an open letter to JJ Abrams...

Dear Mr. Abrams,

I am a huge fan. From Felicity to Alias (OMG, Alias!!!) to LOST to Fringe and on to Star Trek, Super 8 and beyond, there is very little that you can do wrong when it comes to my personal entertainment over the last twenty years. (Yes, I enjoyed Forever Young and your early writings too.)
When I had heard that you were taking on the Star Trek franchise, I was beyond excited. When I saw the movie I was enraptured and completely blown away by your lighting and the visual effects.The story was fantastic - a reboot would have been too simple. An alternate timeline though? Brilliant! I loved the casting of hard working but not über-famous actors. We could grow with these characters.
You have made me love this storyline when I only had room in my American NerdGirl heart for Skywalkers and Solos.

That being said... This three year wait has been brutal. I understand that it takes time to make movies of this caliber, I really do. But the selfish movie-lover in me is impatient. I haven't even seen this new movie, and I am already hoping that you are hard at work on the next one.
Please be working on this next installment. Please get a head start. You know the world is on the edge of our seats for the next chapter. Please.

Benedict Cumberbatch, JJ Abrams, and Chris Pine
event for 'Star Trek: Into Darkness' 2013

Oh, and Mr. Abrams - I am expecting the same care and treatment for the Star Wars franchise as you've given Star Trek. I'm just saying....

Sincerely,
an Iowa NerdGirl

P.S. I forgot to mention my favorite of what feel are your signature traits, and it goes back to actors: I Love how you value the actors that you work with. I love how I continue to see them pop up through your various endeavors - Hello, Greg Grunberg in Felicity, Alias, and a single memorable episode of LOST. It says a lot about you and your work, and about the quality people that you work with. Thanks for this too!

Some More Musical Notes...

So, we've obviously had some personal obstacles lately, and I've had this half done... now is the time to finish this up. Because life moves one. Back to normal!!!
My list of Favorite Songs is still sitting on my desk. It's time to get to work on Part 2 - numbers 11-20.

11. Rhiannon/Landslide - Fleetwood Mac, both from the 1975 self-titled Album - I love both of these songs equally. Actually at any given moment, I always love one a tad bit more than the other, but they flip so often that they are listed together. Stevie Nicks wrote both songs, and has so much of herself poured into each one that they can only be described as my introduction into the beauty that is Stevie Nicks. I love her. I love the raspy sound of her voice, the tone, the depth. Heck, I heard her singing with Dave Grohl's Sound City Players and I was floored. It was Rock and Alternative and such a crazy blend of Nicks, Nirvana, and Foo Fighters, that while stumped I still just loved it. When a voice can transcend a genre... it's just amazing.
12. Lightning Crashes -Live, from the 1994 Throwing Copper - I first saw this video on MTV in what had to be 1995. The opening chords of this song just make the whole song. They make my chest tighten in anticipation of... I'm not sure what, but it just happens. I have always loved this song, and I bought the entire album just to get it, sometime in 1998. This was the beginning of my love for the Alternative Rock/Post grunge sound. I like to think the other songs on this album, much harder than this, are what lead me to Linkin Park, etc. Everything builds on something before it. As a mom, this song, and especially the video, took on a much deeper meaning. And during my pregnancies, this video is as emotional as a Hallmark commercial. ;)
13. Sugarhigh - Coyote Shivers, from the 1995 Empire Records soundtrack - this song was awesome in the movie sung by Renee Zellwegger and Coyote Shivers. It was great. And it's what led me to the entire soundtrack. Gin Blossoms, Cranberries, this soundtrack has some great bands with popular and songs I'd never heard before. I like the entire thing. And this movie is still one of my favorites! (I add in Renee's part while singing in the car, and my sister actually thinks I sound good. For once.)
14. Hypnotize - Notorious B.I.G., from the 1996 album Life After Death, I don't remember when I first heard this song. In the middle of Iowa, East Coast vs West Coast rap was something that was a big deal, but not a huge deal. The guys "fighting" it over were generic white middle class kids. My brother first brought Biggie into our house. And I liked hearing the beat and the smooth voice pounding out of Nathan's room. When I went to college in 1998, Hypnotize was a regular frat party anthem. My roommate Katie would do the Vivica Fox's stripper pole dance from the movie Independence Day to Hypnotize any time it came on. And then it was featured in the 1999 movie 10 Things I Hate about You. It exploded at the bar scene from there. It's a great song with a great beat. Every time I hear it, I see Katie's stripper dance, and I remember the laughter and happiness that surrounds this song. And the little twinge of sadness at Biggie's life cut short.
15. Love is a Battlefield - Pat Benatar, from the 1983 album Live From Earth, this song is the Battle cry for all hurt women every where. I loved this song (and most of Pat Benatar's singles) from the moment they hit the radio waves. and 30 years later, these songs are still played on the radio - they are timeless. I love how this song builds and builds to this explosion of Feminist Liberties. ;) And now... every time I hear this song, I no longer see Benatar and her 80s army of neon, scarved empowered women, I see Jennifer Garner and her army of newly initiated 13 yr olds from the movie 13 Going On 30! Great movie if you haven't seen it - even better soundtrack. This song has carried me for 30 years, and it will never grow old.
16. Someday - Mariah Carey, from the 1990 self titled album Mariah Carey, this song blew me away the first time I heard in Janet Berkey's bedroom on the radio while reading an issue of Seventeen magazine. See? I can remember every detail which shows how important this song is. I've heard that she doesn't even like this song because of the changes that Sony made to the original track, and that her husband, Nick Cannon, is begging for her to once again sing it live. Hmmm... I'm not sure I would go to a concert where she didn't sing this song. I was so amazed at her vocal range. People kept comparing her to Whitney Houston. And she is just as good, maybe better. This song began my life long love of Mariah Carey. For the most part, I have loved part of every album she's made (exception - Glitter and everything around that period.) She came back again with The Emancipation of Mimi and it was like she never left. But I'll be honest, this is the top song for me from one of the best Diva's of all time.
17. True Blue - Madonna, from the 1986 album of the same name, though this song came out after earlier hits Like A Virgin and Material Girl, songs that introduced me to Madonna, True Blue made me fall in love with her. This song was so peppy and young and melodious without being a true dance song. It felt most like a song you could sing along to. This was a great record too... but this song sealed the deal for my childhood love of Madonna. I still love everything she has made prior to her Ray of Light album. Disco, leotard sporting Madonna was just something that I couldn't get into. But when it comes to her classics, I'll always be a fan!
18. It Must have been Love - Roxette, from the 1990 soundtrack for the movie Pretty Woman, this song was originally released as Christmas single in Sweden in 1987, but it wasn't until seeing Pretty Woman, that I fell in love with this song. It's the end Love song. When Richard Gere's Edward goes to the slums of LA and sweeps Julia Roberts' prostitute-with-a-heart-of-gold Vivian right off her fire escape. This song led to Roxette moving state side, and it led me to some other great music by this Swedish duo. But this song will always be my favorite. It's a great love song and just brings up so many happy feelings.
19. Sabotage - The Beastie Boys, from the 1994 album III Communication, I more than likely first heard the Beastie Boys on MTV, but it was my brother Nathan's love of them that brought them into our house. He played them loud and did it to annoy everyone. But the the funny thing was, I liked them. A lot. Maybe it was the percussionist in me. I remember seeing this video for the first time and just being so tickled by the humor of it, from the cheesy 70's costumes to the overplayed acting. It was great, but then the song was just outstanding. I delved deeper into the Beastie Boys since this song, and while I love so many other songs (the intro to Mullet Head on the Clueless movie soundtrack was by far, ah-mazing, let's be honest, that soundtrack rocked) - Sabotage will always be my fave. And I'm not sure if it's the vision that the video brings, or the beat, or the bonding to my brother... but this song is just a part of my music.
20. Killing Me Softly - the Fugees, from the 1995 album The Score, I first heard this song on MTV Jams in the early morning while getting ready for school. It was a soft beautiful song with just enough hip hop to make it hot. I had fallen in love with Lauryn Hill's voice in the 1993 movie Sister Act 2, and this introduced me to more of her music. I'll admit to enjoying this song above all other Fugees' music and Lauryn Hill's other music, but it led me down a road to experience more than just the usual Iowa White Girl 90s Pop music of my time. I bought The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill a few years later and though she's moved on to music outside of my realm, I still love going back to this song.

