This Is Why P!nk Moves Me!

We are searchlights, we can see in the dark

We are rockets, pointed up at the stars

We are billions of beautiful hearts

And you sold us, down the river too far

This is why P!nk moves me!  After a post in which I complained that she'd been absent for too long, I now make my repentance.  I should have known better!  From the very first time I ever listened to a whole album of hers, 2001's M!ssundaztood, I was moved by her music, and that only grew with each new record, Try This, I'm Not Dead, Funhouse, and the ultimate, the one that got me to make a silly video lip-syncing to her, The Truth About Love.  

Yup, the master lyricist and overall uber-talent has done it again, perhaps even eclipsing (sorry, I couldn't help myself!) anything she's ever done in the past, and that's saying a lot.   At a time when we all could use a clear head, without all of the bickering, name calling and such, she's given us this gift, this gem of a tune, and it's from all of our perspectives.  

What about us?

What about all the times you said you had the answers?

What about us?

What about all the broken happy ever afters

What about us?

What about all the plans that ended in disasters?

What about love? What about trust?

What about us?

I've heard P!nk say in the past that she doesn't like to tell anyone the meaning behind her words, that she likes fans to garner their own significance from them, but this time there is no mistake.  P!nk has gotten political before, back during the Bush years with the raw Dear Mr. President, with the Indigo Girls.  That time, there was no doubt which side of the political spectrum she was speaking from. She performed the song during the Funhouse Tour in 2009, and when she did she said that she'd been booed while performing it in certain places.  The partisan divide that's ripping this country apart today was already well into big-crack mode.  

We are problems that want to be solved

We are children that need to be loved

We were willing, we came when you called

But then you fooled us, enough is enough

This time around, P!nk isn't singing from one side of the aisle, though it isn't hard to see from the video to the song that she's still writing from the same perspective.  However, if we can all look beyond what we know to be her views, forget left or right or anywhere else, we can easily see that she speaks for all of us, and maybe if we listen closely, we will understand.

Back in January, Patrick Crowley opined in Billboard Magazine whether the singer would write a Dear Mr. President for Mr. Trump.  She'd been openly vocal about her displeasure with the newly elected President, but at the time there was no hit of any song:

“To anyone reading this: if you think this is a time for misogynistic jokes, or for laughing about voting in a person that doesn't believe in climate change, or humanity. To any of you closet racists, homophobes, sexists..... please block me. Please unfollow me. We do not respect each other. You do not have my respect, and I obviously don't have yours. We are not friends. To everyone else, we shall overcome. Stay on the path of love and tolerance. Hug your kids. Teach them about diversity and about fighting for others, and sticking up for themselves. I will do my part.”

Yes, there is no doubt to how P!nk looks at our President, and things have gotten worse in the seven months since she said that.  But with this song, she's not pointing a direct and angry finger at Trump. The they she speaks of includes virtually anyone who's said they had the answers, made broken promises for our happy ever afters and made plans that ended in disaster.  Sure, that includes our current Commander in Chief, but also past ones, as well as congressmen, senators, Cabinet members, and virtually anyone else who has an R or a D next to their name.    

What about us?

What about all the times you said you had the answers?

What about us?

What about all the broken happy ever afters?

What about us?

What about all the plans that ended in disasters?

What about love? What about trust?

What about us?

Yeah, what about us?  Politicians from all sides have been working for a long long time to create this great divide that is scarily coming to a head, and yet they never do anything really that makes our lives better, fixes our problems, or shows their loyalty to us, the ones who always come calling.  All they've done is point fingers, ridicule, and line their own pockets off the true holders of power, those with money.  And we all suffer the consequences.  

Unfortunately, she seems to hearken something I've been afraid of for a very long time now, something terrifying that I alluded to in my last opinion post:

  Sticks and stones they may break these bonesBut then I'll be ready, are you ready?

It's the start of us, we cannot come on

Are you ready? I'll be ready

I don't want control, I want to let go

Are you ready? I'll be ready

And now it's time to let them know

Yes, I am with her.  I am ready!  There are a great many of us in this country who recognize the ominous state that this Administration is leading us towards, and I hope to God that it never comes to pass, but if it does, yes, I'll be ready.  I would hope that many will take a hard listen to the words of this song and will recognize that the two sides in this struggle are not necessarily what we think they are.  Though we may think differently, we are all a part of those billions of beautiful hearts and we all just want to be happy.  We need to recognize this and let them know.  Take a listen and a look at this cleverly written piece and accompanying video and you'll realize that P!nk is such a gift.  There's a reason why this song has resonated with so many, but it needs to resonate even more!  

