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Thursday, July 26, 2012

Staring Into The Eyes Of Space


Before I launch into my weekly Thursday Confession, I wanted to take the time to remember a woman who recently passed away.



On July 23, the world said farewell to Sally Kristen Ride, who died at the age of 61 from pancreatic cancer.

In her sixty-one years of life, nobody could have possibly imagined just how much of an impact she would have in the world of space exploration and science. Upon graduating from Stanford University with a master's degree and a Ph.D. in physics, she became one of 8,000 people to apply for NASA's space program, and was accepted into the program in 1978. Shortly before her first space flight, she was put under the microscope by the media, and Sally remembered being asked some rather demeaning questions by the press, including questions asking her if she cried when things weren't going well.

Of course, we all know that Sally Ride proved her naysayers wrong.

When Sally started at NASA, she began work serving as the ground-based capsule communicator (CapCom) for the second and third Space Shuttle flights, and held a key role in the development of the Space Shuttle's robot arm.



On June 16, 1983, Sally Ride made American history when she went on her first space exploration mission as a member of the crew on Space Shuttle Challenger for STS-7. Although she was not the first woman in space (she was preceded by Valentina Tereshkova and Svetlana Savitskaya), she was the first American woman to go into outer space. On that mission, Ride became the first woman to use the robot arm in space, and the first to use the arm to retrieve a satellite.

The following year, Sally took part in her second space flight, also aboard the Challenger. On that mission, she ended up logging a total of 343 hours in space. She was in training for her third mission when the January 28, 1986 Challenger explosion occurred, and shortly after the tragedy was named to the Rogers Commission Report and headed its subcommittee on operations. After the investigation, Ride was assigned to NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C., and upon arriving, she went to work leading NASA's first strategic planning effort, founded NASA's Office of Exploration and wrote a report entitled “Leadership and America's Future in Space”.



In 1987, Ride began working at Stanford's Center for International Security and Arms Control. Two years later, she began teaching physics at the University of California, San Diego, and became director of the California Space Institute. Over the next few years until her death, she wore many hats. She led the public outreach efforts of the ISS EarthKAM and GRAIL MoonKAM projects. She founded Sally Ride Science in 2001, a program which created science programs and publications for elementary and middle school students, with special emphasis for young girls looking to enter the space program. She served on the board during the accident investigation in 2003 involving Space Shuttle Columbia. She even wrote (or co-wrote) five books about space exploration geared towards children who had an interest in studying space.

I would call that a life well lived. Doing something that you love doing, and dedicating your life to it.

Although Sally Ride has passed away, her contributions will forever be remembered by so many people, and her name will forever be immortalized in the history of NASA.

And now, for my Thursday Confession.



THURSDAY CONFESSION #30: Believe it or not, there was a time in my life where I wanted to pursue a career in space exploration.

I know it seems quite hard to believe, but it happens to be true. Do you remember a few months ago, when I did a blog entry on the set of Charlie Brown 'Cyclopedias that I owned in my youth? If you can't recall that entry, I've posted the link to it HERE to refresh your memory. Anyway, there were fifteen different volumes to the encyclopedia set, and each volume dealt with a different subject.

I had the 1990 edition of the set, and of that set, do you know which two volumes were read the most at my household?



They were books #3 and #9...both books were on space exploration and the study of moons and planets.

I loved to read about space, and I often pretended to build Lego spaceships, zooming through endless galaxies around my living room at home. I can't explain it, but I was always fascinated by space. I even remember being in third grade, and not really caring so much about science class...until we got to the unit on space. Then, and only then, was I excited about science. I just thought it would be so cool to see what it was like in outer space. What would it be like to experience an environment with zero gravity? What would it feel like to float through the air in a carefree manner? What would Earth look like from millions of miles away? These were all questions that I asked myself constantly when I was younger.

When I was in school, I had a dream of becoming an astronaut. I even think that I wrote a paper in second grade about how my life's ambition was to walk on Mars, just to see if there were actual Mars bars on the surface.

(Hey, I said I wanted to be an astronaut, I didn't claim to actually know what I was talking about in second grade! At least my second grade teacher had a wonderful sense of humour!)

Whenever there was a shuttle launch on television, I always wanted to see it. I still get a little bit upset knowing that I was born twelve years too late to be around for the first time that man ended up walking on the moon, but my parents would always have the television on whenever something big was happening in the world of NASA. Truth be told, I probably did see Sally Ride's first launch into outer space, but because I was only two, I don't even remember it.



But I do remember the Challenger explosion in January 1986. Although I was just a few months shy of turning five, seeing that spaceship explode in mid-air is one of the earliest memories that I remember seeing. It must have resonated in my subconscious for several weeks after the fact as my family recalls telling me that whenever we walked downtown, I'd tell every passing stranger all about the explosion.

The explosion was a terrible one, as many people watched the whole thing unfold live. Several people died, including school teacher Christa McAuliffe, who was to be the first civilian to go into outer space had the mission been successful. Millions watched the event live, and reactions ranged from heartache to shock.

