M.D.N.A. (Edit Listening Party) …
“O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of Heaven, and the pains of Hell. But most of all because I love Thee, and I want so badly to be good.”
Here are the tunes I am liking right now:
- Masterpiece
- Girl Gone Wild
- Turn up the radio
- I don’t give A …
- I Fucked Up
- Beautiful Killer
- Love Spent / Acoustic
- Give me all your luvin’ (Track 1) / Track 2
Track Listing:
- Girl Gone Wild – HOT !!!
- Gang Bang – Massive !!! If you act like a Bitch then you are gonna die like a Bitch !!! BANG !!!
- I’m Addicted – Boo Yah !!!
- Turn up the Radio – Great
- Give me all your Luvin’ – I love it
- Some Girls – Good tune
- Superstar – Good tune
- I don’t Give A … – Whoa !!!
- I’m a Sinner … Very Austin Powers !!!
- Love Spent – very Madonna
- Masterpiece – I think it’s my favorite track YES !!!
- Falling Free – it’s ok
- Beautiful Killer – Love it !!!
- I Fucked up … Yeah Baby !!!
- B-Day Song – Bubble Gum Pop !!!
- Best Friend – it’s ok
- Give me all your Luvin’ Track 2
- Love Spent Acoustic – Excellent !!!
So it’s here … and I put a copy on my phone and now I am sitting here listening to the CD. I may have been premature until I actually sat down and listened from beginning to end one track after another, because at first I Dj popped through the tracks (a bad dj habit) to see what I want to play at a club for the floor, its a trick I learned a long time ago. It is growing on me and may become a new favorite in the evolution of Madonna. The Bad Girl Madonna is appealing.
The interspersion of religious language here and there are indicative of Madonna to make a statement about faith and God. She opens the album with confession words and goes into bad girl mode almost immediately. It feels so good being so bad, thought she is trying hard to be good.
The tracks flow very nicely from one to the next. I quite like it actually. I could learn to love this album. She did a good job. It is different from her other albums over the years. But I have my show/music/concert favorites.
- Blonde Ambition
- The Girly Show
- Ray of Light
- Confessions on a Dance Floor
- Hard Candy
- M.D.N.A.
I think I am a little partial to Hard Candy for the show itself. Secondly The Confessions Tour for the music. Ray of Light is up there too. Every album is another incarnation of Madonna. I guess I have to listen to it a little more closely, and I will do that over the next few days. It is worth the money paid. If you love Madonna, then buy the album.
We all grow up, and for all of those boys and girls who grew up when Madonna was an MTV star … she has come a long way since the 1980′s. Madonna has evolved again. I want to see how she presents this music en show …
Who are you ???
This post is brought to you by Cee Lo Green and his latest work “Lady Killer.”
This is a really good album. If you haven’t heard of Cee Lo Green, well you must have. I really like the sound. You should check him out. He’s great …
Get down thumpin tunes. Thanks to That M Feeling for the review and video.
I’ve been sitting here thinking about doing some writing and I needed a focus to write on. Needless to say I’ve been sitting here beating myself up over the fact that my best friend pissed away 23 years of sobriety and did not trust me enough to say something when this was all going on.
But the more I think about it, the more I understand that people are going to do what they do, friendship or not, and that my friends may not trust me fully even after years of work and trust.
I am powerless over people, places and things. She did what she did and now she has to start at the beginning again. And I think, will she ever see 23 years of sobriety again? Probably NOT !!!
Which brings me to my next topic Oprah’s Life class, and tonight’s topic of aging gracefully. I am of the mind that if it works for the women, it should translate across to the men just the same.
Let’s face it, we aren’t getting any younger. And we sure as shit aren’t teenagers any more. I have fallen outside the “target” gay demographic, that age group from 18 to 24 age group. All those pups over on Tumblr are so young. All of them fighting for their spot on the map. Worried about finding love and the right man.
I am so glad that I am well past that stage in my life. I may be getting older, things change every year and that has been the case since I hit 40, 4 years ago. I have written about what that meant to me as it happened.
I am not so worried about aging. I think I have accepted gracefully where I am in the grand scheme of things. I think the only vain thing I can be accused of is dying my hair because I am not ready to go grey at this point in my life. Even if my friends are there. Hubby refuses to have grey hair. So we have our Loreal night’s and our beauty parlor days.
Oprah says that we must accept where we are in our lives. That we must own our lives and be honest about who we are, at what ever age we are at. To begin to live authentically. Because you own the space you are in right now. Nobody but you can say that “I am 44 years old.” I lived to see this age.
And every year that we grow we become more and more authentic. I am not 21 anymore, I don’t have the ass of death I had once in my life. I may not be the prettiest or hottest looking man on the earth, but I have me. And that has to do for me because I only have this one life to live, so I better make the best of it.