Next up in my world of music... the Honorable Mentions!

num num num

It's been suggested that I write a Food Blog on the recipes that I use for my family.

I'm mulling the idea over. It might be fun. It won't be consistent, but it might be fun. :)

Thinking about it....

a few Notes...

So, I bought a used iPod Classic (5th generation) with some of my birthday money. I was using Spotify on my iPhone, but I'm not a huge fan. And I hate the fact that I end up using my whole battery of my phone playing music at work, and having no room for apps because I have so much music. So... in my brain it made more sense to have an all-music device. Which after loading music, and realizing what I was missing in terms of songs, it got me to thinking about my favorite songs. I'm musical in the sense that I love music. I have little to no education in music, other than being in band for a number of years, and lets be honest, I didn't learn much about music education - I can't read music, or notes, but I am/was a Percussionist, so I do know rhythm to a certain degree. I appreciate how music makes me feel, the memories these songs invoke. And so I've put together my Ultimate Top 20 list, along with a group of honorable mentions - and how/why I chose each one.

Here We Go:
*As I've started to write this, I've come to realize that this is going to be Long... so I'm splitting it into 3 posts.*

1. Every Breath You Take, The Police, 1983 album Synchronicity - I have long claimed this song as my #1 of all time. And while I am not sure that is technically the case, I do love this song. I love how my heart races just a little when the intro chords start up. This song played all the time on the radio as I was growing up - so much so that I new the words to the song before I understood the meaning (!). This song also cemented my love of Sting, the Police, and the New Wave sound of the 1980s.
2. Broken Wings, Mister Mister, 1985 album Welcome to the Real World - This song inspired the first CD that I ever purchased with my own money. It was a Billboard Radio Hits 1985-1989, and this was the song that caught my attention. I love this song... I love how it seems to make me happy for no good reason. I love that it introduced me to all the other songs on th CD... some that I had never heard of.
3. Alone, Heart, 1987 album Bad Animals - I absolutely love this song... as in I sing it at the top of my lungs whenever i get the chance. And I judge every American Idol contestant as "not-quite-good-enough" to sing it, though they always do. Because it's a classic song showcasing great vocals. Though All I Want to do is Make Love to You was the first song that I learned all the words to, this is the one that sealed the deal and opened me up to all of it, I bought their 1997 album These Dreams: Heart's Greatest Hits and have never looked back - except to download Crazy on You and Barracuda since they were somehow missing. ;)
4. Lovesong, The Cure, 1989 album Disintegration - I'm not sure what to say about this song... except that I am in love with this song. Just hearing it seems to make me have this little sparkle inside. It's dramatic and moody and has this wonderful background melody that's almost happy - all the while with this intense British guy laying out his heart for the girl he loves - and I have a feeling that she doesn't share his feelings. Pity.
5. Don't Dream It's Over (Hey Now), Crowded House, 1986 album Crowded House - one of the most recognizable opening melodies for me, with such as easy melting set of lyrics laid on top. My first memories of this song are it quietly playing out of speakers mounted high on poles at the boardwalk outside of Pensacola, FL. We used to drive to this stretch of beach that felt like forever away and we'd pass sand dunes covered in Cat Tails... and I'd always hear this song. It always transported me back to a warm breezy, salty day of childhood.
   Years later, it has become Scott and my "song" of sorts. Though we danced to another classic (When I Fall in Love by Josh Grobin and Celine Dion), this one seems to fit us much better. When Scott and I were first living together in Sioux City, sharing a small twin bed in his apartment, we'd constantly be bumping into each other, etc. And Scott would always say, "Hey Now"... and no matter how awake (or not) that I was, I'd always finish with "Hey Now, Don't Dream it's Over." And we'd giggle or something. It became a running commentary for us - I even had it requested to play on the radio for Scott's birthday a couple of times.
6. Linger, The Cranberries, 1993  album Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We? - While everyone (including me) loves the song Dreams most notably from the You've Got Mail soundtrack, this is the Cranberries song that really did it for me. The beauty of Dolores O'Riordan's lead vocals just made me want more. This song still feels like I have Angela's plaid shirt wrapped tight all around me, trying to hold all my angsty feelings into their right spot. (On the inside of course.) I just love the lyrics and tone and rhythm to this song. It lead me to the whole CD and so much more.
7. Ordinary World, Duran Duran, 1993 album Duran Duran (The Wedding Album) - This song is so fantastic, and I can't even pinpoint why. This whole album had some really special moments, but Ordinary World just shines! The first few notes play, and they bring to mind some of the best lines ever, "I won't cry for yesterday. There's an Ordinary World somehow I have to find." "Passion or Coincidence, there's something to dismay." The harmony is wonderful, but the lyrics are just outstanding.
8.  Uninvited, Alanis Morissette, 1998 from the City of Angels Soundtrack - This was the first single released by Alanis Morissette since Jagged Little Pill in 1993- and Jagged Little Pill was the first CD I ever owned - a birthday gift from a friend. I fell in Love with Alanis with that CD. I listened to it so much, that I wore it out. Not kidding. Anyway... I remember when I first heard Uninvited - it had this beautiful orchestra and it was so BIG and it filled up so many little places in my body - it still feels that way, even after 15 years. This song resonates musically with me much the same way that Guns-N-Roses' November Rain did - and it's all about the Orchestra - the music was magical behind the lyrics.
9. Time After Time, Cyndi Lauper, 1984 album She's So Unusual - I've loved Cyndi Lauper since I was old enough to watch MTV when my mom wasn't looking. She was so... 80s! And after her faster music - the softness of this song just broke through into me. Almost 30 years later, I still love this song. The funny thing, I don't think my friends ever appreciated this song... not until the movie Romy & Michelle's High School Reunion. After Romy and Michelle learn to appreciate themselves for exactly how they are, and not what their former classmates expect them to be, they return to their Tuscon reunion in their original personally designed outfits and perform a "dance" with the uber-geek who loves Michelle. That scene was a hit with all of my friends. In fact, we reenacted it at my wedding and at my friend Jess' wedding. It was AWESOME.
10. (Everything I Do) I Do It For You, Bryan Adams, 1991 from the Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves soundtrack -This song still gives my heart palpitations. It has such a power ballad feel to it, yet again with a beautiful full-orchestra sound. Dustin Burggraaf used to play it on the piano for me, starting in the 7th grade and going through high school. I'm not going to lie, that alone may have influenced my love of this song. There's something about a good looking guy playing the piano so passionately that just makes my knees go weak. Every time I hear the melody for this song, I still think back to a boy on the Piano. It was breathtaking.

