Why you should stop hatin' on country music

Growing up in Maine, I've been exposed to country music for as long as I can remember. I'm sure most people are ... I'm just saying, I heard it A LOT. Being groomed for life in a hippie shack filled with folk music and incense, that ole country music was always a no-no in my canon. But the more I heard it, the more I secretly enjoyed it.

And at the ripe old age of 23, I'm admitting it: I like country music. Just like all other genres, it's not all great. But it has its merits.

First of all, it's catchy. You can't help but remember Conway Twitty crooning "Hello Darlin" or The Dixie Chicks wailing "Not Ready to Make Nice". There really is a variety of country music, despite the old "my dog died and my wife left me" adage.

And here is where I'd like to take a moment to address the folk-rock hipsters of the world. If you like Old Crowe Medicine Show, if you were "influenced" by Johnny Cash, if you cover Bob Dylan in an espresso cafe, if you just can't get enough Bluegrass ... you should really stop shitting on country music. It's all the same influence: it's the same rhythms, the same tone, the same tempo. Swing your cowboy boots off your high-horse and embrace the fact that you and the hometown redneck can relate to some music.

Beyond being relatable to hipster music, country music is relatable to life in general. I enjoy making it rain when Weezy tells me to "clap your hands if you got a bank roll" just as much as anybody else, but come on. I don't really have a bank roll. Lets do a quick comparison of lyrics.

The shit on pop radio:

"Girl I keep it gangsta, poppin bottles at the crib
This is how we live, every single night
Take that bottle to the head, and let me see you fly."
- 'Like a G6' Far East Movement

The shit on country radio:

"I know I said I wouldn't miss you
But now I'm saying I'm a fool
You're on the feel good side of leaving
And I'm the backside of a mule."
- 'Come Back Song' Darius Rucker 


I'll say this much. I just found out what a G6 is and I don't pop bottles at the crib, but I know what ole Darius is talking about.

And even if you're still not convinced it's not so bad, let me remind you of this: embracing country music expands your radio options 10 fold, especially if you live in Central Maine.

Why Tuesdays are the worst

I've heard plenty of bitching about why Monday sucks (and it does a little) but lets get real: Tuesday is the day to hate on. No more "case of the Mondays" crap. Tuesday is the worst day ever. Let me break it down for you:

Monday: OK, so your weekend's over. Lame. But you know what? At least it's the start of something. Although Monday usually means no sleeping in, no late-night drinking, and an end to some personal time, at least it's a fresh start to a new week. Rise and shine: It's Monday!

Ha! I wish.

Wednesday: Wednesday, or "hump day," actually has quite a few redeeming qualities. Many of them are to my personal benefit, but this blog is about what I think, right? First of all, I only work at the pre-school Monday -Thursday, so Wednesday means I've almost made it through the week. (As for a regular person's week, it's at least a halfway marker.) Plus, I may be the only person in America to get paid on Wednesdays, so that's also a plus. 

But beyond work and money, Wednesday has some redeeming social qualities as well. Before I worked at 7:45 a.m., Wednesday was my favorite night at the bar - especially if Woodman's was having a good open mic night. Not to mention my favorite TV show ever airs on Wednesdays. If you haven't seen 'Modern Family', do yourself a favor and watch an episode or two. Or the whole season, really. 

Thursday: Obvious advantages to Thursday. 1: It's almost Friday. 2: It's the ultimate socially-acceptable weekday to have a few beers. "Thirsty Thursday?" Yes, please.

Friday: Come on. It's Friday. It's time for a little happy dance as you leave work or school. I just started waiting tables at a restaurant in Bangor and I have to work Friday and Saturday, but I still get a little excited knowing it's Friday.

Saturday: The most superior day of the week. You have the whole day to enjoy, whether it's travel, much-needed house cleaning, visits with friends and family, or nothing at all. The best part of Saturday is knowing you have another whole day to relax after whatever shenanigans you decide upon.

Sunday: I have to admit that Sunday is not my favorite day of the week, but at least it's not Tuesday. I do enjoy the absolute do-nothing Sundays and it is my only full day off in the week. Sunday is fun, but there's always that nagging feeling of the weekend being over. However, if you live with my roommates, which I do, you can understand some other perks of Sunday. Like NFL, for example. Oh, and NFL.

I still don't really understand how football works, but I'm learning. The extent of my football knowledge is that Randy Moss is a pompous jerk and I love him. He used to play for the patriots, he went to the Vikings, they said "buh-bye!" and now he plays for the Titans, which I didn't even know was a team.

So what have we learned here? Tuesday has absolutely no redeeming qualities. None. No relaxing. No drinking. No start fresh attitude. It didn't even appear on my list. Why? Because Tuesday is the worst.