This isn’t a dress rehearsal. We have come this far, and there is air in my lungs and I should be grateful for every day that I get. Not that I am sorry or sad or ungrateful. I just wonder what I am supposed to be doing in this life.
I have asked this question of a friend of mine and the more we talk about passions in life, he says that when I talk about this space, my work with others and my online sober presence, my face lights up and there is pep in my step, so to speak.
I talked to my friend Rhoda tonight and she is a great teacher for me. She is always interested in what I am doing at school and that I am doing well, that I haven’t taken things for granted.
I also talked to my sponsor on the way home about my upcoming anniversary because this one is BIG, double digits. I’ve been concerned as of late with my place in the grand scheme of sobriety. Should I be doing some kind of inventory or should I be doing something different? I asked him if we could get together and talk all these things through because really, we only see each other on Tuesday nights and we really haven’t done a proper review of my sober life in a long time.
But I have kept to the same routine. I build my life around my meetings. I have my home group, my schooling, and my weekly meetings on Friday and Sunday nights. I am a member at two groups now and I do service at both. I am always looking out for the next big thing, and when I joined Friday West End I felt that that was where I should be for the next phase of my sobriety. I think that there is something there for me to experience.
I’ve been studying the old writings. I am eating up stories of Old Timers. I can’t get enough of them, because if I am not diligent and vigilant, I could end up taking a drink, and I don’t want to do that again. I did it once and it did nothing for my life or my sobriety. But I did learn that I should not make big decisions alone, that I should be ok with where I am and always stay connected to my sponsor and my meetings.
The take away from my slip … Sobriety loosing it’s priority …
I thought I was missing something that I wasn’t getting where I was, so why not go look for it elsewhere. Just set me up for the biggest loss in my life. It cost me everything I owned. And almost my life in the end.
I have watched MANY old timers go out and drink after decades of sobriety, double digits worth of sobriety over stupid things. What can you do? But learn from their mistakes. Come hell or high water, I will make my ten years in 52 days.
52 days …
That’s not far off. And I haven’t hit that 30 day out mark yet. One usually hits that pre cake roller coaster at 30 days out. I hope I don’t get all crazy and shit. Always be mindful of my ego. I don’t really have an ego, well I hope not, nobody has said anything about it to me. I try to keep it real and honest.
I don’t know what else to write so I am going to say goodnight for now.
More to come, stay tuned…
What albums did you listen to the most while growing up?
The question above courtesy of Plinky. This post is dedicated to my most favorite singing duo Captain and Tennille. Being a child of the 1970′s we still had records back then. I have memories of sitting in our basement listening to the likes of Sonny and Cher and the Jackson 5, and the Mamas and the Papas.
I guess I was in elementary school living in Miami. I attended Coral Terrace Elementary school. I remember getting my first record player for my own room. Those were the days when there were those variety shows on television. I don’t know where it started and by whom, but I was a huge fan of Captain and Tennille. I bought all of their records and once I even got to see them live at the Dade Country Youth Fair one year. I think that was the night that they came to the concert but could not stay, so Dolly Parton went on alone.
From the 1970′s through the 1980′s they were one of my favorite singer/groups. Later on, well later on I would get to meet Toni Tennille on board one of the Royal Caribbean Cruise ships when I worked for the line later on in my story.
I still listen to them to this day. I had a huge collection of records that I carried around with me from home to home, even if I didn’t have a record player. With the dawn of the CD, the old archives of music from ages past were saved for the world to hear. You can’t get this kind of music just any where. I hunted high and low for a seller, I think it finally came down to Amazon where I got my copies of these cd’s.
Before the dawn of phones into our lives here, we progressed through the veritable cd player, that bulky machine you would carry around with you with an assortment of Cd’s along with them. This would be back as far of 2000,2001.
I was still using my cd player when I moved to Canada. Then dawned the day of the hand held mp3 player and the dawn of electronic music download. Transferring music from hard copy cd to the windows media format to put the mp3 on the player. My mp3 player was attached to me, it went everywhere with me. When that died, I was lost.
And last year hubby did all kinds of homework to find the best deal on cell phones that did everything that you needed it to do. I use my phone to make calls, but the big job my phone does is play music. I can’t live without music. Music is part of my life. Play any assortment of music on any given day and I can usually come up with an anecdote or story connected to any given piece of music. I have an eclectic collection of music on my phone.
Over the last few years I have collected a huge collection of Cd’s that are sitting in a cabinet here in our apartment. Most of them are sitting on my hard drive on file. I have an 8 gb card in my phone so my music collection is huge. I travel from genre to genre from gentle 70′s to hard rock Linkin Park and Breaking Benjamin. From theme park music to movie soundtracks.