Stay Tuned for the second half of this list!

Sandy Hook

Last Friday, December 14, 2012 at 9:30am EST, a lone gunman, a 20-yr old very troubled young man, walked into an elementary school. He'd already killed his mother with her own gun. We have no idea at this time what his motives were when he walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT, but I'm not sure that they are as important as his actions.

*

Adam Lanza walked into Sandy Hook Elementary. He broke a window to gain access. And once inside, he killed 26 innocent people: six teachers and 20 First-grade children, before turning the gun on himself. Six and seven yr old children riddled with bullets, some covered by the courageous women who had thrown themselves into harms way to protect the smallest victims.

*

It's been 5 days since this horrific event. It's still all over the news and the Internet. And Facebook has become a living, breathing memorial to the victims, and an outlet for demands for more gun control. It's almost unbearable. I cry every time I read something. My little boy knows that something is wrong. He knew Friday night. He asked me why the flags were "half down the poles?" I was at a loss as to what to tell him. I just said that something very bad happened and that a lot of people were hurt very badly. And thankfully, for once, his 4-yr old mind took over and he jumped onto another topic. Almost like he knew that it was too much for his little mind to handle. I wish no had to handle this. Of course no one wishes this had ever happened.

*

I know that as a Democrat, I am supposed to be in favor of strict gun control. I also realize that by living in Iowa, I am surrounded by gun enthusiasts. Here's the kicker - I've never really cared. I don't personally like guns. I don't want any in my house or around my child. But my friends are hunters. They have guns and have been trained to use them. One even taught my then 3-yr old how to properly hold a pistol.
(I about died. Shouldn't you ask his parent first?)

*

I agree that every LAW ABIDING CITIZEN has the right to bear arms. (Criminals should be stripped of this right, it's more important than their right to vote, in my opinion.) It's a citizen's right to be able to buy a gun if they want. I also believe that the gun owner is responsible for what happens with their guns. If they do not take care of it properly, lock it up, etc - and something happens, say a child finds it, etc. - then the owner is responsible. Negligent, whatever you want to call it. And they should face prosecution... it's the same as manslaughter. No, you didn't mean to hurt your friend in that car accident, but your driving is the reason that they died. Same thing. Gun - car... it can still be a weapon.

*

There is no reason on this earth why any average citizen (or gun enthusiast) needs an automatic weapon that can shoot 30+ rounds in seconds. You aren't hunting any animals for food or sport. It is my belief that if you want to own the weapon, fine. But if you want to shoot it, then you should only be able to buy the ammunition at a shooting range, and in small supervised quantities. And it should be illegal to have that kind of ammunition in your personal possession.

*

Now... this brings me to the shooter, Adam Lanza. He got his weapons from his Mother's collection. He in fact killed her with her own collection of weapons. There is evidence that Nancy Lanza knew of her son's mental and social instability. Yet, she had a home full of weapons. That he could gain access to. That she had taken him to ranges to shoot. This does not seem like a responsible idea on the part of the parent. Being that he killed her first, we can't judge her too harshly. But it sounds more and more like Adam Lanza needed serious psychiatric help. A mother wrote the most amazing blog about parenting a child who seems similar to the descriptions that the media has shown of Adam Lanza. "I am Adam Lanza's Mother" was a heart-wrenching inspiration to read. If you haven't yet, please read it. This is what our children and their families are living with. This country has so many amazing people working in the Social Services fields, as social workers, therapists, psychiatrists, school-based counselors,... but there isn't enough money in these fields to keep the great people around, or to keep them from burning out with too many needs, and too few professional positions. These professionals are supposed to care for the mental well-being of their patients, but they are paid a pittance for the amount of schooling that they have to have in order to make a middle class salary. It really is a calling when the benefits are considered.