I can only imagine that after the explosion happened, people soon became fearful that such an event could happen again, but I was too young to understand the impact of what had happened. I suppose that if I were a bit older and saw the accident happen, I might have felt differently about it. But, despite the fate that befell the Challenger, I still wanted to go up in space. I still wanted to pursue my dream of becoming an astronaut.

So, what changed?

Well, high school, for one. High school science and I did NOT get along. I often got really terrible grades in science class despite the fact that I made an honest effort to pass. I ended up with a 72 in the biology aspect, a 67 in chemistry, and I ended up dropping out of physics about three weeks into the course, as I literally had zero understanding of the subject whatsoever. And when you consider that physics is probably the most important of the sciences that one needed to actually go into space exploration, that put an end to any dreams that I ever had of becoming a first class astronaut.



Despite this setback though, I'm still very much interested in outer space, and one of the things that I have always wanted to do was go to Space Camp for a week, just to experience what it would be like to be an astronaut through simulations and demonstrations. I always wanted to see the Kennedy Space Center up close, and I actually have a friend who resides in Florida named Kat, who sent me a care package that had space ice cream, as well as a little Christmas ornament with Santa Claus piloting a space ship!

But you know...dreams can and do change. And in my case, my dream shifted from going up into outer space, to writing about outer space, and other various subjects. And, I figure that if Sally Ride could follow her dream, there's no reason why I can't.

Rest in peace, Sally Ride. May your star never burn out.



Sally Kristen Ride
1951-2012

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Take a Look, It's in a Book, a Reading Rainbow!


My earliest childhood memories were heavily influenced by books.

Here’s a true story for all of you reading this right now.  I actually learned how to read before I learned how to talk.  Sounds impossible, right?  Well, it happens to be true. 

My parents have told me that when I was just two years old, I was able to read some things.  Being a toddler at the time, and having my sisters in public school, there were many mornings where my mother would take me to the supermarket to pick up the weekly groceries (usually at Mr. Grocer downtown, or Steinberg’s at the mall...both of which have since closed up shop).  At each checkout lane, there was a rack of magazines present.  At that time, there was People Magazine, National Enquirer, Family Circle, Reader’s Digest, Archie Comics Digests, Soap Opera Digest (at that time there were more than four on the air), and various recipe magazines. 


According to the story my mother told me, when we were waiting in line, she would ask me to point out a magazine on the rack.  She’d say “Matthew, can you show me where TV Guide is kept?”, and sure enough, I would point my little finger to the TV Guide display, and exclaim “Unh! Unh!”.  Then she would ask me where “Woman’s World” magazine was kept, and I’d point towards it and make that caveman grunt that I was only able to muster up for language back in 1983.  The cashiers were beyond impressed.

(Of course, that’s according to what my mother told me anyway...for all she knew, I could have been wanting a chocolate bar instead, and just pointed at the magazines to get her attention.)

By the time I was able to talk (which wasn’t until I reached the age of three), I was able to read some articles in the newspaper.  I didn’t necessarily know exactly what the words in the newspaper meant that I had read, but nevertheless, I did read it.  By that time, my mother felt that it was a good idea to get me my very own library card from the public library.  Every Thursday afternoon, we would walk up to the library, and I would literally spend hours in the children’s book section.  At some point, I think I asked the head librarian if I could check out every book in the library at once.  Unfortunately, at that time, people were limited to ten books per check out, so ten was all I could borrow.  But to me, the idea of a library was the best thing in the world.  You could check out books on subjects that you were interested in, bring them home, and as long as you returned them within a couple of weeks, you weren’t charged any money at all!  It was my idea of heaven.


So, every other Thursday from the ages of three to about nine, I would go to the library to check out ten books at a time, read them over a two-week period, bring them back, and check out ten more books.  I loved it, and I’m sure my parents loved it as well, as the books kept me very quiet and well-behaved.


Oh, I loved books so much.  I still love books to this very day.  These days I don’t have a whole lot of spare time to dedicate to reading books, but I definitely try to squeeze some time in, even if it’s only for a few minutes.  Those trips to the library really helped enrich my word power, and made me appreciate the concept of literacy even more.

Oh, and there was also a television show that aired right around the time that I ended up getting my first library card that celebrated books and reading.  It was a television show that managed to run for twenty-one seasons, and thanks to new technology, the program is now getting a second wind!

Check out the original theme song for the program, which first began airing on PBS June 6, 1983.


Yes, today’s blog topic is about the television show “Reading Rainbow”.  I initially intended to talk about this subject on Saturday, but due to recent events, I put it on the backburner.  But since I occasionally talk about books on Wednesdays, I figured that it fit.


“Reading Rainbow” was created under the leadership of Cecily Truett Lancit and Larry Lancit at Lancit Media Productions, based out of New York City.  Hosted by actor LeVar Burton for the show’s entire run, the program was a mainstay on PBS for twenty-three years before going off the air in November 2006. 

TRIVIA:  “Reading Rainbow” is currently the third longest running PBS television show ever.  Only “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” and “Sesame Street” have run longer.

Every episode of “Reading Rainbow” was structured nearly the same way.  LeVar Burton would take the viewers on some sort of adventure.  Whether he would go on a trip to the zoo, learn all about how sports were played, or taking part in a musical performance, it was definitely something that made the show more fun.

