Morning Pop-Start

Ani DiFranco: She's Back And She's Ready To Roar

2012-02-03T13:26:00.000-08:00

She's alive! Ani!!! Ani DiFranco, who has been known as one of the more powerful artistic voices for a generation of now 30 to 40 something women and (secure)men, is back! The release of her recent album, WHICH SIDE ARE YOU ON?, has critics unlocking their heavily furrowed brows. She has had a less-than-stellar reception of most of her post 90's work up until now but that didn't stop her. Thankfully, Ani has something to say and a voice that people like to hear saying whatever that may be at present.

After spending a good portion of the last hour avoiding any work and listening to Ani's album I have to say I give it a huge....YES!

To read and hear more check out NPR's report on Ani DiFranco's new album: http://www.npr.org/2012/02/02/146301240/ani-difranco-embracing-stability-remaining-outspoken

Amy Winehouse

2011-07-25T12:28:00.001-07:00

It's just sad. Period.

"You could see that coming a mile away" seems to be the quote of the week since 27-year-old Amy Winehouse's death. True enough, I guess, but isn't that just a shame? Why do so many people's hearts seem to be so cold about it? Do people just have no sympathy when it comes to the disease of addiction? Yes, some people get clean but many don't even if they really want to.

Amy was in and out of rehab three times, despite the picture her famous "Rehab" song painted of her as the "no no no" girl who would never seek help. Her tortured soul and heart were crushed by alcohol and drug addiction and unfortunately death proved the only was out of that prison for her.

When a person seeks help for addiction one of the first things they are led to do is to remove themselves from the situation and the people that are supporting their disease. In the case of Amy Winehouse and many other celebrities, there are just as many who profit from them staying sick and addicted as those who see them out of their nightmare.

A terrible waste of a life and a talent.

Amy Winehouse September 14, 1983- July 23, 2011

Deepest condolences to Amy's family.

There is a crack in everything,that's how the light gets in

2010-10-05T08:56:00.000-07:00

It is not always easy to be the bigger person. It's a struggle for me sometimes. Even when my intuition and heart tell me to be beyond other people's negativity, I sometimes find myself wanting to "strike back". Thankfully, I am coming to the realization that by giving into their negativity I give them the power while making myself feel weak, angry and helpless. So I'll keep my mojo by saying screw it. I'm happy. I truly am sorry if you're not but you're not taking me with you. That being said- one of my favorite song lyrics.."There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in." has been inspiring me lately. It reminds me not to let others emptiness get to me and not to become a part of it myself. There are bigger things going on in the world. Leonard Cohen's Anthem.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfdReH6qMWU&feature=related

Pop-Start-Day 39- The Beatles

2010-06-11T13:15:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I am planning a one day trip to the home of my youth. Strawberry Point, Iowa. Strawberry Days Festival is going to be underway starting tonight. I haven't been back for the festival for, oh wow 16 years or so. I am holding back and not going until tomorrow as my liver can't handle 2 days of the beer that is inevitably a part of this weekend. There is more than boozing it up that occurs, however. There is a VFW breakfast that my Dad works at yearly. It is pretty good as I remember and we should always support our veterans of war. There is, of course, the parade and the strawberries and ice cream. Yes, I grew up in Mayberry. I have to say I am proud of it too. There are worse places to be than a town full of people who would give you the shirt off their backs. Now don't get me wrong there is plenty of the he said-she said- he did-SHE DIDN'T stuff but for the most part this a was an amazing place to grow up and a great place to go back and visit.

A friend of mine from my Chicago days often sang Strawberry fields forever... whenever I walked in the room. It always made me smile, I have to say. http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/beatles-strawberry-fields-forever/1d8a26f3c8834d11939f1d8a26f3c8834d11939f-55953654707

Pop-Start-DAY 38- ELLA FITZGERALD

2010-05-24T06:30:00.000-07:00

There are some songs that just resonate with a person for one reason or another. The song SUMMERTIME sung by ELLA FITZGERALD has always hit a chord in me that I can't describe. As today is going to get steamy hot-which, by the way, I love- the song starting playing through my morning as I drank my coffee and began to plan everything I had to get done today. Sometimes we really need to listen to our inner voice and mine is telling me Summertime and the livin is easy.... Maybe I should listen at least for a few hours today. I do have some lemons screaming to be made into lemonade. Happy Summer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1j6avX7ebkM

