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Tuesday, March 27, 2012

March 27, 1970

I think that the Tuesday Timeline feature has quickly become one of my favourite theme days for this blog.  Not only do I have fun covering a whole array of topics that I had never considered before, but it’s also fun to look back on what happened in history on any given day.


I’ll just come out with it.  Today we’re going back in time to March 27, 1970.  I haven’t done a Tuesday Timeline feature that took place in the 1970s before, so I figured that it was better late than never.

But, first of all, like every other edition of the Tuesday Timeline, we’re going to take a look back on other events and happenings that took place on this date.

1871 – The first international rugby match between England and Scotland is played in Edinburgh

1886 – Geronimo surrenders to the U.S. Army, ending the main phase of the Apache Wars

1890 – A tornado strikes Louisville, Kentucky, killing 76, and injuring 200

1915 – Typhoid Mary is quarantined after being discovered as the first healthy carrier of disease in the United States

1958 – Nikita Khrushchev becomes Premier of the Soviet Union

1964 – “The Good Friday Earthquake” occurs near Anchorage, Alaska, killing 125 people.  With a magnitude of 9.2, it was the most powerful earthquake in American history

1975 – Construction of the Trans-Alaska pipeline system begins

1981 – Twelve million walk off their jobs for four hours in Poland after a warning strike is issued by the Solidarity movement

1993 – Jiang Zemin is appointed President of the People’s Republic of China

1998 – The FDA approves Viagra as a treatment for male impotence

2002 – Hollywood loses two legends, as both Milton Berle and Dudley Moore pass away on this date ten years ago

2009 – A suicide bomber kills 48 people at a mosque in Pakistan

Wow...who knew that March 27th was such a depressing and gloomy day in history?  Well, aside from the creation of Viagra, that is?

Don’t worry.  This blog will be focusing on a happy subject.  For this blog entry will focus on the birth of someone famous.

First things first, I should note that today happens to be my sister’s birthday, and Dawn, I doubt you’re reading this, but happy birthday!  But, no, she isn’t the subject of the blog.  She was born in 1966.

And, the subject doesn’t involve these famous faces either, but a happy birthday to...

...Michael York, Andrew Farriss (INXS), Jann Arden, Dave Koz, Quentin Tarentino, Xuxa, Talisa Soto, Kevin Corrigan, Pauley Perrette, Elizabeth Mitchell, Nathan Fillion, Stacy “Fergie” Ferguson, Brenda Song, and Jessie J.

For today’s blog topic though, we’re going to examine the career of a songbird that was born 42 years ago today.  Her road to stardom may have been filled with hardships, a troubled marriage, and a breakdown, but she seems to be happy and back on top with a new marriage, twin children, and a singing career that boasts five Grammy Awards, eighteen number one singles on the Billboard Charts, and holding the record for most time spent at the top of the charts of all time.

Oh, look.  Here’s one of her songs right now.


ARTIST:  Mariah Carey
SONG:  Vision of Love
ALBUM:  Mariah Carey
DATE RELEASED:  May 15, 1990
PEAK POSITION ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTS:  #1 for 4 weeks


Would you believe that Mariah Carey was just two months into her twenties when this song was released?  Would you believe that this was Mariah Carey’s first song release?  Would you believe that this song was the first in a chain of #1 hits that included one #1 song for almost every year of the 1990s?

Well, believe it.  All these statements are in fact true.  Mariah Carey being the featured Tuesday Timeline subject is also true.


Mariah Carey was born in Huntington, New York on March 27, 1970.  Her name came from the song “They Call the Wind Mariah” from the 1951 Broadway musical “Paint Your Wagon”.  Her mother was Irish American, and her father was of African American and Venezuelan descent.  Mariah often spoke of the hardships that stemmed from being a child of mixed race, stating that her mother’s side of the family disowned her for marrying a man of colour.  Mariah’s parents tried to make the marriage work, but due to the hardships caused by their community, as well as personal struggles in the marriage, they divorced when Mariah was just three.

Mariah ended up staying with her mother, and as a result of this, her relationship with her father eventually ceased to exist.  To cope with the stress of it all, Mariah would sneak a radio underneath the covers of her bed, listen to the music and try to find some inner peace by singing.

When Mariah was growing up, she did very well in music, art, and literature, and by the time she was in high school, she had already started to write and sing her own songs.  But, nobody really knew of her aspirations, as Carey had opted to keep it a secret through school.  Her mother, of course, encouraged her to pursue a musical career, and once suggested that Mariah study to become an opera singer.  But while Mariah enjoyed opera, she wanted to go in a different direction.

It wouldn’t be until the late 1980s that Mariah’s career would take off.  After completing a four song demo tape with friends Ben Margulies and Gavin Christopher, Mariah Carey would send copies to various record labels in between waitressing gigs, but she didn’t have much success at first.  She was introduced to rising pop star Brenda K. Starr during this time though, and this meeting would end up changing Carey’s life forever.


In November 1987, Carey ended up attending a record executive gala with Starr.  Carey met dozens of executives, but it was Tommy Mottola, head of Columbia Records, who took home her demo tape that night.  After listening to just two songs while driving home from the party, he was so enamored by her voice that he turned right around and headed back to the party, only to find that Carey had already left.