I enjoyed the LeVar Burton segments because it allowed us to learn a lot about different subjects, different cultures, and different worlds...almost exactly the same way that books allow a person to learn about anything and everything.  Check out this segment from a “Reading Rainbow” episode from the 1980s where we learn about Chinese cuisine.


Wasn’t that something?  And, with 155 episodes of the series made between 1983 and 2006, there was never a shortage of activity for LeVar to take part in.  One memorable episode actually followed LeVar around the set of the other show he was working on at the time, “Star Trek: The Next Generation”! 

The live-action segments were a lot of fun, but of course, they weren’t the only thing to be focused on within the show.  After all, the show wouldn’t be called “Reading Rainbow” if there were no books present at all, would it?

The one unique thing about the program was that each episode was focused on a specific book (usually in relation to the live-action segments that LeVar Burton filmed for each episode), and that book was more often than not presented by a celebrity guest.  Some of the celebrities that have read books on “Reading Rainbow” have included Bill Cosby, Jason Robards, Charles Kimbrough, Josie de Guzman, and Eartha Kitt.  Even Kermit the Frog made an appearance!


Also making an appearance on the program were hundreds of school aged children making recommendations about books that they themselves have read in a segment known as “Book Reviews”.  You always knew when the segment would start because LeVar would kick off the segment by saying “you don’t have to take my word for it”.  Here are a couple of examples of these book reviews.


MINI-CONFESSION:  I listened to a few of these reviews from some of these kids, and made it a mission to find these books so I could read them too.  In any of the ones I did read, I must say that the recommendations were quite helpful, and I enjoyed the books a lot!

“Reading Rainbow” was one of PBS’s most successful programs.  Would you believe that in its twenty-three years on the air, the program received a boatload of awards?  It ended up winning a total of twenty-six Emmy Awards (twenty-five more than Susan Lucci), and even won a Peabody Award in 1992.  I can’t even tell you the number of times the program was nominated, as that number well exceeds over two hundred nominations!

And, that’s the story of “Reading Rainbow”, and its many years of entertaining children on television.  But if you think that the concept of “Reading Rainbow” is dead, think again.  In 2010, LeVar Burton announced through social media that he was working on a new version of “Reading Rainbow”, and in June 2012, he appeared at a special presentation for Apple Inc.’s annual World Wide Developers Conference where he announced that “Reading Rainbow” would become available as an app for the company’s iPad device.


The app was released on June 20, 2012 at Apple’s iTunes store, and it took only a day and a half for the app to become popular.  By June 22, it was already the #1 Educational App! 

I guess it goes to show you that people still have much love for “Reading Rainbow”.  Whether you read your books online, on a Kindle, or the good old-fashioned way, it doesn’t matter.  For me, there is nothing better than curling up on the sofa with a good book.  And, I’m sure that many others would agree.

Besides, “Reading Rainbow” always taught fantastic life lessons.  With that, I’ll close this blog entry off with a musical number that was featured on one episode of the series.  See you next time!

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

July 24, 1969


Welcome to another thrilling installment of the Tuesday Timeline!

It is Tuesday, July 24, 2012, and we're going to take a look at all of the exciting events that have taken place on this date. Today we're going to feature a woman who happens to be celebrating a birthday today, and we'll be discussing her life, her career, and her many romantic dalliances over the years. Won't that be exciting?

Of course, we should really talk about some of the other happenings that have taken place on this date. And, since today we're featuring someone who is celebrating a birthday today, let's take a look at some other famous people who have a July 24 birthday. Celebrating a birthday today are John Aniston, Doug Sanders, Ruth Buzzi, Mark Goddard, Walt Bellamy, Dan Hedaya, Chris Sarandon, Robert Hays, Michael Richards, Arliss Ryan, Lynda Carter, Gus Van Sant, Pat Finn, Pam Tillis, Paul Geary, Karl Malone, Barry Bonds, Kadeem Hardison, Kristen Chenowith, Laura Leighton, Rick Fox, John Partridge, Eric Szmanda, Torrie Wilson, Rose Byrne, Summer Glau, Anna Paquin, Mara Wilson, Daveigh Chase, and Bindi Irwin.

And, here are some of the historical events that have taken place on July 24.

1148 – Louis VII of France lays siege to Damascus during Second Crusade

1411 – Battle of Harlaw takes place in Scotland

1487 – The townspeople of Leeuwarden, Netherlands strike against ban of foreign beer

1534 – French explorer Jacques Cartier plants a cross on Gaspe peninsula and takes possession of the land in the name of Francis I

1567 – Mary, Queen of Scots, abdicates throne, her son James VI takes over at the tender age of one year old

1823 – Slavery is abolished in Chile

1847 – Brigham Young leads 148 Mormon pioneers into Salt Lake Valley, which leads to the founding of Salt Lake City, Utah

1901 – American writer O. Henry is released from prison after serving three years for embezzlement from a bank

1911 – Hiram Bingham III rediscovers Machu Picchu

1915 – The S.S. Eastland capsizes in the Chicago River, killing over eight hundred people