Pop-Start-DAY 37- NIRVANA

2010-05-18T06:52:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you but all this facebook stuff and reconnecting with old friends is a little disconcerting sometimes. High-school friends which you assume you will never see again save for every 5 to 20 years at a reunion are all of the sudden a part of your weekly if not daily or hourly, in some cases, life. It is wonderful in some ways and I truly do enjoy knowing they are leading happy and well adjusted lives, considering what we could have turned out to be. However, it hasn't stopped at facebook. All of the sudden I am having dreams of doing the Viennese waltz with a classmate to the applause of hundreds. (No, I don't watch Dancing with the Stars) I have always believed life brings people in and out of your life for a reason. Is facebook messing with destiny or is destiny truly an unruly child playing a massive joke on us all? My class had two class songs with dueling personalities also. Yesterday- Boys 2 Men and, of course, SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT- NIRVANA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTWKbfoikeg

Pop-Start-DAY 36- NINA SIMONE

2010-05-06T08:18:00.000-07:00

My husband and I are coming up on our 5th wedding anniversary in a week. Thinking back to when we first dated in 1993 I see how far we have come. I was 18 immature and insecure. He was the normal selfish 21 year old. We traded our "power" back and forth- who was in control at the moment. Drama. Hot and cold which led to on and off for a few years. I remember wishing I could cast a spell of some sort. Voodoo him into being exactly who I wanted him to be. Come to think of it maybe I did cast some sort of love spell or maybe he did because I have to say we have it pretty good. We may not be exactly the person the other would want us to be at every given moment but hey... he's mine. I PUT A SPELL ON YOU- NINA SIMONE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Y99tXNxV5s&feature=related

Pop-Start-DAY 35- DAVE MATTHEWS

2010-04-29T07:33:00.000-07:00

I have been absent from the computer world for about a week now. It wasn't an intentional cyber cleanse but it was good for me. I am not a person that spends an inordinant amount of time on the computer but it had become a bit of a crutch for me an hour or so a day for the last few years. Sometimes even when annoying things happen that seem to complicate our world-like your computer going kaput- we have to realize it might just be for our own good. In honor of my computer "crashing"...CRASH INTO ME -DAVE MATTHEWS

Pop-Start-DAY 34- DANNY ELFMAN

2010-04-23T08:24:00.000-07:00

Before even opening my eyes this morning I was chuckling and a little disturbed. The remnants of a dream were running through my head. In short, my keys drop. I stoop to pick them up when I feel someone behind me. I rise and pretend not to notice but walk a little faster. A lot faster... I RUN. I pull out my cell phone. Do I call 911? NO! I begin to type- I call it THE DARK TWEET.

DANNY ELFMAN- THE LITTLE THINGS http://www.last.fm/music/Danny+Elfman/+videos/+1-NeWgGicFbNk

Pop-Start-DAY 33- SPEARHEAD

2010-04-20T09:02:00.000-07:00

I am taking this week to be aware of judging and being judged. I need to step back and look objectively at why people, myself included, feel the need to judge each other. I am fairly sure it has a lot to do with seeing in others what we don't like about ourselves. Why else would we feel so personally offended by the life choices of people we often don't even know. I never thought of myself as a judgmental person until I took the time to step back and really look at how I interacted with others. When I moved to San Francisco right out of college I was first and foremost in love with that town and always will be. However, the downtown was full of homeless. At first, I was pretty generous considering I was completely broke. If I had change in my pocket it was there for the asking. Somewhere along the way I began to decide who was worthy of my money 50 cents or $1. I started to harden my heart. I started to look right through them. Now I know you can't just give your money away all the time and it is good to use some discretion but really who am I to judge whether a person is worthy of my help or at least a look in the eye. I have always loved this song. If you have time, really give the lyrics a listen. HOLE IN THE BUCKET-SPEARHEAD http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CszG_bR35Mw

Pop- Start-DAY 32-THE BEATLES

2010-04-16T22:00:00.000-07:00

It's my birthday I'm not blogging today.... tonight.. Love and Light to all you friends and fiends... BEATLES-THEY SAY ITS YOUR BIRTHDAY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztoSUhbNntQ

Pop-Start- DAY 31- RAY CHARLES

2010-04-15T09:56:00.001-07:00

I had a peach today. When was the last time you had a peach. So goooood! Eat your fruit:) Oh yeah, that peach made me think of 2 songs. One was the juvenile, silly one from the nineties ..... movin to the country... gonna eat..... blah blah.Then, of course, there is the amazing RAY CHARLES- GEORGIA ON MY MIND http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Thls_tMuFkc&feature=related

Pop-Start-DAY 30- JOHN LEGEND

2010-04-14T10:56:00.000-07:00

"One thing no one tells you about having kids is how much you will miss your husband."
I was chatting with some friends the other day when we all chimed in about how true this was. You miss them and desperately sometimes. All of the energy and time you spent on each other is now devoted to the other love of your life- your child. I think a mistake I and many men and women make is to forget to show the same amount of affection and attention you did before the kids came along. I am promising myself and my husband that I will take a little more time to SLOW DANCE-JOHN LEGEND http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jkfVBTNdDM

