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Sunday, November 17, 2013

Moving On Up with the M People

So, we're going to be offering up a little bit of a twist in regards to today's Sunday Jukebox. I did promise you that the whole month of November would focus on the music of the 1990s, and this has still not changed at all. In fact, today's song was released a little over two decades ago. But unlike the other two entries which were both chart-toppers on the Billboard Music Charts, this one didn't even make the Top 30.

Well, at least on a mainstream chart like the Billboard Hot 100 anyway.

Now, if we take a look at another type of chart, you'll see that the song managed to become a number one hit, proving that not all charts are created equal.

Truth is that the Billboard Charts might be considered to be a chart that most artists strive to have a number one smash hit on the charts, but it doesn't mean that the other secondary charts aren't as worthy. Truth is that having a number one hit on the adult contemporary charts, the country charts, or even the heavy metal charts is still a number one hit no matter how you slice it. I mean, just ask George Strait if any of his SIXTY number one country singles are meaningless because they weren't all on the Billboard Charts. I reckon that he'd either laugh in your face, walk away, or possibly smash his guitar over your head and use his hat to sop up the blood stains!

(I'm only making up that last part, by the way.)

So, as you probably might have guessed, today's song is one of those songs that charted on a secondary chart.

And that chart is the dance chart.

Truth be told, I happen to have a bit of a soft spot for dance music, even though my own dancing abilities would likely get me banned from “So You Think You Can Dance” for at least the next ten years. The whole music scene was filled with songs that made you feel good. The lyrics were positive, the beats were happening, and the songs just made you want to get up off of your feet and just start dancing your cares away. I think that during my junior high school years and early part of high school, I listened to quite a lot of dance music.

Well, that is until grade eleven when I entered my “let's listen to nothing but Garbage, Nirvana, and Smashing Pumpkins because they sound just as depressed as I am” period. Luckily, that period didn't last that long, and by the new millennium I was back to listening to feel good music.

And, this was one of those feel good songs. I'll be talking about the group below, but I'll also share a bit of a story on the side. Consider this part Sunday Jukebox and part Thursday Diary Entry.  And, in order to watch the video for the song, click HERE.



ARTIST: M People
SONG: Moving On Up
ALBUM: Elegant Slumming
DATE RELEASED: September 13, 1993
PEAK POSITION ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTS: #34
PEAK POSITION ON THE BILLBOARD HOT DANCE CLUB PLAY: #1

Now, remember how I said that the majority of dance music was considered to be happy and feel good? Well, this song happens to be one that does exactly that...even if the music video makes it out to be anything but. But in all honesty, this M People hit is a song all about empowerment and taking control. And, what could be better than empowering yourself and finding the independence necessary to make up your own mind?

Trust me, there are a lot of people who struggle with this every day. I should know. You're reading a blog entry by someone who has openly admitted to having this struggle.



So, who exactly are these “M People”, and how did they end up having one of the biggest club hits of the 1990s?



Well, you can give the credit to British born DJ Mike Pickering for the idea. After all, the name “M People” came from Mike's own initials.

Mike Pickering had begun his career as a DJ, performing at the famous Manchester dance club, The Hacienda (which closed in 1997), and also worked at Factory Records, where he was responsible for signing British acts James and Happy Mondays.

(Most of you in North America likely haven't heard of either artist, but I can tell you that Happy Mondays were one awesome band in the early 1990s. I listened to a lot of Brit-Pop and British rock bands when I was a teenager, as I preferred UK music to USA music – and still do to some extent.)

As a staff member of Factory Records, certainly Pickering enjoyed some perks on the job. One of those perks was access to its recording studio, where Pickering would work on his side project – a band that he formed with the name “Quando Quando” - themselves a huge club presence in the United Kingdom.

At some point before 1990, Pickering crossed paths with two of the three other members of the band that would make up “M People”. “Ace of Clubs” band member Paul Heard, and Andrew Lovell (who went by the stage name of “Shovell”) of Natural Life teamed up to form the new band, and initially the idea was for the trio to rotate lead vocalists depending on the song that they were performing. But when the group heard singer Heather Small – who had previously sang for the band “Hot House” - perform, the group almost unanimously decided that she would become the permanent main vocalist – and fourth member – of “M People”.

With the band lineup now complete, the group went to work on releasing music. The band released their first single in May 1991 – a limited edition white label pressing with the title “Colour My Life”. On the music charts, it was largely ignored, but it did get them enough recognition for their next release – 1991's “How Can I Love You More” - to become a Top 30 hit. Shortly after that, the band's debut album, “Northern Soul”, was produced and released by Deconstruction Records, and became a huge hit.

Of course, a lot of the reason why the album succeeded was because of the fact that the band re-released singles that were remixed and reworked to make them sound like brand new singles. It wasn't the first time that bands remixed songs to make them perform better though. After all, Madonna did the same exact thing back in the 1980s.



Still, the success of the debut album lead to a follow-up album in 1993 - “Elegant Slumming”. And, that's where our Sunday Jukebox spotlight comes in.

