Daylight Saving Time

Some time ago, it was decided that Daylight Saving Time would be extended beyond what it used to be - April to October.

But who knew that it is really right around the corner, as in:
March 11 - November 4

Now, since I've been self-diagnosed w/seasonal affective disorder, this extension of DST could work in my favor.

Ummmmm ... more sunshine!

Oh and FYI: I've been informed that it is Daylight SAVING Time, no 's' on Saving. Now, you got some knowledge!

So go forth and reset those clocks! Or get ready to ...

A Generation gone ...

I thought that this would be easy to write ...

Today, my grandfather passed away. I'd like to say that I did not see it coming. However, he'd been admitted to the hospital over the weekend w/what I'd been told 'what John Ritter had.' Had I done a bit of research on the heart condition a few days ago, my optimism would may not have been so high. But when they asked my grandfather if he wanted to have the surgery that would give him a 50/50 chance of living, he said no. My family then encouraged him to do the surgery. He eventually said yes, but it seems his delayed response could have cost him, though I am not certain of that.

My grandfather was unconscious over the weekend and my mom and uncle called on Monday afternoon to tell me that he'd had a heart attack.

Again, my dispostion was that he was strong and willful and stubborn. So my thinking was how many days before he hops back in his sparkling Cadillac and does his thing. Sadly, was I wrong ...

So, I'm feeling a bit mournful and missing my granddaddy ...

Punky Moods

I really like these. So much more fun than the typical smiley face.

The Power of Positive Thinking!

The power of positive thinking has been something I've practiced for a long time. I often tell people to think positive as opposed to dwelling on the negative.

Well, a few weeks ago, I called a friend to say hi. I had intented for it to be a brief conversation and it almost was, but I asked her what she was doing and she said that she was making a 'visualization chart.' One question led to another and she mentioned "The Secret." It's a book, audiobook and DVD. I went to the library to pick up a copy. The wait list was quite lengthy. So I thought, well, I'll pick it up at the store. Then I received an email from Borders that it would be 30% that weekend. So I picked it up. Wow. I immediately got it!

Then "The Secret" author and other proponents of the the book were on Oprah. I intentionally did not watch it because I wanted to complete the book first. Then I saw that Oprah was revisiting the topic. Another wow! How often is it that Oprah revisits a topic within a week's time ...?

So I finished the book and I've watched both episodes. Someone tried to sum it up by saying it is the power of positive thinking. And yes, that is a part of it, but it is so much more. One example that was pointed out on Oprah, that I have referenced on numerous occasions, is from "The Wizard of Oz" when Glenda The Good Witch tells Dorothy "you had it all alone." Meaning Dorothy had the ability to get home the entire time - Dorothy just needed to exude the energy and belief that she could do it.

I am about to begin the writing component of "The Secret". It sort of goes in line w/one of my New Year's resolutions.

Amy Winehouse

I have really warmed up to Amy Winehouse.

Check out the vid ...

Oh, and check this out too...

Grammy Awards Recap

So the 2007 Grammy Awards are history! I thought that it was a really nice show. I enjoyed many of the performances. I enjoyed the Corinne Bailey Rae, John Legend and John Mayer performance the best. Actually, I absolutely love Cee-Lo and the Gnarls Barkley's performance of "Crazy" was incredible. Cee-lo's voice is so rich, soulful and emotive. So their performance really resonated w/me. I thought Mary J. Blige did her thing as well belting out a performance reminiscent of Patti Labelle. Beyonce was good as well. I must say that I enjoyed the Justin Timberlake duet w/Robyn Troup. I admire Troup for being able to go from being a finalist to being on stage and working it. She has a really pleasant voice and she wins a car too.

Other notable moments:

• the tribute to those who passed away this past year which included a brief dance performance by Chris Brown during the James Brown segment
• Ludacris winning for Best Rap Album and thanking/mentioning Oprah AND Bill O'Reilly
• Common telling Kanye West that people were tired of hearing Kanye complain about not winning any awards (I'm sure Kanye was in on the joke)

I was annoyed when Mary J. Blige accepted her first Grammy of the evening on stage. She read from a list and went on and on and on. I much prefer the heartfelt off the top of your head acceptance speech. And if she says one more time, how much she used to hate herself and her troubled past ... just get over it already.

Here's the complete list of 2007 Grammy winners!

Prince and the 'symbol'?

Okay, I need to say that I am late on posting this because I thought that it was a given and everybody 'got it.' I'm talking about Prince's SuperBowl halftime show performance.

I thought that his performance was okay. I had higher expectations. I thought that he would just totally rock/funk out! I don't know, but maybe the rain put a damper on things.

But my reason for this posting is to mention the entire sheet illuminating Prince's shadow has he played the 'symbol' guitar creating a he phallic. Now, some say it was not intentional. Don't count me amongst that group. I know the Prince has embraced his inner Jevohah's Witness, but this is the same guy who did not speak during his SuperBowl press conference. Instead he played a three song set that started with "Johnny B. Good". Several of my friends think that everyone 'got it' while some of my friends said 'what are you talking about...?' Was it a 'prop' malfunction...?

**Photos borrowed from Prince.org

Awards Shows...ooooh la la!

My love for music is magnified every year about this time. Actually, I cull the listing of nominees copiously when they are announced. I particularly like the Grammy's and the Oscar's.

The Grammy's are on the docket for Sunday evening. I'm excited for Mary J. Blige who I remember from her debut days. And her disc "The Breakthrough" is a nice one.

I'll be interested in the performances too. The Grammy's almost always have at least one performance that is killer!

I am underwhelmed by the hype of Justin Timberlake and some newbie getting a chance to sing w/him. I think I am still a bit peeved that he's the media darling all these years after the 'wardrobe malfunction.' On the other hand, CBS won't even play a Janet Jackson song as background music. I just feel/felt as if both of them should have received the same treatment. Interestingly enough, Janet is nominated for a Grammy (so maybe a Janet song will be aired on CBS).

I'll really be watching to see how Gnarls Barkley does. They'll be performing, but they are also nominated in a couple of categories. Same for my fav band, The Roots. I'm going to leave off on this one because everything else I have to say is so wholeheartedly in favor of The Roots that you will certainly get tired of hearing it and say okay, okay, we get the point ... I know, if only you had a vote ...

Audio test

This is a test - an audio test.