Video Killed the Radio Star

I got to spend some quality time today with my nephew, who just turned 16. I cannot believe he is already 16, taking driver's ed, planning for college, etc. I swear I was just 16, wasn't I? Amazing how time flies. And interesting how things have changed. Here's a conversation we had in the car, listening to the radio:

My nephew: Have you seen this video?

Me: No, I didn't know they actually played videos anymore.

My nephew: Oh, like on TV? No, I meant on the computer... (He went on to tell me that MTV only plays videos at like 1am and 7am now and explained that you have to look them up now on the internet. Yeah, he thinks I'm so old that I don't know that.)

I was 16 in 1988 - MTV and VH1's heyday. At his age, I would spend hours watching videos. So I looked up some videos from 1988 and chuckled because Poison's Every Rose Has It's Thorn was also the first video I downloaded on my iPod many, many years later! I can't wait to see what songs from 2010 he downloads onto whatever version of the iPod we have 22 years from now.

Glee belongs to me!

I can't help it, I love Glee. The show is the best guilty pleasure ever! Every week I watch, sing along, and marvel at the witty dialogue. My sister doesn't get it. But she also doesn't like musicals. I think there might be something wrong with that kid. :) She also makes fun of my iPod and tells me I have the songlist of a gay man. Well, gay men have good taste, this we know, right? Can I get an Amen?!?

I currently have a bad case of bronchitis, so I couldn’t sing along to the Madonna Glee episode this week, not that I didn’t try! My poor neighbors and my poor cat! My entire body hurts from the coughing spells the laughter caused. I'm guessing in this case, laughter may not have been the best medicine because my throat kinda hurts worse now. Uh oh.

I told my sister tonight that I wanted to join an adult show choir. She was speechless. Maybe instead I just need to go write for Glee. If only I could be this wonderful...here are a few of the lines from tonight’s show and the reasons why I love it so much:

• “Would you please stop talking? You're grossing out my baby!"
• “Oh hey William. I thought I smelled cookies wafting from the ovens of the little elves who live in your hair.”
• “When I pulled my hamstring, I went to a misogynist.”
• “You don't deserve the power of Madonna."
• “Madonna belongs to me and I will not be copied. It's in my contract.”
• “You can have your Barbras and your Chers and your Christinas...”
• “By the way, how's the Florence Henderson look working for you?”
• “Oh hey there, Whoopie, Don Knotts.”

All You Need Is Love...and Paul McCartney

So last weekend, I got the chance of a lifetime when my friend Joan invited me to go with her on a trip to Phoenix to see Paul McCartney in concert. I've always wanted to see him play live, so I decided at the last minute, why the heck not? It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. He rocked for nearly three hours -- and he's 67 years old! When he would sing Beatles songs, I would close my eyes and pretend like they were all still there on stage...and it wasn't so hard to imagine. They also allowed cameras, so I brought my new Canon EOS with an 80-200mm lens in and got some great photos! Paul McCartney has some kind of magic that just made everyone at the concert happy, something other being a brilliant musician. It truly was an amazing experience...I can now die a happy woman because I have seen at least one Beatle perform! Thank you Sir McCartney, for an amazing show, and thank you, Joan, for letting me tag along!

I heart flash mobs

I may be slow, but I'm just now learning to appreciate the beauty of the flash mob. What is a flash mob, you ask? You've probably seen the You Tube videos -- it's where large groups of people in public places like train stations or Times Square suddenly burst out into dance and a song is played over the PA system. I think the first video I saw was The Sound of Music. Anyway, I never knew what these little performances were called until very recently, so I wanted to share my favorite with you: it's a scene from one of my favorite shows, Weeds. Ok, I know this one was choreographed professionally, but it's still my fave. :)

All because two people fell in love...

I love this story that ran on NBC last night and this morning about the iconic Woodstock couple featured on the soundtrack album from Woodstock.

