-decent-band who call themselves "Stars."

Here it is:

	Stars - Your Ex-Lover Is Dead
	Found at skreemr.com

So there's a duet that I'd be happy to sing (especially since it's short and I know most of the lyrics). Now to find a karaoke place in California that actually has it on their machine...

Of course there won't be, because I'm sure songs need to be licensed for karaoke use and pitzy little indie bands don't (or aren't asked to) license their songs.

language and the brain

This old woman suffering from dementia was having trouble remembering words for actions (verbs). She didn't seem to have trouble remembering names for items or locations (nouns). Scientists were a little stumped so they did tests and sure enough this old lady seemed clearly to have trouble with verbs but not nouns. This looked like a new form of aphasia... pretty crazy stuff.

Then these other researchers did another test, using a different methodology, with the woman. they showed her a video of an action (instead of a picture of an action, like the other researchers were doing) and she was able to remember the names for the verbs she saw performed.

So it turns out, this woman can only remember verbs when she actually sees them performed, but she cannot if she sees them drawn as in a comic book.

Yet another reason why it's absolutely ridiculous that there are linguists still out there who are doing linguistics while ignoring all other aspects of cognition...

Television

I don't often say that I love some tv show, but I love Flight of the Conchords. The last show that I said I loved was Firefly. Flight of the Conchords is at least as good as Firefly but in a very different way. If you haven't seen Flight of the Conchords I highly recommend renting the two DVDs of their first (and currently only) season.

Today I found out that they have begun broadcasting their diminished second season. The first episode is available online. But I don't recommend watching it if you haven't seen the first season, not because it won't be funny to you -- because it will... it will be funny to the MAX -- but because if you are set up for all the jokes it might be funny to the MAX times 10. And you shouldn't deprive yourself of the that much funny.

in harmony with one's self

I first heard of fredo viola a couple of years ago when the internet brought me his 'sad song'.

His full album was recently released on itunes. But to more easily appreciate his music you should get a taste for how he makes it by going to its flash-heavy website.

Prop 8: the musical!

coolest thing I've seen all week:

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die