Pop-Start-DAY29- NINA SIMONE

2010-04-13T07:28:00.000-07:00

Well... we, my son and I, were out in our yard watering flowers with my new watering can when I realized I needed to give the the whole lot of my plants a good splash so I headed for the shed to get the hose. Of course, my husband stuck the hose in the back of the shed again so I had to work myself past our bikes, the lawn mower and all the other crap in there. Well, as I am bending over to work the hose free from the rake the shed goes suddenly dark. grrr. i tell Elijah all the time "don't shut the door when mommy is in here". Well.. he didn't just shut the door. He THREW THE LATCH TOO! I am locked in my shed! My just turned 3 yr old is outside ALONE. I am locked in my shed which on an 82 degree day felt like about 105 in a matter of minutes. Don't panic I tell myself. I calmly tell him to unhitch the door. What, he says. UNLOCK THE DOOR. I don't know how, he said. DO YOU KNOW HOW YOU SHUT THE DOOR? yes, he says. THEN DO THE OPPOSITE, NOOOOOOWWWW! I may have even let a bleepin word slip out. Ok, I did for sure. Mind you I have rarely even let a damn slip out in front of my son in 3 years... Ok to make a long story short 5 minutes later, which felt like 5 days, I finally calm myself enough to tell him to look at me through the crack in the door and to listen. "my darling, Elijah, will you reach right here(i stuck a key through the crack to point to the latch..and yes I see the irony of the key on this side of the door) and just push it the other way.Ok, he says. That simple. The door creaks open and I AM FREE! He on the other hand is not. I had a 5 minute conversation with him that probably felt more heated than my time in the "hole". anyway, as I sit here thinking about the whole thing trying not to have yet another panic attack I am realizing that 3 yr olds don't respond well to panic. Next time he accidentally locks me in a shed (or bathroom or what may come) I just need to remember to take a breath or wear big boots so I can kick down the bleepin DOOR! Well this song resembles the emotion I felt taking my first breath of outside air after my terrifying all be it short fiasco in the shed. FEELING GOOD-NINA SIMONE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJA69C6SlRk

Pop-Start-DAY 28-THE BEATLES

2010-04-12T07:56:00.001-07:00

I must dream in music. I often wake up with a song in my head, if you haven't noticed from my posts. Actually, that is where I came up with the idea for this blog. Sometimes the song playing over and over in my head wasn't allowing me the kind of day I wanted to have. I often have to take control and change the song playing on my mental radio. This morning, however, one of my favorite songs woke up with me. I can't tell you what I was dreaming about specifically but I woke with a smile on my face...DON'T LET ME DOWN/THE BEATLES http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-O7PnvVgQvA

Pop-Start-DAY 27- DAVID BOWIE

2010-04-10T07:12:00.000-07:00

After hearing about the American adopted family who sent a child with a one way ticket back to Russia, I was seriously disturbed. The family said they were misled by the Russian orphanage and that they got more than they bargained for. Now I can't pretend I know how emotionally disturbed this child is and perhaps he did pose a danger for this family because of his rages but come on people! We don't return our birth children if they are emotionally disturbed do we?
"This child is a little brattier than I wanted, God... may I please have a new model?" If you decide to be an adoptive parent you should be a person who has the capability to love a child that is adopted as much as you could love your birth children. Once you love like that you couldn't send a child back no matter what their behavior. OH YOU PRETTY THINGS-DAVID BOWIE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBQ-S6njQQw

Pop-Start-DAY 26- GUNS N' ROSES

2010-04-09T10:17:00.000-07:00

You know today is full of simple pleasures. Planting a few flowers and drinking some lemonade. The curtains are blowing in the breeze... Why not add a guilty pleasure song dedicated to my little helper Elijah. GUNS N' ROSES -SWEET CHILD O' MINE

Pop-Start-DAY25- COWBOY JUNKIES

2010-04-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

I am taking a moment today to be thankful. I am fortunate. No, I am not rich. I don't have money to blow left and right on lamps, rugs, shoes,purses, essential oils, cars. You know the important stuff. I do have food, a home, my family is in good health. You know it is funny.... I haven't heard a thing about Haiti lately. Hmmm. Must be out of fashion. If my home crumbles around me, will I be so quickly forgotten? COWBOY JUNKIES-A COMMON DISASTER http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsS_W5jN-vU&a=PLF5ov0nBtE&playnext_from=ML

Pop-Start-DAY 24-LASHING DOGS

2010-04-07T08:19:00.000-07:00

My mom is on a 10 day in the BVI. Unbelievably awesome! Last night she called to say they sailed(my aunt and uncle have a sailboat)to Norman Island-known for its history of pirates and treasures. In fact, Treasure Island, the novel was inspired by this very place. Well, my friends, I could let jealousy overtake me and blare out some Gin Blossoms because I have a 3 year old and a 10 day sail is probably not in my near future or I can take the high road and say live it large mom! Here's to hoping she has the time of her life. This is a band from the British Virgin Islands LASHING DOGS with the song MEDLEYhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Y0IuTCKZC8&feature=related.

