Sunday Song, Defying Gravity

If you would like to comment on the song, please wait for the Sunday post, which will be up shortly. I would love to read your comments or email about the music selection and I am certainly willing to take requests.

Defying Gravity

Mostly Sunny - Hi 86 Lo 62 for Baghdad, Iraq
Sunny - Hi 81 Lo 60 for Northern KY, USA

Song of the week: Defying Gravity, From the Musical - Wicked - Idina Menzel and Kristen Chenoweth

Last April I went with a few of my favorite women to Chicago to shop and see Wicked. The sets, the costumes, the story line... so much fun. The song Defying Gravity was the climax of the production--- our hearts were soaring by the time this song started and when Elphaba defied gravity by flying... well, I left the show feeling anything was possible.

Ramble:

Thoughts of the massacre at Virginia Tech have had me preoccupied. So much has been said and written...news, opinions, blogs... I really do not have much to add to the discussion.

Let me just say this... I agree with those that state if someone had been carrying a firearm there is no doubt fewer souls would have been lost. However, I believe the bigger question and debate is over something else that I have not seen covered anywhere-- I suspect because it is such a taboo topic. I also suspect I will get some serious hate mail for this, but I qualify my thoughts based on personal experience (the liberal way of having a debate--I have personal experience...therefore I can talk about it)... This massacre is what happens when we are not given the opportunity to institutionalize people that can not be left on their own. It has already been established that this young man was disturbed. I don't know what the right answer is... Asylums of yesterday were inhumane... would we as a society allow that to occur today? I imagine a good percentage of homeless folks are mentally ill. Is it humane to allow someone that is mentally ill to live on the streets- homeless? The question has been asked "Why did he do this?" The answer is pretty simple. He was demented... disturbed... sick... mentally unstable... and needed to be institutionalized- he was a threat to himself as well as others.

In Memoriam: Virginia Tech Remembers

I was saddened to hear that one of our finest and elite was lost in South Carolina on Saturday. The Blue Angels have always made my heart soar. The entire team is from the Navy and Marines... our finest...

I was surprised to hear that the pilot was killed, but after reading this most recent report, I have no doubt this pilot stayed with the jet to minimize injury to civilians.

BEAUFORT, S.C. (AP) - A Navy Blue Angel jet crashed during an air show Saturday, plunging into a neighborhood of small homes and trailers and killing the pilot, the county coroner said.

Witnesses said the planes were flying in formation during the show at the Marine Corps Air Station and one dropped below the trees and crashed, sending up clouds of smoke. At least one home was on fire.

Raymond Voegeli, a plumber, was backing out of a driveway when the plane ripped through a grove of pine trees, dousing his truck in flames and debris. He said wreckage hit "plenty of houses and mobile homes."

"It was just a big fireball coming at me," said Voegeli, 37. "It was just taking
pine trees and just clipping them."

The complete article from AP

The following video is about 16 minutes long... I hope the Blue Angels do not cancel the remainder of their schedule. I am sure they will have to investigate what occurred and caused the accident, but we need these ambassadors of our military to tour our country... airshows are the best place to go to feel American... to get a sense of patriotism... to tear up while singing our National Anthem... and most importantly to thank these fine men and women.

Everyone deserves the chance to fly!
And if I'm flying solo
At least I'm flying free
To those who'd ground me
Take a message back from me
Tell them how I am
Defying gravity
I'm flying high
Defying gravity

Defying Gravity

Something has changed within me
Something is not the same
I'm through with playing by the rules
Of someone else's game
Too late for second-guessing
Too late to go back to sleep
It's time to trust my instincts
Close my eyes and leap!

It's time to try
Defying gravity
I think I'll try
Defying gravity
And you can't pull me down!

Quick - come with me. Think of
what we could do together.

Unlimited
Together we're unlimited
Together we'll be the greatest team
There's ever been
Glinda - Dreams, the way we planned 'em

If we work in tandem:

There's no fight we cannot win
Just you and I
Defying gravity
With you and I
Defying gravity

They'll never bring us down!
Well? Are you coming?

I hope you're happy
Now that you're choosing this

You too I hope it brings you bliss

I really hope you get it
And you don't live to regret it
I hope you're happy in the end
I hope you're happy, my friend:

So if you care to find me
Look to the western sky!
As someone told me lately:
"Everyone deserves the chance to fly!"
And if I'm flying solo
At least I'm flying free
To those who'd ground me
Take a message back from me
Tell them how I am
Defying gravity
I'm flying high
Defying gravity
And soon I'll match them in renown
And nobody in all of Oz
No Wizard that there is or was
Is ever gonna bring me down!

