Introduction and conclusion of an essay. The Simpsons and satire.

[Introduction]

The American adult animated sitcom The Simpsons has shown a large amount of satires through every episode. These critics are engaged with significant and quotidian political, social and religious issues. Among other things, The Simpsons exposes the ineptitude and pretense of virtue of pop psychology, the shallowness of public education, the venality of corporate greed, ongoing environmental degradation, commercialism, consumerism and radical phenomena such as homophobia or xenophobia. Moreover, they are able to make a great impact, considering that The Simpsons is translated into 45 languages.

[Conclusion]

In conclusion, The Simpsons’ episodes are funny and warning at the same time because their matters are daily, although sometimes overdone. As a knowing and sharp satire upon the complex, excessive and hypocritical state of contemporary America, The Simpsons has become a recognizable cultural source for examining shifting political, social and religious trends in the United States. For this reason, I want to provoke you into seeing The Simpsons in a new light next time.

Leave a comment below if you remember any satirical issue on The Simpsons.

Some of my favorite bands (II).

The Black Keys.

The Black Keys are an American rock duo formed in Akron, Ohio in 2001. The group consists of Dan Auerbach (guitar, vocals) and Patrick Carney (drums).

Editors,

Editors are an English post-punk band, formed in 2002 in Stafford. Previously known as Pilot, The Pride and Snowfield, the band currently consists of Tom Smith (lead vocals, guitar, piano), Russell Leetch (bass guitar, synthesizer, backing vocals), Ed Lay (drums, percussion, backing vocals), Justin Lockey (lead guitar) and Elliott Williams (keys, synthesizers, guitars, and backing vocals).

Muse.

Muse are an English rock band from Teignmouth, Devon, formed in 1994. The band consists of childhood friends Matthew Bellamy (lead vocals, lead guitar, piano, keyboards, keytar), Christopher Wolstenholme (bass guitar, vocals, keyboards) and Dominic Howard (drums, percussion, synthesisers).

The Kooks.

The Kooks are a British rock band formed in Brighton, East Sussex, in 2001.[1] The band currently consists of Luke Pritchard (vocals/guitar), Hugh Harris (lead guitar/synth), Alexis Nunez (drums) and Peter Denton (bass guitar).

Legends of music (II). George Harrison.

Born on February 25, 1943, in Liverpool, England, George Harrison was known as ‘The Quiet Beatle’. Harrison was a teen guitarist in thrall to Britain's 1950s skiffle revival — a working class kid with a band called the Rebels. It was Paul McCartney, a schoolmate one year ahead of Harrison, who invited the 15-year-old to jam with the Quarrymen, a group led John Lennon. (Harrison had come three years behind Lennon at his previous school.)

This band would become the Beatles, and Harrison's diverse musical interests took them in many directions. Harrison wrote some of the Beatles’ best-loved songs, including “If I Needed Someone,” “Taxman,” “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” “Something,” “Here Comes the Sun” and “I Me Mine.” He also figured prominently in the group’s decision to abandon live performances, where they were routinely drowned out by screams, and instead devote their time to the recording studio. Of life with the Beatles, he pithily remarked, “We met everyone in the world and never had a moment’s peace.”

Besides, he left behind an impressive legacy as a solo artist. Harrison’s 11 studio albums (not counting best-of’s) include the masterful All Things Must Pass (1970) and a memorable late-career milestone, Cloud Nine (1987). He was the first Beatle to tour the U.S. as a solo artist and also launched his own label (Dark Horse Records). Most important, Harrison wrote and sang about spirituality and transcendence. He immersed himself in Indian music at Beatlemania’s height and became a lifelong devotee of Hindu religion, Krishna consciousness and Vedic philosophy.

George Harrison died of lung cancer on November 29, 2001, at a friend’s home in Los Angeles. He was 58 years old. 

My favorite George Harrison songs:

Happy 72nd birthday to Jimi Hendrix.

Forever in our music players!

November 27, 1924 - September 18, 1970.

My favorite Jimi Hendrix song:

Some of my favorite bands (I).

Wolfmother.