  

Express Yourself

Note: I have duplicated this post on both John's World and John's Music World, as it relates not only to music, in this case Madonna's Express Yourself, but of my own personal view of the many protests that occurred yesterday.  After not paying any attention to politics for the last 8 years (I simply couldn't deal with all of the crap being said about Obama, as well as the unprecedented obstruction heaped upon him by Congress), I now find myself in the state of mind that I need to speak, and starting with this post, I will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.  

Madonna gave a live performance of this song yesterday, somewhere in D.C., where hundreds of thousands of people were practicing democracy and expressing themselves.  Though she's already been maligned for dropping a few f-bombs directed at our new President while speaking to the crowd, she was practicing the very fundamentals that Trump himself called for during his inauguration speech on Friday...

We must speak our minds openly, debate our disagreements honestly, but always pursue solidarity.

New York City

Madonna and those accompanying her in Washington were not the only ones practicing democracy yesterday.  In all, an estimated 4.6 million women and their allies demonstrated in approximately 670 cities not only here in the U.S., but across the globe (Reuters, politicususa).  People from all walks of life came out en force in places like Chicago (125K), Los Angeles (750K), New York (400K), Boston (250K), Denver (200K), Seattle, Austin, Atlanta, in cities across Asia, Europe, South America and Australia. The list goes on and on.  It was by far the largest protest of any kind in history.

Los Angeles 

Throughout the day the protests were pretty much ignored by Trump and his people.  It wasn't until this morning that he even mentioned it, of course on Twitter, and of course chiding one of his named groups of adversaries...celebrities:

Watched protests yesterday but was under the impression that we just had an election! Why didn't these people vote? Celebs hurt cause badly.

In his defense, though, Mr. Trump added a positive spin just a couple of hours later...

Peaceful protests are a hallmark of our democracy. Even if I don't always agree, I recognize the rights of people to express their views.

Philadelphia

Now I could go on and on about how many of his supporters took to social media to express their dismay and oftentimes outrage over the protests, but that could take awhile.  All you have to do is look to see.  Just as the protesters did yesterday in expressing themselves, so too, do the maligners have the same right.  I just happen to disagree with their assertion that all of these millions of people are simply sore losers who are whining and pouting that they lost the election.  I like to think that I am one of them, even though I regrettably did not take part yesterday.

I accept, as do many of them have accepted, that Donald J. Trump is the President of the United States, and I want him to do well for all of our sakes, but we do have a right to be concerned.  With all that we have seen and heard, and no, not from the "evil" news media, but from the lips of Mr. Trump himself, time and time again, things do not look good.

Mr. Trump's own words have helped widen this divide that we've been slipping into for years now, and for him to stand there on Friday, in front of four former Presidents of both parties, to tell us that this country is full of "carnage" and needs to be fixed only the way he can fix it, to me took a lot of nerve.  His campaign slogan, "Make America Great Again," implies that somehow we stopped being great.  I just don't believe that!  Just take a look at the following graphic:

10,183 replies13,712 retweets53,360 likes

Regardless of the source, these numbers represent truths.  I don't for the life of me see how they reflect an America that's not great.  Trump supporters like to say that now we're going to know how they felt for the last 8 years.  My question to them is, Do you have amnesia?  Look at the numbers from 2009, when President Obama first took office.  That was the culmination of a different 8 years, where two wars were fought, one under the pretext of the one of the biggest lies ever told, complete enrichment of the oligarchy (remember Halliburton?), and the worst economic times we've faced since the Great Depression.  It's funny that I never ever hear the name Bush come up in any conversation.  Make America Great Again?  Obama did that!