I hope you're happy!

Look at her, she's wicked!
Get her!

Bring me down!

Have a great week everyone!

I don't want to hear it, John Cusack. Please...I adore you... Shhhhh....

Mostly Sunny Hi 56 Lo 39 for Baghdad, Iraq
Rain Hi 45 Lo 37 for Northern KY, USA

Song of the week: London Calling, The Clash


Stream of Consciousness- My mother in law has a birthday coming up in March and one of the things I obsess over is finding gifts for her. She has everything, she goes everywhere... She's beautiful and talented and has a heart of gold. I am always scouting year round for the perfect Christmas and birthday gift (jewelry has been the theme for the past few years and it seems to work). Anyway, Sus emailed me at work... "Tickets go on sale Thursday at 10am for Wicked. How about we take Mom for her birthday?" You have no idea how perfect this gift is for her. She loves the Wizard of Oz...She loves a good show tune. So without hesitation it was decided. Thursday morning tickets went on sale at 10am. Sus would get on line and buy them. At 10:14am, tickets were sold out. We did not get tickets... Oh well, it was a good idea. "Cath, we could always go to Chicago and see it..." Freakin' Brilliant! "Absolutely!!" So we are going to Chicago in April... the girls. Patricia, Susie, my niece Aimee and me! How much fun is that? We still haven't picked a hotel and I'm open for suggestions on where to go. This made me think about our trip last year to New York City, staying at the Waldorf Astoria, seeing Ground Zero, the magnificent food, experiencing the subway, decidedly preferring surly taxicab drivers, St Patricks Cathedral, Times Square, Sparks, Carnegie Deli, Bloomingdales. We must do that again. A place that was recommended to
us but we didn't go was to Serendipity. It was simply too crowded, but one day I WILL have a fffrozen hot chocolate. Have you ever seen the movie Serendipity with John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale? -Cute campy romantic comedy with a nice soundtrack. Over the years I have found myself buying the soundtracks of John Cusack movies. I have adored him in so many movies (note... not films... except maybe Being John Malkovich). I think I'll add a trivia at the end of this blog... I'm not one to follow the tabloids and I still don't.... Michael follows that stuff... which leaves me scratching my head because... well...
Michael is an unlikely sort to follow celebrities... which is funny because so many of his blog topics are about celebrities... and his disdain for them. That I get. I wish they would just not speak about their politial views. I enjoy the fantasy of a movie... Once someone opens their mouth... It takes me a long time to get past that. Michael, will simply not watch or listen to them again. I understand that completely and I did that for a while myself... but then I would only watch Arnold, Mel, and Bruce movies... of which Arnold isn't what I had hoped for as a governor and Bruce... why did he and Demi get a divorce anyway? Do you suppose Bruce is gay? Is he married again? Tell me when did wedding vows get changed from "Do you promise to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health and forsaking all others, be faithful only to him so long as you both shall live?" to "Today, a day of music and celebration,I pledge to share my life with you.Whether the days that come are happy or sad,I will live them with you. I give myself to you as your husband." What the hell is that crap? I mean come on..... Good grief!! Where was I? Oh yes... John Cusack... I like his movies, I have similar taste in music...I have loved The Specials, and The Clash as long as I have paid attention to music, I hate John Cusack's politics.... over at the Huffington Post he has written a couple of articles... incredibly naive and towing the liberal line...tossing regurgitated lies.... [in a whisper, I plead with John] "Oh... good grief...John..... shhhh....dear John.... shhhh...................let me keep my little crush on you in tact.....go make another campy movie with a wonderful soundtrack..." So John is a huge fan of the Cubs and still calls Chicago home... maybe we will spot him when we are there in April....


Major K is home and so is Mustang!!! A belated Welcome home!!!!

Try this stupid little compatibility test, just plug in your birth date (you can change the celebrity if you like)

And now for my little game of Identify the John Cusack Movie... no cheating...

Thanks to:
* Ultimate Wedding
* I Brake for John Cusack

Have a great week everyone! I'm so relieved you are feeling better Kamae!

UPDATE: An unexpected and very much appreciated plug from my real life pal Master Jedi Rob