It took a couple of weeks for Mottola to track down Carey, but once he had, he signed her on the spot, and plans to record her debut, self-titled album immediately began.  Throughout 1989, Tommy helped Mariah produce her album by bringing in top musical producers such as Ric Wake, Narada Michael Walden, and Rhett Lawrence...though Mariah also brought aboard her longtime friend Ben Margulies on the project as well, as Margulies had written several of the songs that appeared on Mariah Carey’s debut (including “Vision of Love”).

Mariah’s first album was released on June 12, 1990, and it started off slow in sales.  But after Mariah appeared on the Grammy Awards, sales skyrocketed, and the album spawned four consecutive #1 singles.  And, that was only the beginning.  Mariah would end up having a total of eighteen #1 singles through her career, a feat tied only by Elvis Presley.  The eighteen #1 hits that Mariah had included the following;

Vision of Love (1990), Love Takes Time (1990), Someday (1991), I Don’t Wanna Cry (1991), Emotions (1991), I’ll Be There (1992), Dreamlover (1993), Hero (1993), Fantasy (1995), One Sweet Day (1995), Always Be My Baby (1996), Honey (1997), My All (1998), Heartbreaker (1999), Thank God I Found You (2000), We Belong Together (2005), Don’t Forget About Us (2005), and Touch My Body (2007).

And, here’s a little bit of trivia about some of these songs.


“I’ll Be There” was a song that was exclusive to Mariah’s “MTV Unplugged” album.  The album came about after Mariah appeared on the program to dispel rumours that she was only a ‘studio artist’ who wasn’t capable of hitting the high notes in live performances.  Needless to say, she proved her critics wrong.


1993’s “Hero” was meant to be included in the film “Hero” starring Geena Davis and Dustin Hoffman, but Tommy Mottola insisted that the song shouldn’t be given away for someone else to sing.  He wanted it to be a Mariah Carey song.  It paid off.  It topped the charts in late 1993 for four weeks.


1995’s “One Sweet Day” holds the record for being at the top of the charts the most consecutive weeks.  The single, which Mariah recorded with Boyz II Men was a number one hit for a record-breaking SIXTEEN weeks!


And, 1999’s Heartbreaker really showed us that Mariah could poke fun at herself as well.  With Mariah playing two different characters, and the video using a stunt double, a contribution by Jay-Z, and a cameo by Jerry O’Connell, the video helped the song become Mariah’s fourteenth number one hit.

These were some of Mariah’s finest moments, but she also had a lot of hardships along the way.  Aside from her early childhood which was filled with a single mother trying to make ends meet, and her early struggles with getting her name out there (the inspiration for the song “Make It Happen”), Mariah’s had some very public struggles as well. 


Eventually, Tommy Mottola became more than Mariah’s record producer.  He would also become Mariah’s husband.  The two tied the knot in 1993, despite the couple’s 21 year age difference.  However, just five years later, Mariah and Tommy divorced, with Mariah claiming that creative differences and Mottola’s controlling nature were the reasons behind the split.  The split reflected in her music, with her 1997 album “Butterfly” taking on a new style of singing, and her music videos portrayed Mariah more sexually than before.


But Mariah’s lowest point would come during the summer of 2001.  During that period, Mariah had switched record labels (from Columbia to Virgin Records), and she had signed on to work on the film project “Glitter” as well as recording the soundtrack for the same movie.  At this time, her relationship with Luis Miguel had just ended.  As a result of Mariah’s heavy workload as well as pressure from the media, Mariah started acting in an erratic fashion.  After a bizarre appearance on Total Request Live on July 19, 2001, Mariah was hospitalized for exhaustion following a physical and emotional breakdown just one week later.


The hospital stay forced the movie and soundtrack release to be delayed while Carey recovered.  The soundtrack was eventually released on September 11, 2001, but due to the 9/11 attacks, the release was obviously overshadowed.  And when the film was released just ten days later, it bombed at the box office, and Mariah Carey was nominated for a Golden Raspberry and won for Worst Actress in 2002.

Between the failure of the film, and the fact that the “Glitter” soundtrack was the worst-selling album of Mariah Carey’s career, people wondered if Mariah Carey would ever find her way back on top again.

The answer, of course, is yes.


With the release of the album “The Emancipation of Mimi”, it served as a renaissance period for Carey, and she earned her first #1 hit in five years as a result.  And, in 2008, Carey found love once again.  This time, she married Nick Cannon, ten years her junior, and current host of America’s Got Talent.  And, in 2011, Mariah Carey became a mother, giving birth to twins Morocco and Monroe on April 30 (the same day as their wedding anniversary).


I think that there’re a couple of lessons that we can learn from Mariah Carey.  First, you can’t give up on your dreams.  Even if your dreams seem impossible, you might end up being in the right place at the right time one day, and they’ll come true when you least expect it.  This happened for Mariah Carey, and it can happen to all of us if we really take the bull by the horns.

Secondly, it is possible to come back from the depths of rock bottom.  Certainly, 2001 was not a great year for Mariah Carey, as she hit a professional and personal low.  But, it’s amazing that just ten years later, Carey would become a wife and mother, who has had a second chance to make it in the music business.

I think no matter what, Mariah Carey will always be a force to be reckoned with in the world of music.  Certainly, her voice will always be one of a kind.

That’s our look back on March 27, 1970.

Monday, March 26, 2012

Twister

Have you ever experienced a natural disaster close up?