I love the old music from the 70′s and 80′s. I had a huge stereo as a teen ager with an LP player and an 8 track player as well. Do you remember the 8 track tape? Did you have one? Was there one in your car? or on your home stereo.
Groups like the Mamas and the Papas, Feetwood Mac and assorted other artists of that time. I went through a country phase and a classical phase when I was in high school. I took a humanities class in high school and we used to listen to classical music, first period of the day, and study art and architecture.
I’m listening to Captain and Tennille as I am typing this out. And in my minds eye I am sitting in my bedroom with my LP playing and my headphones on laying on my water bed with my little light show going on. I used to have all these funky lamps that held water and glitter and lava lamps and lights that spun, reflecting off the ceiling. My bedroom was an escape from the trials of the day.
My favorite Music:
- Captain and Tennille
- Mamas and the Papas
- Stevie Nicks
- Fleetwood Mac
- U2
- Celine Dion
- Amy Winehouse
- Cher
- Information Society
- Bette Midler
- Lady Gaga
- Classic M People – 1990′s
- DJ Tiesto
- Madonna
- Breaking Benjamin
- Erasure
- Gloria Estefan
- Duran Duran “of course”
- Keane
- Amber
- Linkin Park “definitely”
- Def Leppard
- Van Halen
- Lifehouse
- Amy Grant
- Steven Curtis Chapman
- Yanni
- DJ Junior Vasquez
- DJ Chad Fox Podcasts
- Barbra Streisand
Just a selection of the music that is on my phone. I love music. it gives us a reason to live. Much of my life is painted in musical tones. For every memory there is a song to go with it. A lifetime of music. I know it would take me ages to collect every piece of music from the past. Every once and a while I run past an old piece of music and I get to add it to my collection.
I don’t listen to music radio at all. Only what I have in my collection, what is put out on the open market. Our record stores here in the city are all going belly up. They don’t sell music like they used to. There were times when I would spend a good hour at HMV listening to music and spending hundreds of dollars every year on new music. But with the dawn of the Ipod and Apple Itunes and downloadable music, the days of the hard press CD will come to an end, just like LP’s, 8 tracks and Cd’s.
This was one of my all time favorites …
And this one as well. Come in From the Rain. Fantastic memories …
That’s all I have for tonight.
Tomorrow is Tuesday and meeting night, it’s going to be very exciting. An old friend of mine is making her return to the meeting after fighting breast cancer, so there will be much to talk about tomorrow.
Stay tuned …
Three Tones Friday …
Courtesy: Natsack
It’s Friday Friday gotta get down on Friday !!! I can’t believe I just typed that.
The week was a big success. We had a full house on Tuesday. And the rest of the week followed without a hiccup. Last night I went to class and it was all joy. The week prior we had our first essay exam. And from the remarks from the prof, out of all her classes, it seems we are high on the bell curve. Grades went from perfect exams to those who did not do so well. In my case I was pleasantly surprised to see that I aced the exam. 19.5 out of 20. It was good that all the topics on the exam, I was well versed on. Thanks to lots of Discovery programming, all those shows on familiar topics were of use.
*** *** *** ***
MUSIC
Last night I was farting around on You tube and I went to listen to some Lady Gaga and on the Vevo page was a ticker for Adele. Her new single was coming out on Vevo and so I clicked on it. Can I just tell you that if you don’t know who Adele is, you should. She is a young woman from London England. She has such a sultry, strong and unique voice. you can almost hear tones of Motown in her tones and lyrics. Her Freshman album ( 19 ) is very down beat. Not many up beat songs. But on her latest work ( 21 ), there are a number of upbeat songs.
You gotta listen to her. It is well worth the time. Some of my favorite tunes are “Rolling in the Deep,” And “Set Fire to the Rain.” There are a bunch of her videos on You Tube from acoustic performances, The Graham Norton Show in Britain and even on David Letterman in the U.S. And her great ballad “Someone Like You, is haunting. She performs this at a Brit Awards Show. Rolling in the Deep, Set Fire to the Rain and Someone like you are all on You Tube.
Fantastic …
*** *** *** ***
This week and next I am on set up for Friday West End. There are supposed to be two of us to set up but only I showed up. I left home plenty early to get around city traffic on the bus route. We unloaded the meeting supplies and I just cranked out chairs and tables. It did not take me long to get everything done. I don’t see why you need two people to do the work. Once I get started I don’t stop until I am finished. I just crank away.
Before the business meeting Dave, myself and another member sat in the kitchen while Dave made sandwiches for the meeting. We serve food after every meeting. It keeps people around for coffee, food and conversation. We also had a 13 year cake tonight as well. It was fun fun all around.
I volunteered to do set up for the next month, since it seemed nobody else wanted to do it, or was available. I need to hit my three month membership requirement before I get to do any other job at the table. There is a woman who is a member there who has bad blood for me. She comes and goes, and refuses to acknowledge me, like tonight she walked up and hugged the chairperson who was sitting right next to me and did not even pay me a hello. You can’t change some people.
