I can't think of a more appropriate song to feature today, the day that Hurricane Irene slammed into New York and beyond. Aside from the obvious loss of electrical power, a hurricane such as this makes you realize how truly powerless we all are when it comes to Mother Nature. I only hope and pray that no one gets injured or worse and that damage across the area is minimal.
"Powerless" is off of Nelly Furtado's stellar sophmore album, "Folklore," and it's one of my favorite songs of hers. It's beautiful and melodic and the lyrics are pretty "powerful"... Enjoy!
Powerless
Paint my face in your magazines
Make it look whiter than it seems
Paint me over with your dreams
Shove away my ethnicity
Burn every notion that I may have a flame inside to fight
And say just what is on my mind
Without offending your might
Cuz this life is too short to live it just for you
But when you feel so powerless what are you gonna do
So say what you want
Say what you want
I saw her face outside today
Weatherworn, looking all the rage
They took her passion and her gaze and made a poster
Now it’s moccasins we sport
We take the culture and contort
Perhaps only to distort what we are hiding
Cuz this life is too short to live it just for you
But when you feel so powerless what are you gonna do
But say what you want
Say what you want
Hey you, the one, the one outside, are you ever gonna get in, get in
Hey you, the one that don’t fit in, how ya, how ya gonna get in
Hey you, the one outside, are you ever gonna get in with your
Broken teeth, broken jaw, broken mojo
Yeah, this life is too short to live it just for you
But when you feel so powerless, what are you gonna do
Cuz this life is too short to live it just for you
But when you feel so powerless, what are you gonna do
Cuz this life is too short to live it just for you
But when you feel so powerless, what are you gonna do
Say what you want, say what you want, say, say, say
Today's "Song of the Day" is from a favorite new artist. She another Swede, like the lovely Robyn, and she's known as September. Though she's been around for awhile, she'd really been off of my RADAR, with the exception of the marvelous 2005 tune "Satellites." By chance I previewed some of the stuff off her latest album, "Love CPR," and liked enough of it to download the entire album, which is great dancy-pop stuff (kinda like Miss Robyn!).
"Resuscitate Me" is one of the singles off "Love CPR" and its got a nice beat coupled with cool strings and great lyrics. Give it a try...
Resuscitate Me
You can pick up the phone and I know, no one's home but
I don't think you know how much it means
Just to hear the sound of your voice even if
It’s your voice on the answering machine
I'm holding my breath until you come back again
But the air is getting less and less
I need love CPR, but you're so far away
Don't you let my heart die boy
This is an emergency
You’re what I need
All it takes is for you
To come and put your lips on me
You help me to breathe
Resuscitate me
I'm begging you please
You’re all that I need
I want you to be the air that I breathe
Resuscitate me
Although there is a time in the place
That I will see your face
It’s still hard to wait around
The problem is this seems so easy to miss
Don’t you know boy
I need you here and now
You are the place that I fall apart and now
I don't know where to start
I need love CPR, but you're so far away
Don't you let my heart die boy
This is an emergency
You’re what I need
All it takes is for you
To come and put your lips on me
You help me to breathe
Resuscitate me
I'm begging you please
You’re all that I need
I want you to be the air that I breathe
Resuscitate me
Put your hands on my heart
You touch come so deep
But boy when you're gone
And I'm all alone
It can get so hard to breathe
Resus,sus,sus,suscitate me, baby
Resus,sus,sus,suscitate me, come on
Resus,sus,sus,suscitate me yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Ever since I posted Elton John's "Your Song" as "Song of the Day" last Friday, I've been working on a piece of Elton's best hits, and of course listening to them along the way. One of my favorites is this one, and in doing research on it, I found out that "Daniel" has an interesting story to it.
Back in the early days when Elton worked with Bernie Taupin, they had a certain way of composing songs. Bernie would write lyrics and then pass them on to Elton, who would then compose the music. Well, back in 1974 (possibly 73), when Elton got the lyrics to "Daniel" he thought it was too long, almost six minutes, and he cut out the last verse to make it shorter.
It turns out, that last verse supposedly explained the whole story, that Daniel was a Vietnam Veteran who had returned to the farm after the war, yet couldn't find peace. So he decided to leave for Spain to live out the rest of his days. Without those lyrics, the entire song beame what we know it to be, a kind of vague story of two brothers parting ways somehow. Interesting, huh? I was hoping to find the original verse that had been cut and share it here, but in my research I found out that it had been irretrievably lost unfortunately.
So here's an early performance of Daniel by Elton at a concert in 1976. It's a pretty good rendition of the great song. Enjoy, and look out for my piece on Elton John soon.
