Sunday, January 13, 2008

Sunday Song, Stop Your Sobbing

You Gonna Cry??!!

Sunny - Hi 49 Lo 30 for Baghdad, Iraq
Light Rain - Hi 54 Lo 37 for Qandahar, Afghanistan
Rain - Hi 39 Lo 27 for Northern KY, USA

Song of the week: Stop Your Sobbing, The Pretenders

I think I was 16 when I heard the Pretenders for the first time. The song was Tatooed Love Boys and I thought it was the coolest song I had heard... it was edgy... and just under the punk movement radar... the best part.... the front man of the group was a chick... not just any chick... but a chick from Akron, Ohio... just up the highway-- a mere 3 hours away. See, when I was 16 you had 3 --- OK 4 camps for female artists--- Pat Benatar , Debbie Harry, Patty Smith and Chrissie Hynde. All were talented.... Vocally, Pat Benatar had the most talent and pop appeal. Patty Smith was one of the "founding fathers" of punk rock- but she was too raw... too self absorbed... too angry for my taste. Deborah Harry from Blondie was great... always gave the impression that she didn't care about anything... Blondie played at CBGB's.... a place I always wanted to go to but never made it there... Chrissie Hynde on the other hand was simply cool. She played guitar... she wrote.... she sang... she was the decision maker in the band. I admired her. I wanted to be her... and in my bedroom in front of the mirror, singing into my hairbrush... I WAS her.... When James Honeyman Scott and Pete Farndon both died from drug overdoses... I was pissed. The band had put out 2 albums and both were fantastic... Both are burned in my memory... I know them both cover to cover... Scott was wonderful and created some gorgeous music... idiots-- what a waste... Chrissie and Martin Chambers persevered and came out with Learning to Crawl my senior year in high school.... Back on the Chain Gang and My City was Gone (Rush Limbaugh's theme song). Too me though... there first two albums were the most resonant... Mystery Achievement, Kid, Private Life and this cover from The Kinks.... good stuff...

Ramble:

I was going to do a long rant on crying... but... it is getting late in the morning and I have a couple of projects I need to get moving on, so this will be short... Have you noticed how much more everyone is crying? While vegging in front of the television, flipping through the channels and stopping on any reality show, you will find yourself watching some poor sap burst into tears.... male- female- kid- doesn't matter... sooner or later... someone is going to be crying... Michael and I thought this would make a great drinking game... anytime someone cries... drink... the rules have been modified for Biggest Loser... you drink every time someone cries or you see a man boob....one drink per pair.... ew.

I'm the first to admit... I'm a baby... a sentimental sap.... I get teary eyed over a sweet commercial... I get all weepy when I think about my nieces and nephews and how quickly they are growing up... I cry at the playing of our National Anthem.... I weep when I think about the brave young men and women defending us against evil.... When did it become okay to cry in public? When did it become so easy for men to cry? I have seen my grandfather get teary eyed twice in my life.... once at the grave site of his little girl and once on my wedding day just as he was getting ready to walk me down the aisle... Maybe I am just "old school" and believe crying to be a private thing only to be exhibited in public on the rare occasion... I don't care who you are.... but if you are a parent... don't cry in front of your kid... You wanna freak a kid out? Be an adult and cry.... A kid needs the adult in the relationship to be the rock.... I remember seeing my mother cry once... she was so sad and I remember, I started crying too.... I was scared out of my mind... Stop crying...

You never saw Steve McQueen, or John Wayne or my beloved Yul Brynner cry... even when he had a lung removed and he knew he was dying....

I guess the icing on the cake was when I saw the footage of Hillary Clinton getting "emotional" about how concerned she is... Flashes of Susan Smith and her crocodile tears went racing through my mind... PLEASE NOTE: the comparison is CROCODILE TEARS nothing else...

I don't know... I just have to wonder how we are perceived as a nation.... a bunch of self absorbed cry babies consumed with self indulgent behavior and crying every time we don't get our way....