I know that living in Canada, my experiences with natural disasters have been mostly limited to torrential downpours and blizzards. I think the worst disaster that I ever lived through was the great Ice Storm of 1998 which knocked out power to various parts of Ontario, Quebec, and Upstate New York. My home was without power for five days, and many surrounding areas didn't get electricity back for almost a month after the initial storm. But, in the end, we survived it. It was tough going at times, but that experience made all of us who lived through it a little stronger, and helped us appreciate the simpler, little things in life.

I guess I can count myself lucky that a severe ice storm is the worst natural disaster that I have personally experienced. Yes, my area has had a couple of minor earthquakes over the last thirty years or so, but nothing near as catastrophic as what happened in Haiti, Japan, and New Zealand over the past two years. We sometimes get the tail-end of weakened hurricanes or tropical storms, but we have been spared the damage caused by past storms named Andrew, Iniki, Katrina, and Wilma.



I honestly don't even remember experiencing a tornado. I've experienced days in which the winds were so strong, I felt as though I would blow away, but I've never seen a tornado up close.

And, I really don't want to either. Tornadoes are very scary things to live through. Last year, the small community of Goderich, Ontario was devastated by a powerful tornado, in which they are still trying to recover from. And, by now, everyone has heard about the devastating series of tornadoes that struck the United States earlier this month, leaving residents homeless, and killing several.

Tornadoes can be quite dangerous and deadly if one is not prepared. It doesn't matter whether the storm is an F1 or an F5. Tornadoes are not something that can be taken lightly.

That said, there are lots of people who find tornadoes (or twisters as some people call them) to be a fascinating case study. Some people find storm chasing to be a thrilling hobby. They chase storms as they happen, with many of them snapping photographs and recording them with hand-held video cameras. In some cases, the footage and efforts brought forth by storm chasers have resulted in better warning systems, so maybe there is some good to be found in storm chasing, even though it is one of the more dangerous and risky hobbies that one can partake in.

Today's Monday Matinee takes a look at the activity known as storm chasing, as well as the destructive power of tornadoes, and the impact that they can have on communities.



We're going back sixteen years in time to talk about the movie “Twister”.

Twister” was a movie that boasted quite a bit of star power. With stars like Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton, Jami Gertz, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, and Cary Elwes appearing in the film, it's so surprise that the film did well at the box-office. It was the second highest grossing film of 1996 right behind “Independence Day”, and made almost $500 million dollars on a budget of $92 million.

It's just too bad that the making of the film itself was plagued with so many production problems.

The film was a joint effort between Universal Studios and Warner Brothers, and almost immediately after director Jan De Bont took the helm as director of “Twister”, problems began. The screenplay was written by Michael Crichton and Anne-Marie Martin to the tune of two and a half million dollars, and initially, Joss Whedon (the man behind such television adaptations as “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Angel”) was brought on to rewrite parts of the script. When Whedon developed bronchitis, Steve Zaillian was brought onto the project to fill in until Whedon recovered. Whedon returned to the project once more, but left again after he had gotten married, and was replaced by Jeff Nathanson.

Things did not improve much in the stability of the shoot, for just weeks into the production schedule, a group of people who worked on the film walked off production, citing clashes with the director. The final straw came when De Bont knocked over a camera assistant that missed his cue. This prompted Don Burgess and his camera crew to leave the project. To add to the bad luck, Burgess' replacement, Jack N. Green was injured in a freak accident, and De Bont was forced to become the director of photography himself just to get the movie finished.



And, don't think that the stars of the movie got out unscathed either. Both Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton were left with temporary blindness caused by bright electronic lamps. The lamps were used to simulate a dark and stormy sky on days in which it was too bright to film, but they were so bright that it caused production to shut down for a few days while Hunt and Paxton recuperated. In addition, Paxton and Hunt were forced to get a shot for hepatitis after filming in a ditch that contained bacteria, and Hunt almost suffered a concussion while shooting a scene.

After that much bad luck, it's a miracle that the movie was even released at all!

I suppose that the behind-the-scenes delays and injuries probably didn't help the script at all. Sure, the movie was visually pleasing to the eye, and the special effects were quite well done...but in my opinion, the story kind of suffered, and lost something along the way. Of course, that's just my opinion.

Anyway, “Twister” starts off with a flashback. We see images of a five year old girl and her family trying to take cover from a tornado that is fast approaching. It is an F5, the strongest tornado that could be measured. The tornado kills Jo's father.



Years later, Dr. Jo Harding (Hunt) is unexpectedly reunited with her estranged husband, Bill Harding (Paxton). Bill used to be a weather researcher who did storm chasing on the side, and now holds a job as a weather reporter. The only reason Bill wanted to meet with Jo was to get their divorce finalized so he could go ahead and marry his new girlfriend, Dr. Melissa Reeves (Gertz). But, Bill discovers that Jo has been a busy beaver. She has created four tornado research devices, appropriately named “DOROTHY”...a design that was based off of a similar one he had invented. The purpose of “DOROTHY” was simple. When activated, the device would send hundreds of tiny sensors straight into the core of the tornado to study its structure. Jo hopes that her invention will serve as a breakthrough, because if she could figure out more about how tornadoes were formed, she could also devise a better warning system to be put in place to hopefully save more lives.

There's just one problem. Jo's rival, the smug and up himself Dr. Jonas Miller (Elwes) has been doing some inventing of his own, and has come up with an almost identical to Jo's own creation. This causes Bill to team up with Jo to deploy “DOROTHY” before Dr. Miller can take all the credit. Bill ends up dragging Melissa along for the ride when he joins Jo and her team of storm chasers on their quest to find a suitable tornado to test “DOROTHY” out.