Moving On Up” was the second single of the album, and as it so happens, also was the the biggest selling “M People” single ever. Released in September 1993, it eventually peaked at number two on the British charts. The song also performed well in several other countries including Australia (#4), France (#3), Ireland (#4), and New Zealand (#4). And it became a number one dance smash in the United States and Canada. As far as sales go, it is estimated that the single itself sold a total of half a million copies. It even appeared on the “Beverly Hills 90210: The College Years” soundtrack in 1994!

The song's composition is quite unique, with the single having a tempo of 124 beats per minute, and Mike Pickering delivering a saxophone solo during the two instrumental breaks of the song.

And the video is quite interesting as well, as the theme of the video sort of leads into the personal words of wisdom that I want to speak about in this blog as well.

Naturally with “Moving On Up” being a bonafide club smash, the video of course takes place in a hot dog stand in the middle of Tibet with dancing yaks offering you snow cones.

Heh...just kidding.



Of course the video takes place at a fancy dance club, where three of the four members of “M People” are the entertainment for the night. Heather Small is one of the patrons of the bar. As the video opens, we see several people dancing on the floor, and the camera focuses on a young couple who have just entered the club. She's young and gorgeous, and he seems to be the same way. But still...there's just something about him that just screams...scuzzbucket.

NOTE: This is probably the first time in two and a half years that I have ever typed out the word “scuzzbucket” in this blog. Not that it has anything to do with the blog, mind you, just like to mark these...um...not-so-special milestones!

Anyway, it turns out that my thoughts about the guy were correct, as he's instantly ditching his date to go dancing with some other woman.

Yep, in the words of country music starlet Patty Loveless, he's got a lying, cheating, cold deadbeating, two-timing, double dealing cheatin' lovin' heart!

(And, yes, I had to Google those lyrics as I know not a thing about country music.)

So, what would you do in that situation? What would you do if you found out that the man you love enough to bring to one of the smallest dance clubs in the whole world was cheating on you right behind your back? Would you get angry? Would you forgive him? Would you even suggest a menage a trois?

Not our gal. She would rather confront him on the dance floor and tell him exactly what a low-life slimeball she is, concluding with our jilted girlfriend pouring a nice cocktail all over him before storming off. I think it probably would have been funnier if she had taken the bartender with her, but I suppose that would have been too much karmic retribution for one video.

But the point is that the video's plot is one that we all have likely experienced. Well, okay, maybe I haven't had the experience of being cheated on by a date (mainly because I never really dated anybody long enough to experience that heartbreaking experience), but I have had to cull some friendships over the years because the friendship was one-sided.

You know the ones I mean? The ones that start off quite nicely, where you bond over a common interest. It could be sports, it could be a favourite movie, it could be retro pop culture...it could be almost anything, really. And, at first, the friendship is almost similar to a relationship in that the more time you spend with each other, the stronger the bond gets.

But over time, you realize that maybe your friendship isn't as strong as you once thought it was. And depending on the situation, you find that maybe keeping a friendship with someone who has a toxic personality isn't the best friendship to keep.

I know I've said this before, but I find myself to be extremely guarded when it comes to the idea of friendship (and by extension, relationships as well). Having been hurt in the past by former friends (and likely causing some hurt myself during my most immature moments of my youth), I take friendship extremely serious. So whenever I have the feeling that something just doesn't seem right within the friendship, it makes me wonder whether keeping the friendship going is even worth it.

Back when I was a kid, I would have done anything to keep friendships – even if it meant selling myself short, doing things I didn't agree with – heck, becoming a person that I didn't recognize. Now that I am older, I have the ability to see through people and really get to know what their true intentions are. I guess that ability has gotten better with age, as I find myself for the first time in ages knowing who my real friends are, and telling them apart from those who just wanted to use me or abuse me.

Granted, I've made mistakes in trusting people. And, there is the possibility that I could make even more mistakes in who I let into my life. But at the very least, I can say that I've now broken free of those who did hold me back. Why would anyone want to hang around people who are constantly negative towards you when you could choose to be with people who want to see you succeed?


I think the choice is a no-brainer, don't you?

Saturday, November 16, 2013

Forgotten Cartoons of the '80s (and early '90s)

Once upon a time, there was a time in which I absolutely loved getting up early on Saturday mornings just to watch the hottest new cartoons. But, these days I find myself feeling very sorry for the kids of today's generation who never knew the joys of watching Saturday Morning cartoons.

Okay, so maybe I'm exaggerating just a smidgen. There are quite a few cable channels that still air cartoons on Saturday mornings, as well as on Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays, etc. But when I was a kid, the big three (well, okay, I guess I should say four as FOX was dedicated when I was a small fry) networks aired cartoons all morning long. Now instead of cartoons, we get “educational” shows that actually insult the intelligence of children as well as extended weekend morning shows which feature a bunch of boring adults talking about boring things.

In short...Saturday mornings are now boring. It has now become a day in which you don't have to set the alarm for anything special as there's not a whole lot to look forward to on the entertainment aspect.

But I think that's one of the reasons why I began this blog in the first place. It's a great way for me to show the children of this generation all of the fun that their parents had when they were kids. And, it's also a great way to re-introduce some of the classic television cartoons to my generation (and those before that) that we watched and loved.

Now, here's a question for all of you. What do you believe to be some of the most influential cartoons that you remember watching.