Daniel
Daniel is travelling tonight on a plane
I can see the red tail lights heading for Spain
Oh and I can see Daniel waving goodbye
God it looks like Daniel, must be the clouds in my eyes
They say Spain is pretty though I've never been
Well Daniel says it's the best place that he's ever seen
Oh and he should know, he's been there enough
Lord I miss Daniel, oh I miss him so much
Daniel my brother you are older than me
Do you still feel the pain of the scars that won't heal
Your eyes have died but you see more than I
Daniel you're a star in the face of the sky
Daniel is travelling tonight on a plane
I can see the red tail lights heading for Spain
Oh and I can see Daniel waving goodbye
God it looks like Daniel, must be the clouds in my eyes
Oh God it looks like Daniel, must be the clouds in my eyes
He's called Fernandez Livin' on a gun Dreams of Santa Anna Fighting in the sun
Long before David Guetta there was a deejay/producer named John "Jellybean" Benitez. Jellybean had a few hits back in the 80's, including "Who Found Who?" with Elisa Fiorillo and "Sidewalk Talk" with then girlfriend Madonna. (Jellybean played the part of Miss M's boyfriend in her "Borderline video.)
This one was more of a club than a pop hit, in fact it was Jellybean's first #1 Dance song. I used to play my 12" single of "The Mexican" out! The song is a cover of an earlier tune by a band named Babe Ruth and Janita Haan, who sang the song originally, sang on this one, too! I haven't heard this one in a long time, and I still remember the words...
Today's "Song of the Day" just came to me last night in the parking lot of a bar, lol. I was talking with my new pal Ozzie, I mean Ruby, and I don't know, the song just popped into my head. It's not one of Bette Midler's most well-known songs, but it was out when I was deejaying a lot and at least I liked it and played it often.
"That's it baby when ya got it flaunt it..."
The original version is pretty good....typical Bette, but the remix version, which I'm posting here, mixes the music track from Armand Ven Helden's "Music Sounds Better With You" and works really well. So if you don't know it, give it a try, and if you do, have another listen. And be sure to check out the words below...this song has a great message:
I'M BEAUTIFUL DAMMIT!!!!
Have a great day beautiful ones....
I'm Beautiful
"This is the Divine Miss M and I'm here to share with you some rare and stimulating insight into my cosmic fabulosity. It's really very simple. I smiply believe with all my heart:"
"Go away, little girl," they used to say. "Hey, you're too fat, baby, you can't play." "Hold on, miss thing, what you trying to do? You know you're too wack to be in our school."
Too wack, too smart, too fast, too fine, too loud, too tough, too too divine. I said you don't belong. You don't belong. Too loud, too big, too much to bear, too bold, too brash, too prone to swear. I heard that song for much too long.
Ain't this my sun? Ain't this my moon? Ain't this my world to be who I choose? Ain't this my song? Ain't this my movie? Ain't this my world? I know I can do it.
I'm not too short, I'm not too tall, I'm not too big, I'm not too small. Ooh, don't lemme start lovin' myself! Ooh, don't lemme start lovin' myself! I'm not too white, I'm not too black, I'm not too this, I'm not too that. Ooh, don't lemme start lovin' myself! Ooh, don't lemme start lovin' myself!
It's time to call it what it is. Don't play the naming game. Become what you were born to be and be it unashamed. "Go away, little boy," I can hear them say, "Everybody on the block says they think you're gay. Hold on, my friend, do you think we're blind? Take a look at yourself. You're not our kind."
Too black, too white, too short, too tall, too big, too green, too red, too small. I said you don't belong. You don't belong. Too black, too white, too short, too tall, too blue, too green, too red, too small. I heard that song for much to long.
Ain't this my sun? Ain't this my moon? Ain't this my world to be who I choose? Ain't this my song? Ain't this my movie? Ain't this my world? I know I can do it.
People always ask me, "Miss M, how did you get so far on so little?" Shut up! Well, I woke up one morning, flossed my teeth and decided, "Damn, I'm fierce!" You look good! You can be just like me! A goddess? Yeah! Don't just pussy foot around and sit on your assets. Unleash your ferocity upon an unsuspecting world. Rise up and repeat after me: "I'm beautiful!"
I'm beautiful, I'm beautiful, I'm beautiful! Can you say that? I'm beautiful, I'm beautiful, I'm beautiful! I don't hear you! I'm beautiful, I'm beautiful, I'm beautiful! Louder! I'm beautiful, I'm beautiful, I'm beautiful! Hey!
That's it, baby, when you got it, flaunt it, flaunt it!