Wolfmother are an Australian hard rock band. Formed in 2004 by vocalist and guitarist Andrew Stockdale, bassist and keyboardist Chris Ross, and drummer Myles Heskett, the band is currently a three-piece composed of Stockdale, Ian Peres (bass, keyboards) and Vin Steele (drums).

The Strokes.

The Strokes are an American rock band formed in New York City in 1998, consisting of Julian Casablancas (lead vocals), Nick Valensi (lead guitar, keyboard, backing vocals), Albert Hammond, Jr. (rhythm guitar, keyboard, backing vocals), Nikolai Fraiture (bass) and Fabrizio Moretti (drums).

The White Stripes.

The White Stripes were an American rock duo, formed in 1997 in Detroit, Michigan. The group consisted of Jack White (songwriter, vocals, guitar, bass and keyboards) and Meg White (drums and occasional vocals), who were married from 1996 to 2000.

Red Hot Chili Peppers.

RHCP are an American funk rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983. When played live, their music incorporates many aspects of jam band due to the improvised nature of much of their performances. Currently, the band consists of founding members Anthony Kiedis (vocals) and "Flea"(bass), longtime drummer Chad Smith and guitarist Josh Klinghoffer, who joined in late 2009, who replaced John Frusciante. 

Legends of music (I). Janis Joplin.

Born on January 19, 1943, in Port Arthur, Texas, Janis Joplin developed a love of music at an early age, but her career didn't take off until she joined the band Big Brother and the Holding Company in 1966. Their 1968 album, Cheap Thrills, was a huge hit. However, friction between Joplin and the band prompted her to part ways with Big Brother soon after.

Known for her powerful, blues-inspired vocals, Joplin released her first solo effort, I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama!, in 1969. The album received mixed reviews, but her second project, Pearl (1971), released after Joplin's death, was a huge success. The singer died of an overdose on October 4, 1970, at age 27. Joplin was perhaps the premier blues-influenced rock singer of the late 1960's, and certainly one of the biggest female rok stars of all time.

Apart from her torrential voice, I really love that guitar sound:

Outline.

 Don’t support monarchy!

         I.          In Spain, a republican nation would be better than the current monarchy.

       II.          A republic is more democratic.

A.     In a republic, the head of state is generally elected; whereas a monarch gains power by virtue of hereditary succession.

1.      Nobody voted for the previous king, Juan Carlos, nor for the current one, Felipe.

2.      Even if the monarchy retains little or no political power, its presence sustains the traditional class system.

     III.          Monarchy is too related to religion.

A.     Freedom is often more widespread in secular nations.

1.      Secularism is a fundamental value and essential principle of the republicanism.

     IV.          Public scandals of the royal family.

A.     The royal family has become a national embarrassment.

1.      Juan Carlos’ credibility slumped after it was known he went on several luxurious elephant-hunting safari, while ordinary Spaniards are struggling with a severe economic crisis.

2.      His daughter, Cristina, and her husband, Urdangarín, have both been named in a corruption case in which the husband is accused of embezzling millions of euros of public funds.

B.     It is said that only 36.8% of Spaniards still support the monarchy.

       V.          The cost of monarchy is unjustifiable.

A.     Monarchy is an anachronism in a democratic society.

1.      They are heavily subsidised by the taxpayer.

2.      They do not live humbly.

     VI.          Hereditary public office goes against every democratic principle. Thus, if we want to live in a more equal country, we have to get rid of the monarchy -convening a referendum first-.

 (I did not write ‘god’, ‘king’ nor ‘royal family’ in capital letters on purpose).

Thesis statement.

The imaginarium of zombie apocalypse is not just about blood, but it is a kind of experiment relating to how the human being would behave in an obscure and extreme world.

Problem / Solution paragraphs.

Do we really know what we eat? I don’t think so. There’s a fact which we must agree: knowing what we eat has become something that is every day more difficult. It may be true that people usually are irresponsible customers. However, it may be true too that they don’t have enough time or attitude to worry and look into everything. Parents go to the supermarket after getting off work, exhausted and distracted, and buy what they’ve seen on television or what their child want because of colorful packaging and plastic toys.