Depending on the time period in which you grew up, that answer could vary. Kids who grew up in the 1970s would list Scooby-Doo or Superfriends. The kids of the nineties would likely talk about how Rugrats and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles changed their lives. And for the children of today's generation, I would imagine that Spongebob Squarepants and the reboot of My Little Pony would be among their favourite shows.

As an eighties kid (and early nineties for that matter), I know I certainly had my list of must watch cartoons and kids shows. On CBS it was Muppet Babies and Pee-Wee's Playhouse. NBC was Captain N, Super Mario Brothers, and Alvin and the Chipmunks. ABC had Beetlejuice and The Bugs Bunny and Tweety Show. And, don't even get me started on the cartoons that aired in syndication. Heck, the Disney Afternoon cartoon block could fill up half that discussion alone!

But this discussion isn't about the shows that almost everyone knows. Instead, this topic will be about the cartoons that I used to watch that almost nobody has ever heard of. Whether it was because they only lasted one season of thirteen episodes, or whether it was because they aired on one of the upper channels on the cable dial, or whether it was so horribly bad that you blocked it out of your memory banks forever, there are some instances in which I want to talk to someone about a cartoon and for whatever reason, they don't even remember it.

So for today, I've compiled a list of cartoons that I remember watching as a kid...and I've come to the conclusion that I might have very well have been the only one who watched them because nobody else seems to remember them.

Now, I must warn you. These are all cartoons that I have watched over the years, so the vast majority of them aired in the late eighties or early nineties. And for whatever reason, quite a few of these cartoons come from NBC (which admittedly was my favourite channel to watch Saturday Morning cartoons). A few of these cartoons I still enjoy today. Some I don't like as much. Some I wonder why I even watched them in the first place. But all of them had a very special place in my heart at one time, so why not have a topic about...

...THE FORGOTTEN CARTOONS OF THE '80S (and early '90s)

This list will be in chronological order, and to begin this list off right, here's a cartoon that actually began airing when I was a toddler and was introduced to via one of the cable channels when I was older.



PAC-MAN (1982-1984), ABC

I have to say, I had no idea that they made a Pac-Man cartoon until I was nine or ten. I mean, the idea of a Pac-Man cartoon was absolutely ridiculous! After all, the video game was nothing more than a hungry yellow circle gobbling up cherries and power pellets in a gigantic blue maze while avoiding ghosts in several different colours. But somehow, Hanna-Barbera came up with a way to take the world of Pac-Man and transform it into a rather interesting premise for a cartoon.



In the cartoon, Pac-Man is living a happy life in Pac-burbia in the world of Pac-Land. He is married to Pepper Pac-Man (Ms. Pac-Man, maybe?), they have a child named Pac-Baby (how in the world did they reproduce?!?), and two pets. The dog's name is Chomp-Chomp, and the cat's name is Sour Puss.

And, naturally your favourite ghosts (Inky, Blinky, Pinky, and Clyde) are back with a vengeance. Only this time, they're joined by a fifth ghost named Sue (who kind of resembles what a ghost would look like after Pac-Man eats a Power Pellet).

And in this cartoon, all five ghosts are under the control of an evil man named Mezmaron, a man who wishes to locate and control the source of the Power Pellets so he can assume full control of Pac-Land.

Amazingly enough, Pac-Man's cartoon ran for two seasons, and in both cases they were bundled with another cartoon. From 1982 to 1983, Pac-Man aired along with Richie Rich, and from 1983-1984, we have our next cartoon which I'm even more stunned they made a cartoon about!



RUBIK, THE AMAZING CUBE (1983-1984), ABC

Okay, I know what you're thinking. Rubik's Cubes were all the rage in 1983. Almost every single person owned one. I still have mine (though a couple of the stickers fell off). But how could a puzzle game be turned into a cartoon?

Well, when you fall out of the stagecoach of an evil magician and are found by the three Rodriguez siblings, that's when your real power is shown.



Turns out that when the puzzle of Rubik is solved, Rubik could prove to be a powerful ally. Using the power of illusion and magic, Rubik could thwart any enemy that dared cross the paths of Carlos, Lisa, and Reynaldo, whether it be a school bully or even the evil magician himself who was desperate to get Rubik back at all costs.

Of course, Rubik's power only worked when he was fully together. If his squares were ever rearranged, you would have to put him back together again in order for him to work...and anyone who ever tried to solve a Rubik's Cube knows just how difficult it can be.

(Well, okay...truth is that I know someone who can put a Rubik's Cube together in less than a minute. For most of us – myself included – well, it could be hard!)



FOOFUR (1986-1988), NBC

I don't care what anybody else says. I loved Foofur as a kid, and I still love Foofur now. But when I was a kid, it was a bittersweet kind of love. I loved watching Foofur, but because it was the final cartoon to air on NBC's cartoon block before sports coverage took over, I remember being sad because it meant that cartoons had ended for the day.

The show itself was great, and it had an interesting plot. You had Foofur, a big blue dog (voiced by Frank Welker) who actually has inherited an entire estate from his late master. For years, Foofur lived in the mansion alone, and although he enjoyed living there, he had several antagonists wanting him out, including Mrs. Escrow who wants to sell the estate, Pepe, Mrs. Escrow's annoying chihuahua, and a group of big bad dogcatchers known as the Bowser Busters.

