I can’t stop listening to this song today. I don’t know why, but it’s been on the iPod all day. Had it on repeat at the gym too. Got to love it.

That is all!

This week, we’re getting into our virtual car and stepping on the gas pedal in Songs About Driving. Read on to find out what tracks are accompanying the girls speeding through their work and all the way into the weekend…

Sostylistic selects: Tracy Chapman – Fast Car.

Sartoriology recommends: Chris Rea – Road To Hell.

A Work In Progress picks: Madness – Driving My Car.

Ellie chooses: Iggy Pop – The Passenger.

New Favourite Thing suggests: Prince – Little Red Corvette.

Frankie opts for double whammy as it’s her turn to own the phrase “BECAUSE I’M LEAVING!”: Cyndi Lauper – I Drove All Night.

And..

Chris Rea – Driving Home For Christmas.

Soldiersailor elects: AC/DC – Highway To Hell.

In tune with Battersea Park love themed fireworks, things got a bit slushy in the office last week. Find out what tracks we chose in Songs Inspired By Love.

I’ve decided that it’s time to confront some of the aimlessness in my life.  Since coming to  Virginia I’ve been… what’s the word… apathetic.  Fortunately, not depressed – I’m not sure how much I have St. John’s Wort to thank for that – but there’s been far more apathy than lends itself to any credible measure of happiness/joy/peace/contentedness/whatever-you-want-to-call-it.  This is reason number one why I haven’t been blogging the last several weeks.  I’ve had nothing to say that I care to immortalize in cyber-history.  One friend got an ear-full.  Woe is him for asking, but it was at least valuable for me to get it out.

So… about the apathy…

This is the first time in my life that I haven’t had a pending graduation.  I didn’t think it’d be a big deal, but I think it actually has turned out to be such.  Moving, new job, new town… all that stuff has been a breeze, a total non-issue.  I show myself to be very adaptable.

And the issue doesn’t seem to be that I’m not in school.  I don’t really think about it.  The issue is that as far as I can tell right now… I’m here indefinitely.  And that is strange stuff.  No graduation to anticipate.  In fact, nothing major to anticipate at all.  Holy freakin’ cow.  My life is over.    I jest, of course, but that’s kinda how it feels.  Like what am I living for now?  I’m totally set… good job, nice apartment, lovely city, family close by.  Sounds perfect.   It is perfect, essentially.

I come back to the thing I said the other day though, happiness is in your head.  Circumstances don’t necessarily make a person happy.  If I don’t find a reason and a way to be happy, then it probably won’t happen.  It’s up to me.  That’s why I ask, “How do people do this?”  How do people live without a change to look forward to?

People all do different things.  Some people get in a rut.  Some people find little things to enjoy and find satisfaction in that.  Some people make changes.

I’d like to enjoy the little things in life, the “pleasurable goodies.”  (By the way, the ice cream phase at long last, is over; more on that later though.)  I don’t think I’ll get in a rut, at least not for too long.  And as far as changes I want to make, I don’t know.  I do think I know now I am different in a specific way, than I always thought I was.

I always thought that I would be like my mom and dad.  I’d get a good job that I’m passionate about and chose to have that be a main avenue of growth, staying there until I retired.  That will not be the case though, for me.  I have a great job that I will eventually really like, and counseling may very well be something I do professionally until I retire.  But I don’t see myself staying put as much as my parents have or as much as I used to think I would.

So now the key is to figure out how to make purpose and happiness in my daily life, seeing as there are no imminent major changes.  One thing that has to happen is that I need to talk to my people more.  A quality conversation at least once a day, most days.  Since I don’t have close friends here that will mean utilizing my phone more and making some new acquaintances (I don’t expect to replace or even come close to the quality of relationship I have with people like Best Friend R; that doesn’t mean, however, that there can’t be other people to spend time with).  I already know this will be a challenge.  I’ll try though. 