Aaaaaah! Ain't this my sun? My sun! Ain't this my moon? My moon! Ain't this my world to be who I choose? Ain't this our song? Ain't this our song? Ain't this our movie? Ain't this our movie? Ain't this our world to be who we choose?
I'm not too short, I'm not too tall, I'm not too big, I'm not too small. Ooh, don't lemme start lovin' myself! Ooh, don't lemme start lovin' myself! I'm not too white, I'm not too black, I'm not too this, I'm not too that. Ooh, don't lemme start lovin' myself! Ooh, don't lemme start lovin' myself! I'm beautiful, dammit!
Today is the day that Amy Winehouse is being laid to rest and I wanted to do one last song as a tribute to the fallen talent. I searched through a few performances of this song and there was one titled, "LAST SONG SHE EVER PERFORMED - Amy Winehouse You're Wondering Now" that disturbed me too much to share. Although she did perform one day last week as a guest spot in a show, this clip was from the last concert she had ever done on her own in Belgrade on the 18th of June, yet in the video she hardly does any of the singing. Though she doesn't seem too trashed, to me she looked out of it and that's why I didn't post it here, but you can take a look here if you like.
The song is from Amy's first album, "Frank," and it's very ska and very short, but I thought it was appropriate enough to use its lyrics to begin my tribute piece for her. If you take a look at the words, you can see just how fitting this song is for her sad ending. For one last time I'd like to say rest in peace Amy. You will be missed!
You're Wondering Now
You're wondering now, what to do, now you know this is the end You're wondering how, you will pay, for the way you did behave
Curtain has fallen, now you're on your own I won't return, forever you will wait
You're wondering now, what to do, now you know this is the end
Curtain has fallen, now you're on your own I won't return, forever you will wait
You're wondering now, what to do, now you know this is the end You're wondering how, you will pay, for the way you did behave
You're wondering now, what to do, now you know this is the end You're wondering now, what to do, now you know this is the end
Today's Janet Jackson song is a pure dance track from her "Rhythm Nation 1814" CD, which came out in 1989. The album was the follow-up to hugely successful breakthrough album "Control," and this was the first of four #1 songs to come off of that album (followed by "Escapade," "Black Cat," and "Love Will Never Do (Without You)"), which had a staggering seven songs to hit the top five.
The video, like several from songs off of the album, was shot in black and white and featured the kind of dance sequences made popular by Janet's elder brother, Michael. So check out the video for today's Janet "Song of the Day," "Miss You Much":
Like a moth to a flame Burned by the fire My love is blind Can't you see my desire
Ah, Ms. Janet Jackson! I just recently realized that I have yet to feature any videos by Janet, an artist who, to me, has become kind of a sad story. Ever since that stupid "nipple" incident at the Super Bowl in 2004, Janet's star has faded to a flicker and I can't help but think that it had something to do with it. Until that time, Michael's little sister was a superstar, rivaling Madonna, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey (another faded star) and the like for one of the best out there. Now she's doing tours where she's not even performing her new music.
Admittedly I haven't followed Miss Janet too much either, except for her 2008 album (which was pretty good!) "Discipline," and I think she deserves a little bit of attention. So I'm officially declaring this "Janet Jackson Week" on John's World, and you can reexperience some of her best stuff from years past.
Today we start with one of my favorites, a sultry, sexy, rhythmic tune called "That's the Way Love Goes." It's from one of her best albums ever, 1993's "janet." The video is as cool as the song and I hope you will remember it and enjoy!
Though it hasn't officially been released in the US as a single, yet, I've been hearing this one here and there for the past week or so both on the radio and as a remix in the clubs. This one's as good as any other song on "21" and it's got a great title. If you love great songsa with great lyrics and vocals to boot and don't already own "21," you need to get this one!
The clip below is Adele performing the song for the first time in public on the Graham Norton Show in England. Joe and I used to love Graham Norton...he's a hysterically funny British comedian with a show that's like none other. So check out Adele's performance of "Set Fire to the Rain":
Set Fire to the Rain
I let it fall, my heart, And as it fell, you rose to claim it It was dark and I was over Until you kissed my lips and you saved me
My hands, they're strong But my knees were far too weak To stand in your arms Without falling to your feet
But there's a side to you That I never knew, never knew. All the things you'd say They were never true, never true, And the games you play You would always win, always win.
[Chorus:] But I set fire to the rain, Watched it pour as I touched your face, Well, it burned while I cried 'Cause I heard it screaming out your name, your name!
When I lay with you I could stay there Close my eyes Feel you're here forever You and me together Nothing gets better
'Cause there's a side to you That I never knew, never knew, All the things you'd say, They were never true, never true, And the games you play You would always win, always win.