We Had Him

I love Maya Angelou and in late April, I was lucky enough to hear her speak in person at my alma mater, West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas. I haven't blogged about the experience yet...I guess I'm waiting until I have time to perfect what I want to say. Angelou's words almost always move me to tears. The poem that she wrote memorializing Michael Jackson was no different. It reminded me how fragile life is and although written specifically for Michael Jackson, it made me think about my dad and my grandparents. We are all here on loan. I feel so lucky to have had my loved ones -- and for that matter, icons like Michael Jackson and Maya Angelou -- in my life, even if in a small way.

Here is the text of "We Had Him" and a video of Queen Latifah reading it at the memorial service:

We Had Him
by Dr. Maya Angelou

Beloveds, now we know that we know nothing,

now that our bright and shining star can slip away from our fingertips like a puff of summer wind.

Without notice, our dear love can escape our doting embrace.

Sing our songs among the stars and walk our dances across the face of the moon.

In the instant that Michael is gone, we know nothing.

No clocks can tell time.

No oceans can rush our tides with the abrupt absence of our treasure.

Though we are many, each of us is achingly alone, piercingly alone.

Only when we confess our confusion can we remember that he was a gift to us and we did have him.

He came to us from the creator, trailing creativity in abundance.

Despite the anguish, his life was sheathed in mother love, family love, and survived and did more than that.

He thrived with passion and compassion, humor and style.

We had him whether we know who he was or did not know, he was ours and we were his.

We had him, beautiful, delighting our eyes.

His hat, aslant over his brow, and took a pose on his toes for all of us.

And we laughed and stomped our feet for him.

We were enchanted with his passion because he held nothing.

He gave us all he had been given.
Today in Tokyo, beneath the Eiffel Tower, in Ghana’s Black Star Square.

In Johannesburg and Pittsburgh, in Birmingham, Alabama, and Birmingham, England We are missing Michael.

But we do know we had him, and we are the world.

Poker Face

Don't you hate it when you find yourself singing along to a pop song you once hated? Ugh. That's exactly what's happened to me with Lady GaGa's "Poker Face." The first time I heard it, it woke me up on my alarm clock and I literally shot out of bed and was like, "What the heck is that?" Since then, it's grown on me. Turns out, critics love it and many artists have already covered it. Today I found this orchestral, instrumental version of the song...it's actually really beautiful.



I also really love this version where Queen Latifah adds her own flair:


However, I know the song can be annoying in it's usual, radio version. My sister summed it up best once when she said, "It makes me wanna POKE HER FACE!" :)

I'm editing songs now...Oy vey!

So today while driving in my car, I hear the song, “I Need A Lover” and catch myself singing along to it. I guess I’ve never really listened to the words before. First I noticed that it’s grammatically incorrect and says, “I need a lover that won’t drive me crazy,” instead of “I need a lover who won’t drive me crazy.” I chalked that up to just being a grammar nerd.

Then I realize he’s singing, “Some girl that knows the meaning of, ah-Hey hit the highway!” What?!?!? Did some of the guys I’ve dated lately write this song? Nope, it was written by none other than John Cougar Mellencamp – in 1979! The lyrics get better…he goes on to say, “Some girl who’ll thrill me and then go away!”

So what I learned from this song is that apparently men don’t care about grammar – at least not while writing music – and pretty much have always been this way! Sigh…..

I Need A Lover lyrics
(instrumental)

I need a lover that won’t drive me crazy

(I need a lover that won’t drive me crazy)

I need a lover that won’t drive me crazy

Some girl that knows the meaning of, ah-Hey hit the highway!

Well I’ve been walking the streets in the evenin’

Racin’ through the human jungle at night

I’m so confused, my mind is indifferent

Hey - I’m so weak, won’t somebody shut off that light?

Electricity runs thru the video

And I watch it from this hole I call home

And all them stonies are dancin to the radio

And I got the world callin me up free tonight on the phone

(I need a lover that won’t drive me crazy)

Some girl who’ll thrill me and then go away

(I need a lover that won’t drive me crazy)

Some girl that knows the meaning of ah-Hey hit the highway!