It also means finding a few more ways to fill my free time.  Since I’m toning down the running, that doesn’t take up so much time.  And I don’t plan on working more than 40-ish hours.   So what else will I do.  Well, I might kinda be getting into a thing of painting my fingernails.  I found this awesome kind the other day (it lasted through my washing the dishes!), so I kinda what to go get another color.  That won’t take up much time, but it’s kinda fun.  I’ll also keep my apartment clean.  It’s basically spotless all the time, because I have no life, so I clean.  Oh, I’ll also read the book we’re studying in Sunday School, which I’m actually enjoying (both the book and Sunday School, and church (fancy that!)).  Um… what else can I do?  I don’t know, but I’ll find things.

Fingernails, blogging, quality conversation, running, cleaning… hmm…  Oh, I can also do lots of reading for my job.  That’s enjoyable, because it’s my favorite subject – human behavior.    I don’t know what else I’ll do, but I’d like to be done with the apathy.

Yay. 

*And I can’t believe what a Celine Dion dork I am, but I’ve been listening to the following song while writing this post.  Sadly, it may be a little bit of the reason I’m kinda hyper right now…

*I am ONE HIT away from 20,000 right now!

Dear Celine:

I am convinced that you lack the lower back muscles typically found in normal human beings. As a result of this unfortunate birth defect, I am repeatedly assaulted by your protruding pelvis and the uncomfortable proximity of your lady business to my face. Please stand in positions that don’t draw attention to your baby machine.

Regarding the schedule of events you’ve laid out:

Questions:

1. How much will your sexual commuting end up costing us in the long run?
2. To save on gas, can I have intimate moments with someone who lives closer?
3. Is this the only time of day we’re going to hide the cannoli?
4. Can I pee first?

As you can see, babe, your logic just doesn’t work for me. Morning breath, a full bladder, hunger pangs, and eye crust are things you’re just not ready to experience. What about my needs and my precious time? Isn’t the beauty of waking up:

1. wondering how your second pillow ended up halfway across the room?
2. planning discreet ways of killing the bird that is chirping directly outside of your window?
3. knowing you have to pee but not wanting too because you’re too comfortable?
4. remembering the box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch that’s waiting for you in the kitchen?

The best part of waking up is Folger’s in my cup; and not being raped by you at 4:38 in the morning. We should definitely talk more about this and your recurring fever.

Love,

Me

ever since the beginning of time halloween has been an excuse for ladiezzzz to dress as slutty versions of their favorite cartoon/movie/storybook/etc. characters.  instead of looking like a complete ho-bag (if you’s an h.o.e. get a j.o.b.), i’ve always thought it was an occasion to look more like a drag queen (obviously.)  this year papi decided he wanted to be dorothy gale of the beloved wizard of oz and oh, look, it just so happens to be the 70th anniversary of the movie!  FANCY THAT.

needless to say it took me about 5 seconds to call dibs on the tin man but bean was reluctant to commit to the scarecrow.  please explain how a single ladies costume is more exciting than this:

i kid i kid i kid. (god, i am so funny.)

but seriously, here are some reasons why the wizard of oz is the way to go (and if i see any of you biotches steal my ideas, i’ve got a .45 and a shovel. i doubt anyone would miss you.)

rita corny, michael.

if i only had a heart

and hardware pants

the lion

i just can't wait to be king!

i realize this is all about fashion but i figure it’ll be great inspiration for the real deal.

so take a chill pill because it’s going to be LEGEN-wait for it-DARY.

and ps: convince bean that the scarecrow is going to look a-mahzing.

]]> http://mikesspace.wordpress.com/2009/08/12/what-a-horrible-waste-of-a-great-song/ Thu, 13 Aug 2009 01:35:02 +0000 Mike http://mikesspace.wordpress.com/2009/08/12/what-a-horrible-waste-of-a-great-song/

I never knew Celine Dion was capable of destroying a song more than she succeeded with Tina Turner’s River Deep, Mountain High, but she massacred this Cyndi Lauper standard of the Roy Orbison original.

Before you start complaining to me, please remember there are folks who truly dislike Celine Dion. I am one of them.

Pese a que en esta etapa hemos estrenado secciones como One Hit Wonder no he podido dejar atrás una sección que es típica y que siempre creo que ha gustado. Hoy voy con un tema que no es tan clásico como otros de los que he hablado anteriormente pero que a mi me parecía interesante comentar.