[Chorus:] But I set fire to the rain, Watched it pour as I touched your face, Well, it burned while I cried 'Cause I heard it screaming out your name, your name!
I set fire to the rain And I threw us into the flames Well, it felt something died 'Cause I knew that that was the last time, the last time!
Sometimes I wake up by the door, That heart you caught, must be waiting for you Even now when we're already over I can't help myself from looking for you.
[Chorus:] I set fire to the rain, Watch it pour as I touch your face, Well, it burned while I cried 'Cause I heard it screaming out your name, your name
I set fire to the rain, And I threw us into the flames Well, it felt something died 'Cause I knew that that was the last time The last time, oh, oh!
As I washed my car yesterday, I listened to my Shakira folder and came up with today's "Song of the Day." It had been a long time since I listened to some of her older stuff, like "Objection (Tango)," "Whenever, Wherever," and "Estoy Aqui," and I had forgotten how good she is. (Of course, "Waka Waka" is still one of my favorites!)
I never knew that she could dance like this She make a man wanna speak Spanish Como se llama Bonita Mi casa, su casa
"Hips Don't Lie" was an unlikely pairing of the Colombian singer with Refugee All Star Wyclef Jean, who first scored big with the Fugees and then with several hits of his own. Jean made for a perfect collaborator with Shakira. The song was a big hit, and the irresistable belly-dancing beats coupled with Jean's Spanglish raps make this one a classic! So check out and enjoy "Hips Don't Lie":
Today is my sister Ann Marie's 40th Birthday and this double shot of songs is especially for her. Though I'm sure that neither of these songs are on her top favorites list, I do know she does like both of them. It all goes back to our Atlantic City trips and my deejaying while I'm driving.
Back to My Roots
Over the many trips, a couple of artists that I got her to like were RuPaul and Gnarls Barkley. Since I already posted "Supermodel" a couple of weeks ago, I'm going to post another favorite of ours from in the car, "Back to My Roots." It's also off of her debut record, "Supermodel of the World." We all just love the silly asides in the song, and besides, it's catchy and fun!
My hair is...a revolution!
The Boogie Monster
I've got a monster in my closet Someone's underneath my bed The wind's knockin' at my window I'd kill it but it's already dead
"The Boogie Monster" is off of Gnarls' debut album, "St. Elsewhere," and it's got an Atlantic City/family kinda story to it. One time, before he passed, my 90-something year old Sicilian, cranky grandfather came with me, Ann Marie, her friend Rhianna, my mom and my dad to AC for a few days. It was the first and last time he'd ever join us and for good reason.
Grandpa was always the yelling kind, being Sicilian and living in the Bronx pretty much his whole life....anyway, he spent the whole three days yelling and hollering at everything and everybody, acting strangely and he was driving my mother crazy most of all. One morning, she was telling us how she woke up in the middle of the night and he was just sitting there on the couch in their room staring at her in the dark.
"It just sits there and stares at me." I remembered the line from the song. The Boogie Monster was grandpa! Of course I had to play the song for them all (grandpa had stayed in our hotel when we all went off to another casino) and they all got a kick out of the similarities. Ever since, my sister and Rhianna have both been fans of Gnarls Barkley. So without further adieu, a very Happy 40th Birthday to my sister Ann Marie and here's the "Boogie Monster":
Wow, what a blast from the past! I spent the day today at Cherry Grove with my good buddy Laura Kim (more about that later...) and we were hanging out at Cherry's when this came on. I soooooo used to love this song. It's so happy and dancy, and that island language just makes it a perfect summer song! Everybody in the bar was moving to it today, and I think you should too right after you press play, lol. Enjoy!
Happy Saturday everyone, and a very Happy Birthday to my sister Christine! Chrissy is the baby of the family and she moved to Kentucky a couple of years ago with her partner, Heather. It’s been a long time since any of us have seen her and we miss her a lot! Anyway…on with the post…
Chrissy and Heather
Stirred Up
As you may probably tell from my previous post, Untitled, I had my first contact from him this week since way back in February. Of course when I first saw the email in my inbox I was a little nervous, and upon reading what he had to say I felt somewhat vindicated. The poem was the product of a few days’ thought and I think I’ve said just about what I needed to say. There were a lot of ways I could have handled it, and I thought about them all, but in the end I think the way I did it was perfect…and it was typical me!
There’s no need to explain anything…if you read the poem I think you’ll be able to figure it out. In the end, I’m feeling better because of it, a little less sad and a little more comfortable knowing that I’m alright. He told me he’s a semi-regular reader of this blog, which surprised me actually, so if you’re reading this, here’s one last, small thank you.