Pop-Start-DAY 23-GREEN DAY

2010-04-06T09:58:00.000-07:00

Have you ever thought about how your life has ended up on the course you are on? It seems that even though I made a million choices that would seemingly put me in a very different place, here I am. Though I know we are a people of free will, I struggle with the constant deja vu that would have me wonder whether I have traveled this same path before or I was destined to be on this road no matter the way I got here. Do they occasionally cross, these paths? Parallel Universes? Something to think about or drive yourself crazy with. Anyway, in the not so distant past (or is it? I know. Enough, enough!) I played this song to death. It has been wearing a path of its own in my head this morning. WHEN I COME AROUND-GREEN DAY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8dh9gDzmz8

Pop-START-DAY22-DAMIEN MARLEY

2010-04-01T06:47:00.001-07:00

You know I would hate to come across as preachy because I have a long way to go on my own path. However, there are some things I can't help but speak out about. I live in a supposedly open minded and liberal community-Yet there are astronomically disproportionate amounts of minority kids in " the system" as compared to white kids. This isn't unlike most of the country. Don't be disillusioned. It's not that more minority kids are committing the crimes it's just that they are the only ones being sought out and punished for them. Trust me the white kids are doing the same thing. However, they often receive a slap on the wrist while the minority kids are shoved into the juvenile system. It makes me think about how terrible it feels to be misjudged. It feels rotten. That pit in your stomach. You feel powerless to change peoples opinion of you. Imagine that pit in your stomach being a seemingly permanent part of your world. Ladies clutching their purses when you happen to be within 5 feet. Someone seeing you and all of the sudden remembering they should lock their car! When people are constantly telling you that you are a certain way you might just eventually say forget it. I'm getting blamed whether I do it or not so.... Don't get me wrong, people have a responsiblity to themselves to choose the better path but it's a little easier to find that path when people put up accurate signs rather than misleading curves. I am tired of people saying they are loving and open minded people and then proving the opposite in the very way they live and judge others. We all need to start taking a look inward. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mmAuHieD7Q

Pop-Start-DAY22-GROOVE THEORY

2010-03-31T06:34:00.000-07:00

Spring- it is finally here! I feel as though I was lost and now I am found:) Winter likes to slowly and methodically suck the life out of everything. First the trees go then before you know it you too are losing your leaves if you get my drift. Just when you think you can take no more- SPRING! Here is my love song to the season... well the Isley Brothers song redone by GROOVE THEORY. HELLO IT'S ME. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5Iw1Syl9X0

Pop-Start-DAY21-JANIS JOPLIN

2010-03-30T06:19:00.000-07:00

I saw a headline the other day about a couple of sisters fighting over lottery winnings. Come on! You are more likely to be struck by lightening 100 times than to win the lotto and you SISTERS are gonna about how much of those millions you can get hands on. Listen, I can't pretend I know what is going on between these two but I know if you are one of the fortunate few to win a ton of money just shut up, buy a boat, and get on gettin on. 1971 JANIS JOPLIN- MERCEDES BENZ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-4AheUl6ls&feature=related

Pop-Start-DAY-20- ANTHONY HAMILTON

2010-03-29T06:42:00.000-07:00

Mondays have become the new New Years Day for me. I set up all sorts of goals and expectations for myself. I fail miserably at half of them. Hey, but half of them actually get accomplished! So I claim even those failures as stepping stones to the world of Woo-Hoo! This is one of those...ease me into Monday songs that I really dig. ANTHONY HAMILTON'S...EVERYBODY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpfw3f1Bh88&feature=related

Pop-Start-DAY 19-NORAH JONES

2010-03-28T13:35:00.000-07:00

It's rather easy to forget to give our precious attention to those we love the most. They are always there. It's easy to be comfortable in that they always will be there. Whether this is true or not it is necessary to remember to pay them a little mind once in awhile. It's Sunday- a nice, slow day to relax into the embrace of the one you love. NORAH JONES-TURN ME ON http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/norah-jones-turn-me-on/c732a820618955134033c732a820618955134033-1692941484421