1923 – The Treaty of Lausanne is signed in Switzerland

1927 – The Menin Gate war memorial is unveiled at Ypres

1929 – The Kellogg-Briand pact goes into effect, almost a year after being signed

1935 – Temperatures reach 109 in Chicago, and 104 in Milwaukee during the dust bowl heat wave

1937 – The state of Alabama drops rape charges against the “Scottsboro Boys”

1943 – World War II's Operation Gomorrah begins; by the end of it all, 30,000 are left dead, and almost 300,000 structures are destroyed

1950 – Cape Canaveral Air Force Station begins operations

1959 – U.S. Vice-President Richard Nixon and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev have a “Kitchen Debate” in Moscow

1967 – In Montreal, Quebec, French President Charles de Gaulle makes the statement “Vive le Quebec libre!” (which loosely translated meant “Long live free Quebec”) angers Canadian government and English-speaking Canadians after they interpreted it as a statement supporting Quebec independence

1974 – Richard Nixon is ordered to surrender subpoenaed White House tapes during the height of the Watergate scandal

1980 – Actor Peter Sellers passes away at the age of 54

1982 – Heavy rains washes out a bridge in Nagasaki, Japan, killing 299

1983 – George Brett ends up having a game-winning home run nullified as a result of the “Pine Tar Incident”

1998 – Russell Eugene Weston Jr. bursts into U.S. Capitol and kills two police officers

2002 – James Traficant is expelled from the U.S. House of Representatives in a vote of 420-1

2005 – Cyclist Lance Armstrong wins his seventh consecutive Tour de France

That's quite an eclectic list of happenings for today, wouldn't you say?

So, where are we going to go back in time today?



Well, we're going back to July 24, 1969. It was four days after man first walked on the moon, and it was the same day that Apollo 11 landed back on Earth safely. And, keeping on with the space theme (albeit loosely), a star just happened to be born on this date 43 years ago.

Some of you may know her as Jennifer, others may know her as Jenny from the block, and some may just simply call her J.Lo.


Whatever the case, today's blog subject is 43-year-old singer/actress Jennifer Lopez.

These days, you may know her for a variety of things. You might know her from the various television and movie projects she worked on (and continues to work on) for years. Some of you may know her from the music career that she has embarked on since the late 1990s. Some of you may remember her from the various public relationships that she has had over the years. And, some of you may recall that she served on the judging panel of the singing competition “American Idol” for two seasons.

Oh, and some of you might remember this dress.



Of course, there's a lot more to this lady than her entertainment connections and tabloid gossip. Her life story, as well as what she did to make it big in the world of music and film is really quite inspirational.

Jennifer Lynn Lopez was born in The Bronx, New York, in the Castle Hill neighbourhood of the New York City borough. Her parents were originally from Puerto Rico, and together they had three children, Leslie, Jennifer, and Lynda.



TRIVIA: Jennifer's younger sister Lynda is now a journalist, and won an Emmy Award in 2001.

Jennifer's father, David, worked the night shift at the Guardian Insurance Company, and later became a computer technician for the firm. Her mother, Guadalupe was a homemaker. At the time of Jennifer's birth, the Lopez family was crammed together in a tiny apartment in the Bronx, but by the time Jennifer was old enough to start school, the family was able to move into a two-story house.

Jennifer's love of performing seemed to begin at an early age. At five, Jennifer began to take lessons in both singing and dancing, something that was encouraged by both of her parents...at least at that time. Jennifer spent her entire schooling career in the Catholic school system, where she graduated from Preston High School in 1987. While she was in school, Jennifer excelled in athletics, participating in her school's softball team, gymnastics, and track and field.



Around the time of her final year of high school, Jennifer Lopez received her first taste of acting in a motion picture when she heard about an audition for a film that was looking at casting several young girls for roles. The film was 1986's “My Little Girl”, and it ended up being her first acting role, winning the part of Myra. After appearing in the film, Jennifer decided that she liked it enough to want to pursue a career as an actress. She did try to go to college, but dropped out after a semester because she really wanted to pursue her dream. When she told her parents about her dream, they weren't exactly supportive of it, and told her that no Latino ever dropped out of school and became an actress. As a result, Jennifer left the family home to pursue her dream.

After performing in various musicals all around New York City for a few years, Jennifer took on a job in Japan on the television show “Synchronicity”, where she danced, sang, and did the choreography for the dance numbers. And in 1991, Jennifer ended up landing a job as a backup dancer while on tour with the New Kids on the Block, even appearing with them on the American Music Awards when they performed their hit single “Games”. Just weeks later, Jennifer Lopez landed another high-profile gig when she was cast as a “Fly Girl” on the FOX sketch comedy show “In Living Color” after one of the original Fly Girls had left.



For Jennifer, getting that gig was a lucky break. She had entered a contest to become the newest Fly Girl, but she came in second. But after the winner was unable to accept the job, Jennifer received the role. She stayed on the show until 1993, after which she became a backup dancer for Janet Jackson. In fact, if you watch Janet's video for “That's The Way That Love Goes” (which hit the top of the charts in the spring of 1993), you can see Jennifer in the video. Have a look!