I’ll Never Be a Moving Man
Yesterday my friend Blanche asked if I would help him move a freezer from his carport down to his basement. It was an old freezer that his neighbor owned and gave to him. He said it was kind of small and it should be easy to move. I told him to give me a call when he got home from work and I’d run over for ten minutes to give him a hand.
At around 5:30, Blanche called. I was in the middle of vacuuming for some company I was getting at 7. “You ready?” I said as I picked up the phone.
“Yup!”
“I’ll be there in five.”
When I got there, I saw the appliance sitting in the carport. He was right, it didn’t look like much. He’d already had a hand truck underneath it, so I grabbed the handles and pulled it around the house to his side door, which led to the basement. By that time it started to rain.
Of course, nothing I ever do is easy, and the freezer wouldn’t fit through first the door and then the doorway to the basement. Blanche and I maneuvered it around and somehow I ended up on the bottom. That’s when all the trouble began…
Somehow, we got the freezer tilted downwards, with the top, or the lighter side, facing down. Bad move! Not only did that make it difficult to move around, but the freezer got wedged between the steps to his attic above and the ones leading to the basement. For the better part of an hour I was trapped in the basement.
“Is there any other way outta here?” I asked jokingly, thinking that I may be stuck. Blanche chuckled. “Maybe we should call the fire department.
“I think you should.” The clock was ticking and I still had to finish vacuuming and take a shower all before 7 o’clock. I texted my friend:
“Help! I’m stuck in Blanchie’s basement. Gimme another half-hour. 7:30.”
With that I pushed up on the freezer as I had been doing all along, my shoulder muscles straining with every push. I was afraid that the thing, once we got it going, was gonna come crashing down on top of me. After all, Blanche had nothing really to hold on to and the thing was heavy! Visions of the emergency room flashed through my mind.
That last push did the trick! Blanche was able to get it back up on the landing so we could finally arch it downwards the right way. I still worried about the thing crashing down on me, and I had to still strain my might to guide it down, huffing and puffing and soaking from sweat.
“Thank God!” I said once it reached the bottom. We walked it over to its place and I was on my way. It was 6:45 by the time I got home. My friend never got my text and was at my door as I was dressing from my very quick shower. We had a good time last night, especially laughing about my moving experience. One thing’s for sure…I will never get a job as a moving man!
I Was Here - Another Beyonce Spotlight
Here's another song off of Beyonce's new album,, "4." It's a beautiful song and I think that it reflects pretty accurately how I look at life. Take a listen and follow along below to this amazing tune.
I wanna leave my footprints on the sands of time Know there was something that, and something that I left behind When I leave this world, I'll leave no regrets Leave something to remember, so they won't forget
I was here... I lived, I loved I was here... I did, I've done, everything that I wanted And it was more than I thought it would be I will leave my mark so everyone will know I was here...
I want to say I lived each day, until I died I know that I had something in, somebody's life The hearts I have touched, will be the proof that I leave That I made a difference, and this world will see
I was here... I lived, I loved I was here... I did, I've done, everything that I wanted And it was more than I thought it would be I will leave my mark so everyone will know I was here...
I was here... I lived, I loved I was here... I did, I've done, everything that I wanted And it was more than I thought it would be I will leave my mark so everyone will know I was here...
I just want them to know That I gave my all, did my best Brought someone to hapiness Left this world a little better just because...
I was here...
I was here... I lived, I loved I was here... I did, I've done, everything that I wanted And it was more than I thought it would be I will leave my mark so everyone will know I was here...
Well, once again I've wasted too much time in front of the pc and I need to get outside and do some yard work, ugh! Back to the Grove tonight and then Alfie's, the new place in Patchogue I wrote about the other day. In the meantime, here's a cool photo that's currently the background of my desktop:
Earlier this week Miss Bey put out her latest effort, her fourth full-length studio album, appropriately entitled "4." The album is much different from what Beyonce's fans are used to, and it's awesome! One of my early favorites is a song called "I Care." The tune is powerful and melodic and in a small way I can identify with its meaning. Of course there's no video for the song, but this dude named Myke Rosas on Twitvid put this piece together. Thanks to him you can take a listen and enjoy!