*

I think it is more important to reconsider the Mental Health programs in this country before we start the argument of gun control. I heard yesterday that a conference of over 100 of America's Mayors called for gun control in regards to Automatic weapons. I think that's great. And I hope that people listen and that change is made. But what really needs to happen is that we need to take care of these young adults who think that violence is their only choice, the only way that someone will hear their voices. Violence is not the answer. Hurting someone else to make yourself feel better or so that you feel heard is wrong. As a parent of a stable 4 yr old, I strive to make sure that my child feels safe and loved. I want him to know that no matter what, he is loved. And while I know hearing (and feeling) the words can't fix everything, I feel like its a good place to start. My heart breaks every time I hear about what happened at Sandy Hook. But I take comfort in knowing that those children were loved by their teachers. That all of the educators that died and the ones lucky enough to survive told their students that they were loved. That even in the most difficult moments of their young lives, all the students of Sandy Hook Elementary were cared for, and that the adults in their lives tried to protect and shield them from the horror of that day - from the teachers to the SWAT teams that had the children close their eyes as they were guided out of the school. From the tears of the President to the people of this great nation - the love and outpouring is amazing - Newtown, Connecticut, will never leave our hearts.

test results and tears...

Khloe Kardashian with her niece Penelope Disick

Last night my sister and I watched the latest episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians on E!. (We love this show. It's great entertainment. Say anything you want, we'll still watch it.) Anyway, on this episode, Kim talks her younger, married sister Khloe into visiting a fertility specialist. Kim saw how her fertility decreases with every passing year. They both went through tests that normal people don't see on the first, or even second and third, visit. It was discovered that Khloe, who has been married for 3 years to NBA baller, Lamar Odem, isn't ovulating. She has too much of one of the multiple hormones that can affect fertility. More tests to follow.

I remember that feeling. I was close to her age the first time I sat in that chair. And I just started crying for her. For the road she and her husband will have to travel. For the strain it will cause between her and her family. And also for the feelings she must have when she holds her sister's children, her friends' children. And I ache for the horrible way that the Public Eye will be on her.

So... I'm in the middle of Cycle 9, Femara Cycle 3, Day 11 today. I've doubled my dosage to 5.5mg. So, I've been taking Ovulation tests all week. And I don't think I am ovulating. My temp rose today, 1 full degree. Usually that means that I have already ovulated. But none of my tests show a distinct positive line.  So... I will test until Monday, 3 more days of peeing in a cup. I also am wondering if the husband and I shouldn't do some counselling? I think we need to find a way to talk to each other. I've tried face to face. Today, I tried text message. I don't think he understands where I'm at. I think Fertility is worse than Money when it comes to stress in a marriage. So... that's my venting for today. I'm headed back to the Fertility Specialist by all appearances. We'll figure it out. Maybe.

I Remember... too much

National September 11 Memorial & Museum

Today is 11th Anniversary of the 9/11 Attacks on our country, the United States of America. 19 al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked 4 US airplanes with the intent of suicide-bombing said planes into 4 American landmarks - the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, the US Pentagon, and the US Capitol building, both in Washington DC. They succeeded in targeting the first 3 locations, but the passengers of United Airlines flight 93 attempted to retake control of their plane, and the plane crashed into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Nearly 3,000 people died in the attacks, including the 246 civilians and 19 hijackers aboard the four planes. The NY attacks crippled lower Manhattan and tested the entire nation. 
But today, on this anniversary, I am seeing reminders everywhere of this attack. And it's true, we should never forget. But the common theme I am seeing is: "Where were you?" 9/11 has become a point of clarity in the timeline of our existence. Everyone of a certain age will be able to tell you exactly what they were doing, who they were with, maybe even what they were wearing. This impacted (or should have) every citizen of the USA and many others around the world. But it starts me thinking too. Growing up, I remember my grandparents knowing where they were on "D-Day" and my parents knowing exactly who they were with when the Beetles crashed into America, when President Kennedy was shot, when it was announced that Elvis died. These pop-culture moments define a generation. And sadly some tragedies span almost the entire world.
So... with my odd sense of clarity and the ability to remember everything, here are the points of my timeline when I can remember exactly where I was, and who I was with:

 Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster
I remember January 28, 1986 with so much clarity that at 32 years old I am shocked to think I was just 6 years old and in Kindergarten. I did the math on paper. I was in Kindergarten. For many years, I always pictured Mrs. Dixon's 1st grade class, but looking back, I wonder if maybe that was something we saw on tv for the 1st anniversary. But I digress. 

NASA Shuttle Challenger breaks apart, killing all 7 on board.

We lived on the Mayport Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Florida. It was so cold that winter. It had actually snowed in Florida - confusing everyone but those of us who had spent Christmas in Iowa. I remember walking into the family room that morning, and it was still pitch black outside. Grandma had the tv on, set to the NASA channel (which I am sure was something along the lines of PBS.) She'd had it on for hours, watching the launch prep. Grandma kept saying that they (NASA) were going to scrub the launch. I asked her what that meant. She said that it meant they were going to cancel it, maybe move it to another day. I asked why and and she replied that it was too cold. I looked at the tv, and I could  see the icicles actually hanging off the shuttle and launch equipment, even with steam coming out of the engines, there was ice everywhere. We kept watching the launch prep and the ice through breakfast - until we left for school. I've later learned that it was 18 degrees outside at launch time, around 11am. For the details of what exactly happened, check it out  here .
thinking back, I don't actually remember seeing the explosion in my Kindergarten class room, I don't even remember a tv. I know that we all watched the launches on the local channel, but my Kindergarten class was in a portable class room, like a 1 room house on a platform off the ground outside of the actual school building (1 had 3 such classrooms in 3 different schools, K, 2nd, and 3rd grades) so it's possible we weren't wired for television. It was a traumatizing event to say the least. The Space program was a huge part of life in Florida, as well as being a military family living on base. This was the first national tragedy to impact my small 6 yr old world. I firmly remember watching what had to have been a replay of the explosion in Mrs. Dixon's 1st grade class room at Mayport Elementary (inside the main building that year.) Someone made a stupid, rude comment, and the entire class received punishment (all standing and holding our arms out like a crucifixion until the viewing ended.) Obviously that's why it's burned into my mind. On the 25th anniversary of the disaster, MSN gave a report on the top 7 Myths regarding the tragedy, and the number one is that many people never saw the actual crash live. (it's a great article, check it out here.) My Mom and my grandma watched it live though on the NASA channel. The entire time my grandma kept saying that it was too cold, why didn't they cancel the launch?