We should be able to know what we are buying in every moment. Nevertheless, generally speaking, businesses across all industries usually lack specific practices designed to prevent fraud. Consequently, they try to hide it with huge publicity campaigns. Pesticides, herbicides and genetically modified seeds are just the tip of the iceberg, and that’s dreadful. This is a gigantic problem that should be researched individually and be faced commonly. By now, we shall start buying nourishment from local farmers and demanding corporations and governments for our right to know and decide what we buy and eat.

Listen closely to this 11-year-old -now 15- genius, Birke Baehr.

Links of interest:

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/study-on-genetically-modified-corn-herbicide-and-tumors-reignites-controversy/

http://www.ecoliteracy.org/essays/we-are-what-we-eat

http://www.pressenza.com/2013/03/do-we-know-what-we-eat/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6_DbVdVo-k

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1528734/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1286537/

http://earthlings.com/

Advantages and disadvantages.

It’s no secret that smartphones are everywhere currently. Indeed, it is a resource that gives its owner multiple advantages. The greatest one is that you can communicate whenever you want –no matter where you are or what you are doing-. Above all, you can use it in case of emergency. Moreover, you can relax listening to music, have fun playing games, look for a job on the Internet, read newspapers, watch your favorite film...

On the other hand, there are also disadvantages to using smartphones. Some people waste large part of their time in unnecessary interaction over their cell phones, and sometimes it is about serious addiction –related to the necessity of owning the latest one-. Besides, it may hinder physical human interaction. Having all your information in one handy device is very dangerous –it could be stolen or hacked-. Considering this, in addition to environmental and health issues, do you think that the disadvantages outweigh the advantages?

Contrasting paragraphs.

Arctic Monkeys' first and last album.

Arctic Monkeys are an English indie rock band formed in 2002 in High Green, a suburb of Sheffield. The Arctic Monkeys first album, ‘Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not’ was released on 23rd January 2006, selling more than 360,000 units in its first week. The common thematic content of the album is about nightlife and youth subcultures. Lyrics are true and music is remarkably frenzied, so they both make 13 unavoidably catchy, instantaneously enjoyable songs. In short, it is one of the best debut albums of all time.

Nevertheless, bands usually lose power and magnetism. Arctic Monkeys released their last album, ‘AM’, on 9 September 2013. It has some great singles, it really doesbut there is no heart. Arctic Monkeys have fallen into a realm into which they are no longer relevant or credible, only popular and profitable. Definitely, energy and excitement have disappeared, that’s a fact; softer and sleeker music is here, I hope not to stay, and I'm not just talking about albums, but lives too. Don’t forget your distortion pedal again, guys!

Compare by yourself,

Opinion paragraph.

Cars should be dispensable in cities for everyone. Ruling parties could aim to transcend conventional public transport by rewarding entrepreneurs who provide us with revolutionary ideas that may change the way we understand public transport. By now, ruling parties ought to increase the quality and the quantity of public transport and undertake publicity campaigns. However, the fact that most of the people have an individual car benefits the state with multiple taxes. In my opinion, it is a ‘laugh now, cry later’ concerning environment.

Describing someone.

It was late at night, I don’t know exactly what hour. I had left the bar some minutes earlier and I was on my long way home, but then someone grabbed my arm. It was a tall, bright-eyed woman that was asking me for a light. I was sure she was beautiful, though it was dark and her long wavy hair hid almost all her face. However, I was able to seeing her full, red lips when she started smoking while looking at me. Her polka dot dress made her really attractive. Suddenly, she dropped the cigarette and started kissing me. Immediately, I felt a short spiky goatee. I don’t remember having run faster.

Led Zeppelin.

Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. In the 70’s was probably the biggest rock band in the world and one of the most mysterious: they kept their distance from the music business, the critics didn’t like them, but the audience sure did, so they had millions of fans.

The group is credited as being the godfathers of metal, but their music actually incorporated elements of many different musical styles, including blues, folk and reggae. The band consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist and keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham.