Now Jennifer was asked to go on tour with Janet Jackson on her Janet World Tour, but she declined the offer, wishing to pave her own way to stardom. She starred in a direct-to-video film (Lost in the Wild), and starred in the short-lived dramas “Second Chances”, and “Hotel Malibu”. Things started off slowly for Jennifer, but by 1996, she would end up getting her big break.



After appearing in “My Family” and “Jack”, Jennifer Lopez received the role that would change her life forever. In 1996, a movie was being made about the short life of Tejano singer Selena, who was tragically shot to death by the president of her fan club in the spring of 1995, and Lopez was given the role of Selena. Initially, with word that Lopez was cast in the role, many Mexican-Americans were highly critical of the choice, stating that they felt that casting a New York City native born to Puerto Rican parents was not being true to Selena's roots, and they felt that casting a Mexican-American actress would have been better.



But when they saw the movie upon its release in 1997, the same critics were so blown away by Jennifer's performance that they immediately recanted their criticism. Although the songs that were featured in the movie were Selena's own recordings that Lopez lip-synched, critics loved Jennifer Lopez in the role, and they felt that she did a phenomenal job in the role. She was even nominated for a Golden Globe Award for her performance in “Selena”, and it really kick-started her acting career.

More movies followed. “Anaconda”, “U Turn”, “Out of Sight”, and “Antz” kept Jennifer Lopez busy throughout 1997 and 1998. In addition to that, Jennifer Lopez planned a launch for a fashion line (which became a reality in 2001), which inevitably ended up giving Jennifer her most known nickname, “J.Lo”.

Now, you'd think that would be enough to keep Jennifer Lopez happy, but Jennifer wanted to do more. So when people kept asking her in interviews if she was thinking of pursuing a music career after filming “Selena”, it got her thinking about how she got started in the entertainment business. All the musicals she sang in, and all the dancing she had done had made her happy, and she figured that now that she was a household name, she may as well attempt a singing career as well.

She released a Spanish-language demo shortly after filming for “Selena” was completed, “Vevir Sin Ti”, and sent the song to Sony Music's Work Records, who immediately became interested in signing the star. Tommy Mottola, who headed the company, suggested that Lopez do an English language album, and Jennifer agreed. When Jennifer expressed interest in doing an album that blended Latin music, R&B, and pop, which seemed to scare the record executives, but Jennifer stuck to her guns, wanting to prove herself in the world of music.

Luckily, Jennifer's timing could not have been more perfect, as 1999 was the year of the Latin explosion in the world of pop music. Ricky Martin, Enrique Iglesias, Marc Anthony, and Carlos Santana all had hits that year, and Jennifer's debut single in May 1999 certainly fit the bill.



ARTIST: Jennifer Lopez
SONG: If You Had My Love
ALBUM: On The 6
DATE RELEASED: May 4, 1999
PEAK POSITION ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTS: #1 for 5 weeks

TRIVIA: The name of the album, “On The 6” came from the subway line that she used to ride on when she was a girl growing up in the Bronx.



The album “On The 6” was released in June 1999, and it became a huge success. As you've seen above, the debut single managed to top the charts for five weeks, and stayed in the Top 10 until September 11, 1999. That's quite a long stay, and a great success for a debut single. Over the next few years, she would eventually release six more albums, and would have a number of hit singles including “Waiting For Tonight”, “Love Don't Cost A Thing”, “I'm Real”, “Jenny From The Block”, “Get Right”, and “On The Floor”.

Jennifer Lopez also never gave up her acting career either, as she ended up acting in a wide array of movies. Mind you, some were clunkers (I'm thinking of “Gigli” as a prime example of this), but some were good too. She made such films as “The Cell”, “The Wedding Planner”, “Enough”, “Maid In Manhattan”, “Monster-in-Law”, “The Back-Up Plan”, and recently, “What to Expect When You're Expecting”.



As well, Jennifer Lopez's love life seems to garner a lot of interest (not from me personally, as I don't really care who dates who in the world of Hollywood). But she's had some high profile romances. She's been married three times in her life. Once to Ojani Noa, once to Cris Judd, and once to “You Sang To Me” singer Marc Anthony. It is with the latter that she ended up giving birth to her two children, twins Max and Emme.



I'm sure that her naming her children after the human characters on the PBS show “Dragon Tales” was just a coincidence.

Sadly, all three of those marriages ended in divorce (of course, you probably already knew that about the first two), but she's reportedly dating a man named Casper Smart who is nearly half her age. Hey, more power to her. 



And, of course, we can't forget her relationship with Ben Affleck (affectionately dubbed Bennifer in the media). For a few years, these two were hot and heavy...well, until Ben and Jennifer called it off, and he hooked up with Jennifer Garner (Bennifer 2.0). Oh, and of course there's her relationship with Sean “Puff Daddy P. Diddy Diddy” Combs, which was a lovely affair...until a steady stream of bullets over midtown Manhattan caused the relationship to dissolve. Google Jennifer Lopez and December 27, 1999 for more information on that strange incident if you want to learn more.

Anyway, relationships aside, Jennifer Lopez has worn many hats in her 43 years. She's been a singer, a dancer, an actress, a fashion icon, a mother, a wife, a talent show judge, and an entrepreneur. She very well could be the 21st century version of a renaissance woman.