I Care
I told you how your hurt me, baby But you don't care Now I'm crying and deserted, baby But you don't care Ain't nobody tell this is love But you're inmune to all my pain I need you to tell me this is love You don't care if that's okay
Well, I care I know you don't care too much But I still care, la la la la Oh, I care I know you don't care too much But I still care, la la la la
Ever since you knew your power You made my cry And now everytime our love goes sour You won't sympathize You see these tears falling down to my ears I swear you like when I'm in pain [ From: http://www.elyrics.net/read/b/beyonce-lyrics/i-care-lyrics.html ]
I try to tell you all my fears You still don't care? That's okay
Well, I care I know you don't care too much But I still care, la la la la Oh, I care I know you don't care too much But I still care, la la la la
Boy, maybe if you care enough I wouldn't have to care so much What happened to our trust? Now you just given up You used to be so in love Now you don't care no more
Well, I care I know you don't care too much But I still care, la la la la Oh, I care I know you don't care too much But I still care, la la la la Tweet
Well it’s been awhile since I’ve posted anything personal on this space. It’s been a busy first week of summer, but I’m ready to get back into the swing of things. The last thing I spoke about was Graduation Day a week ago today. I’m actually not finished yet with graduation as I’ll be going to a party of one of my students this evening. I’d better get ready to use my Spanish! Anyway, here’s what’s happened in the past week, my first week of summer vacation…
Atlantic City
On Tuesday I went to Atlantic City with my mom, my sister and her friend for three days. They’re the ones who first introduced me to the East Coast gambling mecca several years ago and ever since I like to go down there a couple of times a year. This is the first time I’ve gone with them since last summer and though I was apprehensive about it, the trip went well…with them anyway.
The recession has definitely hit AC hard, as evidenced by the appearance of the city itself and the non-payouts they’re sooo not giving away. Just about five short years ago, it seemed like the place was on the cusp of making it better than ever, with a new outlet center adding premiere shopping to its array of activities and building new casinos. The Sands was torn down a few years back and they were going to replace it with an all-new casino called the Pinnacle. For awhile there, billboards heralding the new place were literally everywhere, but since the recession hit hard, plans for the new state-of-the-art place were abandoned as evidenced by the removal of such signs.
Now I like to gamble…it can be fun, but I never go to Atlantic City thinking I’m ever going to win anything big. Of course winning money would be nice, but I’m happy if my losses are kept to a minimum. If I throw $20 into a slot machine and play with it for an hour, I’m satisfied, but it seems these days the casinos are still putting up all the bells and whistles to attract people yet they’re not paying out what they once did. A twenty dollar bill is gone in a flash, before the player ever knew what hit em’. None of us were winning anything for three days and we had to force ourselves to find other things to do to keep away from the “one-armed bandits.”
Looking around, it didn’t seem as if anybody was winning at any of the casinos. Oh sure, there are one or two hundred dollar ‘jackpots’ being paid out, but not much more than that. Of course, all this is being said from my own observations, and I could be wrong, but I do believe it to be true. Even some acquaintances of ours who we met for dinner said the same thing. They were losing fast and big, too. All this did for me was to put off for a long, long time my next trip there.
I mean, really, don’t these jackasses who run the place know that they’ve still gotta make some payouts so the people will come back? Even the comps they used to give out have dwindled to practically nothing. Sure, I still got a free room, but my mom had to pay up the nose for hers, and my so-called ‘cash and comps’ were either expired or close to nothing, and I had just gone there back in April. Well, that’s enough of a rant about Atlantic City. Like I said, it’ll be a long while before I head back down there again, unless of course I fall into big money somehow, lol…
The Grove
Since I’m going to that graduation party tonight, I figured I’d take a trip to the Grove last night for some 4th of July Weekend fun. A whole crew of us is going tomorrow, but still I just can’t stay at home on a Friday night. Though the ferry schedule had changed and I was a bit confused, there was definitely a festive mood in the air from the moment I arrived at the ferry terminal. Everyone was in a good mood anticipating a fun evening. I paid my ticket and rode the top of the ferry on a gorgeous night, weather-wise.
All in all, it was a great night. Cherry’s was having a burlesque show and even though it was by girls for girls, I thoroughly enjoyed it! There were three pretty chicks doing all sorts of dance-skits to music and it was fun to watch. As always, there weren’t many dudes there, but at least the ones that were there were hot and friendly. There was this one guy, very cute and very tall, that was dancing around with everyone, including me. I learned from dancing with him that dancing with tall people makes me feel awkward, so I must remember that for my future guy-seeking endeavors, lol.
At one point in the evening, I was dancing on the side of the dance floor with a drink in one hand and a cigarette in the other, and this really big, kind of adorable dude named Kyle just grabbed me to dance with him. I had a lot of fun with him, dancing and singing along to Taio Cruz, Nicki Minaj and more, but I think he mistook my friendliness for something more. Not wanting to give him the wrong impression, I went off on my own every now and again and at one point he seemed very upset. I’m not sure if it was because I left him or something else, but I kind of think it had something to do with me...