As you might have already guessed, there would automatically be a lot of tension in the air when you have two exes together in a crammed truck. Certainly, this was the case between Jo and Bill, as it became clear that both of them had issues with each other that remained unresolved since their split. The tension is further increased when they end up having lots of close calls with some dangerous tornadoes, and on the team's first attempt to deploy one of Jo's “DOROTHY” devices, Jo and Bill are forced to jump out of her truck into a ditch, which is subsequently destroyed.

One “DOROTHY” gone...but there was still three more chances to get it right.



Bill offers up the use of his own truck, and with Melissa in the back, the team sets off to locate another tornado. The second one is an F2, stronger than the first one, but in the attempt to chase it, the tornado changes paths, and they end up losing it (but get an amazing view of a cow flying through the air at the same time).

The team decides that they need to take a break, and after having lunch with Jo's Aunt Meg, they're back on the road. It doesn't take long for the team to come across yet another tornado, this one being classified as F3, their strongest one yet. But before Jo and Bill can act, the tornado takes down a power pole and it smashes right onto the back of Bill's truck, smashing open the second of Jo's “DOROTHY” devices, scattering the sensors all over the ground. The tornado fast approaches, and Bill knows that if they stick around, it's certain death. But, Jo is in a different frame of mind, and as you'll see by viewing this clip, it becomes clear as to why she acted in such a manner.



So, Jo feels somewhat guilty that her father ended up dead because of a tornado, and her work with studying tornadoes was a way that she could make his death make sense. It's also clear that Bill understands this, knowing exactly what loss she had to endure back when she was just five, which could explain why he was so eager to assist her.



It's not until the team stops off at a drive-in movie theater which is literally blown away by yet another tornado (seriously, how many tornadoes can occur during this movie?) that Bill comes up with a theory to make Jo's “DOROTHY” device have a 100% success rate. But with a strong tornado threatening to tear apart the home of Jo's Aunt Meg, as well as Bill's conflicting feelings for both Jo and Melissa, as well as the constant threat of Dr. Miller upstaging Jo with his own tornado measuring devices, it doesn't give much time for Bill to test that theory out.

But, that's just something that you'll have to see for yourself.

Not even the threat of a tornado will make me reveal this movie ending.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

A Question Of Faith...But What Is Sting's Answer?

Traditionally speaking, for the Sunday Jukebox, I tend to feature an artist, and have a huge write-up about their biography, how they got started in the business, what their first hit or most memorable hit was, and then wrap it all up in a nice pretty red bow.

Not this time.

One of the things that I feel make a great song is when they have a powerful meaning. And, today's song happens to have just that. But, what that meaning is? As it turns out, there's several that can be found. I'm going to open up the forum at the end of this blog entry so we can discuss the song at hand, and you can tell me what your thoughts are. Will they match my theory? Only one way to find out, and that's to go ahead with the subject.



I'm sure most of you know who Sting is. Sting (real name Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner), born October 2, 1951 in Wallsend, England, has had one phenomenal rise to fame. Forming the new wave band The Police with Stewart Copeland and Henry Padovani (who was later replaced by Andy Summers), the band won six Grammy Awards, released five albums, and had several hit singles before the band went their separate ways in 1983. While Copeland found success in composing soundtracks for film, television, and video games (including most of the early Spyro the Dragon games), and Summers recorded songs, and dabbled in writing and photography, Sting embarked on a solo career.

Just listen to some of the statistics and accolades that Sting has managed to achieve in his career.

  • Has recorded a variety of songs using a variety of musical genres including reggae, jazz, country, classical, new age, rhythm and blues, and worldbeat
  • Between his solo career and his work with The Police, Sting has won SIXTEEN Grammy Awards
  • Has won a Golden Globe, an Emmy Award, and was nominated for a few Academy Awards
  • Was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003 (along with Copeland and Summers)
  • Was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002
  • Has had seven American solo Top 20 hits between 1985 and 2000 (in the UK, the number is a little more than double that amount)

That's not a bad list of accomplishments, don't you think?

So, with all those songs to choose from, which one would be the one that I would ultimately pick to feature in today's space?



I thought about it long and hard. I mean, Sting has quite the catalog of songs, each one beautifully written. I ended up choosing a song from his 1993 album, “Ten Summoner's Tales”. Not only is the album my favourite of Sting's solo efforts, but it also contains my two all-time favourite Sting songs. “Fields Of Gold” happens to be one of those two songs. And, this one happens to be the second.



ARTIST: Sting
SONG: If I Ever Lose My Faith In You
ALBUM: Ten Summoner's Tales
RELEASE DATE: February 1, 1993
PEAK POSITION ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTS: #17

There's a lot that we can say about this song, and just like many other songs out there, it can be subject to many interpretations and theories behind its meaning. I'm going to share with you what the song means to me, and then I'll turn it over to you.



I think one thing we should look at right off the bat is the articulate imagery that is shown during the course of the video. With images of suns, crosses, flames, and reenactments of historical and biblical events, it can be said that the song is filled with references to religion and faith. In some ways, I do believe this to be true, though, that's only a part of the rich tapestry that surrounds my own interpretation of this song.