Mind you, the Bowser Busters probably wouldn't have bothered with Foofur had Foofur and his niece not busted out a whole bunch of dogs – and one cat – from the dogcatchers van. Interestingly enough, Foofur decides that living life in the mansion alone is not all that it is cracked up to be, and he decides to let his niece and the group of animals they rescued to move in with him, leading to even more conflict.



I particularly liked this cartoon because it was funny, it had a great theme song, and the message was a good one. Under the circumstances, anybody can make a family. Foofur was one lucky dog.




COPS (1988-1989, 1993) Syndication, CBS

One thing that I found interesting about COPS (the cartoon, not the reality show) is that the tagline is “fighting crime in a future time”. It's especially hilarious when you consider that the series is set in the year 2020. Now, I realize that 2020 is seven years away, but you have to admit, watching the intro, I'm still waiting for cops to shoot out their arms like Inspector Gadget, shooting holes in the freeway with laser guns, and having the chief detective of a police force having a completely bulletproof body.



To set up the story, there's a crime wave going on in Empire City, and Special Agent Baldwin P. Vess has been dispatched to stop Brandon “Big Boss” Babel and his gang of crooks from terrorizing the innocent citizens of Empire City. But when Vess is critically injured in a car crash caused by Big Boss' henchmen, he is forced to go to the hospital and undergo a series of operations that transform his mangled body into a bulletproof torso that can withstand almost anything. The operation is a success, and “Bulletproof” P. Vess heads up the organization known as the Central Organization of Police Specialists.

Get it? C.O.P.S.!

Anyway, the show itself was largely forgettable, but apparently it was based on a line of action figures that came out known as C.O.P.S. and Crooks. And, hey, with characters named Longarm, Mainframe, and Bowser and Blitz, that alone was worth a look. In fact, the show holds one interesting feature. Initially shown in syndication as other toy lines had done (such as Jem and Transformers), the show was rebroadcast in 1993 on CBS.



BILL AND TED'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURES (1990-1992), CBS, FOX

Remember that really gnarly movie from that totally awesome year known as 1989 where the slammin' slackers known as Bill S. Preston, Esquire and Theodore “Ted” Hogan went back in time through Rufus' time machine to learn about history? That movie instantly became a favourite of mine, and admittedly, the cartoon was just as awesome – well, despite the bogus sounding theme song.



What made this cartoon absolutely stand out against other cartoons based on movies was the fact that during the first season, all three actors who played Bill, Ted, and Rufus came back to record their voices for the new cartoon! Yeah, Alex Winter, Keanu Reeves, and George Carlin were all a part of this cartoon project – which admittedly was a rehash of the plot of the movie in which Bill and Ted would go back in time to meet historical figures.

When the show was renewed for a second season, the voice actors had to be replaced for two reasons. One, all three actors were committed to the 1991 sequel “Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey”, and two, FOX was coming up with a live-action series that began in 1992, which required the talents of all three actors. But hey...that whole first season...brilliance.



PROSTARS (1991-1992), NBC

I only wish I could say the same about this absolute trainwreck of a cartoon which had hockey player Wayne Gretzky, basketball player Michael Jordan, and Bo Jackson – who I'm still trying to figure out if he played football, baseball, or both. Of course, none of these athletes voiced any of the characters in the cartoon – they were voiced by Townsend Coleman, Dorian Harewood, and Dave Fennoy respectively. But all three filmed pre-recorded live-action clips that aired at certain parts of the show.

I honestly don't even know what the show was about as I didn't really pay attention to what the plot was (or if there even WAS a plot). All I knew was that it was kind of an embarrassment to Saturday Morning cartoons...and likely spawned the creation of TNBC two years later in which cartoons were phased out in favour of “Saved By The Bell” and other live-action teen sitcoms.

There are many more cartoons that I could list, but I'm going to stop here for now. Have you got any other cartoons that you and only you remember? Feel free to share those memories below!


Friday, November 15, 2013

The Ellen DeGeneres Show - Positivity and Generosity

Before we continue on with today's blog entry, I wanted to talk about something else. Something very important.



As many of you well know by now, a devastating super typhoon struck the shores of the Philippines, killing at least ten thousand people, and leaving many more people without shelter, food, and potable water. It is estimated that it is one of the most deadliest natural disasters to occur in global history.

I have watched some of the devastation on television over the past few days, and it made me incredibly sad. To see the lives of so many people completely destroyed in a matter of minutes is indescribable. It really makes you put everything into perspective.

I mean, think about it for a second. A mega disaster such as what happened in the Philippines really makes all of those other problems (that some like to call “first world problems”) really seem very insignificant in a way. I mean, just take today for instance. Right now, I imagine that there are a lot of disappointed video gamers in the world because they happened to be the sixty-first person in a line up to buy the recently released PlayStation 4 console when only sixty were available. But when you compare a situation like that to what is happening in the Philippines right now, where hundreds of thousands are waiting in line for basic necessities like food, water, and medication. I mean, there really is no comparison as far as I'm concerned.