Being the kind of person I am, I felt the need to go back over to him and make him feel better. We danced some more, which made him happy, but then he got a little too touchy-feely. After a couple of songs I knew I had to break away for good. It’s too bad because he was cool and I would’ve liked to maybe make friends, but it seems that when guys like one another they don’t want anything else but… It’s funny, but I couldn’t help but think of 'him' when I was thinking that last night. He said he wanted to remain friends, but I couldn’t handle it and look at where that got me. I guess I’m not that different than everybody else, huh?
And of course, as always I attract the straight women and the lesbians, ugh! There was this one woman who mistook a smile for I don’t know what, and for awhile there she was literally chasing me around the dance floor!
It was a shame the last ferry left so early, though, as Cherry’s was getting really crowded at that time. I don’t know why they would have such an early one (12:40) on a holiday weekend, but they did. Judging by the people who went over there on the same ferry as I, they were all staying for the weekend! Ah, one day!!!!
Well that’s all folks. Hopefully I’ll be posting regularly once again now that summer is officially here and my work has ebbed to a minimum. Now to get back to that Z-A Challenge, lol. As always, thanks for reading!
Here's a little snippet of what I hope will be a full video for J-Lo's song off of her new album "LOVE?" The song's called "Good Hit" and it is just soooo funky!!!!
Got that New York swagger, Miami base Got my California looks on all up in your face Midwest pimp type, Texas Don't you want me to have your baby, Don't you wish I was your boo
Happy Friday! Today is July 1st and I'm back after a short trip down to Atlantic City. Though I had planned to at least keep up with the "Song of the Day" while I was gone, I now realize why many of my fellow bloggers announce breaks in blogging when they go away because when you are away from home it's just hard to get down to business. So, now's time to get back to our regularly scheduled programming...
Beyonce
The musical artist for the day is Beyonce. She and I have had a rocky relationship in the past, but that's all over with now. Way back when she was in Destiny's Child, I never really thought too much of her personally. I liked, not loved, their music, but when she bolted for a solo career after only a couple of albums I thought she was just full of herself. I know a lot of people hated Diana Ross when she left the Supremes, but at least that was after six or seven years and many albums together. I resisted her and her solo career for a few years because I didn't like what she had done, but that's all changed now.
Beyonce is definitely a talent. With a string of both hot dance numbers and nice ballads, she's amassed a catalog that I've come to love. From hot, funky stuff like 'Get Me Bodied,' 'Check On It,' and 'Put a Ring On It' to tender ballads like 'If I Were a Boy' and 'Irreplaceable,' Beyonce's stuff is a little bit of everything.
On Tuesday I downloaded her latest CD, her fourth studio album appropriately titled "4," and listening to it was a bit of a surprise. The first single, which I had already had in my iPod, 'Run the World (Girls),' is not exactly one of her best dance songs and I had originally hoped for more good possibilities from it. On first listen, I saw that the bulk of the album is down tempo, something that I would normally avoid, but almost every song on the album is fantastic.
I enjoyed "4" so much that I penned a review of it, which you can read here. It's the quickest I've ever reviewed an album after its release, so that's really saying something for how I feel about it.
I love it when a producer remixes a good ballad into nice dance song. These types of club songs are amongst my favorites, like MJB's 'Be Without You' and 'No More Drama' or Whitney Houston's 'My Love Is Your Love.' This remix of Beyonce's 'Halo' is a recent favorite, and I'm including that version here after the original. 'Halo' is from Bey's last CD "I Am...Sasha Fierce," and it's such a beautiful song, both musically and lyrically. I hope you enjoy both equally great versions:
Remember those walls I built Well baby they're tumbling down They didn't even put up a fight They didn;t even make a sound...
And here's the remix by David Aude:
P.S. There are some great possibilities on "4" for some nice remixes, like '1+1,' 'I Care,' and 'I Was Here.' Deejays, are you listening?
Once upon a time there was a little black girl in the Brewster Projects of Detroit, Michigan. At 15, she was spotted by an Ebony Fashion Fair talent scout, and her modeling career took off.
YOU BETTER WORK!
Many of you might remember this one from 1993 by drag queen extraordinnaire, singer/songwriter, actor, television host, and a whole lot more, RuPaul. The opening, for those of you who might not know, includes a little nod to Ru's (and my) diva, Ms. Diana Ross, who grew up in those Brewster projects and portrayed a model in the film Mahogany. The rest of the song is as camp as camp can be, with a funky music track and some fabulous lyrics. It's a perfect showcase for a "Pride Song of the Day."