And now we have the promise of more division for at least the next four years as Trump and his largely unqualified collection of billionaires in his Cabinet will methodically dismantle all that Obama has done.  It has already begun with the push to repeal Obamacare.  Just like in the past, we believe that you voted against your own best interests and don't even know it.  That's what has been blatantly shocking about this whole thing. But that's just how we think and only time will tell. To all of you Trumpys out there, I sincerely hope I am wrong.  Maybe, just maybe, Mr. Trump will work to Keep America Great, but I, and the millions who marched yesterday, do have cause for concern.

Atlanta

Trump said on Friday that he was giving government back to the people.  Yesterday, the people spoke.  They used their voices like so many before them in the times of the Vietnam War and Civil Rights and they spoke.  Loudly.  If I could turn back time just one day, I would have been in New York City with my fellow concerned citizens.  I am proud of those who came out in solidarity and I am proud of them and this country, and for the next four years, we will be watching and expressing ourselves.

*Check out an impressive photo essay on the Women's Marches held throughout the world yesterday on NYTimes. 

A Special Song of the Day Post, with Commentary - Dear Mr. President - P!nk, with Indigo Girls

Dear Mr. President,
Come take a walk with me
Let's pretend, we're just two people and
You're not better than me
I'd like to ask you some questions if we could speak honestly

Well, after months and months we are finally here.  The day of reckoning!  This is undoubtedly one of the most momentous days in our 240 years of history, the world is watching, and the stakes couldn't be any higher.

What do you feel when you see all the homeless on the street?
Who do you pray to at night before you go to sleep?
What do you feel when you look in the mirror?
Are you proud?

Today's song was written about another president who took office after another very contentious election season 16 years ago.  Back then, so many of us were angry.  We'd felt cheated and we feared for our future.  Unfortunately, those fears came to pass as 8 years of that poor choice brought us two wars, one plausibly acceptable, and the other completely unnecessary and based on lies.  Thousands of people lost their lives as those in the inner circles enriched themselves off of the misery of others. We tortured our enemies in questionable violation of international law.  Our economy was in shambles.  The housing market crashed.  Unemployment rates and the deficit soared as the stock market fell.  We all suffered...but we survived.

How do you sleep while the rest of us cry?
How do you dream when a mother hs no chance to say goodbye?
How do you walk with your head held high?
Can you even look me, in the eye, and tell me why?

It was 8 years ago now that we made history.  We'd finally said enough as a nation and brought the other party back into power.  A black man had been elected president.  Hope was at hand. Unfortunately, whatever popularity this new President brought to the office was despised by many, either because he was a black man or simply from the 'other side.'

His integrity was questioned and every attempt he made at progress was met with unprecedented obstruction, which remains to this very day as the Supreme Court's power has been unconstitutionally and unprecentendtedly checked by the branch of government still controlled by the former president's party. The supposed outrage that's been spun over the past 8 years truly boggles my mind, as the previous 8 years of absolute misery seem to be an aberration to those on the other side.  Perhaps there is a case of mass amnesia.

Dear Mr. President,
Were you a lonely boy?
How can you say, 
No child is left behind?
We're not dumb and we're not blind
They're all sitting in your cells
As you pave the road to hell  

So now we have this...an anti-establishment billionaire vowing to "Make America Great Again." Does anyone out there really believe that we are no longer a great country?  Please look me in the eye, and tell me why.

Of course, our choice is minimal.  One out of two, well in reality four, people.  But that in itself is a problem we must overcome.  Yes, the establishment is crooked all over.  Both sides of the aisle work first towards their own personal gain before helping us, the little people.  It's been that way for a long, long time.  The United States of America has become the United Corporations of America, where special interests gain favor to our detriment.  Yes, we need an anti-establishment president.  This isn't the one, though.

What kind of father would take his own daughter's rights away?
And what kind of father mght hate his own daughter if she were gay?
I can only imagine what the first lady has to say
You've come a long way, from whiskey and cocaine

The climate of our politics has been dividing us for too many years now.  Politicians tell outrageous lies simply for their own gain.  And we believe them, yet our lives never seem to change that much for the better, no matter what they say.  Right?

Today we all have a huge choice to make.  For seemingly all of us, the choice is clear.  Unfortunately, that choice isn't the same.  While I see it as the choice between a seasoned, yet admittedly flawed candidate and a misogynistic, inexperienced and impulsive bully, others actually believe that the bully would do us better.  Well in my eyes, that bully has cheated our country of thousands and thousands of dollars in taxes, gone bankrupt on quite a few occasions, and looks to divide us rather than unite us.  He doesn't deserve to be president.

