Photo Source: Urban Islandz





This is the latest video from Beyonce's "4" and it's one of my favorite songs on the record. It's such a beautiful and tender love song, and I think it would make an awesome club remix...











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Photo Source: KeepitTrill





Apple bottom jeans, boots with the fur...



This one reminds me of my days as Johnny Driver, especiallyy when I worked with my pal Sumitra (AKA Kona). She and I would always rap the words to hip hop songs like this one together as we worked. Fun times!













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Photo Source: Gawker





Do you remember, the 21st night of September?



Good morning! It's a new day, and a new month, and I could think of no better way to ring in September than with this song. It's a 1978 song by Earth, Wind and Fire, and it still gets people moving whenever I hear it played...











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Photo Source: madetobenow



Today's "Song of the Day" is an early favorite from David Guetta's "Nothing But the Beat," which I downloaded yesterday. This one features the vocals of Jennifer Hudson and I just love everything about it, especially the hook! I think Guetta's got another winner with this one...stay tuned for something on the album...











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Photo Source: Juicy Bands





I was doing an article on new music releases last night for Gather (check it out here) and one of the items coming out today is a DVD/CD by Counting Crows of a live performance of their entire first album, "August & Everything After." One of the songs off that album is "Mr. Jones," a song that was played heavily back in 93' when it was out. Now I've never considered myself a big fan of the group, but I used to love this song. It's kinda folksy rock and roll and it's got some great lyrics. Check it out:













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Boy am I in trouble! It is 1:30 AM and I am wide awake once again. I should be sleeping and I will once I finish this post. There are exactly seven days left of summer vacation for me and I need to get into a better sleep mode, though it’s not gonna be easy.



Ending summer with a bang!



After the past few days of being stuck in the house, the weather has turned beautiful. I’ve done most of the cleanup in my yard and though I have to go to school in the morning for a bit, I am ready to enjoy these last few days of my first summer off. Of course that involves clubbing, hehe…going to Splash tomorrow with my friend Ivan and Circus Wednesday, Splash again on Thursday and of course the big show on Fire Island this weekend. Come Monday morning I am going to be sooooo depressed, lol.



Some fortune…good and bad



I had two hits of luck today, both having to do with money, and one was good, the other bad. The good news had to do with my electricity being out in the downstairs of my house. I said yesterday that I had to call an electrician today to fix the baffling problem, and I did. I called Dew Edward & Son right here in Patchogue and they came with good news. Apparently, there are three electrical wires coming into my house from the transformer across the street and one of them got disconnected. It was just hanging there and I couldn’t believe none of us saw it yesterday. Long story short…LIPA’s got to fix it and these very nice gentlemen didn’t charge me a penny! Thanks guys!



Now on to the bad…since I was home cleaning the yard all day, I figured I’d take my car in for some much needed checking up. Another long story short…I needed brakes, two tires, a tune-up and an oil change…grand total: $1,000!!!! WTF? Thank God I have a credit card, and I’m not going to get sick over it. At least my car is safe and running great.



Writing, writing and more writing



I’ve been in a zone tonight. I was invited over my neighbor and friend Terry’s house for dinner earlier. Her daughter Margaret was trying to save some rapidly defrosting food she’d had in her freezer (no power!) and they needed help eating it, lol. I got home a little after 9 and I’ve been writing ever since. It’s funny, but my eyes were very droopy when I got home, but now, after hours of writing, I’ve become less and less tired. Once this is over, though, I’m headed into the shower and then taking a nosedive into my bed. I just hope I can sleep!



Well that’s all I’ve got for now. Here’s a video of Lady Gaga’s much talked about performance from last night’s VMA’s, which I missed. It’s really the only part of the show I’ve seen so far and I liked it. Hopefully I’ll get my TV back before MTV stops repeating it….







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Photo Source: Spectrvm



I can think of no better song for such a beautiful day, one that comes after such an ugly one. I remember once when I was deejaying a party, it had been raining all day and by the time the outdoor party had begun the sun started peeking through the clouds and I played this song. The smiles on everyone's faces at hearing the song was as wonderful as anything! Enjoy the Beatles' classic "Here Comes the Sun":











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Photo Source: Photobucket: NellyFurtadoArgentina



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



Cuz this life is too short,

just for you



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Photo Source: nosvc



Okay, so I know the name in the song is not exactly right, but for some reason I've been singing this song in my head with the word "Irene" in it. Anyway, it's almost showtime for the wicked Irene....stay tuned...