My Elvis or JFK - 
It was a Friday or Saturday night (I can't remember), specifically August 31, 1997. I went to Pizza Hut with my girl friends for dinner. I remember having an excruciating headache, and being thoroughly annoyed with a few of the girls. After dinner, I said I was sick and I went home. I remember crawling up the 17 stairs to my bedroom, getting into my jammies, and crawling into bed with the lights off. I had the TV on, with MTV on (it was 1997, MTV still played videos.) I drifted in a state of headache induced semi-consciousness. I was woken up by the "Breaking News" music. I opened my eyes and saw Kurt Loder of MTV News floating in the darkness. What he was saying seemed like a dream. Impossible and unreal, yet they were showing pictures - Diana, former Princess of Wales, had been in a terrible car crash in France. Was she dead? Was she just injured? I remember praying that she was just injured, all the while knowing that she was gone. The images of the accident were just too bad. For a pretty good account of the entire tragedy, check out Wikipedia here.

Princess Diana of Wale

This was the first death of one of my "heroes." I can't believe that it's been 15 years since this happened! I grew up watching Diana become a Princess. She looked so shy and innocent, and as I grew up I watched her blossom into an amazing, strong woman. She left the Prince of England! She took her own life into her own hands. She was an amazing mother, woman, and humanitarian. I was in awe of her. I thought that we could have been great friends - she would laugh at my jokes, and would share some of her grace and style with me. And like every American girl, I dreamed of  becoming a princess. (Prince William wasn't that much younger than me.) And my heart ached when it was announced that she hadn't survived the accident.
Like my mother before me, I had lost a cultural icon. She has told me exactly where she was when President Kennedy was assassinated; my aunt remembers where she was when Elvis' death was announced. I remember the death of a Princess. Let me tell you the ending of that night: I tried to find my friends. They weren't at any of their homes, and this was long before we all had cell phones. I left messages with all of their moms. I sat in my room in the dark watching every minute of the story unfolding, flipping between MTV and all the other news broadcasts. I remember someone coming into my room (mainly the light from the hall cutting into my darkness as the door opened) but I can't tell you who it was. I remember my bff Anousha calling me from her home, and we watched the news unfold together via the telephone. There were tons of memorials and shows... but nothing affected me as much as the original broadcast with Kurt Loder, not even the sight of her 2 young princes walking quietly behind her funeral procession.

September 11, 2001
 Last year I tried I tried to acknowledge the 10th Anniversary of this horrible tragedy. And I couldn't write the post. I tried to avoid all of the media attention, and it was just impossible. It overwhelmed me and flooded into every part of my day. And I cried. and cried. and cried. But I think that I am ready:
It was a Tuesday in the very beginning of my senior year at Drake University here in Des Moines. I am pretty sure that I had class that day. I tended to bank all my classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays so I could work full time Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I was living alone in my little apartment on Vine Ave. in West Des Moines. Per my usual morning ritual, the first thing I do is turn on the TV to the TODAY show. So... on goes the tv and I start going about the business of getting ready. And then I heard some sort of ruckus and screaming coming from the tv. I ran out of the bathroom in just a t-shirt and this is what I saw:

United Airlines flight 175 preparing to crash into the South Tower of the World Trade Center, 9/11/01.

I don't even think that the TODAY show was aware what they were showing. They were just as dumbfounded as the rest of us by what was happening. It was like we were all in the room with the anchors. They didn't speak coherently or professionally at first. They were just normal people struck by the horror that they were witnessing. My knees gave out and I landed awkwardly on my couch. I just stared as the 2nd plane circled the towers. The news anchors kept saying that a plane had crashed into the North Tower. I think that they were just as shocked as we were when the 2nd plane crashed into the South Tower. I jumped off the couch and grabbed my phone and dialed my friend Brandy.

My view from my West Des Moines, IA, couch, 9/11/01

Brandy was asleep; I don't think she had class as early as I did that morning. I freaked her out and told her to turn on her tv. And we sat in shocked silence watching the events in Manhattan unfold. For the grand story, complete with details, here you go.
I have no idea when I left my couch. I didn't go to my classes that morning. I vaguely remember going to my Painting class in the afternoon - it started at 2pm. We didn't paint. We just sat on the roof in the sunshine for 2 hours and talked while someone had a radio of the news on. This was the time before iPhones, iPads and constant streaming data. We were in the island of Iowa. Our painting instructor was a chain-smoking free spirit. This shock or realization seemed to hit her pretty hard. We spent 2 hours trying to hold her together before she smoked herself right off the roof.

I literally watched this happen on live television. I was supposed to be in class.

The coverage of this disaster lasted continuously for what seemed like weeks. It's such a present thought in my mind that I can't believe 11 years have passed. 3000+ children lost a parent, some both parents, on that tragic day. I learned that a Newton, Iowa, woman was widowed in the attack when her husband was in a hotel across from the North Tower for business. The North Tower collapsed on him and the firemen surrounding him as they waited for instructions. Many more have died since that day due to illnesses related to the massive smoke/debris clouds that covered New York City as the towers fell, as well as the survivor search and rescue and the cleanup operations once it was determined that no survivors remained. This terrorist attack has remained in the hearts and minds of an entire country for 11 years. Finally in May of this year, President Obama authorized a Navy Seal mission that resulted in the capture (and death) of al Qaeda's mastermind, Osama bin Laden. Along with many of his henchmen captured and killed over the years since 9/11, I think that the demise of bin Laden and his compound has helped this country to heal. I hope that it has helped the 3000+ families of these victims to heal as well.
I'm not sure how to end this post... But I feel like saying that I have a wicked memory. I remember some moments with such clarity that it's like I am there all over again. Other things just disappear slowly with time. For instance, I remember most of the day of 9/11/01. But I can't tell you which classes I missed that morning. I know for a fact that it was my original senior year (I had to take an extra semester in the Fall of 2002 to complete some course requirements from the basic undergrad program.) That means I should have had my Senior Magazines class, though I don't remember us publishing anything about 9/11, let alone discussing it as a group. So, take this post with a grain of salt if you will. It's really just about my memories of the big timeline events of the world that affected me, decades after the fact.

Instagram!

I've recently joined Instagram... kind on a photographic Facebook App for my iPhone. I got turned onto this by CJane at CJane Enjoy It... I love the square photos and the filters that take any picture back to the days of non-digital photography. Beside the filters, one of my favorite features is the "Tilt"... this allows me to to focus on a specific part of the picture and gradually unfocus the rest of the picture. I always wanted to learn how to do this with a real camera.
So... here's a tour of my favorites so far from my growing collection of pictures that no one "follows."

This is my Post-Tango picture. Tangles of curls pried from tons of hairpins, lipstick worn off, and eyes still lined and a little drowsy. Sometimes I look at this and think I look angry, the rest of the time I look at it and think, "Wow... I've never felt so empowered and sexy."