Jimmy Page is born in 1944 and grew up in a suburb of London near Heathrow Airport. He took up guitar after hearing an Elvis Presley record. Page began his career as a studio session musician in London. He was a member of the Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968. In late 1968, he founded Led Zeppelin.

Robert Plant is born in 1948 in West Bromwich, Staffordshire. Before his days in Led Zeppelin, was a member of groups such as Listen. Robert Plant was the frontman, the shrieking, swaggering golden god at the center of Led Zeppelin's titanic hard-rock sound.

John Bonham is born in 1948 in Redditch, Worcestershire. Also known by his nickname ‘Bonzo’, is celebrated as being one of the greatest rock drummers of all time. Bonham died tragically from inhalation of vomit in bed during his sleep on 25 September 1980. In the day leading up to his premature death, Bonham had been on a 12-hour binge drinking session.

John Paul Jones is born in 1946 in Kent. He was responsible for the classic bass lines of the group, notably those in ''Ramble On'' and ''The Lemon Song'', and guitar riffs (''Black Dog''). Before and after his stint in Led Zeppelin, worked as a studio musician and producer.

Let's watch a video: 'Since I've been loving you', one of my favorite songs ever.

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bonham

http://music.lovetoknow.com/History_of_Led_Zeppelin

http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Robert-Plant-Biography/F411731BE47EE41348256B9E00247D19

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/robert-plant/biography

http://www.johnbonham.co.uk/biography/biography.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Paul_Jones_(musician)#Contribution_to_the_band

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0428429/biohttp://www.theonering.com/reading-room/critical-viewpoints/led-zeppelin-and-lord-of-the-rings-rockers-and-tolkien-fans

http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/columns/junkyard/led_zeppelin_and_lord_of_the_rings.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4yxmRgmkco

Oxford comma.

What is the Oxford comma?

The Oxford comma (also known as 'serial comma') is the comma after the penultimate item in a list of three or more items and before the conjunction.

The problem with the serial is that it could just as easily, if not more easily, create ambiguity:

''We invited the stripper, JFK, and Stalin.''

In this case, it could be thought to mean that invitations were sent to Stalin and a stripper named JFK.

When should we use the Oxford comma?

Not all writers and publishers use it, but most U.S. style guides say, ''Use it always.''

Another example which shows that a comma before 'and' may result in a lack of clarity is this sentence from the 1934 style book of the New York Herald Tribune:

''Those at the ceremony were commodore, the fleet captain, the donor of the cup, Mr. Smith, and Mr. Jones.''

With the comma, it reads as if Mr. Smith was the donor of the cup, which he was not.

In my opinion, the Oxford comma is dispensable, presumptuous and pedantic. People locked up in grammar love this kind of superfluous worries. All in all, it would look like this:

A little bit of humor:

''Who gives a fuck about an Oxford comma?''

Edgar Allan Poe tales on stage.

Have you ever read any short story by Edgar Allan Poe? If you have not, this is an eligible video to initiate yourself to Poe’s literature. My favorite among them all is the first one: ‘The tell-tale heart’. Besides the paralyzing psychological and physical terror that Poe’s tales by themselves have, the magnificent interpretation of the well-known actor Vincent Price provides them with even more stress –and sometimes with sense of humour-.

An evening of Edgar Allan Poe:

http://www.ibiblio.org/ebooks/Poe/Tell-Tale_Heart.pdf

What's my favourite place in the world?

     My favourite place in the world is home. 

     But what is home? Nature is home, my only fatherland.

     Is home a leafy, green and gleaming, golden forest?

    Is home a calm meadow, full of fresh, soft cheese aroma?



    Is home a mountainous wilderness, where red, yellow flowers grow among high grass?

    There, a melodic stream runs coming from the sweet winter snow, which covers the hillside.
    

    Yes, it is; they are. These places are home as well as many others that make us find ourselves.

Fear of...

Fear of nothing.

Why should we be afraid of anything?
Fears are developed complexes.

We don't really know what's the ground we step on:
just let's live without building invisible barriers.