The meeting was packed. The speaker was great. Another 30 year sober person in the chair tonight.After the meeting I helped put everything back where they should go and set off for home.
I made the 10:30 bus on Sherbrooke and made it to the Metro on time. And I checked through the turnstile and got to the platform and the train was just pulling into the station. And then it happened…
The Three Metro Tones of Death …
You know the tones that harken a hold/stoppage on the line. Two trains were in the station as we were sitting there on the track. And the little voice of the Metro Lady comes on in French and says ………………….. rough translation: There is a stoppage on the “orange line” in the direction of Cote Vertu (on the West End).
Another message will follow … Now you don’t know how long you are going to sit in the station. The stoppage wasn’t on our line as we were going in the other direction, towards Montmorency on the East end.
The train remained on the platform for about 10 minutes and then we started on our way. Thank god there wasn’t something bad going on up the line.
I got to Atwater around 11 o’clock. I was walking home through my usual path, through Alexis Nihon and then cross Atwater and into the Forum around the corner and out Ste Catherine’s Street exit and on towards home, up the street. While I was in the Forum I was walking by Future Shop and standing there out front was my History prof from Thursday Night. She had told us about wanting to hit the movie on a rain night, because it rained on Thursday night, but she came to teach instead. Not that it was a choice, but she enjoys movies on rainy days.
We said hello and I went on my way.
We had a nice dinner and now it’s 12:30 as I am finishing this up here.
More to come, stay tuned …
Observations …
Courtesy: Tumblr
Isn’t this photo amazing? Definitely an island somewhere, not sure where it is but it looks inviting. Don’t you wish you could skydive somewhere like this? I do … It would cure my fear of heights really quickly, jumping out of a plane.
They say you should never sit down and write in the middle of the night because this is the time I sit and ruminate over all that is going on in my head. With the day’s business in the hopper and hubby tucked in bed sleeping I close out my night with some music, or maybe some tv, and then to go to bed eventually and read for a bit before calling it a day. That usually takes place around 5 a.m.
So I know today that there are sober people here in Montreal who are reading my blog, since it is synched up with my facebook account. I have a few weeks before school gets going and I get bogged down with responsibilities and reading to do for class. So I might as well make good use of my time.
A little Linkin Park … Minutes to Midnight.
Everybody knows I am in my ninth year of sobriety and eight months. I will mark ten years in December. And I’ve been saying for a while that I was waiting for something exciting to happen. Because I’ve been doing the same thing week in and week out for as long as I have been in sobriety.
Everybody has a life – in my sober circle. People are coming and going from the rooms. One of my friends headed off to Japan for a YEAR last Friday. What an adventure he is going to have. Having settled his 12 year cake before his departure he goes with some serious sobriety on his side.
I watch people. I know many people. I go to the same meetings week in and week out. I do my service like clockwork. It is all very easy to manage. I’ve been watching people for a long time. My friends have come and gone from this city and some of them have returned. And we all grow up together in the rooms.
Today we talked about truth … And the Great Comforter. The truth shall set you free. On our medallions it says “to thine own self be true.”
I guess I have been missing people in my life. My birthday came and went without fanfare and I didn’t say anything about it on that Sunday either. The one person I wanted to see for my birthday wasn’t available. Another year in the hopper and what do I have to show for it?
What have I learned in the last calendar year? French went in one ear and out the other. It is all defeating to tell you the truth. And in a few weeks I am going to walk back into a classroom and pick up where I left off, with no French practice under my belt this summer.
What a waste of time and money. Like I am really going to find a job I want at this point and have to speak french … fuck me …
I have been watching the women at my meeting. They flock to the meeting like little hens. All gathering there with their sponsors. They all vie for time with them and the like. I am a little envious of it all really.
I watch friends in certain meetings having these really great relationships, sponsors and sponsees going to meetings together and celebrating milestones and cakes. People talk about the steps and working with others. I have all the bases covered in my life. But my sponsor is conspicuously absent. I see him an hour a week at my home group.
We don’t go to meetings together like we used to. He is either too busy or too tired from work to get out. And he is terribly picky with where he goes to meetings. He gets very distracted too easily. But I am still going to meetings.
By myself.
I come and go and nobody misses me.
I don’t have “friends” as in people I do things with. We see each other at meetings but never once has anyone offered a meal or a coffee. I just take up a chair at whatever meeting I go to on any given night. People are cordial and they say hello and that is it. Maybe I get asked to read something or someone has something to say about an observation they make about me in passing, people notice that I show up now and I am always in my same seat.
I never deviate from my plan.
