In the spirit of exploring new things, here is the first installation in a new area of Rants & Raves: music reviews! Being a fairly musical person myself, I enjoy sharing my favorite artists and discovering the newest must-listens.
This week: All I Ever Wanted, fourth album from original American Idol Kelly Clarkson
Let me admit up front: I have always been a Kelly Clarkson fan, though I'm convinced that she was flat at the end of the album version of "A Moment Like This". It's okay, we all make mistakes. Breakaway, her sophomore album, has been in my favorite albums rotation, and after hearing "My Life Would Suck Without You" on the radio I was hopeful that her newest album would soon join the ranks.
Clarkson does not disappoint.
All I Ever Wanted is a bit ballad heavy, the perfect album to put on when you're dealing with hurt feelings or an ended relationship. Songs like "Cry" and "Already Gone" have lyrics that hit the heart, and the vocals are rich without being strained. Clarkson's pipes make her a phenomenal belter, but I'm glad to hear in this album that the focus is on more pure singing instead of the near-shouting that was a little too prominent on Breakaway.
Still, we remember that Miss Kelly has a fierce, edgy side with "Whyyawannabringmedown" and "Tip Of My Tongue". The beats make you want to get up and dance, and the lyrics are catchy. These and the second radio single, "I Do Not Hook Up", make this a staple album for the road trip or drive around town with the girls -- hell, even your mom might sing along. Mine will!
All in all, All I Ever Wanted has a little bit of something for everybody and every mood. I think this album is the sort of quality work that will cement her reputation as a serious artist, and I can't wait to see what else she has to offer.
Buy the album now at Amazon or get it on iTunes
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Now playing: Kelly Clarkson - I Want You
via FoxyTunes
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11 October 2009
05 October 2009
Foreign Service Officer Test
This is a slight departure from the norm. Right now, I am not ranting or raving.
Right now, I'm just nervous.
In less than an hour and a half, I will be sitting down to take the Foreign Service Officer Test, step 2 in the process of becoming a member of the U.S. Foreign Service. I can't remember the last time I wanted something this badly, nor can I remember ever being nervous about a test, an audition, an interview...anything.
What if I just don't know as much as I think I do? Or, what if I remember all the wrong things? I feel like I am going to walk out of this test and immediately email my PG 279 professor from university and apologize for not taking her class more seriously. In fact, I may do that beforehand -- a preemptive quest for absolution as I pray that I won't have to remember Chi-square or Spearman's rho and how to use them.
I've been getting mixed responses when I tell people that I've begun this process. Most people are just politely interested, but one of my close friends posed this question: "How will you feel working for an administration with whose policies you disagree?"
I'll admit, I struggled with this one briefly. After all, I've been a card-carrying Democrat since before I was even old enough to vote. I believe that the government has a responsibility to help society at all levels. However, in the last year or so I've realized that my point of view has shifted rightward. And while I can't bring myself to "come out" as a Republican, I have to be honest and say that I am not a true Democrat. At the end of the day, though, I have to do what's right for the country. Being a Foreign Service officer to me is about more than serving the administration in office. Presidents and Congresspersons come and go, and regardless of their party or platform I will nearly always disagree with something they do.
But that's not what this is about. This is about the people who make up this country. This is about being a part of international dialogue. Basically...this is what I've wanted my whole life, even before I really knew it.
That's what scares me. But that's also what will (hopefully) get me through this test, and the process.
Send good thoughts.
Rants and Raves home
Right now, I'm just nervous.
In less than an hour and a half, I will be sitting down to take the Foreign Service Officer Test, step 2 in the process of becoming a member of the U.S. Foreign Service. I can't remember the last time I wanted something this badly, nor can I remember ever being nervous about a test, an audition, an interview...anything.
What if I just don't know as much as I think I do? Or, what if I remember all the wrong things? I feel like I am going to walk out of this test and immediately email my PG 279 professor from university and apologize for not taking her class more seriously. In fact, I may do that beforehand -- a preemptive quest for absolution as I pray that I won't have to remember Chi-square or Spearman's rho and how to use them.
I've been getting mixed responses when I tell people that I've begun this process. Most people are just politely interested, but one of my close friends posed this question: "How will you feel working for an administration with whose policies you disagree?"
I'll admit, I struggled with this one briefly. After all, I've been a card-carrying Democrat since before I was even old enough to vote. I believe that the government has a responsibility to help society at all levels. However, in the last year or so I've realized that my point of view has shifted rightward. And while I can't bring myself to "come out" as a Republican, I have to be honest and say that I am not a true Democrat. At the end of the day, though, I have to do what's right for the country. Being a Foreign Service officer to me is about more than serving the administration in office. Presidents and Congresspersons come and go, and regardless of their party or platform I will nearly always disagree with something they do.
But that's not what this is about. This is about the people who make up this country. This is about being a part of international dialogue. Basically...this is what I've wanted my whole life, even before I really knew it.
That's what scares me. But that's also what will (hopefully) get me through this test, and the process.
Send good thoughts.
Rants and Raves home
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