El tema fue compuesto en 1987 por Billy Steinberg para Roy Orbison y fue grabado por el mismo aunque hasta cinco años más tarde no vio la luz. Se le adelantó a l Cindy Lauper en darlo a conocer y lo convirtió en uno de sus clásicos de los 80 (porque después de esa década, ¿alguien se acuerda de algo que haya hecho? Yo personalmente no).

¿Por qué me ha parecido ver a un clon de Madonna en el video anterior?En fin, lo olvidaré. Como comentaba anteriormente, en el año 1992 apareció la versión “original” o primera versión grabada de este tema,  y que creo que tiene más en común con otra versión  que comentaré más adelante. Roy Orbison (el de Pretty Woman, si) tiene un punto más rockero o guitarrero que le faltaba a la version de Cindy Lauper. En el videoclip, que no me ha dejado insertar, aparece todo un icono de los 90. Os dejo que los buquéis en el Youtube.

Y sin duda, la versión más reciente que se ha hecho es la de Celine Dion. Está en medio de las dos versiones anteriores. Tiene un punto de guitarreo pero lo mezcla con música bailable, lo cual me parece una mezcla que la canción estaba pidiendo a gritos. El ritmo es el mismo de la versión de Orbison y los arreglos de guitarra básicamente los mismos. Casi diría que es de las tres versiones que he puesto con la que me quedo, porque también hay que sumarle la potencia vocal que solo la diva canadiense sabe darle a los temas que interpreta.  Os pongo el video del show de Las Vegas donde estuvo actuando durante bastante tiempo y porque merece la pena oirlo en directo.

A ver cual os gusta más.

Assumi total meu lado “old lady”. Estudo com colegas 10 anos mais novos, escrevi num blog com um rapaz que tem quase a metade da minha idade, tenho preguiça de sair e, quando saio, meia noite já quero voltar pra casa.

Loser total, alguns diriam. Eu, ao contrário, acho ótimo. Claro que eu tenho umas recaídas e compro florzinhas pra colocar no cabelo, bolsas fofinhas e sapatinhos com lacinho. E falo no diminutivozinho. 

Mas ser véia (ok, eu sei que está indo contra o novo acordo ortográfico, mas já é demais pedir que eu escreva sem esse acento profissionalmente, né?) tem suas vantagens. Afinal, vivi na década de 1980. Podem dizer que foi a “década perdida”, ou que sombra azul não é algo a ser usado. Ou que ombreiras NÃO deixam mulheres mais bonitas. Que mullets não são exatamente um corte de cabelo; ou ainda que telefones de disco são pouco práticos. 

Não importa. Fui bem feliz na década de 1980. Usei mullets. Minha mãe usou sombra azul e ombreiras. E, o melhor: grande parte do que hoje se acha cool (eu não estou falando da Trash 80’s, tampouco da Ploc) veio justamente desta década que alguns julgam perdida. 

Nasci em 1979 e minhas diletas colegas que nunca escrevem este blog nasceram em 1980. Então, total nos identificamos com tudo o que foi descrito acima. Por isso, eis aqui uma seção deste blog que pretendo fazer toda sexta feira: All the old ladies, onde pretendo falar das velharias que gostamos – e muito.

Começando com Dona Cyndi Lauper e sua ótima I drove all night. 

I drove all night foi originalmente lançada em 1987 por Roy Orbinson, um “belo” e importante cantor americano já falecido. Jason Priestley, o Brandon da primeira versão de 90210 (pra mim, será Barrados no Baile pra sempre!), e Jennifer Connely, a belíssima atriz de Réquiem para um sonho e em cartaz atualmente com Ele não está tão a fim de você, estrelam o clipe. À época, os dois eram apenas rostinhos bonitos. Barrados só foi produzido na década de 1990 e Connely ainda engatinhava na carreira de atriz.

Já no clipe de Cyndi Lauper, vemos a cantora nua e com algumas imagens sendo projetadas no corpo dela. Há quase vinte anos, as cenas chocaram algumas pessoas pela nudez e por insinuar sexo (???). Hoje, chocariam pelas gordurinhas aparentes da cantora.