And she was born 43 years ago today, on July 24, 1969.

Monday, July 23, 2012

Beverly Hills Cop


In the world of music, it seems quite rare when a song without lyrics hits the charts. But there have been some instances in which instrumentals have done very well.

In fact, I can name quite a few instrumentals that have managed to get a lot of airplay. Below, you can find a list of them, when they charted, their peak position on the charts, as well as the artist who sang them. In chronological order, here are some of the instrumentals that charted on the Billboard Charts.

Tequila, The Champs, 1958, #1
Calcutta, Lawrence Welk, 1961, #1
Mexico, Bob Moore, 1962, #1
Wipeout, The Surfaris, 1963, #2
Love's Theme, Love Unlimited Orchestra, 1974, #1
The Hustle, Van McCoy & The Soul City Symphony, 1975, #1
A Fifth of Beethoven, Walter Murphy & The Big Apple Band, 1976, #1
Rise, Herb Alpert, 1979, #1
Give It All You Got, Chuck Mangione, 1980, #18
Chariots of Fire, Vangelis, 1982, #1
Rockit, Herbie Hancock, 1983, #71 (#1 on the Dance Club Play charts)
Love Theme from St. Elmo's Fire, David Foster, 1985, #15
Theme From Mission Impossible, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr., 1996, #7

That's quite a long list of successful instrumental songs, isn't it? And notice how many ended up topping the charts! Of the thirteen examples that I have posted, eight have been #1 singles! So, I think I've proven that there is a place for instrumentals in this world.

So, why am I bringing up the topic of instrumentals in this blog entry, especially since today happens to be a Monday Matinee? Well, as it so happens, I want to focus on an instrumental that managed to hit the Billboard Charts...an instrumental that happens to be a part of one of 1984's most successful films.

But first, let's have a listen.



ARTIST: Harold Faltermeyer
SONG: Axel F
ALBUM: Beverly Hills Cop Soundtrack
DATE RELEASED: January 21, 1985
PEAK POSITION ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTS: #3

Ah, yes, Axel F. The song that made German-born musician Harold Faltermeyer a household name for a spell. Mind you, the song Axel F was hardly his first foray into composing songs for soundtracks. Aside from composing hits for Donna Summer, Laura Branigan, and the Pet Shop Boys, he ended up contributing songs to films such as “Fletch”, “Top Gun”, “The Running Man”, and “Tango & Cash”.

But there was something about Axel F that was special. I can attest to this fact alone. Although I was barely four when it was released, I remember the song being played everywhere. You couldn't turn on the television without seeing some clip of Harold playing his multiple keyboards. For some reason, it's one image that will forever be burned into my memory, as it was one of the few from early childhood that I remember vividly.



And for those of you who remember the movie, “Beverly Hills Cop”, you know that this song features quite prominently in the film. So, I decided to pick this film for the subject of today's blog. Not just because it has a killer soundtrack (which also features songs by Glenn Frey, Patti LaBelle, and the Pointer Sisters), but because it's a great movie.

The film was released on December 5, 1984, and was the film that turned Eddie Murphy into a huge Hollywood star. Would you believe that Murphy was only 23 years old when this movie was filmed? The film was directed by Martin Brest, produced by the team of Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson, and also starred Judge Reinhold, Lisa Eilbacher, John Ashton, and Ronny Cox.

The film was a box office bonanza, taking in over $300 million in profits alone! It stayed at #1 on the box office ratings for fourteen consecutive weeks between late 1984 and early 1985. And just to give you an indication as to how successful the soundtrack of the film was, it ended up winning a Grammy Award in 1986! The film also spawned two sequels, one in 1987, and one in 1994.

Although the film was completed in 1984, the idea behind the film was actually born seven years earlier, in 1977. The first draft of the script that would become the screenplay for Beverly Hills Cop was written by Danilo Bach. The plot went through several changes in development. Initially, it was about a police officer from East Los Angeles who was transferred to Beverly Hills. By the time the film was ready to be filmed, it had evolved into the story of an East Coast cop who went out to Beverly Hills to avenge the death of a friend. Oh, and the main character was named Axel Elly.



TRIVIA: Would you believe that the only reason Martin Brest took on the directing role of the project was due to the luck of a coin toss? He flipped a quarter to determine whether he would accept the role or not. Reportedly, that quarter is now framed and is now hanging up on Brest's wall.



The initial casting for the main character of the movie was a lengthy process. Jerry Bruckheimer actually gave a bit of insight into the casting process behind the scenes. Initially, the project was intended for Mickey Rourke. Rourke had even signed a holding contract worth $400,000 in order to do the film. So what happened? Well, due to revisions of the script and other preparations needed for the film, Rourke's contract expired before filming could begin, and he walked. The project was then offered to Sylvester Stallone, but two weeks before filming was slated to begin, Stallone was out, and Eddie Murphy was in.

TRIVIA: Other actors in the running for the lead role reportedly included Richard Pryor, James Caan, and Al Pacino!