Let me tell you about hard work
Minimum wage with a baby on the way
Let me tell you about hard work
Rebuilding your house after the bombs took them away
Let me tell you about hard work
Building a bed out of a cardboard box
Let me tell you about hard work, hard work, hard work
You don't know nothing about hard work

Yeah, those 8 years were terrible!  But they seem like nothing now compared to what could happen in the next 8.  It truly makes me sad...and a little scared, too.  Why do we spend so much time hating and being sheep rather than keeping informed, loving one another and really making the world and our country a better place?  We should all be on the same side.

I only hope that today we get it right and we make it better.  Maybe someday in the future we will find a true anti-establishment hero willing to lead us all into a brighter future.  Until then, we need to make the right choice, or the next time could be even worse.

Working to Remember and Never Forget

Today marks 15 years since that terrible day.  When I think of the events of September 11th, 2001, I can recall most of it vividly.  I think most of us who were adults at the time can.  I couldn't help but notice today that there seemed to be less and less mention of the anniversary on social media.  Now I have accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and others and I saw very little of anything, at least in comparison to past years, about what happened that day.  I guess it should be expected...time does that healing thing, which is really a good thing. But still, forgetting this is not an option.  

I have to admit, even though this was a notable anniversary, I didn't even think about the day until I finally saw a post on Instagram around 2:00 this afternoon.  Sure, I'd known it was coming, but for some reason it just hadn't entered my mind.  Today was a similar day, weather-wise, to that September day back in 2001, only not as clear and not as crisp, and though I admittedly did not actively think on the anniversary often today, I couldn't let it go without a mention.

Of course, the sentiments that go along with that day will dwindle even more over time, but they should never be forgotten.  In school, our principal always mentions the date and asks any of us who plan to do anything to commemorate the day to share it with him.  Well, the kids in high school today were either babies at the time or not even born yet when it happened, so to them it's not as personal, not as meaningful.

Since my students are all foreign born, they know even less of that sad, sad day, and during one of my early morning periods, they had come to me from their Global Studies class in which they had just seen a video and had an accompanying worksheet to fill out on the event.  They were confused and didn't really understand what they had just been taught.  I promptly decided to forego my own lesson just to talk to them.

I wrote the word terrorism on the board, and asked them to give me words that they thought would fit the definition.  In a bit of sad reality, they were able to come up with some words to fit that heinous tactic: bombs, guns, killing, etc.  I added the word scare and we launched a conversation that began with the recent attacks in Nice and Paris and we worked our way back to 9/11.  I recounted my own memories of that day, from the moment I'd heard a plane had crashed into one of the towers early on to being glued to the television all day and all night.  I choked up a little when I spoke of the heroes on United Flight 93 and knew right then that although my own memories and feelings about September 11th, 2001 had diminished, the feelings were still there deep inside me.  

So if you found yourself in the same place as I today, and you feel like maybe you've lost some of that anger, horror and sadness over the 3,000-plus lives that were lost just fifteen years ago today, then I think you need to relive it a little,  Whether it's by watching a program on the events, or sharing your own recollections with someone who wasn't around and doesn't know.  I think from here on, we're going to have to work to remember...and never forget.   

See also:

Remembering 9/11

How September 11th Impacted My Life

The Obligatory Valentine's Post

Dream lover come rescue me
Take me up, take me down
Take me anywhere you want to baby

Though I'm not really in the mood, it was five years ago today that I started yearly posts on Valentine's Day, so I feel obliged to chime in on the day for a sixth time.  Last year I penned a poem and the year before that and the year before that, etc., etc., etc....well, let's just say lots of pity parties, lol.  Well this year I'm not going to do that.  Yeah I'm still single, but I'm not bitter about it.  I do think that if I had someone in my life, I'd be in a much better place all around, but ah well, here's to future possibilities.

So for what it's worth, whether you're in a loving relationship with someone special or if you are single, have an awesome Valentine's Day...and stay warm!  In the meantime, I'll be spending it dreaming up a lover for next year...