I think that the real key to deciphering this song is through its carefully crafted lyrics. It shouldn't come as much of a surprise that this song, like so many of Sting's other songs, is filled with powerful words and multiple meanings. Before Sting entered the world of rock music, he wanted to embark on a career in education and worked as an English teacher in the mid-1970s, so it's no surprise that he would be gifted in writing. And, one reason why I chose this particular song to do a case study on was solely for the different interpretations of the lyrics.

Let's start with the first verse, shall we?

You could say I lost my faith in science and progress
You could say I lost my belief in the holy church
You could say I lost my sense of direction
You could say all of this and worse but

Our narrator (assuming that we are talking about Sting here) talks about how many people seem to have the feeling that he has lost his faith in a lot of things. Certainly given what we're seeing in the news, I suppose that this could not be more true.



Take the first line about him losing faith in science and progress. In some ways, our lives have become a lot better with the inventions of such items as the automobile, modern-day kitchen appliances, and electronics. However, in other ways, science can cause a lot of damage and destruction. The images shown of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the summer of 1945 completely destroyed is one indicator of how a scientific discovery was used for harm, as the first atomic bombs were dropped in those two cities. Another argument supporting Sting's claim is the use of nuclear power plants. While nuclear power plants are widely considered to be a cleaner and less polluting power source than coal power plants, when something goes wrong, the effects can be devastating. It was a near nightmare in Three Mile Island, it WAS a horrible reality for the poor people around Chernobyl, and after the 2011 earthquakes that battered Japan, it's a miracle that there wasn't more nuclear destruction.

And, don't forget the cell phone addicted, iPod listening, text messaging people who take on the appearance of mindless zombies who can't spell a word without inserting a number in them.  Yeah, that's real progress there. 



And, the second line about him losing faith in the holy church. It's fairly easy to do these days. With religious organizations that seem to find every excuse in the book to hate people for flimsy reasoning (like Westboro), or the various sex scandals that have erupted in various church systems all over the world, it's a bit hard to follow the gospel taught in churches if many of the priests and nuns don't exactly practice what they preach, isn't it?

We've been conditioned that religion and science are two separate entities. Creationism versus evolution. But, if our narrator has lost faith in both, what's left for him then? What path does he follow?

Hence the loss in direction.

It gets even more descriptive in the second verse of the song.

Some would say I was a lost man in a lost world
You could say I lost my faith in the people on TV
You could say I'd lost my belief in our politicians
They all seemed like game show hosts to me

This verse certainly offers up a lot more as we delve into the psyche of Sting. I'd definitely say that Sting was correct when he said that he was a lost man in a lost world. All you would have to do is revisit what he was saying in the first verse to confirm that.

The second line is quite interesting. Losing his faith in the people on TV. But, what exactly does he mean? Considering that Sting likely wrote this song in late '92 or early '93, I suppose Sting could be talking about a number of possible topics in relation to this. He could be referring to news anchors. He could be referring to television talk show hosts. He could even be referring to celebrities who take on political activism for causes that may or may not be legit, and who end up doing crazy (sometimes illegal) things to get their message out. I suppose the same could be applied to the current television landscape, with the plethora of bubbleheaded reality television stars. Granted, reality television is kind of a guilty pleasure of mine, but I would never take the word of these “stars” to be gospel.



And, in regards to Sting comparing politicians to game show hosts? Can you say 2012 Republican Primaries? I mean, just watching Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney, and Rick Santorum in action, I honestly think that comparing them to game show hosts is actually an insult to Pat Sajak, Alex Trebek, Wink Martindale, and Drew Carey. And, I'm not even American! Mind you, I'm also undecided as to whether Barack Obama deserves another four years in office, but when given the alternative, it's not an easy choice to make. As far as Canadian politics go, I pretty much lost my faith in them when a certain Liberal leader took office. The less said about that matter, the better.

The point I'm trying to make is that the song talks about all of these instances and scenarios of events that people used to look up to for guidance and direction. And now, it seems as though they are all shadows of what they used to be. In some cases, they've almost become a farce. The belief and faith that may once have been so strong before is now shattered.

So, here's the question. Is there anything left for us to have any faith in?

According to Sting, the answer is yes.

The name of the song is “If I Ever Lose My Faith In You”. By listening to the song, we can see that Sting still has a little bit of optimism buried beneath his pessimistic thoughts. As long as he still has faith in something or someone, then it'll all be worth it.

But, of course, this leads to another question. And, this is where I open the floodgates to you readers out there.

Who do you think Sting has faith in?

And, this is where the multiple meanings come into play here, because there really are quite a few possibilities to consider here. I'll list a trio of them right now.

Theory number one is that Sting is talking about himself. Think about it for a second. When the whole world around you suddenly stops making sense, who's the one person who knows you best? I'd hope that in a lot of cases, it would be the person who is staring back at you when you look at a mirror. In many ways, we all look at ourselves, and tell ourselves that everything will turn out right. By doing this, we have to have a little bit of faith, don't you think? It makes sense. We have to believe in ourselves. If we stop having faith in ourselves, then the world suddenly becomes a much more frustrating and scary place.

Theory number two is that Sting is talking about someone very close to him, like a loved one or a lover. And, in a lot of cases, it makes sense too. I could easily see a newly wedded husband and wife choosing this song as one to dance to at their wedding reception. It is a lovely song, and if you take the lyrics at face value, it really is a moving sentiment to display to your spouse. Just picture it...you may have been lost in direction and felt like nothing made sense. And then you meet the love of your life, and it all makes sense.