So, that's why this blog is all about helping people. Specifically, I'll be talking about a talk show host who over the course of their entire hosting career has done nothing but help people in a variety of different causes.

Of course, before that, I want to just share with you a couple of links. Now, keep in mind that there's absolutely no obligation to click on them. They're just there for reference, and they are also there to assist the people of the Philippines as they try to clean up and rebuild in the aftermath of the storm.




Now, admittedly, these links are all Canadian based charities (makes sense, since I am Canadian by birth), but I am sure that depending on what nation you are from, there are various charities that you can donate money to. Just do a quick Google search to find out which ones are available. I just chose the three that appeared in the highlighted box when I entered my search in.

I just also want you to be careful before you donate. I want to think that most charities have the most noble of intentions, but there are quite a few scam artists out there who are using this tragedy to make a quick dollar. Do your research before you donate. I'm fairly confident that UNICEF, the Canadian Red Cross, and World Vision are legitimate, which is why I posted links to those three. But again, do your research and make sure that the money is going to where it is supposed to go.

After all, when it comes down to it, we all have to stand together to help others get back on their feet.

Or, perhaps in the case of today's talk show spotlight, maybe all you really have to do is dance together.



Yes, talk show host Ellen DeGeneres is well known for popping a few dance steps whenever possible. One of the highlights of her talk show since it debuted in September 2003 is that she opens the show every day with a dance through the audience. Well, when she CAN anyway. She has had to sit out a few times for various reasons, in which case she will get a stand-in. But I thought that it was a brilliant idea to get people excited about the show and to put them in a good frame of mind so that she can enjoy themselves.

Because that's just the type of person that Ellen is. She likes to give back to people, and she wants nothing more than to make people happy.

I think that's why I enjoy watching her talk show a lot more than other people. She doesn't have a panel of women arguing over political issues to the point where they descend into verbal catfights that are completely void of class. She doesn't give every single man in a twenty mile radius a DNA test to determine which one fathered a woman's six children. She doesn't encourage people to flash the camera just so they can get their hands on a string of “Jerry Beads”.

She's just Ellen being Ellen. And, honestly, I've always been a huge fan of Ellen DeGeneres. I watched her sitcom, I watch her show, I thought she did a good job hosting the Grammy Awards years back, and you know what? I even liked those JCPenney commercials that she did last year for the holiday season.

That's not to say that she's absolutely perfect though. I didn't really care for the movie “Mr. Wrong”. But hey, everyone has their likes and dislikes, right?

Anyway, one of the reasons why I enjoy her show is because she has a lot of fun at every possible opportunity. She seems to have instant chemistry with almost every single person she interviews, and she comes up with a lot of clever ideas to keep her show fresh after eleven seasons.

Whether she sends her staff into a haunted house...



...or plays the game “Know or Go”...



...or shows us “What's Wrong With These Photos” photos...



...she has fun every step of the way. And I don't know about you, but with so much negativity these days on the air, it's nice to be able to devote an hour of my time to watching a show that is one hundred per cent positive.

And part of the reason why it is always positive is because the show is hosted by someone who truly cares. Not just about the show's production and planning, but about the people who take the time to watch the show.

I mean, yes, we already know that Ellen is a rather generous person. I think that all we really need to do is tune in to Ellen's show during the month of December to watch one of Ellen's Twelve Days of Giveaways to best demonstrate that point. Have a look at one of these days below.



I still have to wonder how Ellen and her production team managed to get so many companies to donate all that stuff to every single person in her audience! But then, I suppose that the companies are more than willing to do this, as it means free advertising for them and their products. Still though, it's certainly one of the days of the year in which you absolutely want to have a ticket to watch the show.

(And to be fair, Ellen has given tickets out for the event throughout the year to her audience members to take part in this event.)

But there's so much more than that.

I know that last month and every October in the past, Ellen has really done a lot to raise money for breast cancer awareness. This past month for example, she had a breast cancer awareness ribbon made up of pink and silver balloons, and she would assign a dollar amount to each balloon. Sometimes the celebrity guest would take part, and sometimes it would be a member of the audience, but the goal was the same. You would take a bow and arrow and shoot the arrow towards the balloons in order to make the most money (which all went towards research for a cure for breast cancer). To sweeten the deal, if the balloon with the most money attached to it was popped, a person who was locked away in a splash tank (usually a celebrity guest) would get water dumped on them.

And as you can see in this clip, Ellen made sure that the ten thousand dollar balloon was ALWAYS popped.



Yeah, I know. It's advocating cheating (which usually I find to be a cheap way to win). But when everyone benefits from it, it is REALLY a bad thing? I don't think so in this case.

Ellen is also the kind of person who never really forgot where she came from. As many of us know, Ellen's hometown is New Orleans, Louisiana, and as many of us witnessed, New Orleans was seriously impacted by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. It was a storm that flooded three-quarters of the city, and eight years later, people are still trying to rebuild the city.

And Ellen was there for the people of New Orleans. She donated money to families who really needed it, and in this clip below, she toured the Ninth Ward (the neighbourhood most badly in need of assistance from the aftermath of Katrina) with actor Brad Pitt, commenting on the devastation.