Last Friday - We went to Valle Drive-In in Newton, Iowa. It was a first... for all of us. I love this picture of my boys waiting for the "Dark Time, so the movie can start" (Weston.) I love how Weston is so very comfortable... leg thrown over the chair and all. I felt the situation deserved a retro touch.


"Leave. Me. Alone. Mom." Yesterday... Weston's dark mood seemed to fit this dark filter. I love how his lips are pursed in frustration.



Yesterday we were at Adventureland. Weston rode the Chuck Wagon ride, this is the closest to a Farris Wheel as he can get. I chose a filter that would be reminiscent of tintype photographs... a little burnt looking around the edges. I love taking pictures of this boy.


Hydrangea Explosion... These petals were literally the size of Weston's head. This picture got a little saturated in a Photo Shop App on my iPhone, and then a blurred filter on Instagram. It just glows now.

Tango 2011

*** Pictures to come ***Ok, so it was beautiful and fun. the food was mediocre. Pretty but not as delicious as usual. I felt a little self confident in my strapless dress. I wish someone had told me to never sit down, because the "girls" literally rise so far to the occassion that I looked awful. All boobs and nothing else. And so white in pictures! And Shannon looked amazing, but her dress never showed the details in the pictures. Which is incredibly sad considering how stunning it was in person. Lots of sequins, lots of silk, and even a few uni-pants (or silk jumpsuits, if you must.) My favorite person of the night was a young blonde who looked like she walked off the beach at the Hamptons for this. Dress: browns, burnt-raspberry, teal, white, woven with gold... Small little triangles for a top that were perfectly spaced apart to show her sternum with skinny straps, detailed, beaded empire waist, flowy (to the ground) bottom. Small heeled sandals, flowing sun-kissed blonde hair on perfectly tanned body. I want to be this girl. Not kidding. Perfection... alas, I have no pictures of her to show, you'll just have to trust me on this one.

Old School

So my friend - really? maybe little-not-really-related-sister would be better... .

Anyway, Erika posted a blog about her top 5 Backstreet Boys videos. And as I watched all 5 of these videos... I got a little nostalgic. I remember Backstreet Boys and N'Sync (I was definitely more BSB) in late high school and early college. And while I wanted to say that they were for young teens, let's be honest, I had the BSB cds. I went to the concert. I even had a favorite. They were a boy band! And I love Boy Bands.

It was 1989, August I think. And my mom was in Iowa with my grandma who was dying of cancer. And we didn't have school yet, but my Dad brought the 3 of us back to Pensacola to get ready. I was in our room, and my Dad yelled up the stair to turn the channel to whatever number it was, that there were so cute boys singing on Oprah. And who was it you ask? It was New Kids on the Block!!! And I was smitten. That was it. The beginning of my Boy Band love.

So, flash forward to Erika's blog reminding my of my love for BSB. And so from the blog, I turned to my iPhone. And I went to iTunes. And I started looking up music. I got 5 New Kids on the Block songs. And from there I started looking for all of my missing 80s faves. I downloaded 5 songs from the Jets, 2 from Debbie Gibson, 3 from the Beastie Boys, Bonnie Tyler's Total Eclipse of the Heart (speaking of great videos), and I tried to download the entire Footloose soundtrack. Only there isn't enough room! And I deleted over 100 pictures. So tonight or tomorrow, I am going to have to plug into the main computer at home and start reorganizing my music. And maybe, just maybe, there will be room for Kenny Loggins!

Harry Potter: DH2 Review

So we went to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.

Long story short; we wanted to go to the 9:15 show, we ended up at the 10pm show. Years ago that wouldn't have made a difference. Now... I felt old trying to stay awake and did some long blinking. Yeah, i know.

Upon 3 days of reflection, it was a good movie. It really was. And I'm sure as time goes by, I will learn to love it. That being said, if you have read the book recently, or have a photographic memory for the written word - wait a while. Get the book out of your head. Forget your favorite parts as much as you can. (I didn't wait long enough. And I Do have the photographic memory of the written word.)

***Spoiler*** Turn away now if you don't want to know!!!***
My favorite part of all the HP books are the Weasleys. I love this family, I love their dynamic. I love how they have absorbed Harry and Hermione as if they were always there. I love the humor of the siblings. And ok, I love the twins, Fred and George. I think that Fred and George have some of the best scenes in the books. And I am always disappointed that Fred and George are not included in the movies as much as in the books. In Deathly Hallows, it's the twins who provide a much needed break from the doom and gloom of Harry's life. And the Director cut it out!

My favorite part of the book was during the fighting at Hogwarts. Harry and friends had killed the 6th Horocrux, and were heading back to the fight. They ran into the Weasleys... including Percy Weasley who has been disconnected from his family since he chose the Ministry of Magic over the truth about "You-Know-Who." During the fighting, Fred was giving Percy crap about coming back, and Percy responded in kind. It was a really funny. And heartbreaking when Fred was killed in an explosion minutes after Percy's joke - with a laughing grin still on his face.

This entire scene was left out of the movie! These family scenes - viewing the bodies of Fred, Lupin, Tonks, and little Collin Creevy in horror, seeing his family, the Weasleys, huddled in grief... this is what made Harry accept his fate in the Forbidden Forrest, not entirely the memories of Severus Snape in the pensieve.

Other things I wasn't thrilled by:

1. Snape's death in the boat house instead of the Shrieking Shack. add to that, Nagini not being in a protective bubble. I was looking forward to seeing Snape's death in the bubble.
2. Dobby not being buried in the garden of Shell Cottage, but instead far away on a sand dune.
3. the changes made solely for the benefit of 3-D: Harry and Voldemort fighting in the rafters and not the Great Hall; Nagini fighting with Hermione and Ron (never happened); the order change of Neville killing Nagini at the very end, and that being the reason Voldemort wasted away. (Where did the wasting away come from anyway? that was just... eew.)
4. the Herbology group throwing mandrakes, etc. and Prof. Trelawney throwing crystal balls at the Death Eaters. that would have been cool, even in 3-D.