Of course, there's the third theory. The theory that Sting is talking about God. It's hard to ignore. Sting is spinning a mobile of miniature crosses in a circle in several frames of the video. His face even appears in a cross. And, of course, there's the recreation of Moses parting the Red Sea. The religious imagery peppered throughout the video almost seems to make this theory a possibility. And, I know a lot of people who aren't overly religious, and who shun organized religion, but still manage to hold on to their faith in God.



So, what do you think the song means? I'm very interested in your thoughts.

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego?





I may have talked about this earlier in the blog, but I have always loved the computer game “Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego?” because it truly was one of the best educational games that one could play.

Aside from the fact that your main goal was to try and arrest Carmen Sandiego and her minions, who were guilty of stealing various objects and artifacts all over the world, the game really taught players various tidbits and facts about history and geography. Sequels to the game were made, including one called “Where In Time Is Carmen Sandiego?”, which focused more on history than geography. At any rate, the game was widely successful and is still played in elementary school classrooms all over the world.

But, did you know that the popular computer game series also spawned two successful children's game shows? And, in the case of one of them, it currently holds the record for being the longest running children's game show that ever aired on PBS, and the second longest running children's game show in the United States overall?





On September 30, 1991, the first of these shows debuted on PBS, and will be the show that will be mostly discussed in this blog entry. The show was “Where In The World In Carmen Sandiego?”, and it's probably best known for the catchy theme song that is performed by the band Rockapella. Oh, look, here's a song clip below.




Isn't that catchy? At least, I think it is, anyway.

Part of the reason behind the creation of the game show came from a National Geographic survey. The results showed that Americans did not have a whole lot of general knowledge when it came to global geography. When the survey was taken in 1989, the results claimed that only one in four knew which ocean was the Pacific. The same amount knew where the Soviet Union was located on a map. So, in an effort to make geography fun to learn, the game show was created.



The show debuted on PBS when I was ten, and it ended its original run in December 1995, when I was fourteen. Appropriately enough, the contestants of each show were roughly between the ages of ten and fourteen. All three contestants were dressed up like detectives, and were known as 'gumshoes'. One of Carmen Sandiego's henchmen (or henchwomen) had stolen an artifact from a historical landmark from somewhere in the world, and it was their job to go around the world to try and catch them.

Of course, the gumshoes had some help along the way.



Hosted by Greg Lee (who did work behind the scenes on “Double Dare” before hosting Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego?), Greg took on the role as the Special/Senior Agent in charge of training new recruits at the ACME Detective Agency. But when you consider that the show was marketed towards a young audience, this meant that Greg's role on the show was purposely exaggerated. He was a goofball, and he often found himself in strange situations, but he was also very likeable, and I thought he made a great host.



You also had assistance from the chief of ACME, played by the late Lynne Thigpen. Unlike Greg, the Chief was no-nonsense, and did things by the book. Her dialogue was meant to be serious and powerful, but it often came across as funny, due to the overuse of alliteration, puns, and wordplay. Basically, the Chief was the Yang to Greg's Yin, and both of them worked well together. It made the show more enjoyable.

Lynne Thigpen's portrayal of the Chief proved so popular that she was actually incorporated into future Carmen Sandiego computer games, and she was invited back to be a part of the spin-off game show, “Where In Time Is Carmen Sandiego?”, hosted by Kevin Shinick.



(Kevin Shinick has since become a writer and voice actor for the show “Robot Chicken”.)

So, why don't we watch an episode, and then discuss how the game was played?




So, the way the show worked was like this. As I said earlier, we'd see a clip of one of Carmen's minions stealing a landmark from somewhere in the world. It could be the Mona Lisa from the Louvre, the Statue of Liberty's torch, or Abraham Lincoln's nose from Mount Rushmore. We also knew the identity of the criminal who did the deed, and more often than not, the name would be a pun. With criminals named Patty Larceny, Sarah Nade, RoboCrook, Top Grunge, and Double Trouble (a set of twins), I suppose it's to be expected. It was a show for children.

During the first couple of rounds, Greg would show the contestants a segment, or act out a skit that would determine where the villain would be spotted next. Usually, these clips would have clues for the location. It could be a species that is native to that country, or it could be the mention of the capital city of the country, or they could bring up a popular landmark, or famous export that the country is known for. If savvy players could put all the clues together, they could narrow down the city or country where the thief was spotted.

And, sometimes the clues were given by celebrities, such as James Avery from “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”, pop princess Debbie Gibson, and various sports heroes.

Each person was given a set number of points, which were known as ACME Crime Bucks. The more you had, the better chance you had of staying in the game. Each question was worth a certain number of Crime Bucks, and the more questions you got right, the more points you got. Eventually, the chase would stop after a few questions were asked, and the final question would be asked. Unlike other questions asked, the gumshoes would be shown a map of three possible destinations that the criminal were spotted in, and this really helped the contestants wager as few or as many points as they liked, based on how well they knew the area that was focused on. The two contestants who had the highest scores would move onto the next round. The loser would get some prizes including a subscription to National Geographic World, and a world almanac. Something geography related anyway.