My Own Little Rabbit Hole

My drinking is killing me
My smoking is killing me

My diet is killing me

My heels are killing me

My shopping's killing me

My ego is killing me

Can't sleep, it's killing me
My label's killing me

Kickdrum

My friend Rich is always reminding me that I haven't been writing lately.  Well, he's right, and for good reason...actually two good reasons.  First of all, ever since school started I haven't had much time for writing on here, and second, I haven't been inspired to write.  That's a sad thing, I know. Anyway, today is the first...scratch that...second and third day, of the new year, 2016, and I usually get to writing some sort of reflection/looking ahead piece around this time, so here goes...

My phone is killing me
My email is killing me

These hours are killing me

My tour is killing me

This flight is killing me

My manager's killing me

My mother's killing me

My landlord's killing me

My boss is killing me
The TV is killing me

Your nagging is killing me

My boyfriend's killing me

My talking's killing me

Killing me

Killing me

I lost my iPod on New Year's Eve.  I think that was the straw that just pushed me over the edge.  One minute it was there, the next it was gone.  Ugh, the new year has already started off just like the old one left off and I think I am just about ready to check out...lol, nah, I'm not really gonna do that, but I'll honestly say that I don't think I've ever been as low as I am right now, and it's not the iPod (though that IS a killer!).  I feel so lost these days, and I no longer seem to have a handle on what I'm searching for anymore.

Can't sleep, it's killing me

My dreams are killing me

TV is killing me

My talking's killing me

Let go, you're killing me

Ease up, you're killing me

Calm down, you're killing me

My god, you're killing me

By now you might be wondering by now what the heck is with these strange lyrics and the Robyn video.  Well, it's kinda how I'm doing right now.  I think there are some of us who get a little self-destructive every once in awhile, especially when there's something not right in the head and that'd be me right about now.  When I feel like this, I tend to jump into my own little rabbit hole, cut myself off from the world and feel sorry for myself. Well I know that's not productive, and heck, by even writing this at least I'm trying to do something...

Well anyway, it's taken me three days to get to this point in my post and now it's Sunday night, the end of Christmas vacation.  Sigh!  At least I climbed out of my rabbit hole for a bit today, and maybe the order of life will set me off in a good place tomorrow.  We shall see!  To be continued...

  

Follies and Foibles on Rainbow Mountain

I should have realized when I met Ed, AKA Evelyn, outside of Cherry House at Rainbow Mountain on Friday night that the weekend was going to be a strange one.  Yes, after last year's, um...adventure, my pals Sean, Sonny and I returned to that Mountain Called Rainbow over in the Poconos, and we even brought a fourth, our friend and fellow bowler Al.  It was Sonny who planned the whole thing, and although I knew little about the particular weekend we were going, I happily agreed to go just happy for a weekend getaway from life.  Little did I know I was in for a couple of days in the Twilight Zone.

rachelfox

I really didn't think anything of it at first.  Ed was smoking a cigarette outside, as was I, and we were just making friendly chit chat.  He...she...was very tall, over six feet, and quite simply looked like a middle-aged man in women's clothes...garish women's clothes to boot,  When he mentioned that his wife didn't want him to come, I became curious and soon found out that he was there for the first time and very nervous.  We soon parted ways as I returned to my room to get ready to go to the club with my buds.

Though I thought of Rainbow as somewhat dated and not really the nicest of places, I did remember that the club housed on the grounds was pretty cool.  It had been packed last time and lots of fun, so I was really looking forward to getting my groove on...that is, until I got there.  On the short walk from Cherry House over to the club we passed two more people like Ed. As we walked past them, Sonny casually mentioned, Oh, it's crossdresser's weekend.  

Really?  Are you kidding? 

No, Really!

It was true.  We walked into the empty, cavernous club and immediately made our way downstairs to the basement for some crossdressing karaoke.  Out of the thirty or so people down there, more than half the patrons were middle-aged crossdressers singing Frank Sinatra, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and plenty of other songs from like forty years ago.  We were definitely in the Twilight Zone!  As my pal Rich said when I told him the story a couple of days later, I'd have gotten drunk, that's exactly what I did.  Great minds think alike!

And so set the stage for a weekend of follies and foibles, missed opportunities and a few laughs in between.  It wasn't the greatest of weekends, but it was good to be doing it all with some good people. Here are some of the highlights and low-lights of the weekend...      