Things I really enjoyed, even if some of it was pure imagination:

1. Having Ollivander retell the story of the Deathly Hallows at the beginning, even though he had no idea of the Hallows in the book, only of the Deathstick, aka Elder Wand.
2. Only calling the Elder Wand by that name and not the 4 or 5 other names it had in the books - way to keep it simple for the non-readers!
3. Hermione and Ron's escapade in the Chamber of Secrets. big kiss here, but i still missed Harry telling them to basically get a room after the fighting (in the book.)
3.a - Ginny and Harry's big kiss in the middle of the chaos, then running in opposite directions to kick ass!
4. Molly Weasley calling Bellatrix a "Bitch" in a PG-13 movie! It.Was.Fabulous!
5. Snape's Memories. They were beautiful, even if some were missing.
6. The end with the Big 3 disposing of the Elder Wand and reflecting and being together on the bridge to Hogwarts, nice ending.

All in all, this was a good movie, no matter what I've said. And I think as I move away from the books a bit, I will enjoy this movie a lot.
And if you are wondering at which part of the movie I did some extended blinking? Well... it may have been when the dragon was flying away from London and deciding where to land. There. I said it. I'm sorry, Harry. :)

my current obsession

Right now I am re-reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, aka Book 7. I've read it twice before, but I am now reading it again in preparation for Part 2 of this movie.
I love Harry Potter. He is an endearing character. Even more endearing are Harry's Friends. The development of these beloved characters throughout these 7 books is just outstanding. I have grown to love them as much as Harry. I cry when they die. (Ok, that just may be hormones that never went away from pregnancy, but still - I cry.
Deathly Hallows Part 2 opens Friday. I will be camping and not able to go. I'm pretty bummed. And I like camping. But this? This is Harry Potter! The end of a decade's worth of movie magic.
These characters have fought for so much. And it's finally over and things will happen that will surprise the viewers who haven't read the books. I can't wait to be in the theater when these people gasp over the revelations. The shared excitement is something to behold.
I spent the weekend having all sorts of Harry Potter movies playing on ABC Family (ch. 32 in DSM.) Weston watched a bit with me. You see, Weston was born on July 31st... the same day as our hero Harry. I tell him this all the time. I hope it encourages Weston to read all of the books, which I, of course, have.
These actors will always be known for Harry Potter. They have grown up as these characters right in front of our eyes. I wish them continued success in whichever field they choose - Acting, modelling, continued education. But surely the choice is theirs! And their future is bright.

unFriending

In this socially conscious world, is the death of a friendship marked by the "unFriending" of someone on Facebook?

I haven't seen The Social Network, but if you have... is the answer in there? Does the mini-Mark Zuckerburg tell us how to end a friendship for all the world to see?


Remember when you were a kid? When someone hurt your feelings, you told your Mom and they either called the other kid's mom or they said to let it go. And when you let it go, what did that mean? They were no longer invited over to your house for play dates and birthday parties. And then... it was over. Frienship ended. For about 5 seconds, because then the mean kid became a nice kid who shared their Fruit Rollup with you. And suddenly you're friends again.


Remember middle and high school? I have diaries detailing the fights that made up these 7 years. Your "group" starts out as 15 or so girls... it grows and shrinks over time. Someone told a secret or stole a boyfriend while at the skating rink, and suddenly the group is divided on sides. Fractured from the whole for a lot longer than elementary school. Then high school starts and suddenly the groups are merged and split again, mainly based on class load and interests. And while there's fighting, it's more mature. And a lot more devious. Think Gossip Girl without all the money, clothes, and grand scale. Same thoughts and plans on a much smaller stage. I mean seriously, in the 90s... the worse think I could think to call someone was a slut. And even then I would feel guilty that my mom whould find out. But... once fractured, high school friendships didn't generally grow back together. If anything, the divide grew larger and more definite until graduation. Your parents wonder what happened to that girl who practically lived here every weekend, and no matter how you explained what happened, they don't get it.


College friendships tend to last. Maybe it's the fact that the most growing up you do emotionally is from 18-25. And it's your college friends, and the ones you've kept since high school that grow with you. These are your first "adult" friends.


And this brings me to Facebook.
I refused to join this thing in the beginning. It seemed too young. Something my sister was doing in high school, and I was so past High School. (Yes, with capital letters.) So, I didn't joing Facebook until 2008 or 2009, after my son was born, and my sorority friends were dragging me (kicking and screaming) into the era of the social network. And suddenly I was "friends" with over 200 people! People I knew from elementary school and on. And it was like we've always been friends. I knew their stories, and they followed mine. It was like they cared with 100 or so characters. It was almost as good as my high school reunion. I was a mediocre follower for a while. I posted pictures and commented a few times, but after a while, I became addicted. I followed my "friends," I played a game or 2, I commented on a million things a day. And I started trying to post things to see what people would say. Facebook has come in handy, especially when I need parenting advice or general questions answered. But I think it also has a way of de-socializing us too. My sister calls me a "Facebook Whore" or "Post Whore" saying that I am being antisocial by being on my new iPhone while we're together, constantly checking Facebook. Part of me thought about giving it up for Lent. Then I realized that I am not Catholic, so I don't have to give anything up. (Yep... addicted.)
Anyway, desocialization by Facebook: So, we feel like we're super involved in our friends' lives because we read their posts and see their pictures... it's like we're always there. But we're not. Not really. And after a while, when you think about it, you realize that you haven't seen your friend in almost 6 months. And they don't seem to realize it either. And suddenly it's like you don't even know each other. And then a FB post is taken the wrong way (like a text message, but don't get me started on Text Wars.) and the next thing you know, you haven't seen any posts for a while. And when you go looking, you can find this friend amongst your friends. And when you search all of FB for them... you discover that you are no longer "friends." You have 2 mutual friends (did they unfriend other people as well?) but that's it.
Not Friends.
Unfriended.
The end of a 6 year relationship.
With the click of a button.
Is this what our society has come to?
(I hope not.)

LOST in 3 minutes worth of Post-It Notes

Thank you to my friend Erika in LA for sharing this awesome video!!! (and my love of LOST!!!)

This guy, Alex Day, is pretty damn cool.

Share the Happiness!

About as good as finding a Fruit Roll Up in the bottom of your purse on the ride home from work. ;)

fashion statement

How to spend Valentine's Day:
Jared Leto, Chace Crawford, Ryan Phillipe and Kellan Lutz
attend the Calvin Klein Men's Collection Fall 2010 Fashion Show on Feb. 14th.

My-So-Called-90's-Yum.

Worth-all-the-Gossip-YUMMMMY.

Best-Love-Scene-Ever-Yum.

Funny-Vampire-Yum.

I could do without the teeth, but other than that, please send Bachelors 1, 2, and 3 to my seat. Now. Please.