Well I’m not wiped out by this poolroom life I’m livin'

I’m gonna quit this job, and go to school, and head back home (head back home)

Now I’m not asking to be loved or be forgiven

Hey - I just cant face shakin' in this bedroom one more night alone

(I need a lover that won’t drive me crazy)

(I need a lover that won’t drive me crazy)

(I need a lover that won’t drive me crazy)

Some girl that knows the meaning of ah-Hey hit the highway!

(instrumental)

(I need a lover that won’t drive me crazy)

Some girl to thrill me and then go away

(I need a lover that won’t drive me crazy)

Some girl that knows the meaning of ah-Hey hit the highway!

You betcha.

my treadmill is so vain

So several months ago a group of us made the decision to walk in the March of Dimes March for Babies 5K. I’ve been trying to “train” for it since I am so out of shape. I’d do great for a week, then fall off, then walk once the next week, then fall off, then do great again the next week. No consistency. But at least I was trying. Suddenly, the race is upon us – it’s THIS Saturday! How did this happen?

Tonight I DID NOT want to go walk. But I did it. At five minutes in, I was ready to throw in the towel. And that’s when it happened: Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” came on shuffle on my iPod. I pictured my feet beating up the treadmill.

Before I knew it, the Bee Gees were on with “You Should Be Dancing.” I just pictured myself thin, fit and tan like Melissa Rycroft on Dancing With the Stars, dancing in a ball gown on the treadmill. I was graceful and fluid. Two things I never am.

Then my feet started hurting. “I feel the earth move under my feet,” Carole King belted out. I grinned at the irony and kept walking. Ok, that’s it, I thought…time to start winding down. Then Jon Bon Jovi belted out, “Ooh ooh livin’ on a prayer…” Who could stop during Bon Jovi? Just when I thought I couldn’t go any further, Stevie Nicks was there to help me out with “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,” which of course made me think about my heart and how good walking was for it! Next, my future husband Lenny Kravitz stopped by to tell me he was ready for love with “Heaven Help.” On that note, I can stop, I thought. I can die a happy woman.

“Wheel in the Sky” came on next and we all know my love of all things Journey, plus I started singing “wheel of the treadmill keeps on turning…” and that made me giggle like a 12 year old.

Next up was Carly Simon with “You’re So Vain,” which I dedicated to the treadmill. I swear it looks at itself in the stupid gym mirrors while it’s tormenting me! Another Journey song, “Don’t Stop Believin’.” Hello! You can’t stop when like the best rock ballad ever is cheering you on!

No workout is complete without Prince, but when “Kiss” came on, I finally decided to slow it down and end my walk at 2.5 miles. Whew. I think I can finish the 5K on Saturday. Thank God for my iPod.

Music coming back to MTV

MTV is bringing (some) music back! Interesting since music is the concept the station was founded on more than 20 years ago. Not that I'll be watching between 3-9 a.m., but I am happy that artists will once again have a forum on TV, not just the Internet, for their videos. Good call, MTV.

stone in love with neal schon

It's about forgiveness

I've always loved that Don Henley song "Heart of the Matter." Today someone told me about a study that found that the only thing all cancer patients have in common is that they all had someone they didn’t forgive for something. I’m not sure how much truth there is to that, but it sure makes you think, doesn’t it? We’re supposed to forgive people; you always hear it’s not healthy to hold on to anger. Maybe there really is some truth to that.

Natural High

So I've never been a big fan of country music, but the oldies but goodies always get me. I just heard "Natural High" by Merle Haggard. I'm now obsessed with this song. Simple, but beautiful...says what it needs to say. Love me some Merle Haggard.

Natural High (1985)

You stayed with me through thick and thin,
Watched me lose, you watched me win.
You picked me up off of the ground.
You never one time let me down.
And you put me on a natural high,
And I can fly, I can fly.
I was drowning in a sea of make-believe,
As helpless as a falling leaf.
You gave your hand to me that day,
And you did it, 'cos you're made that way.
And you put me on a natural high,
And I can fly, I can fly.

Instrumental break.

You always seem to let your feelings show,
You love me and you let me know.
Darling just remember these three words:
I love you, I love you.
And you put me on a natural high,
And I can fly, I can fly.

And you put me on a natural high,
And I can fly, I can fly.