I mean, I know that I've been somewhat...shall we say...critical of my place of birth over the years, but I do know one thing. If my town ever has a natural disaster, I believe that we'd all work together to make the town bigger and better than before. I mean, just witnessing what happened during the Ice Storm of 1998 with everyone coming together to get through it all...it was great.


But again, that's part of the reason why I respect Ellen DeGeneres a lot. And, to conclude this blog entry, here are some more examples of her positivity and generosity at work.


Thursday, November 14, 2013

Welcome to the Thursday Video Diary!

Okay, so today is Thursday, November 14, 2013 and it's time to do another edition of the Thursday Diary. And, as you very well know, the idea of a Thursday Diary entry is for me to share something with all of you that might not necessarily deal with the world of pop culture, but does absolutely have everything to do with something that is on my mind. It could be a topic about some sort of injustice that I have come across, it could be a topic on a personal revelation, or it could even be some silly thing that might not make a whole lot of sense to anybody else other than myself.

That's the beauty of the Thursday Diary entry. It's absolutely the most unpredictable blog entry of the whole week. One week I could be sad, the next week ecstatic, and the week after that I could be so frustrated and angry that I feel like throwing a Dairy Queen Blizzard Cake in the face of my nearest annoying neighbour.

(And, considering where I currently live, there really is no shortage of people to hit in the face with a DQ Blizzard Cake.)

DISCLAIMER: It would likely take a lot for me to even muster up the courage and the anger to hit someone in the face with an ice cream cake. At the right angle and temperature, those things can be deadly weapons!

So, yes. That;s one reason why I love the Thursday Diary entries so much. They allow me to write what is on my mind, and they allow me to showcase a little more of myself to all of you reading this. After all, some of the very subjects that I talk about in this blog are subjects that you might be able to relate to. At least, I certainly hope so, anyway.



But here's the thing. I bet some of you have noticed that there's a little bit of a change in the title. You might be wondering why I have decided to refer to this entry as the Thursday Video Diary. Is it because the blog entry is going to be entirely made up of a series of YouTube videos?

Nope. In fact, I promise you that you will only be able to see ONE video. You'll see it at the very end of this entry. Trust me...it's one of those videos that will definitely make a lot of sense when you get to it. It might even be considered one of my most personal diary entries to date.

But first, I have to do a little bit of writing to set up this...um...mystery video. And, yes, I know what you're saying. I've done a lot of writing already. But just hold on to your jockey shorts just a little longer. It won't take too long. I promise.

But before I go ahead with this diary entry, I thought I would announce a change. It just dawned on me that since I got a brand new mobile device my Thursday Diary font needs to change. On a regular PC, the font I use is Comic Sans MS, but when it is displayed on a mobile screen, it comes up as a hard to read Script font. For those of you who have followed this blog on a tablet, iPad, or iPhone, I do sincerely apologize for this. I promise you that I will keep the font the same, but I will change the colour of the font to separate the diary entry from the main entry.

Okay, are we ready? Let's get on with today's Thursday Video Diary!

November 14, 2013

You know, one of the things that I admit that I enjoyed watching when I was younger was the Grammy Awards. The Grammy Awards when I was a child was one of the biggest award shows of the entire year. Every year, I would stay up late to watch all of the performances of each singer and group nominated for an award that year, and over the years I've seen some fantastic performances by some of my favourite artists.

And, I've also have witnessed some of the more...um...questionable performances that were ever seen on the Grammy Awards.



I mean, seriously Nicki Minaj...what the hell were you thinking with that performance? I thought the Grammy Awards were about music, not an...well...what is it you did again? I'm afraid I don't understand it. But, hey, it got people talking, so what do I know? Kudos to you!

But I will honestly say that one of the most interesting part of the Grammy Awards (or any award ceremony for that matter), were the acceptance speeches of the artists who came up to accept the award. And, depending on what the award was, or who won it, there could be a whole lot of emotion involved.



I mean, I was never really one who watched the Daytime Emmy Awards on television that much, but I did end up watching them the one year that Susan Lucci won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress. If memory serves me, I think it was 1999? Whatever the case, it was a huge award as Susan Lucci was nominated for the award eighteen years previously and did not win. As it so happened, nineteen was the charm as Susan Lucci finally won. And I honestly don't even know how she managed to make an eloquent speech after winning that elusive award. If you're interested, you can watch the video by clicking HERE. The fact that she was fighting back tears of joy and still managed to get her thank yous out...I know I couldn't do that!

Not that I would be winning a Daytime Emmy Award anytime soon, but had I been in that situation, I probably would have fainted from shock.

But even so, I honestly don't think that I could do it. When put to the ultimate test, if I were to give a speech in such a short time, I don't think that I would be able to make it happen. I have had such a fear of public speaking. I always worry that I would flub my words, or get all tongue-tied, or have so many frequent pauses that William Shatner from “Star Trek” sounds normal in comparison.

And, you know something? My fear of public speaking began with one defining moment. One moment in time that forever changed the way I looked at giving speeches and doing presentations in front of people. It likely even affected the way that I performed in job interviews (in which I admit to blowing quite a lot of them throughout my teen years and early twenties).

But I won't write about it. How about if I tell you about it?



NOTE: I didn't mean to make this video almost ten minutes. I lost track of time. The next video I do will be shorter. I promise.