Oh to be at Fashion Week. (And young, uber-thin, rich and single while I am fantasizing!)

I DRIVE A DODGE STRATUS!

So, I was driving behind a 1990s Dodge Stratus this morning on my way to work and it reminded me of the best SNL clip ever. Saturday Night Live (in the 1990s - 2002) was a staple of family time with my brother, sister, and myself. I texted each of them this morning and what did I get back? "I DRIVE A DODGE STRATUS!" Instant smile and happiness on a Thursday morning... in case you're confused:

Good-bye, Camelot

This is my favorite picture of the Kennedy brothers: a wishful-looking Teddy surrounded by Bobby and John. They all look so happy and enthusiastic.

I was deeply saddened by the loss of Senator Ted Kennedy yesterday... .

The Kennedy family truly seemed like royalty to the child that I used to be. I equated Jacqueline Kennedy with Princess Diana. To me, they were the same. Ted Kennedy was the head of his family, he seemed to take care of everyone. His eulogy of his nephew, John F. Kennedy, Jr. was perhaps one of the moist poignant speeches given. Here is an excerpt:

"We thank the millions who have rained blossoms down on John’s memory. He and his bride have gone to be with his mother and father, where there will never be an end to love. He was lost on that troubled night, but we will always wake for him, so that his time, which was not doubled, but cut in half, will live forever in our memory, and in our beguiled and broken hearts. We dared to think, in that other Irish phrase, that this John Kennedy would live to comb gray hair, with his beloved Carolyn by his side. But like his father, he had every gift but length of years."

Ted Kennedy served his country as best he could. Because of his voice, spirit and strength, he made America better for everyone. He improved Health Care, Minimum Wage, and Immigration, just to name a few. It seemed as if he were trying to live up to the legacies left behind by his fallen brothers, but I think he outshone them with pure determination. He will be missed.

A Sad Day for me.

John Hughes died yesterday.
I watched all of his movies for the first time either on HBO or later on reruns on cable TV. His movies hit something in me that seemed to make sense. I actually cried this morning when I watched the coverage of his life and death. His movies resonated with who I wanted to be, who I thought I could be. I think the first John Hughes movie I saw was Mr. Mom. And I saw it with my parents. And I laughed because it seemed so outrageous, but the funny thing was, by 1990 that was my life. My Dad became the primary caregiver. This movie influenced my adult life too. Scott is my helper at home. We are an even 50-50 with everything, or and easy 40-60 (Scott rocks.) I think because of this movie and my life after it, it just made sense for the husband to jump in to be an equal member of the household.
The National Lampoon movies, the real ones – not the new ones that make $ off of the name, are big hits in my family too. Christmas Vacation is a tradition at my house, and a surprising favorite of my Aunt Linda. The insanity of it is so… crazy, but so normal it’s almost scary. And Vacation? It was high-larious. I actually thought Wally World was Wal-Mart’s version of Disney World. (I should admit that there wasn’t a Wal-Mart in the town where I lived until I moved to Des Moines.) Home Alone is still the Ultimate Christmas Family Movie. John Hughes was a major staple of the Family Comedy, Uncle Buck anyone?
I don’t know which I saw first, but I am almost certain it was Sixteen Candles. I related to Samantha. I thought that 16 would change everything. That there would be a big party and magically I would change into a complete different person, an adult or some in-between; that the Crush of my dreams would somehow recognize me as his one and only. I was not unpopular in high school. I was known by all. We were the group just under the upper crust popular. But I remember the Senior classes that came before me. They looked every bit like Jake Ryan and Caroline (except in Z.Cavaricci instead of silk dresses.) The boys were all larger than my lowly sophomore existence, and the girls walked as if on clouds, they would talk to you, but you knew it was only because they granted you their attention. You weren’t friends. It wasn’t possible.
But this movie, and all the other teen genre movies by Hughes, made the fantasy seem like it could one day be a reality. That was his gift. He made teen life, fantasy or otherwise, seem completely attainable and completely relatable. He made me care about each of the characters, whether or not I liked them. Every female from 35 years old to 16 years old (and men from 27 - 40) probably knows a John Hughes Movie, most will even have favorites. His gift to the world was the teen genre. Not the idiot movies, but the ones that counted and have withstood the tests of time. His smartly written movies led the way for many others like Can’t Hardly Wait, and even the American Pie movies. He basically created the template for smart teen-centric TV. Can everyone say, Dawson’s Creek, Gilmore Girls, and One Tree Hill, heck, even Gossip Girl to an extent. Without John Hughes, teen movies would be just another episode of the Brady Bunch (*gag!*) For once-upon-a-time teens, these movies left an impact on film and television that will be felt for years, from them to their children and grandchildren. And this will be Hughes' legacy.I think that Pretty In Pink has to be my Favorite John Hughes movie. I remember everything about it. I actually owned the soundtrack. And it has some of the best movie quotes ever.
Andie: "You know your talking like that just because I'm going out with Blane."
Duckie: "His name is Blane? Oh! That's a major appliance...!"

Blane: "You said you couldn't be with someone who didn't believe in you. Well I believed in you. You just didn't believe in me. I love you... always."
This is why I Love this movie and pretty much all John Hughes.

yesterday

I am so saddened by the great loss that America has sustained this week. 3 major icons from 3 different generations. I am happy that Farrah Faucet is finally pain-free, but that doesn't make it any easier... she's my mom's age. It's weird. Ed McMahon... well, he was in his 80s. He outlived Johnnie Carson. But Michael Jackson... that was just plain weird. Like Princess Diana. It came of nowhere and was completely unexpected. I've been listening to Michael Jackson for as long as I have been alive. My parents liked him (which is so odd considering we don't share a lot of taste in music.) My dad had a mixed tape for me of Thriller and other songs like it (including the Monster Mash. ) I remember trying to Moonwalk, and I have a Barbie-sized Michael Jackson doll with the Glove, the black jacket and the red jacket. (I know...) Somewhere at my parents, I still have Thriller and the We Are the World vinyl LPs (records.) My dad recorded (on VHS) the HBO documentary on the making of the Thriller video. I remember watching this over and over for years. He influenced every musician in every genre that game after him. The loss of his brilliance makes me sad. I felt like his London shows might have revived him. I hope he is at peace and that his children feel loved and taken care of.
I hope that the world understands the loss of this week. That the artistic loss is so much more important than the allegations of what he may have done....