So, once the contestants narrowed down where the crook was located, they would transport to the area where the crook was found, and then learn a little bit about the area. Once they had that, they were taken to a board where there were fifteen different locations where the loot could be found, where they could obtain a search warrant, and where the criminal was hiding out. The trick was that the places had to be found in the correct order...loot, warrant, criminal. The first person to get all three items in the right order would win the chance to play in the final round, where the prize was very nice. The loser was given almost a similar parting gift at the third place finisher.

Now, here's where the real test came. As the show progressed into its final round, there was much celebration to be had...but Carmen was still out there, and you still had no idea where she was. Fortunately, the minion you just helped send to jail would be of some help. S/He would give out the location of a continent, and it was up to the detective to chase her around the continent.

The winning contestant would be taken to a gigantic world map, and armed with seven giant map markers, Greg would announce the name of a country or city, and it was the detective's job to place the marker on the correct place. The maps included the United States, North America, South America, Asia and Australia, Europe, and Africa. If they were right, they would move to the next destination. If not, they only one more chance to get it correct before they were forced to give up and move to the next destination. They had to get a specific number correct before time ran out to win the grand prize. The grand prize in the first couple of seasons was a trip to anywhere in the interlocking 48 states of the United States (excluding Alaska and Hawaii), but in later seasons, the destination was expanded to anywhere in North America.



So, in conclusion, I thought that “Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego?” was a fantastic video game, and for children, it was also made into a wonderful television game show. Sure, it hasn't aged well over the last twenty years, but at least I can say that watching the show greatly helped my own grades in geography!


Friday, March 23, 2012

The Bold and the Beautiful

There was once a time in which soap operas dominated the block of programming known as daytime television.  Between the hours of eleven in the morning and four in the afternoon, millions of people would tune into their “stories” and be captivated by the affairs, the romance, the mystery, and the scandal that would be broadcast five days a week for 30-60 minutes at a time.

That’s why it’s almost shocking to know that there are only four American soap operas currently on the air.

Over the last four years, soap operas have been disappearing from the airwaves at an alarming rate.  In 2009, we said goodbye to “Guiding Light” after 72 years (57 of which were on television).  2010 was the year the world stopped turning on “As the World Turns”.  In 2011, we said farewell to “All My Children”.  And, just this past January, we saw the last flicker of life go out from the soap opera “One Life to Live”.

So, to say that the genre known as daytime drama is in danger is an understatement.

However, the four soap operas that have managed to survive are still holding on.  “General Hospital” is currently the soap that has been on the longest, and currently the only ABC soap still on the air.  “Days of Our Lives” have been keeping the sands in the hourglass filled since 1965.  And, “The Young and the Restless” has been the #1 daytime drama on television since 1988!

But, for today’s look back on television pop culture, we’re going to be talking about a daytime drama that has exploded in popularity all over the world.  And, as it so happens, today happens to be the show’s silver anniversary.

Twenty-five years ago today, this daytime drama debuted on CBS after the cancellation of another soap opera, “Capitol”.  At the time, it was one of only three half-hour soap operas that aired (the other two were “Ryan’s Hope” and “Loving”, both of which are now cancelled), and the concept of the program was unlike many of the other soap operas at the time.  Focusing on the drama and the trials of a fashion conglomerate, the show was the second daytime creation of William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell.  Their first creation was the popular show “The Young and the Restless”, and they had hoped for success with a second daytime drama.

Little did anyone know just how successful this soap opera would become.


The show, of course, is “The Bold and the Beautiful”.


Debuting on March 23, 1987, “The Bold and the Beautiful” initially focused on the fashion business known as Forrester Creations, which was responsible for some of the glitziest, classiest, and elegant fashions for the sophisticated Los Angeles socialite.  As a result, it wasn’t uncommon to have scenes set in executive boardrooms, fashion shows, and photo shoots, in addition to the prerequisite bedroom and hot tub scenes.

Over the show’s twenty-five year history, there have been countless actors and actresses that have come onto the show.  Some of them became famous after appearing on the program, and some celebrities even had cameo roles in the program.  But, we’ll get to more of that a little bit later.

Since 1987, the revolving door of cast members has been constantly spinning.  Despite this, four cast members have been on the program since the show’s debut.  Those four characters are...


Stephanie Forrester (SUSAN FLANNERY)


Eric Forrester (JOHN McCOOK)


Brooke Logan Forrester (KATHERINE KELLY LANG)


Ridge Forrester (RONN MOSS)


TRIVIA:  Ronn Moss was in the band, “Player”, who had a huge hit in 1978 with “Baby Come Back”.

From the very first episode, we’re introduced to these four players in a big way.  For the record, because I am very dedicated to this blog and making sure that I have all of my facts straight, I did a lot of research on this show, just so I could make it as accurate as possible.  That being said, if I do make any inaccuracies, please let me know, as I don’t make it a point to watch this show.

Anyway, when the show began, we’re first introduced to Ridge (and for that matter, who the heck would name their child after a type of potato chip anyways?).  Ridge is the son of Stephanie and Eric (despite the fact that there is only a seven year age difference between the actors playing Ridge and Eric in real life), and he is every bit the apple of his mama’s eye.  In fact, some might say that the relationship between Stephanie and Ridge is a tad creepy.  But, I’ll leave that up to your judgment.


Ridge is set to marry Caroline Spencer (Joanna Johnson).  With a new bride, and his job as vice president and head fashion designer of Forrester Creations, 1987 was looking like a great year for Ridge Forrester.  The wedding was to have been the biggest spectacle of the whole year, and because of Ridge’s playboy past, many wondered what was so special about the woman who finally made Ridge settle down.