Photo Source: Guardian UK



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Photo Source: badmovieart



Did I ever tell you you're my hero?



Today's "Song of the Day" is by special request from a good friend of mine. I promised Nancy Lou I'd spotlight this song one day this week, and in my mind I wanted it to be today. You see, I haven't known Nance too long, and in the short time I have known him, he's shown himself worthy of the title 'friend.'



Today I am going for my very first colonoscopy, something I never thought I'd do at my age, but my doctor told me it wouldn't be a bad idea and he convinced me to go for it, so here I am. Nancy, upon hearing the news, immediately offered to take me, and for that I am grateful.



Nancy Lou is an avid reader of this blog and the other day he asked me when I was going to quit the "Madonnathon" I had been running last week.



"Why don't you do some Bette?" he asked.



"Okay, Nance, I like Bette. What song do you want me to put?"



The answer is right below. "Wind Beneath My Wings" is probably one of the most classic songs ever recorded. It's beautiful and sad and everything in between. Of course, it's from the movie "Beaches," one of the biggest tearjerkers of all time, and the soundtrack is awesome, as well. So Nance, this one's for you! Enjoy!











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Ten years ago today, a promising young career was suddenly cut short when a plane carrying 22 year old R&B singer Aaliyah and her entourage from the Bahamas to Florida crashed shortly after takeoff. They had been filming a video for the single "Rock the Boat" and had wrapped up early, so they decided to leave the night before their scheduled departure.



The plane they took was smaller than the one they had taken down there and it was overloaded with baggage by over 700 pounds. It also carried one more passenger than it was legally allowed to carry. Unfortunately, all of the extra weight proved too much for the small plane and the resulting crash took the lives of Aaliyah and eight others on board, including the pilot.



Aaliyah was just beginning to hit it big at the time of her death. She'd recorded three albums, the last of which ("Aaliyah") had been released just a month before her death. She'd also begun to dip into the acting field, appearing in the films "Romeo Must Die" in 2000 and "Queen of the Damned," which was released a year after her death.



Aaliyah worked a lot with hot producer Timbaland, whose signature sounds could be heard in both of the songs featured here today. The first one I always loved for its thumping, slow sounds and the sampling of a baby coo taken from Prince's "Delirious" and the other, "Try Again," is taken from the soundtrack to "Romeo Must Die." It was her first and only #1 single.



It's hard to believe its been ten years since Aaliyah left us. We can only imagine what more wonderful gifts she would have shared with us. In the meantime, we've still got her music, her legacy. Enjoy!



Are You That Somebody











Try Again











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Happy Hump Day everyone! It’s yet another beautiful summer day on Long Island and here I sit in my office, in the middle of the day, typing away, lol. This is my last bit of writing for the day, thankfully, and then I can get on with doing stuff I should be doing…outside! Here’s the latest from my so called life…





Photo Source: cbs news



Come on Irene!



For the first time in a long time, we here in the northeast are under watch for the latest hurricane, Irene, which seems to be heading in our direction. We’ve had these types of warnings many times in the past and a lot of them turned out to be nothing more than some rain and a little wind, and I hope that’s the case this time, too. They’re saying Sunday, so anything can happen between now and then. We haven’t had one since I bought my house in 98 and I shudder to think about one hitting here full force because I have a lot of trees in my yard. Fingers crossed and stay tuned…





Photo Source: Watt's Up With That?



Earthquake? What Earthquake?



I think I am probably the only person I know who didn’t feel the Earth trembling at yesterday’s earthquake, which struck in Virginia but was felt all over the Eastern Seaboard. I spoke to a couple of people who felt it around 2PM, but I didn’t even know about it until much later. They say it’s the strongest earthquake to ever hit the area at 5.6 on the Richter, and of course the end-of-the-worlders are out in full force. Gimme a break!







Opening up



As I told you the other day, I’ve been struggling a lot lately with the things I put on this blog. It all started when I got a nasty and derogatory email from a reader that made me do a lot of thinking. More than a week has passed now and several friends have given me cause to keep doing what I’m doing and not be affected by such malicious nonsense. After all, this is my space and if anyone doesn’t want to read it, they don’t have to.