Have a great week everyone!

Sunday, January 06, 2008

Sunday Song, Home

Home

Sunny - Hi 52 Lo 31 for Baghdad, Iraq
Rain - Hi 50 Lo 37 for Qandahar, Afghanistan
Evening Showers - Hi 57 Lo 52 for Northern KY, USA


Song of the week: Home, Foo Fighters

As you know, Foo Fighters are one of my favorite bands. This song from their latest album, Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace is the last track on the album. I have to say this is probably their most sophisticated work to date. If you enjoy the loud screaming Dave Grohl... the first track, The Pretender as well as Erase/Replace will get your pulse racing. They have stretched their reach and like anyone that gets older... their range and interests have grown and thankfully it is reflected in this album. The lyrics to Home forever speak to that emptiness we all carry at one time or another... Whether it is being far from home and yearning to be there... or whether thoughts of a loved one lost, be it through break up, just losing touch, a fight, or death... this song speaks to that longing- of looking back, of looking forward... of being home...

Ramble:

Happy New Year.

Did you watch the Iowa Caucus? You know Hillary is just pissed. I have not decided who I'm going to vote for yet-- and to be perfectly frank, I have only been listening with one ear. I mean really--- we have been listening to this for how long? When are the elections? Com' on! In any event, I still believe the Republicans have the strongest bench. It will get ugly on the Republican side as the field of contenders gets culled. Conservatives and those right of center are passionate about the person they are supporting. It appears to be that way on the Democrat bench as well. Weaknesses are obvious in all the Republican candidates and overall, I think each one is better than anyone offered on the Democrat side. But that is a pretty woosy way for me to draw a line in the sand... huh? Yeah, I know. Depending on the moment... I am leaning toward Thompson or Romney and at times Giuliani. If Thompson wins the nomination and must face Hillary- I think he can win. If he faces Obama... I'm not so sure... Thompson has the tendency of looking old and sluggish and that will be even more exaggerated if up against Obama. If the match is against Hillary... I really think anyone on the Republican bench will beat her. I think people don't want to hear her screeching voice or that maniacal forced laugh for 4 years.... Gawd, I know I don't...

Fred Thompson: I think when it is all said and done, we are projecting our need for Fred to be our new Ronald Wilson Reagan. Although Fred has a lot of charisma and appears to be a man of integrity... we will never see the likes of Ronald Reagan again.

Mitt Romney: Mitt Romney is squeaky clean. He is a member of LDS and there are still those that won't vote for him because of that. He is a man of character. He is a family man-- his family is the American dream ideal. He is a good businessman.

Rudy Giuliani: Rudy Giuliani loves a good fight. I MUST see him in a debate with Hillary... That will be fantastic. We know he was a great prosecutor. We know he cleaned up NYC when he was mayor. We know he stood strong and father like when our nation was brought to her knees.

Duncan Hunter: I think Duncan Hunter is ideally my first choice. But I don't think he has a snowman's chance in hell.

Regardless, of who I want, I will support the Republican ticket.... and Gawd help me... that includes McCain or Paul...

Here is what is important to me-The war against terrorism, securing our borders, a strong military, and lowering our taxes. I am NOT interested in having a Nanny State where Uncle Sam believes me to be to ignorant and incapable of making my own decisions... that includes Social Security, health care and unreal... my mortgage...

I think that covers it.

Home

Wish I were with you
I couldn't stay
Every direction
Leads me away
Pray for tomorrow
But for today

All I want is to be home

Stand in the mirror
You look the same
Just lookin' for shelter
From cold and the pain
Someone to cover
Safe from the rain

All I want is to be home

Echoes and silence

Patience and grace

All of these moments
I'll never replace
No fear of my heart
Absence of faith

All I want is to be home
Ooh

All I want is to be home

People I've loved
I have no regrets
Some I remember
Some I forget
Some of them living
Some of them dead

All I want is to be home

Have a great week everyone!