After a morning of outlet shopping, the four of us were hungry and looking for a snack to tide us over before dinner.  Along the road in Stroudsburg, Al noticed the coolest little place, Rootin' Tootin' Hot Dogs.  This place as like the hot dog version of so many of those 50's style hamburger places that are so popular these days.  It was owned by a sweet gay couple who really put their own unique spin on both the vintage decor and the menu.  

Old 45 record sleeves adorned the walls and beautifully crafted wooden shelves lined the perimeter. There were red leather booths and a real jukebox that played three songs for a quarter.  And the menu consisted of hot dogs served in several unique ways, with chili, cheese, pesto mayonnaise and more, as well as some delicious tater tot/hash browny potatoes.  High point!

The Horror Hotel

On Sonny's itinerary for us over the weekend was a visit to a haunted mansion, which is always fun. After realizing that the one he had picked out was 45 minutes away, we found one a little closer called the Horror Hotel, or something to that effect.  This place was three attractions in one, and though three of us (four of Sonny's friends had met us up there on Saturday) ended up bailing after a really long wait for the second one (low point!), the one that we did go through was pretty darned scary...and full of belly laughs, too. You see, Sonny's got this look about her that just seems to attract people everywhere she goes, and virtually every monster at this ride set their sights on our poor friend.  You can imagine the laughs we shared at her expense.

Karaoke, More Belly Laughs, and Bradley

Other than the crossdressing karaoke singers, probably the one thing we're all going to remember the most about this particular weekend is Bradley.  Bradley was this young dude who is a local to the Rainbow Mountain area.  He seemed like, and I hate to say this, but it's true, a meth head, though he didn't really appear to be high or anything...maybe just exhibiting some of the effects of having done the drug for a long, long time. Really, though, Bradley was sweet and harmless, and he provided us with all of the entertainment we'd need for that second night at Rainbow.

We'd all first seen Bradley on Friday night, first at karaoke doing a nice rendition of something by Miranda Lambert.  After that, he spent most of the night alone, shirtless on the dance floor pretending he was a stripper at a club or something.  It was then that his strangeness first made itself known, as every once in awhile he'd run up to the bar, place his hands on it as if he were going to do a some sort of flip as his feet arced upwards behind him, and he'd make this very strange face as he yelled out a great big Ahhhhhhh.  It was a unique sound that really can't be described in words, except perhaps some sort of jungle bird calling out to a potential mate.  We'd hear that sound a lot over the next two nights.

To top things off...you remember how I said earlier that Sonny seems to attract attention wherever she goes?  Well, Bradley first laid his eyes on her Friday night and his admiration only grew by Saturday.  Bradley was in love!  Before Sonny and I even hit the front door on Saturday, the Ahhhhhh's could be heard echoing throughout the chilly night air.  

Hey baby!  Sonny was aghast.

Bradley followed us inside and downstairs to a booth where Sonny's pals were hanging out and we were all just taking it in.  The attention Bradley was paying to poor old Sonny.  It was priceless, both Bradley and Sonny's reactions to him, well at least for a couple of hours.

Eventually, though, Bradley got the hint and made himself scarce.  Everybody, except for me and Al, got up and karaoked the rest of the night away.  Sonny, as always, was fabulous (she even won a contest!), and by the end of the night everyone had become so imbibed that the whole group wanted to get up and do Madonna's True Blue.  As you can imagine, and as the karaoke hostess claimed, it was one hot mess!  But it was a fun ending to a strange weekend on Rainbow Mountain.  Of course the next morning the question came up: Will I ever go again?  All I can say is we shall see...but definitely not on crossdresser's weekend.    

Back to School Song of the Day - Unwritten - Natasha Bedingfield

I am unwritten, can't read my mind, I'm undefined

I'm just beginning, the pen's in my hand, ending unplanned

Staring at the blank page before you

Open up the dirty window

Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find

This song has become somewhat of a tradition for me on the first day of school.  It's one of my favorite tunes for a lot of reasons, the best of which is that it is a call for a fresh start, one in which you live your life with arms wide open, feel the rain on your skin and release your inhibitions.  it's a great theme for a new school year, or just about any other time in one's life when they would like to begin anew and live a life full of hope, love and possibility.  