I especially love the little homage interlude towards the end of the song:
Linda, work Naomi, she is fierce! Christy, foxy lady other side Cindy, I can feel it! Claudia set on the cover Nicky, work that runway sweetie
Can you tell I love this song? LOL Anyway, I became a big fan of RuPaul's music from that time on. She's released several albums of surprisingly good, campy stuff. I own the first two, 'Supermodel' and 'Foxy Lady,' and I can tell you they're both full of catchy, fun songs like 'Back to My Roots,' 'Party Train,' 'A Little Bit of Love,' 'Snapshot,' and more. It's really too bad that none of these are available on YouTube, otherwise you'd get a much bigger (and funner!) post than you're getting. RuPaul's 'Supermodel' is a perfect song for pride and I hope you enjoy...
"There's nothing wrong with loving who you are" She said, "'Cause he made you perfect, babe"
Happy Gay Pride Day in New York! It looks to be a picture perfect day today, a great day for a parade, festival and celebration. This will be my second year going to join my fellow PLU's for some out and proud joyousness. God seems to be pleased about what happened on Friday because he's smiling down on us this fine day.
I'm beautiful in my way 'Cause God makes no mistakes I'm on the right track, baby I was born this way
Don't hide yourself in regret Just love yourself and you're set I'm on the right track, baby I was born this way
I really wanted to find a song that would capture what today was all about. I perused my iTunes library to try and find something of an anthem that spoke to gay people everywhere. At first I was going to feature Gloria Gaynor's 'I Am What I Am,' but it's a little outdated and played out. Then all of a sudden it hit me: 'Born This Way' is the perfect song for today. I think that maybe it replaces Gaynor's anthem just like Jay Z replaced Old Blue Eyes with his 'Empire State of Mind.'
Don't be a drag, just be a queen Whether you're broke or evergreen You're black, white, beige, chola descent You're Lebanese, you're orient Whether life's disabilities Left you outcast, bullied, or teased Rejoice and love yourself today 'cause baby you were born this way
What makes this song so special is that it's not just an anthemm for gays, but for everyone who's ever found themselves objects of scorn, hate, ridicule, whatever. I know a lot of people out there dislike Lady Gaga, especially my fellow Madonna brethren. Even though I believe Gaga doesn't hold a candle to Madge, I still thinkk she's pretty good and this song is pretty good too. Yes, it sounds a little like 'Express Yourself,' but so what? It's happy, it's fun, and it makes you want to put your hands up in the air and dance. Isn't that what good music should do?
No matter gay, straight, or bi, lesbian, transgendered life, I'm on the right track baby, I was born to survive. No matter black, white or beige Chola or orient made, I'm on the right track baby, I was born to be brave.
So today we celebrate what we all know to be true in the hopes that others who don't might just get it. Yes, whether any of you out there believe it or not, I know, my fellow LGBT's know, and Lady Gaga knows that we were born this way. Happyy Pride everybody!
Unfortunately, there's no video for this song, at least the original version of it. The song was recorded back in 1984 and I don't think I discovered it until the late eighties/early nineties. It's one of those classic dance/club songs with a great dance track, nice vocals and equally cool lyrics. It was the only hit for this Afro-Cuban singer called Nayobe, and it's a really good one!
It's funny, but the backdrop for the video of the song is the label from the 12" record of the original, which I used to own. I remember lots of great records with the label "The Fever...Catch It!" Ah, those were the days! Take a listen here to Nayobe's great 'Please Don't Go':
Please Don't Go
Sweet, sweet love, Dark empty nights Begged you to stay Now you're far, far away...
There's something scary about the look that's in your eyes There's hidden anger in your face There had been trouble and it comes as no surprise You say tonight someone has taken someone else's life Not much will come from out of anger and revenge But tell me when we'll --- I'm begging you please I'm on my hands and knees Don't do something crazy, I'm begging you
Chorus: Please don't go, please don't go Don't go there tonight It just isn't right You may not come back to me Our future you'll never see Your throwing my life plans away Please don't go
The only thing we have that we can call our own Is this sweet love that we share But if you leave tonight you may not come home And thats just one thought I can't bear Lets run away from here, to some place far away Cause if we stay our love won't last another day Don't throw my love aside Because of your foolish pride
Chorus
I wanted you to stay But still you went away Together we can run Now look what they had done I'll never feel your touch again I'm left to see this tragic end Your throwing our love life away
![Powerless (Say What You Want) [With Spanish Lyrics] - Powerless (Say What You Want) - Single](http://ax.phobos.apple.com.edgesuite.net/images/web/linkmaker/badge_itunes-lrg.gif){kind=icon}