NOTE 2: As you can see, my speaking style greatly differs from my writing style. I hope that in my second vid, I don't use the words “and”, “like”, or “actually” more than...say...thirteen times.

(Hey...I'm learning.)

And, here's your question. Do you actually want to see more of these video blogs? Please feel free to comment here or leave a note on my YouTube channel. Just be kind. I haven't figured out how to edit comments on my own videos yet as...well...it's my first one.


As if you couldn't tell already!  

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

A College Soundtrack of...Whatever!

All right cats and kittens (did I really say cats and kittens), it's time for another edition of the whatever feature affectionately known as “Whatever Wednesday”. And this Wednesday, I have got a real treat for you. I've drawn a Clue character card that I haven't drawn in quite some time, and I've also developed quite an interesting blog entry that sort of draws inspiration from a Thursday Diary entry even though I didn't draw the Thursday Diary card for today.

Are we all different shades of confused yet? Don't worry. It will all make sense.

Now, as you know, each Clue character corresponds with a different theme day in the blog. And when I first started this feature in September 2013, the very first card that I drew was the Miss Scarlet card, which is linked to the Sunday Jukebox.

Funny thing is that until now, I never drew the Scarlet card again. So, because I did draw the Miss Scarlet card this time, I wanted to make it a rather special, yet personal blog entry.

And I believe that I have done exactly that.

In fact, instead of just one song...I'll be posting quite a few different songs within this piece. They are songs that you may or may not care for, but they are songs that I feel the need to discuss as they have some personal meaning for me.



And, ironically enough, the vast majority of these songs can be found on the compilation album above. The album is called “Now That's What I Call Music 6” (American version), and it was released in April 2001. That's quite the significant date in my own life and times.

You see...it was the month in which I finished my first year of university – you know, the university that I ended up leaving in 2002 for personal reasons of which eleven years later I'm still trying to make sense of. And, it was also the month in which I felt bittersweet feelings.

You know, I've talked about how when I was in primary and secondary school, I had some rather life-changing experiences – and not good ones at that. I was the outsider always looking in, and I always felt like the eternal outcast. Years later, I still try to understand what it was I did that could cause those kids to be so incredibly cruel and mean to me, and to be honest, I probably will never get that answer.

Now, you contrast that to being in university, and it was a completely different experience whatsoever. Everybody was warm, welcoming, friendly...and I'll be completely honest...I was actually kind of taken aback. I was actually thinking that I had just stepped into what I believed was an episode of “The Twilight Zone” because I wasn't used to being treated so nicely.

(Then again, I did have – and continue to have – self-image problems. That whole first week was sort of the beginning of those deep emotional scars healing...even if I wass a little scared of the whole experience.)

As I grew comfortable with the people who lived with me on my dorm room, it became a lot easier for me to come out of my shell – albeit slightly. I suppose if you wanted me to compare myself to a particular cartoon character, it would be that little walking egg from U.S. Acres...I think Sheldon was his name. I was the person who was sociable and friendly, but always kept a wall up for fear of getting hurt again.

Well, aside from that one instance in which the organization that ran the school newspaper that I worked at screwed me, I had a fantastic time at university. Every single person who was on that dorm room floor contributed to the healing process that I really went through that first year of university and beyond, and even though my university career didn't go exactly the way that I had planned, I will always see that school year of 2000/2001 as one of the happiest times of my whole life. And, no matter where I am in this life, I'll always have that happy memory to hold on to whenever times get rough...that no matter how hard things get, that there was once a time in which people really cared.

Fortunately, I'm in a place in life where I absolutely know who my friends are (and recently, I've also found myself in a place in which I've had to cut people out of my life because their friendship was far from genuine). I guess that's all a hidden benefit of growing older. You start to make better judgment calls in who you want to open yourself up to and who you want to keep the door closed for.

(And, for all of you reading this now, if you think I'm more than open enough for this blog, you have absolutely no idea what I think about when I turn the blog off for the day!)

So, for today's blog entry, I thought that I would share some of the songs that were playing on the radio during that unforgettable year. Again, some of these songs you might love, and others you probably won't. But all of these songs are very meaningful to me. Back in those days, all I had was a cheap little CD player that was tuned into a Top 40 station from Ottawa (I believe that it was KOOL-FM) that I listened to while doing homework assignments on what was then a seven-year-old computer that still operated with a dot matrix printer.

(I couldn't afford a new one back in those days. Imagine the buzz that would have happened had I still had my electric typewriter that I used in high school!)

So, let's stop babbling on about how poor a university student I was, and start talking about some of the songs that kept me sane while writing term papers and enjoying life for the first time in...well...ever. And, because I now have an iPad mini and am now realizing that music videos don't necessarily show up if you are viewing it on a mobile device, I will also post the links to the videos as well. Just click on the song title to access them.




They play this song quite often on the workplace loudspeaker stereo system that plays pre-recorded music (that's literally the best way I know how to describe it), and every single time I listen to it, it takes me back to those days in which I was slaving away on a term paper for one of my classes. This song played a LOT on both Canadian and American radio – eventually making it to the #4 position on the Billboard charts. And, believe it or not, I had absolutely no idea that Samantha Mumba was even Irish until I saw her being interviewed on MuchMusic and her distinctive brogue came out. Colour me completely shocked.