That picture above is from a few years back, after a teacher conference day in which our superintendent asked teachers to recognize some of their colleagues for their hard work and dedication to their profession.  Out of three teachers who received the honor, I was the only one of whom  not one, but three fellow teachers were inspired to nominate.  It was one of the proudest moments of my teaching career and one which I must keep in mind as I move on into this one, potentially one of the most difficult of school years for me, personally.

New York State has changed the laws concerning the education of English Language Learners in a big way, and though everyone is being affected by it, the consequences for me have turned out to be very difficult.  The law was at first applauded by ESL teachers everywhere, as our kids are finally getting some attention that has been badly missing for years and years.  However, I am sure I am not the only one who will begin to suffer for it as my workload has increased greatly, forcing me to squeeze even more out of my school day and on into my, um, free time.

Until this year I have always looked forward to the first day of school.  I get to see my kids again, craziness and all.  But for the very first time in my now 13-year teaching career, I am also dreading it. I am actually cross-posting this one on both John's Music World and John's World as this one's as much of a memoir as it is a Song of the Day.  

As goes with my life, I look for inspiration in music to get me through the tough times, and today's song will be very meaningful for me in getting through the day and the year.  For right now, I am going to let the sun illuminate the words that I cannot find and begin my book not with despair, but with hope.  Fingers crossed!

Reaching for something in the distance

So close you can almost taste it

Release your inhibitions

Feel the rain on your skin

No one else can feel it for you

Only you can let it in

No one else, no one else

Can speak the words on your lips

Drench yourself in words unspoken

Live your life with arms wide open

Today is where your book begins

The rest is still unwritten

Oh, oh, oh

I break tradition, sometimes my tries, are outside the lines

We've been conditioned to not make mistakes, but I can't live that way

Staring at the blank page before you

Open up the dirty window

Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find

Reaching for something in the distance

So close you can almost taste it

Release your inhibitions

Feel the rain on your skin

No one else can feel it for you

Only you can let it in

No one else, no one else

Can speak the words on your lips

Drench yourself in words unspoken

Live your life with arms wide open

Today is where your book begins

Feel the rain on your skin

No one else can feel it for you

Only you can let it in

No one else, no one else

Can speak the words on your lips

Drench yourself in words unspoken

Live your life with arms wide open

Today is where your book begins

The rest is still unwritten

Staring at the blank page before you

Open up the dirty window

Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find

Reaching for something in the distance

So close you can almost taste it

Release your inhibitions

Feel the rain on your skin

No one else can feel it for you

Only you can let it in

No one else, no one else

Can speak the words on your lips

Drench yourself in words unspoken

Live your life with arms wide open

Today is where your book begins

Feel the rain on your skin

No one else can feel it for you

Only you can let it in

No one else, no one else

Can speak the words on your lips

Drench yourself in words unspoken

Live your life with arms wide open

Today is where your book begins

The rest is still unwritten

The rest is still unwritten

The rest is still unwritten

Valentine's Day Post #5 - Better Luck Next Year!

I've been doing these posts for so long, I almost feel it's become obligatory, so for what it's worth...

Another Valentine's Day come and gone

Now comes another 364-day reprieve

Before the odious reminder comes once again

That being single marks us

Unwanted, unloved, unworthy

I don't by that

True love is but a thing of chance

And those of us lucky enough to find it

Are just that...lucky

What most people find is companionship

Another half to share life's ups, downs, 

and everything in between

Are they lucky?  Who knows?

Those of us without

Long for true love

We hope and we dream

Waiting for that arrow to shoot us 

Straight through the heart 

Everyone wants to be lucky in love

The most wonderful feeling in the world

I thought I had it once

In the end, I learned it was never really there

And seven years on I wait

And hope and dream

Please don't misunderstand me

Don't get me wrong

How can anyone hate a day that celebrates love?

Cupid certainly has a spirit

And it touched me today

Even though my spirit lies dormant

Valentine's is a night 

For lovers 

Romance, a rose, a date night, sweet, sweet music

For the lucky ones, I am happy

For the rest of us I say

Keep hoping, keep dreaming

Maybe there's better luck next year

Song of the Day - New Year's Day - U2

All is quiet, on New Year's Day

Yes!  