I’ve been itching for something to change. I’ve sussed out the gays here and there. We all know who we are and we go about our meetings never mentioning the little secret we all share. I’ve been surrounded by the gays for a long time. I go to meetings where I find commonality. And I am beginning to wonder if I should find a gay sponsor with some time.
I mean there is nothing wrong with my sponsor that I have, except I never see him. He devotes a hell of a lot of time with his other sponsee Dave. A friend from our home group. Dave has a family and a wife and a baby on the way and my sponsor makes sure he has work and gets to meetings and works his steps diligently. Am I jealous? No, Dave is a newbie and he is also in a challenging group of people by descent. He carries the message to his native community and that is very important that he stay sober.
I know he is getting all the care he needs to stay sane, sober and to be able to put money in the bank and food on the table. I don’t begrudge them anything.
But in the same breath I wonder “What about me?”
I don’t talk to my sponsor about personal things. Nobody cares about where I am in my life. Nobody asks and who cares really? I’ve been in this funk about what about me for a while.
I’m feeling a little “Rose’s Turn …”
Things at home are fine. Hubby has his teaching this fall, his friends are all returning to Montreal in the next week or so and they will all be partying together and that is all well and good, but at the same time I ask, “what about Me?” Because once that starts I am on my own …
I haven’t said anything to anyone about what I am writing here. But it doesn’t mean that I haven’t thought through this already. Is it proper to ask What about me? or I am being selfish and self centered?
They say if times are good, don’t get used to it because things will change. And if times are bad to buckle down and hang on because those times too will pass.
I’ve not been close to many people in the rooms. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? I’ve not found it necessary to go out of my way for people. I do what I am supposed to do every week. I have my home group, I set up tables and chairs and make coffee for the gaggle of women who now call our group home.
I go to meetings every week on the same days. When school starts I will loose my Thursday night meeting because of class. I don’t take classes on Tuesday’s, that’s my dedicated sober day.
I am an aging gay man. I have a few gay friends. My close gay friends are married with careers. And I know that if I need to see any one of them, all I need to do is ask. People have been busy with work and school all summer. And I have gotten to see them over the past few months.
I am thinking about talking to a member of Sunday Nighter’s in the coming days about all these things. I think I need the perspective of another gay man who has been sober longer than I have. And he is.
My sponsor is a good hard working man, but he isn’t serving my needs, and that sounds very selfish, I know. The only commonality that we share is the home group and Harry Potter. Aside from that he doesn’t do anything else for me. We haven’t had a sober conversation in a long time. Since the day that we went up North and cut wood at Tom and Rene’s and I made a major faux pas up there and neither has let me forget it.
Speaking of Tom, he was at Sunday Nighter’s earlier tonight for the speaker meeting. I wonder if he spoke or just took a seat? I did not stay to find out. I had to talk to my friend and get his number on the way home. I need to call him this week.
End of rant … And now for story time …
We read from Experience, Strength and Hope today. And one of the passages from the book mentions our man who is a drunk and is happened upon by a great comforter, someone who is able to take him where he needs to go to get help for our problem. And he get’s sober eventually and stays sober.
I mention this story because it is how I made it back to the rooms. During the year 2001, 9-11 happened and we were all shocked and the drink became the great equalizer. It drowned our fears and cares and raised money for those in need.
By the end of the year I was coming to my bottom. I said a few prayers …
Prayer one – I need the hangover of death.
By that time I was blackout drinking not knowing how I would get home after a night of debauchery. But I would get home and not know how I managed that.
Prayer two – Put an alcoholic in my path.
I was working at that same time, in a little antique shop. One day a young man walked in looking for a job. And it so happened that I had a job to offer him. He dutifully came to work every day. With a smile on his face and a pep in his step.
And he would say to me every day … ” I did not drink today.”
To which I would respond with, “that’s nice.”
It took a while for me to catch on why he was telling me this truth. Because it came to pass that one day we were on a delivery to Palm Beach and in the truck he told me that he was celebrating a cake the following day.
Prayer three was – To get me to a meeting. December 9th 2001.
It so followed that I gave in and told him that I was an alcoholic as well and he had invited me to come with him to that anniversary meeting. It was a gay meeting. And gay men on South Beach can be cruel. If you don’t have the looks, you might as well fuck off. I stayed for the meeting, And after that meeting, I hung around outside for the next meeting at 10 p.m.
That’s where I met my friends and I rooted myself. It was a 10 p.m. meeting in the same place every night of the week. Fonda and Ed, Charlie who would become my temporary sponsor and all the others I met while there. So I got sober and I remain sober to this day.
Fonda and I share a close friendship. Our birthday is on the 31st July. And we got to talk on that Sunday. We have been close friends for almost ten years now.