Com 25 anos de carreira e mais de 60 milhões de álbuns vendidos, a cantora fez shows no Brasil em 2008. Eu não fui, mas confesso que AMO dirigir ouvindo I drove all night, me emociono com True Colors (podem rir) e danço sozinha com Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. 

Nádia Lapa, que acaba de se arrepender de não ter ido ao show

C93 VS 19         [24 October 2003
[This was prompted by the song I drove all night. I first heard this song via Celine Dion, but actually it was written for Roy Orbison (who sings it in the film Paperback Hero),  although it was first sung by Cindi Lauper.

The original song tells of someone driving all night to get to the object of his/her affections. We are told that God spared no effort to redeem us and free us. We often need to cling to that (especially in the Valley) and we need to be reminded that, if God did not spare to redeem us, he won't let us go in a hurry! I believe that  God understands the feeling of the "broken " spirited who live in the Valley (Psalm 51:17  "My sacrifice is a humble spirit, O God; you will not reject a humble and repentant heart."). God is more sure of our salvation than we are. My salvation doesn't depend on how I feel, but on what God did in the person of Jesus. So in this poem Jesus puts me and my doubts in their place.]

I gave My Life to set you free;
I hung on the Cross, secured your liberty;
I gave My Life, I’d do it over again.
My love for you, it never will end ;
I’d give My Life, over again.

From the first of creation I’ve planned your Salvation;
I’ve loved you with no reservation.
Of my Love there’s no end, oh yes!

I give you Life: I’ll see you through.
Trust in Me still; that’s all I’ll ask of you.
I’ll give you life; I love you so much:
No part of your life is far from My Touch.
I’ll give you life without end.

No darkness can hide you; my Light is inside you.
With my Love so strongly I’ve tied you
To my loving Heart, oh yes!

I’ll give you Life: My Grace I will send
Through fire and storm, I’m always your Friend.
I’ll give you Life: you’re so precious to Me;
Come to My Heart and share in my victory:
My Death gives Life – abundantly.

No way is too steep, and no sea is too deep;
Though the earth shakes, nothing will ever keep
Me from loving you, oh yes!

I gave My Life to set you free
My Death for your life: that’s my guarantee!
I gave My Life, I’d do it over again.
Love everlasting seals you with my name,
And for you I’d do it again.

Is 61:1; Jn 3:16; Rom 5:17; 6:5-7,23; 8:1, 3, 29, 35, 39; Heb 9:26-28; Rev 22:17
seal/* 2 Cor 1:22; Eph 1:13; 4:30; Rev 7:2; 9:4

Roy Orbison

Cyndi Lauper

Celine Dion

During this week in 1984, Cyndi Lauper’s Time After Time topped the Billboard chart. It’s been one of my favorite songs ever since!

This song was on She’s So Unusual, Lauper’s debut album and the one that has stood the test of time. With She’s So Unusual, Lauper became the first artist in history to have four top-five singles released from one album. The Brooklyn-born-Queens-raised Lauper is a true original!

Let’s watch the Time After Time video below, along with other hits from the very talented artist, who helped define the pop culture of the mid-80s.

Time After Time

Girls Just Want To Have Fun

All Through The Night

She Bop

I Drove All Night

True Colors

Money Changes Everything

This one just didn’t work out as well as some others, and then I got lazy with just re-recording the vocals and adjusting the effects levels. But maybe if you’re half asleep this will help you fall right to sleep.