Though I have no idea specifically what the emailer was referring to in his rant, I had removed a piece I thought he might have been responding to, a poem about my recent face to face encounter with him. At the moment I have no plans to republish it in full, but here’s an abridged version of the original that I had penned a week ago Sunday:



Yet another regretful episode in this muddled story

A chance meeting unforeseen

At almost the very spot where we first met

We’d both imagined this in our minds

Yet neither could know what really to expect



It all happened so suddenly

I looked up with disbelieving eyes into your face

And saw you looking into mine

And in a flash, all I could think of to do was turn and run

But you saw me as I saw you and called to me from behind



At that point, the deed was done

The circumstance of our encounter was settled

You were excited and I was terrified

My reaction dampened your evening and mine

The latest in a series of miscommunications between us



Running away was not the mature thing to do

Yet it was an impulse borne out of months of despair

And yes, anger, at the very thought of you

I regret the action and wish I could take it back

But what’s done cannot be undone



I don’t know how you expected me to react

With a smile and a hug, perhaps

Some genuine catching up of old friends

I laid it all out for you the last time

In a way I believed to be noble and complete



Whatever happens from here forth

Please understand that there were reasons for my action

Perhaps a little subconscious hurt thrown your way

In return for the hurt I’d endured

A little bit of karma in action



I know you couldn’t see

Through all of the discomfort between us

That deep down it was nice to see you again

In the flesh

The same person I so cared for once upon a time



So take good care of yourself

I’m happy to hear you’re in a better place these days

Should there be a next time, don’t worry

I promise not to turn my back again

Next time I’ll flash you a brilliant smile, I promise!



Reading this over once again, I don’t think there's anything about it I need to feel bad about writing, either on myself or on him. It's just the openness and feeling that I always express in my writing, no matter the subject. Yes, my experiences with him were some tough moments in my life and even though I’m in a good place now, contact of any sort inevitably brings back memories, bad and good. So I make no apologies for penning the piece, and I’m glad to share it once again with you.



It’s funny, but things have taken a sad turn even since I wrote the piece. After not having seen him for seven months, I ran into him three straight times at Splash, the last time being last night. Though I meant what I said in the last stanza, things haven’t gone exactly that way in subsequent encounters. There’s kind of a distant iciness there now, like we're both sort of pretending not to see each other while we’re standing just a few feet away. It's weird and uncomfortable, and no fun at all. I guess the circumstances from that night have brought us to this, starting with my reaction almost two weeks ago.



It’s a little unnerving and sad, but I guess that’s just the way it’s going to be. At least there’s just one more week of Splash Tuesdays and/or Thursdays for me, and so I’ll return to going there on Saturdays again afterwards and these random contacts shouldn’t happen anymore anyway.



Related post: Untitled



Writing Wednesdays



Well, I already missed the second week of Writing Wednesdays, and so here are links to some of the pieces I’ve been up to…



Gather



Amy Winehouse Tributes by Green Day, Coldplay and at the VMAs



Gaga’s “You and I” exemplifies her musical versatility



Spotlight on new music releases for the week of August 22nd



Preview of the 2011 VMAs



Yahoo Contributor Network



Elton John's Top Twenty Songs



Pesto: Easy, Delicious and Versatile



Volunteer's Corner: Working to Protect and Preserve the Environment of Long Island and Beyond



What Are You Listening To? Summer 2011



Examiner



Fun outdoor activities on Long Island this weekend



H is for "High Rise"



During my "Song of the Day" posting in dedication to Nick Ashford, who passed away yesterday, I mentioned another of Ashford and Simpson songs that I loved whose title just happens to start with the letter "H," the next letter in our Z-A Blogger's Challenge. Bonus! The vid's a little grainy, but the song is oh so sweet sounding! Enjoy!











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Photo Source: in.com



Today's "Song of the Day" is dedicated to Nick Ashford, who passed away yesterday at the age of 70. Ashford was one half of the singing/songwriting duo Ashford and Simpson, together with his wife Valerie Simpson. The two of them were best known for the many hit records they penned for others, including the Marvin Gaye and Tammie Terrell's/Diana Ross' hit "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," Chaka Kahn's "I'm Every Woman," and "You're All I Need to Get By."