Oh, and here's another piece of trivia. You know the character of Billy Rosewood, played by Judge Reinhold? Back when Stallone was cast, the original script called for Rosewood to be KILLED OFF! Could you imagine? The only thing that ended up changing the producers minds about that plot point came down to casting. When John Ashton (who played the role of John Taggart was paired with Judge Reinhold, the director had a change of heart once he witnessed their chemistry with each other, and kept Rosewood alive to live through two more sequels!



The movie even boasted advanced technology, as there is a scene in the movie where Axel and Rosewood are being tracked via a GPS device, which didn't become commercially available for civilian use until the 1990s! No real reason to add this point in, I just thought it was cool!

Oh, and one final thing. The casting of Eddie Murphy in the main role meant that the whole movie had to be completely revised and some parts written entirely. The name of the main character was changed as well. Instead of Axel Elly, the name was changed to Axel Foley...or Axel F. Hmmm, where have I heard that name before? ;)

So, instead of Axel being from the East Coast, Axel now became a native of Detroit (some of the film was actually filmed in Detroit, Michigan). Axel Foley ended up becoming a police detective in Detroit, but prior to that, he was a juvenile delinquent in and out of trouble. At the beginning of the film, we see Axel try (and fail) to bust up an unauthorized cigarette smuggling operation, which earns him the wrath of his boss, Douglas Todd (Gilbert R. Hill).

Shortly after, Axel is surprised by an old childhood friend (who decides to break in rather than use the doorbell). His name is Mikey Tandino (James Russo), and he informs Axel that he now has a job as a security guard in Beverly Hills, California. Apparently, it was their mutual friend, Jenny (Eilbacher) that hooked Mikey up with the job. The two men head out for a few drinks, and all seems fine. But when they return to Axel's apartment, the two men are ambushed. Axel is knocked unconscious and Mikey is killed after he was questioned about some missing German bearer bonds.

Axel is devastated by the loss of his friend, and he demands to be a part of the investigation into his murder. But because Mikey was his friend, the police department in Detroit deem it a conflict of interest, and Axel is left out.

But does this stop Axel? No. He takes all of his unused vacation time and boards a flight to Beverly Hills, determined to launch his own investigation into the events that lead up to Mikey's demise.

He happens to run into his old friend Jenny at an art gallery that she happens to be working at, and after he fills her in on what happened to their friend, she offers Axel some insight behind what was happening. She tells him that before Mikey flew up to Detroit, he was hired by her boss, art dealer Victor Maitland (Steven Berkoff), as a favour to Jenny. With a lead to go on, Axel attempts to find out more information by paying Maitland a visit...and then this happens.



I suppose that's one way out.

So, despite the fact that Axel is a member of the police force in Detroit, he is arrested and taken to the closest police station where he first meets Taggart and Rosewood. Initially, Taggart and Rosewood are assigned to follow Axel around to keep a close eye on him, and certainly the path is not an easy one. After all, with tricks like the one below, it's a wonder that Taggart and Rosewood even still have their badges.



But ultimately, the trio manage to form a mutual respect of each other, especially after foiling a robbery at a strip tease bar.

This is all fine and good, but there's a mystery to solve. What connection does Maitland have to Mikey's murder? Why is he so keen on keeping Axel from sneaking around? And, just what other criminal activities is Maitland involved in?

Well, I can't tell you. You know I never reveal movie endings. In this case, I'm especially being vague because I find the movie so interesting and entertaining, you have to really see it for yourselves.

After all, it made a star out of Eddie Murphy, it was one of 1984's most successful films, and it gave Harold Faltermeyer a Top 5 hit.

Which Crazy Frog proceeded to destroy twenty years later...


Sunday, July 22, 2012

Happy Birthday, Don Henley!


When selecting the topic for today’s blog entry, I had no idea that the timing would be so perfect.  It’s almost as if I’m doing a Tuesday Timeline entry on a Sunday!  I really had no idea that the artist that I am featuring in this blog entry is celebrating his 65th birthday today!  Talk about perfect timing!


Yes, today is July 22, 2012.  But back on July 22, 1947, Don Henley was born in Gilmer, Texas. 

And yes, we’re going to be featuring a song of Don Henley’s in this particular blog.  But before we do that, why don’t we talk about Mr. Henley a bit?  His life is quite interesting.

Although he was born in Gilmer, Henley grew up in the nearby town of Linden, and attended a couple of colleges in the late 1960s.  Henley ended up leaving school to spend time with his father, who was losing his life to heart disease.  But one thing that Henley had going for him was his love of music, and little did he know that his love of music would end up impacting his future career.

In 1970, Don made the decision to form a band named Shiloh.  That same year, he moved to Los Angeles with his band to record an album.  And here’s a bit of trivia for you.  Do you know who produced that album?  It was none other than future country music superstar Kenny Rogers!


Shortly after the album was recorded, Don happened to befriend someone else who was also looking to make a name in the music world.  That friend’s name was Glenn Frey.


Now Don and Glenn ended up getting another break together, as both of them ended up being recruited for Linda Ronstadt’s back-up band.  They joined the band in the spring of 1971.  A few months later, when Ronstadt was embarking on her summer tour, two more people were added to her back-up band; Randy Meisner and Bernie Leadon.  Leadon and Meisner soon developed a bond with Frey and Henley, but here’s the wild part about it all.  They only managed to play together as a unit ONCE during Linda Ronstadt’s summer tour (the gig was held at Disneyland in July 1971.  But all four managed to see their names added to the liner notes for Linda Ronstadt’s self-titled album.