Gosto desta música! Aprendi a gostar dela pela voz do David Fonseca. Fico à espera de voltar a ouvir esta música num concerto dele. Porque é, sem dúvida, melhor que todas as versões e melhor que a original. Como não há essa, cá vai a original:

Criei este blog para melhorar a as baladas, nights, boates, etc…

vi que a procura é imensa, veja como as pessoas costumam buscar por isso, balada, boate, barzinho, night, bar, na balada, bar da esquina, night club, show bar, bar da boa, last night, fate stay night, castlevania symphony of the night, all night, one night in paris, balada certa, bar opinião, sushi bar, bar curitiba, www bar, night in paris, bar rafaeli, piano bar, saturday night, tool bar, good night, square bar, american bar, fight night, friday night lights, buddha bar, by night, blackmore’s night, fight night round 3, summon night, saturday night live, 1 night in paris, over night, mid night club, bar code, pizza bar, starry night, night at the museum, bar campinas, all night long, neverwinter night, progress bar, side bar, pub bar, last night diddy, saturday night fever, o bar, lounge bar, the bar, buda bar, status bar, up bar, last night lyrics, night clubs, bar tender, mid night, one night only, wonka bar, night shift nurses, last night p diddy, because the night, night fever, night watch, long night, night wish, summer night, bar refaeli, blues bar, bar central, symphony of the night, night invasion, night elf, coyote bar, black night, i drove all night, dark night, user bar, scroll bar, sissy bar, night sex, one more night, strangers in the night, we own the night, a hard day’s night, budha bar, barracuda bar, music of the night, you shook me all night long, fight night 3, gold bar, night train, café bar, cafe bar, night of the living dead, night day, bar one, fright night, on night, snack bar, to night, hard days night, sport bar, neverwinter night 2, into the night, the dark night, power bar, keyshia cole last night, we are the night, 1 bar, blackmores night, bar hotel, bar b, three dog night, night shift, bar berlin, one night with the king, wine bar, the night listener, starry starry night, shook me all night long, hard day’s night, fight night round 2, www night, fight night round, top bar, bar restaurante, arabian night, one night stand, silent night, bar bie, at night, karaoke bar, color bar, menu bar, all through the night, neverwinter nights, night tv, boogie night, night at the roxbury, a night at the roxbury, love night, 30 days of night, bar dublin, ladies night

As I mentioned yesterday, I contacted the local nick and told them about the incident on Monday evening with that bloke who lives downstairs, forgotten his name… oh, yes. Cunt.

Surprisingly they viewed the incident with some concern and urged me to actually go to the local nick and make a statement. I was informed that being asked out for a fight is a ‘threat of assault’, which, along with all the fucking eyeballing makes complete sense. Despite the fact that last night I didn’t hear a peep out the little fuck all night (he was in btw) that the incident may have had some effect on the squidgy-skulled tool (perhaps my eyeballs were more ballsey than his, after all, it was he who shut the door on me) this morning I found myself inside a police station, a place I’d rather not be in, talking to a macho coppergirl about what happened. To my relief I was advised to fill out a form, as opposed to having to actually talk to police people, explaining what had occurred and so forth. I was then told that I’d be called to give a phone statement, and to impress upon the police person that calls that I wanted the incident recorded and no further action to be taken unless/until, it happens again. Really, it’s a question of covering ones bottom if things get out of hand, though I’m even more angry with Cunt then ever for putting me in this position in the first fucking place. Perhaps I should shove euthanasia literature through his door and get Myfwt to kindly advise him that really, it would be the best thing to do, you know, for all our sakes, but especially his, the miserable useless arse.

After a while, when I was sure that Cunt wasn’t going to start barking grunts over his out of tune strungs (yes, ‘strungs’) I had a pleasant evening, Myfwt joined me at 8.30, all full of beans because the dentist had put her tooth right back in place without any fuss, and then we actually had some beans, on toast, with cheese. And Worcester sauce (and a couple of glasses of Beaujolais and watched Ramsey).

The thing is, though, is now I feel on permanent tenterhooks in my own fucking flat, I don’t feel properly relaxed anymore, my ‘home’ doesn’t exist as it once did, actually, it hasn’t for a while so I am going to have to move. I mentioned moving a few months ago but this desire petered out due to a combination of laziness and my unwillingness to deal with all the financial shit that comes with it. The move will now happen, it will take a few months because it’s not something I want to rush into. In spite of Cunt the time is right I suppose, I’ve been there 5 years and I’m bored of the area, the flat and I really would like to have a garden in which to grow vegetables and bury bodies.

Guilty pleasure coming up, this bloke was able to sing in four octaves, he uses them all on this song, his best I think.