Though the two of them wrote a lot of music for others, they also wrote and performed for themselves on occasion. They put out several albums between the 70's and 90's, having their biggest success with this one, "Solid." The song is a positive one, and it resonated with a lot of people because this particular couple, notwithstanding their strikingly opposite statures (Ashford towered like a foot above his wife), had a love that was "solid as a rock." You could always see the love between the two whenever they appeared together. They had been married for 38 years when Ashford died.



I'm especially sad about Ashford's death because I was a big fan of their music in the early 80's. I had the album before "Solid," called "High Rise," and I loved it. I even saw them perform once at MSG, as part of a concert marathon called the "Budweiser Superfest." They had lots of energy, from what I remember, and they were one of the highlights of that show for me.



So anyway, if you're too young to remember this song, take a listen. It's really a good, uplifting tune. And if you do know it, press play and enjoy the memories!



R.I.P. Nick Ashford











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Photo Source: freecodesource.com



This wonderfully liberating song was a big dance hit back in the summer of 1997, hitting the #1 spot on Billboard's Dance Chart for two weeks. It was the first of only two big hits for Ultra Nate, the other being as part of the trio Stars on 54 with fellow dance divas Amber and Jocelyn Enriquez. That song was a discoed remake of Gordon Lightfoot's "If You Could Read My Mind," which was another great song from the soundtrack to the film "54." We'll save that one for another time, but for now, check out Ultra Nate's "Free":



Cause you're free, to do what you want to do...













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Photo Source: Fanvasion



Today we return too our regular "Song of the Day" feature with the very hot and fun "Moves Like Jagger" by Adam Levine and the boys of Maroon 5, joined by Christina Aguilera. Check it out...











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It’s a hot and humid Sunday here on Long Island and we’re expecting severe thunderstorms this evening, which makes it a good day for me to catch up on some writing. The weather has caused me and my buds to cancel a trip on Sea Tea for the second straight week, and so I’m going to try and be productive. It’s really been a long time since I’ve last posted anything real on here and for good reason…





Photo Source: Running in cute heels



Stuck



Ever since my little physical mishaps last weekend, I’ve been in kind of a bad place. Not only has the pain from my injuries made me cranky, but other things have happened this week to put me in this state. I tried writing about it beginning on Tuesday, and I wrote a lot, but got lost somewhere along the way and I never published what I wrote. Though I’ve been wanting to put out more here in the way of posts rather than just music videos, I’ve been having a hard time finding the right words to say.



I guess it all started with an email I received on Monday night. It was from a reader who had a lot to say about me in response to some content I’d put out there. Though he never referred to any specific post, I can surmise what he was referring to, which was a piece of poetry I’d written last Sunday that I posted and then took down. Though the email was pretty insulting and kind of nasty, there were chunks of things he said that made me think and I’ve been stuck as to where to go next.



Ever since I started writing regularly here I’ve written in a certain way, very open with my thoughts and feelings. I’ve long since struggled with writing in this manner. I know that I make myself vulnerable to criticisms and even personal attacks, but I guess that’s just the risk I take in putting it all out there. At the advice of some and based on the readership and commentary I’ve received, I have continued to write in the same manner more or less for almost nine months now. I don’t know if, how often or how long I will be keeping up with this, but I do hope to find myself somehow once again.



I spent about four hours writing a post in response to the email, and the long piece turned into something big and is still unfinished, sitting in my document file waiting to be published in one form or another. Throughout the writing process I was faced with this struggle once again about what and what not to put out there. It’s definitely been the most I’ve questioned myself yet, as you can tell from my long absence. I’m not absolutely sure yet whether I will finish and then publish that piece, as it does make myself somewhat more vulnerable and I’m not sure if I want to go there. Other experiences I had during the week have only added to the confusion and hopefully I will sort them out soon. Stay tuned…



Doctor visits and giving more blood…



This coming Friday is my first ever colonoscopy…yay! One of the doctor’s I spoke about going to seethis summer was one who suggested this to me, not that I need one, but he says it wouldn’t hurt and so I figured why not. I spent some time this week going to get my blood work done as well as a pre-op checkup, both of which reminded me why I don’t like going to the doctor’s in the first place.



