Gotta love the shuff... and Hemingway should've taken some happy pills.

So yesterday I was driving home from another fantastic day at work, and I decided to mix it up a little bit and set my ipod to shuffle. To my utter delight, the good ol' shuff surprised me with a throwback. I'm talking about "Always on my Mind" by Brandy. From her original album, circa 1994, Brandy. (Oh my, the originality.) I mean, my eleven year old self thought Brandy was off the chain. (Author's note: this was also just a year or two after my affinity for MC Hammer and other rap music began to creep into my previously innocent musical world... just fyi.) And yeah, I watched "Moesha." I won't even lie about. In my defence, Usher was on that show. And Ray J. And that dude that was on Save the Last Dance who kinda resembles 2Pac. (Which men I realize are not super relevant in the here and now... but I'm still a fan.)

Anyway, my little blast from the past made me contemplate my musical taste (some might say lack of taste... but those kind of people most likely listen to Garth Brooks so I don't care what they say... he hee) throughout the years, and I'm surprised by how much I loved R&B and Hip-Hop even from a young age. I mean, I got into the Fugees when I was in the 6th grade. I hearted the (edited) 2Pac in junior high. I'm pretty hard core for a white girl from the east side. HAHAHAHA. But I just thought it was funny that my affinity for those genres came at so young an age. Yay for old favs.

On a completely unrelated note, I just finished reading For Whom the Bell Tolls, yet ANOTHER horrendously depressing literary masterpiece from our friend, Ernest Hemingway. I have to say I have a love/hate relationship with his tomes, because they are so beautifully crafted and yet so cynical and defeatist. I actually deluded myself into thinking that perhaps, this time, Hemingway would allow his protagonist to be happy, to be truly fulfilled. Silly me. Of course he couldn't do that. After reading this, The Old Man and the Sea, A Farewell to Arms and The Sun Also Rises, I've decided that I think I prefer The Old Man and the Sea. At least there's no romantic relationship and at least nobody who you want to live dies. However, I am addicted to his writing style. All his faults aside, he is a brilliant and phenomenal artist. But bless his heart, even though the love of his life left him, I think he just needed to take some happy pills. Instead becoming a bitter alcoholic. Maybe that's just me though. Shrug.

Next up Atonement, and the completion of The Audacity of Hope. Should be interesting.