I knew who God was. I never had a problem with calling God, God…
Some people do. And that’s ok. As long as they find a power greater than themselves. It all works out in the end. I had my great comforter and he took care of me when I needed it. Maybe because I was willing and broken enough to pay attention to the signs.
And so it goes …
3:24 a.m. This is War. 30 Seconds to Mars … Fantastic
What a way to end a post …
Thanks for reading. More to come, stay tuned …
Fade to Black …
Such a gifted entertainer. But in the end it was the drink/drugs that killed her.
Eternal rest grant her and may perpetual light shine upon her.
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LONDON (Reuters) – Amy Winehouse, one of the most talented singers of her generation whose hit song “Rehab” summed up her struggles with addiction, died in London on Saturday at the age of 27.
The Grammy winner, famed for her black beehive hair, soulful voice and erratic behaviour on and off stage, was found dead at her new home in Camden a month after a shambolic performance in Serbia forced her to cancel her entire European tour.
Police were called to the address at around 1500 GMT and nearly five hours later the body was removed for a post mortem after it appeared she had lost her battle with drink and drugs.
“Inquiries continue into the circumstances of the death,” said police superintendent Raj Kohli. “At this early stage it is being treated as unexplained and there have been no arrests in connection with the incident.”
He said reports that Winehouse had died of a suspected drugs overdose were speculation at this stage.
Family members had long warned that Winehouse’s lifestyle, which saw her in and out of rehab and blighted her career as a live and recording artist, could be her downfall.
This is War !!!
Courtesy: Thirty Seconds to Mars
It has been a full day of events and goings on. The weather is warm. We are sitting at a comfortable 24c at this hour. It was a beautiful day today. Lots of sun, and not a whole lot of humidity, which is a good thing. It could be worse.
We just have to hang in for a few more weeks, and the seasons will begin to change up this far north.
Last night I was searching for some music and I spent a while sitting on You Tube watching some old videos and listening to some music. And I came across Thirty Seconds to Mars. The band fronted by the amazing Jared Leto.
If you like grungy, hard hitting multi-layered music, Thirty Seconds to Mars is the ticket. I got two digital copies of “A Beautiful Lie” and ” This is War.” After reading through the Wiki entries for both these pieces and visiting the bands site and bio, I downloaded both these albums.
I think that “This is War” is probably THE BEST album I have downloaded in some time. The music is hard and deep. From crowds of “the echelon” fans that participated in recording the album, to Buddhist Monks chanting across several of the tracks it is a masterful collection of truly remarkable music. You just have to hear it because it is mesmerizing.
So that’s what I did all night long. Sitting here listening to both albums. They are both good. But This is War is a cut above their first offering of “A Beautiful Lie.”
I got to bed late, and had to get up at 9 this morning because I needed to go drop labs at the clinic and you have to do it early in the morning because the lab lady is only there till 11.
So I got a few hours sleep and got up and on my way first thing this morning.
I got in and out in record time.
I got home around 10 and thought that I would go back to bed and nap till my afternoon commitment, and that didn’t happen. It was hot, and I couldn’t get back to sleep. So I laid in bed for hours waiting for sleep to come, and I didn’t get back to sleep until 3 and I napped till 4:30.
It was a great day to walk to the church outside, averse to the tunnel route. Set up went very quickly and we had nominal numbers. We read from A Vision for You, chapter 11. And the discussion went the entire period.
It was a good night. Many of our regulars are on vacation till the end of the month so we have been down numbers over the past two weeks.
Quebec is amid the construction holiday until the beginning of August.
Registration opens up for school on the 2nd of August. I have to look through the book and see what I want to take this term. I have one last French class I need 008/009 for my exit exam at the end of the year 2012.
I wish I had better things to do than keep studying. I am getting bored of being a student. I want to do something with my life. I am getting old to be in school at the Cegep level. Procuring work off two degrees hasn’t served me very well.
You wonder what does it matter that I have two university degrees, neither one has paid off in any kind of gainful employment of any kind. Was all that time in school wasted? I wonder…
I have a couple more weeks to relax and figure out what I want to do in the near future. My birthday is coming up at the end of the month. Harry and I share the same birthday.
So that’s that for the moment…
More to come, stay tuned …
Religious Experience … U2 360 Live …
If you haven’t seen a U2 show lately, you are surely missing out. It is as close to a religious experience as one can get. They will be here in Montreal on the 8th of July for their 360 tour date – hopefully I will be in the crowd that night at the Hippodrome here in the city.
Their DVD pack of the 360 show at the Rose Bowl is available. Quite an amazing show actually. I have the music on my phone and the DVD burned onto my computer. I’ve loved the band since I was a teen-ager many years ago.
They are amazing.
Post a Day #25… Sound …
Courtesy: Alexander
What is your favorite sound?
That is a good question. Can I have more than one? There are several sounds that I like to hear.