The blood test was no biggie, except for the needle, which I hate, but going to my regular doctor for the evaluation was one hour I’d like to have back. I walked in and the doctor I was supposed to see was sitting there thumbing through a magazine. Okay. There was only one patient in the waiting room, and so I figured I’d be in and outta there fast. I was wrong! I sat there in the waiting room as no less than three people kept coming in and going in to see the doctor ahead of me. I didn’t mind too much because they all looked pretty sick and I was only there for a regular check-up anyway, but still why make an appointment if both parties are not going to keep it? My time is as valuable as the doctor’s, no?



After about a half-hour’s wait, I was finally called in to see the doctor. The nurse took all my vitals and set out to get the EKG machine, which was required for my prep. I took off my shirt and lay down as she put all of those icy cold sticky things all over me. We chatted as she went about her work and within a few minutes she was done. The doctor came in soon after and took a look at my folder, which had the EKG inside. She asked me if I was feeling alright and I told her that other than being a little stressed I felt fine.



She told me there were a couple of extra heartbeats on the EKG, which was a “concern.” I had had one done last year and that one was completely normal. She put the two together for me to see the difference. “Oh shit,” I thought, “I’m going to have a heart attack.” She explained to me that it probably wasn’t too serious, but if it were true, I could not go under anesthesia for the colonoscopy and I might have to do further testing. “Oh God!” She asked the nurse to do another EKG just to make sure. Well great, if I wasn’t nervous before…



I removed my shirt once again and lay back on the table. As the nurse came at me once again with those electrode thingys, she noticed my cell phone sticking out of my pocket. “Is that on?” she asked, pointing towards my pocket. It was. “Ah, that’s probably what did it, the extra beats. Those cell phones always mess with the machine.” I shut it off and she went ahead and did the second EKG. It was normal….whew!



Five Day Countdown…



So now I’ve got only five days before the big “C.” I’m not too nervous yet, but I’m sure I will be as it gets closer. And I just know the week is going to fly by of course. What I’m dreading most is Thursday. I can only consume clear liquids all day and then by six at night I gotta start drinking “the stuff.” From what I heard, that’s the worst part of the whole thing. I am not looking forward to this!



I is for “I Try”



I hope to be back soon to share some more of my so called life. In the meantime, here’s the “I” entry for the Z-A Blogger’s Challenge that’s taking me like six months to complete, lol. It’s Macy Gray’s first song, a great one called “I Try.” Enjoy!











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Photo Source: Dens 54 Remixes



My name is Dita, I'll be your mistress tonight...



Our final posting for the Madonnathon Song of the Day is one which I should've thought of but I can't take credit for. I was speaking with my friend Rich yesterday and he asked me when I was going to end the Madonnathon. I told him soon, perhaps even yesterday. I mean, I could go on forever with all that's she's got out there, but I think a week's been enough, and so here we are.



He suggested that I should put "Erotica" as my Song of the Day...of course, it's that first line that got him his moniker: "My name is Dita." I actually call him Dita more than I call him Rich, so there ya go, lol.



Anyway, the video for this song goes kind of hand in hand with Madonna's publication of her "Sex" book, and for a spell put her in the doghouse with many for the risque themes. It's too bad, though, because the album "Erotica" was definitely one of her best and it didn't get as much attention as it could have because of the controversy. Oh well, we love it anyway!



Check out my review of the "Erotica" album right here.











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Photo Source: all about Madonna



Zephyr in the sky at night I wonder

Do my tears of mourning sink beneath the sun



I love this song! It has an ethereal quality, like many of the songs on the album of the same name, but only in an uplifting way. It's the perfect song for a beautiful day such as today, so take a look and a listen and go out and have yourself a great day!











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Photo Source: People





"Bye, Bye Baby" is one of the many great songs on Madonna's "Erotica" album, and yet I don't think I've ever seen it as a single or even featured anywhere, but it is catchy and lyrically cool. Luckily, YouTube had this clip of her performing the song from the "Girlie Show Tour," so check it out...













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Photo Source: The Original Material Girl





This one's one of the first videos Madonna ever made and I remember doing all of the steps right along with her whenever I watched it, hehe. Enjoy!











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