One of these women was Brooke Logan.  Brooke, a chemistry student at a local university, hailed from a working class family, far removed from the glitz and luxury that Forrester Creations was known for.  As it so happened, Brooke’s mother was once the sweetheart of Eric Forrester, which probably kickstarted the on-again, off-again feud that Stephanie Forrester and Brooke Logan would have throughout the show’s 25-year history.  At some point, Brooke ends up falling in love with Ridge, and this leads to one of the biggest on-again, off-again romances seen in the history of daytime drama.

Of course, not everyone was thrilled with the idea of Brooke and Ridge finding their happily ever after.  Their biggest obstacle, as I said was Stephanie Forrester, and one thing I will say about her is that you don’t want to mess with this woman, for she is capable of doing much damage to her enemies.  Take a look at the clips below to see what I mean.


Of course, Brooke wasn’t exactly Little Miss Innocent in the series either.  In fact, I’m kind of surprised that she isn’t wearing a permanent scarlet letter around her neck for some of the things she’s done over the years.  Oh, sure, she’s made a name for herself in the fashion world, inventing a non-wrinkle fabric innovation called BeLieF, and starting up several lines for the company, including a controversial lingerie line.  But, it’s just a shame that her personal life has overshadowed these legitimate accomplishments.  Let’s open up Brooke’s closet and see what pops up.

Between 1987 and 2012, Brooke Logan has...

-      Gotten married to Ridge countless times

-      Gotten married to three of Ridge’s family members (Brooke was married to Eric Forrester, and Ridge’s two half-brothers, Thorne Forrester and Dominick Marone)

-      Had an affair with her daughter’s husband, resulting in the birth of her daughter Hope

-      Married at least two other men (Whip Jones and Grant Chambers)

-      Accidentally slept with her daughter’s boyfriend during a masquerade party




-      Was lead to believe that she had slept with her stepson after ingesting strange berries



I only WISH I was kidding about those last two storylines, but alas, they really did happen.

Oh, but don’t think that Stephanie was entirely innocent either.  Not only did she lie about Ridge’s true paternity for forty some years (his real father was some guy named Massimo Marone), but she also had just as many sordid scandals as Brooke did.  Stephanie indirectly caused Brooke to get raped.  Stephanie almost murdered Brooke at a mountain cabin (though to be fair, she had just broken Thorne’s heart at the time).  Stephanie even lied about having a heart attack to break up Brooke and Ridge!  And, I found the aftermath of that storyline down below!


Of course, one can say that Brooke simply brought out the worst in Stephanie.  At least Stephanie could always count on her frenemy, Sally Spectra (Darlene Conley) to be there for her.


Or maybe not.

Oh, but she also has the support of her ex-daughter-in-law Taylor Hayes Forrester (Hunter Tylo) too, right?


Actually, scratch that too.

Oh, wait, there’s her friendship with Jackie Marone (Lesley-Anne Down).


You know what, FORGET IT!  J

By all accounts, the show does appear to be a bit messy, don’t you think?  It’s campy, it’s unpredictable, it’s unbelievable...it’s almost like you’re watching an episode of Jerry Springer, only all the guests are decked out in Armani suits and dresses by Stella McCartney.  However, it is a formula that has proven to be wildly successful all over the world.

“The Bold and the Beautiful” is the most-watched daytime soap opera in the entire world.  With an estimated worldwide audience of 26 million people on any given day, the program can be seen in well over fifty countries, and is translated into several different languages, including French, Spanish, Italian, German, Greek, and Swedish, just to name a few.

TRIVIA:  The show is reportedly so popular in Italy that the show has filmed on location there several times.  Ronn Moss even competed in the Italian version of “Dancing with the Stars”!

The show has also been successful in its home country as well.  It’s consistently scored at the #2 most watched daytime drama for years, and has won thirty-one Daytime Emmy Awards during its 25-year history, including the award for Outstanding Drama Series for three consecutive years in 2009, 2010, and 2011!

“The Bold and the Beautiful” has had some crossovers with its sister show “The Young and the Restless”.  Several characters have crossed over to both shows at some point.  Sheila Carter, Deacon Sharpe, Amber Moore, Lauren Fenmore, and many other characters have once called both Y&R and B&B home. 


And, believe it or not some famous faces have popped in on the show to play roles as either themselves or as someone else.  Mario Lopez and Lark Voorhies from Saved By The Bell both had contract roles on the soap at one time.  Phyllis Diller has made several cameos on the program for years now.  Wonder Years star Alley Mills currently plays Stephanie’s whacked-out sister, Pam Douglas.  Finally, television’s it-girl, Betty White once played the role of Stephanie’s mother, Anne.  Here’s proof below.


So, whether you like soap operas or hate them, one thing is clear.  With shows like “The Bold and the Beautiful” going on strong for twenty-five years and counting, clearly there is still an audience for programs like this. 

Though, even I admit just by watching clips for the sole purpose of writing this blog, the show itself is wacky and unbelievable.

Although, I suppose that’s the point of soap operas...to escape the humdrums of daily life to a fantasy world.

Or, in the case of “The Bold and the Beautiful”, a world where the decisions that other people make on the show somehow make you feel a lot better about your own levels of intelligence and common sense.

Happy birthday, B&B!