Seasonally, I love the sound of Winter. Standing outside on a cold night, waiting for it to snow, there is a particular ring in the air – the sound of the breeze just prior to a snowfall.
I also love the sound of silence. That peaceful moment lying in bed at night it is a quiet of quiets. The world is shut out and it is just peaceful.
I love the sound of Fall, the wind blowing through the trees, leaves falling, branches being buffeted by the breeze.
I love the sound of my sleeping husband lying next to me in bed. He sleeps in a state of listening, because just at the sound of my voice I can move him from here to there. He doesn’t snore very much, it’s more the breath moving in and out of him at rest.
I love the sound of music. My phone is literally connected to me whenever I am out of the house, going places, setting up for a meeting, walking to and from school.
I love the sound of a choir singing in service on a Sunday morning, the voices are heavenly and I find myself soaring into the rafters listening to the choir sing.
I love the rush of the sea on the beach at midnight. When I lived down south and would actually get to the beach at night, the sound of breakers breaking on the beach is the sound of the ocean, it breathes and moves across wide spaces and oceans.
I guess that’s a lot of sounds …
Alejandro …
This post is brought to you by the letter “A” for Alejandro…
It is a Lady Gaga kind of day today.
Today I had an afternoon appointment with Dee my hair dresser. As I sat in her chair the radio was playing behind us and I was like, having a Gaga moment… So what shall we do today???
I want an Alejandro …
Nuff said. in less than 30 minutes she finished cutting my hair and styling it. I like it.
Now I am making lunch, then a nap.
Toodles for now …
Out Lesbian KD Lang Steals Show At Vancouver Olympics Opening Ceremonies
Found on: Joe my God. I was waiting for this to show up somewhere. The performance was majestic.
Despite the preceding three hours of high-tech spectacle, it was openly lesbian and native Canadian kd lang’s simple, yet soaring take on Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah that stole the show during the opening ceremonies of the Vancouver Olympics. Watch video here. Overnight the top three searches on Google were for various punctuations of lang’s name, as accolades poured out on the world’s blogs and news sites. Twitter reactions here. Last night was the second time in two weeks that Cohen’s classic was sung to a global audience by an openly gay performer, as Matt Morris had dueted on the track with Justin Timberlake during the Haiti telethon. It was lang’s second Winter Olympics performance, 22 years ago (during her cowgirl schtick period) she performed Turn Me Around at the 1988 Calgary games.
Symphony of Science Videos…
Symphony of Science – ‘We Are All Connected’ (ft. Sagan, Feynman, deGrasse Tyson & Bill Nye)
Carl Sagan – ‘A Glorious Dawn’ ft Stephen Hawking (Cosmos Remixed)
Concert News U2 …
Last night the world got a real treat. U2 was performing at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena California and they webcast the entire show online. The show went live in California at 8:30 p.m. with a 9:00 p.m. start. We stayed up late here on the East Coast to see the entire show.
The concert is available to see right now on U2′s Official Channel over on You Tube, if you didn’t get a chance to see it last night. If you’ve never seen a live U2 show, this one rocked …
Boyzone singer Gately dies in Spain at 33
MADRID (AFP) – Boyzone singer Stephen Gately, 33, died on Saturday while on holiday in Majorca off the coast of Spain, the Irish band with a string of hits in the 1990s said on its website.
“Stephen tragically died yesterday whilst on holiday with his partner Andrew in Majorca,” the site said on Sunday.
The Boyzone members, including lead singer Ronan Keating, were heading to Majorca following news of the death.
The circumstances surrounding Gately’s death remained unclear but (Britain’s) News of the World newspaper reported he died after a night out.
Boyzone manager Louis Walsh told the newspaper: “We’re all absolutely devastated.”
He said: “I’m in complete shock. I was only with him on Monday at an awards ceremony. We don’t know much about what’s happened yet… He was a great man.”
Speaking to the newspaper late Saturday, band member Shane Lynch said: “Me and the boys are flying out in the morning.
“We just need to get over to where he’s passed and work out what we need to do.”
Gately, who married his partner Andrew Cowles in a civil union in 2006, sent ripples through the pop music world 10 years ago when he announced that he was gay.
He joined Boyzone in 1993 after answering an advert in Dublin to audition for Ireland’s first boyband.
The band went on to enjoy huge success with six number one singles in Britain, but split up in 2000.
They reunited seven years later, but their recent 19-date Better tour failed to fill stadiums, despite offers of free tickets.
Gately also starred in West End musicals in London, including “Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”.
Boyzone lead singer Keating was “completely distraught”, the News of the World said, and former Irish prime minister Bertie Ahern paid tribute to Gately, whom he knew, on the BBC’s Andrew Marr show.
He said: “The Gatelys are in my own constituency. I know the family, I know Stephen.