When Linda’s tour ended, the four men decided to seek out their own fortunes and made the decision to form a band of their own...a move that was largely supported by Linda herself.  Signing a contract with Asylum Records (a brand new label that was founded by David Geffen), the band began recording under a new name...”Eagles”.


The Eagles’ self-titled album was released on June 26, 1972, and spawned three Top 40 hits.  And that was just the first album!  Over the course of the next eight years, the band would end up recording six #1 albums, and in the band’s lifetime, they won five American Music Awards, and six Grammy Awards!  And with such classics as “Desperado”, “Take It to the Limit”, “Lyin’ Eyes” and “Hotel California” on their set-lists, is it any wonder that the Eagles ended up being one of the most successful bands of the 1970s?

Sadly, all good things must come to an end.  In the summer of 1980, the band broke up.  I would go into the story about how the split occurred, but this blog entry isn’t really about the Eagles.  Please remind me to bring it up whenever I feature an Eagles blog entry, okay?

What was interesting about the breakup of the Eagles was the fact that almost all of the band members embarked on solo careers throughout the 1980s.  Joe Walsh (who replaced Leadon after he left the band in the mid-1970s), released a successful album in 1981, and ended up becoming a session musician for other artists including Richard Marx, Steve Winwood, and Dan Fogelberg, amongst others.  And Glenn Frey ended up having a few successes in the soundtrack industry, having hits with “You Belong to the City” for the Miami Vice soundtrack, and “The Heat Is On” for the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack.

And then there was Don Henley, who easily had the best solo career of them all.


Don Henley’s first project as a solo artist was actually a part of a duet.  At the time, he was seeing Fleetwood Mac vocalist Stevie Nicks, who herself was in the process of releasing solo projects.  The two of them worked together on the 1981 duet “Leather and Lace” (which reached the Top 10), and shortly after that, Henley released his first solo album, “I Can’t Stand Still”.  The album is known for Henley’s first solo hit “Dirty Laundry”, which was released in 1982.  The song became a big hit, and soon Don was back at work recording his follow-up album “Building the Perfect Beast”.

And as an album, “Building the Perfect Beast” was almost perfection!  (I say almost because nothing is ever really perfect.)


Seriously, the album managed to have a lot of success.  The album, which was released in November 1984, reached #13 on the Billboard 200 and sold three million copies.  The album spawned four singles, all of which reached the Top 40, and the album featured a huge cross-section of talent.  Lindsey Buckingham (Fleetwood Mac) played guitar on the album, Randy Newman (“I Love L.A.” played synthesizer, and both Belinda Carlisle and Patty Smyth performed harmony vocals (Henley would later have a hit song with Smyth on their 1992 duet "Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough").

Even in 2012, the singles from “Building the Perfect Beast” are still heard all over the radio.  With songs such as “Sunset Grill”, “All She Wants To Do Is Dance”, and “Not Enough Love In The World”, it’s easy to see why so many people love them.  They’re catchy, have a great beat, and great lyrics.

But the song I want to focus on is the one single that I haven’t listed yet.  The single that could very well be considered one of Don Henley’s signature hits.  For whatever reason, I can’t post the actual video on the blog itself, but if you click HERE you can watch it. Go ahead, I’ll wait.


ARTIST:  Don Henley
SONG:  The Boys of Summer
ALBUM:  Building the Perfect Beast
DATE RELEASED:  October 29, 1984
PEAK POSITION ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTS:  #5

(Seriously?  This song wasn’t a #1 hit?  I call shenanigans.  Oh well.)

Ah, but wait!  Although the song didn’t quite top the Billboard charts, it did reach the pole position on the Top Rock Tracks chart for over a month!  The music video was directed by Jean-Baptiste Mondino, and its simple, yet post-modern concept ended up winning the award for Best Video at the 1985 MTV Video Music Awards (which Henley found amusing given that in his own words he “won by riding around in the back of a pick-up!”


Maybe that was the case for the music video...but the song itself was a wonderful song about growing older, and questioning past choices.  I suppose if one were to look at the song through a shallower context, one might also see the song as a song about growing from youth to middle age.  Certainly, the video succeeds in presenting that message, as three different actors (from child to young adult) were cast as the younger version of Don Henley.

What do I think the song is about?  Well, back in 1984, I was three, and I really couldn’t say that I was analyzing pop songs while I was trying to stuff Froot Loops up my nose.  Of course, now that I am older, the song is quite bittersweet because it evokes such feelings of nostalgia.  It sort of reminds me of those carefree days when I was a child, and life seemed so simple.  And at the same time, I know that I can never have those days back.  It’s a very surreal feeling, and I think that Don Henley expressed that sentiment beautifully.

But then again, if the Eagles could reunite with each other again just fourteen years after they split up, perhaps there are some ways in which we all can get back those magical times that we once shared in some of the best parts of our lives.

Happy birthday, Don Henley.