As far as the song itself goes, it's just a typical love song. And, I do apologize for the video's quality. The video itself is backwards posted, and has poor sound...but alas, it's the only video I could find of the song. Regardless, this song has great meaning for me – perhaps it's one of the few songs that can really transport me to that time in which I had so much fun and excitement as a then 19-year-old. And, truth be told, that song has a permanent spot on my music playlist.

Okay, next song.




You know, I'm going to be completely honest. I'm not exactly the biggest Coldplay fan in the world. Everyone complains about Nickelback's music all sounding the same, but I happen to have the same opinion about Coldplay's music. To me, every song sounds the same. Not exactly a band who I will rush out to go and see one of their concerts, but I do respect them as musical artists and I do respect the fact that they have sold millions of records all over the world.



And to their credit, their North American debut single “Yellow” was a song that I heard quite often when I was in school. In fact, it was one of those singles that for whatever reason played at every single bar outing, every single college party, and every single social event that was held on campus that I attended.

And it then dawned on me...when did I EVER go out to parties when I was in high school? Never. So the mere fact that I did go to parties and had a great time at them kind of brings a positive memory of a song by a band who I really don't listen to all that much. Or, maybe it was the fact that I was completely drunk that made me think I was enjoying them.

(I got all of that binge drinking and partying out of my system by the time I was in my early twenties, though. It was kind of one of those “when in Rome, do as the Romans do” things. Luckily, all of this took place at the on-campus bars, so I could get home without any problems.)

Okay, next song.




Ah, yes. Pinch Me was another song that brings me back to the days of university life. And you might be surprised as to why that is.

You see, when I initially went to school, I wanted to do something that I never got to do in high school. I wanted to do at least one extracurricular activity in my college years. It wasn't because I didn't want to do any activities in high school...it was because I felt as though I wasn't welcome to participate in them because I felt as though I was persona non grata in high school. So, I was making up for lost time.

And although that experience with the school paper ended on a sour note, it started off extremely well. In fact, the Barenaked Ladies ended up being my very first assignment!



Though not what you think. I never interviewed them. The closest I've ever gotten to them was when I saw them perform at Riverfest in 1996. But I did review their CD “Maroon”, which happened to contain “Pinch Me”. Needless to say, in order to do the review justice, I listened to the disc over and over again, so that's probably why I've included this single in my university playlist. It reminds me of the first newspaper article that I've ever had published. Mind you, it was in a residential paper that nobody ever read, but it was something!




Upon retrospect, I remember giving this CD a not so nice review which I regret doing now because listening to the Kylie Minogue album “Light Years” again that I reviewed some twelve years ago (I still have all the CD's I reviewed), it wasn't as bad as I thought.

(Though I still admit that I will never list “Loveboat” and “Your Disco Needs You” as any of my favourite songs this century.)



But as I recall, one of the highlights of that “Light Years” album was this single. “Spinning Around” only really ever charted in the UK and Australia (despite it being written by former pop starlet Paula Abdul), but the message of the song was quite profound. It was all about making transitions from old to new, and Kylie sings about changing her wardrobe and leaving the past behind, and how a bright future was in the horizon – and how everyone who was there to stop her should get out of her way. Man, what an anthem for the freshman college student, isn't it? Granted, my future plans made quite a few detours along the way, but I think it's a perfect song for people who are embarking on a new journey (as I did back in the fall of 2000).




You know, I'm not even going to comment on the fact that this song has both a clean version and a more...adult version. I heard both playing on the radio right around that time. Come to think of it, it was one of the more frequent songs that played out of my roommate's boom box (well, when he wasn't playing “Sublime's Greatest Hits”). Surprisingly enough, we were one of the only pairs of roommates who made it through the whole year, so our different tastes in music clearly wasn't a factor.



What the hell though. Looking back on it, it's an okay song. It's certainly a lot better than some of the so-called “pop music” that seems to be on the 2013 charts.

I'm looking at you, Miley Cyrus.






The only song that I've already done a blog entry about previously, this song could very well be the theme song that best describes “Frosh Week 2000”. We were all divided up into groups based on what floor we lived on, and our group was known as the Taipan Snakes (the theme of the Frosh Week was C.U. Down Under, which meant that all the groups were named after Australian wildlife. Taipans, Kookaburras, Bandicoots, Kangaroos...you know). And as part of the festivities, we had to come up with a lip-synced dance number based on a popular song.

Our group chose this Britney Spears song. And our Britney had a goatee. Not as large a goatee as the guys from ZZ Top or Duck Dynasty have...but it was quite significant. Yeah, the members of our group who did participate looked like fools...and in the long run, I think that we ended up coming in dead last. But whenever I hear this song playing anywhere, I always think of that guy with the beard dressed up like Britney and I chuckle to myself. Especially since that guy would become a huge part of the campus presidency just a year later!

And, to close off this blog entry, a song that describes all of the days that I had back when I was in that first year mass communications program. And hopefully if all goes well, I can add even more beautiful days to my future.


Here's BEAUTIFUL DAY by U2. Enjoy.