“He (Gately) was with us the other night with his boyfriend Andy, he came to my book launch.”
Ahern, whose daughter Georgina is married to Nicky Byrne of boyband Westlife, continued: “It’s just such a tragedy.
“Boyzone and Stephen, they’ve all been part of Irish life and far wider than that, the last 15 years, and so successful, so it’s a huge, huge tragedy. It’s so sad.”
Gately last posted a message on his Twitter page on October 6, writing: “Still busy, lots going on. Focusing on finishing my book next so may be quiet here.”
British actor and comedian Stephen Fry said on Twitter that he was shocked at the news.
“Just heard the very sad news about dear Stephen Gately. What a dreadful shock. He was loveable and sweet natured and will be hugely missed.”
Stephen Gately has died.
The 33-year-old Boyzone singer passed away in his sleep yesterday (10.10.09) while holidaying on the Spanish island of Majorca with his partner Andrew Cowles – who he wed in a civil ceremony in March 2006 – and friends.
His manager Louis Walsh said: “We’re all absolutely devastated. I’m in complete shock. I only saw him on Monday at an awards ceremony. We don’t know much about what happened yet.
“He was a great man.”
The ‘Love Me For A Reason’ singer’s friends are mystified by his death, which happened after a night out.
One pal said: “It looks like he went for a few drinks, then got back, fell asleep and never woke up.”
Fellow Boyzone star Ronan Keating – who is currently in Chicago – is said to be “devastated” by the news.
A source said: “Ronan is completely distraught. No-one saw this coming. He loved Stephen like a brother, they were close. It’s absolutely floored him.
“It’s a massive shock to everyone and no one can take it in yet. He was a man in the prime of his life, and this is a huge tragedy.”
Stephen’s bandmates – Ronan, Shane Lynch, Keith Duffy and Mikey Graham – are planning to fly to Majorca tomorrow (12.10.09) .
Shane told Britain’s News of the World newspaper: “Me and the boys are flying out. We just need to get over to where he’s passed and work out what we need to do.”
Boyzone formed in 1993 and achieved six UK number one singles.
They disbanded in 2000 – with Stephen the first member to launch a solo career – and reformed in 2007.
Dedication
Madonna The Sticky & Sweet Tour HD Part 6
This, I think is my favorite segment of the Sticky and Sweet Tour and I am posting it as a dedication. I love this song… It’s on my MP3 player and I listen to it every day at the gym. Enjoy …
Dana Manchester …
Betty Buckley – Meadowlark
The first lady of Florida. Was my friend. When I was but a wee little gay boy, I met her at the Parliament House in Orlando. She was performing with the troupe one night and I was stunned. Over the years we met at different functions and at other clubs on the circuit.
When I started my light man career, it was my pleasure to “light” many shows at different clubs where I had been employed. This particular piece of music, Betty Buckley’s “Meadowlark” was a favorite of Dana’s. When I worked at Ozone in Miami, she would get there early to do her prep and makeup and she would always ask me how the crowd was that night and then we would choose her music for the night’s show. This was one of my favorite pieces of music that she would sing for me, for us.
I came across it last night as I was reliving some of my past through you tube videos. I hope you enjoy it too. Dana died some years ago from AIDS complications and it broke my heart to hear that news. So in her memory I present to you… Meadowlark …
T-Mobile Sing-along – Pink Rocks Trafalgar
T-Mobile Sing-along – Pink Rocks Trafalgar
T-Mobile Sing-along Trafalgar Square (extended version)
T-Mobile Sing-along Trafalgar Square (extended version)
Sing Along.
Yanni Voices…
Heavenly Opera Singer…
Aye Papi, the Latin singer…
Sultry and sexy …
Poised and perfect…
Watching Vermont Public Television tonight we got to see this program called Yanni – Voices. An Amazing musical presentation. They are coming to the Bell Centre on May 9th 2009. Hopefully I will get to see them. Go buy the CD. It is totally amazing. And the men are quite beautiful, and the women too…
Some of the music that he uses for the new vocal tracks come from the award winning presentation of Yanni – Tribute that I saw in person. This show was performed at the Forbidden City in China and the Taj Mahal in India.
Absolutely Amazing…
Looky Little David w/Crush
David Archuleta AOL sessions- Crush
Looky 2 – Little David w/My Hands
David Archuleta AOL sessions My hands
Candle
November 5th Candle Video
Saved by Zero …
The Fixx – Saved By Zero
Saved By Zero – I saw The Fixx my junior year of high school with The Animals and The Police at the Orange Bowl Stadium in Miami…
Dance the Night Away …
Van Halen-Dance The Night Away
Gitty on up to the planetarium and get ready for the Van Halen Laser Light show happening right now in a city near you !!! YAY !!!
Van Halen – Dancing In The Street