At the moment, it is the calm that comes after the storm has passed that has settled on my home. After having a house full of people for what turned out to be a really nice party last night, all are gone, and all is quiet.  Now comes the time to clean up, but I plan on taking my time doing so and taking it a little easy.  As with every New Year's Day, it is time to reflect back and look forward, all at the same time, and so I'll be spending a lot of time doing that today.  So in the meantime, I wish a Happy New Year to all!  Enjoy!

Song of the Day - Happy - Pharrell Williams

Just yesterday days ago I posted my choices for the Top Twenty Pop Songs of 2014, and this one landed at #10 (Katy Perry's Dark Horse was my fave!).  For today, though, I thought I'd post Billboard Magazine's pick for the best song of the year and this was it (Katy was #2!).  So celebrate this last day of 2014 by getting Happy...

John's World's Top 20 Pop Songs of 2014

At the end of each year, I like to look back at the music that's rocked my world throughout...and maybe some of these have rocked yours too.  Up until last year, I'd done this sort of post for Yahoo Voices, but since that's gone I'll just have to do it here, lol.  I'm going to preface this post by stating, as if you already didn't know, that my type of music is almost always dancey stuff.  On occasion I find things of other genres that I like, but it's rare.  So if you're looking for any type of rock or alternative stuff in my list of the best in pop for 2014, then you've come to the wrong place.

So herein take a look at John's World's Top 20 Pop Songs of 2014...

#20 - Rude - Magic!

Why you gotta be so rude?
Don't you know I'm human too?
Why you gotta be so rude?
I'm gonna marry her anyway

Okay, I know I already said not to expect anything alternative on this list, and here I go with the very first tune an alternative song.  What can I say?  Throughout the latter part of spring and into summer, the oh so catchy chorus of this one seemed to play out over and over in everyone's heads, including mine.  I posted it on June 11th and you can check it out here.



#19 - Timber - Pitbull and Ke$ha

One of the better collaborations of Pitbull's career features dance singer/songwriter Ke$ha.  This one's got an awesome hook and the track is lighthearted and fun.  Check out a recent Song of the Day post featuring Timber.

#18 - Jealous - Nick Jonas

Anyone who's been following this blog knows that I love Nick Jonas.  The man has come out in a big way this year (and I don't mean closets!), and all the while embracing his fans of the gay persuasion. This, so far, is the biggest hit of his newest eponymous album, and, um,, yeah!  Check out Jealous.



#17 - I - Kendrick Lamar

OMG, I absolutely LOVE this brand new one from R&B singer/rapper Kendrick Lamar.  I discovered it on Spotify only recently, and posted it as Song of the Day just a week and a half ago, and it's good enough to be one of the bestest songs of the year.  Smooth groove, smooth vocals...great vibe!  Check it out...



#16 - Riptide - Vance Joy

Another Spotify-discovered song that I absolutely LOVE!  It's by a relatively obscure Aussie singer Vance Joy and the words just make you want to sing along.  Check out this Song of the Day feature from October here.

#15 - Am I Wrong - Nico and Vinz

I just posted the other day that the feature for this Song of the Day back in July garnered the highest number of page views for the year 2014 under that tag. Check out the infectiously island-infused Am I Wrong.


directlyrics

#14 - Uptown Funk - Mark Ronson with Bruno Mars

I said it back on December 9th that this one was going to be a smash, and from what I'm seeing and hearing, it already is.  This high energy, Minneapolis-inspired funk is nothing but down home fun! Don't believe me just watch...



#13 - All of Me - John Legend

I admit that it took me a long time to get this one.  It is a ballad, after all...but there was one day at Cherry Grove over the summer when it came on and nearly everyone in the bar was singing along to every word and I didn't know it.  Well I know it now and I love it, especially the dance version! Check out the beautiful All of Me.

#12 - Rather Be - Clean Bandit, featuring Jess Glynne

Here's one my personal favorite tunes of 2014.  This one is so beautiful, so sweet, and so melodic that I just can't not listen all the way through whenever it's played.  If you don't know it, then you'd better check it out...



#11 - Fancy - Iggy Azalea, with Charli XCX

First things first, I'm the realist...

What a big year 2014 was for the Aussie rapstress (who's been taking a lot of b.s. from that other Azealia) Iggy Azalea, who first gained notoriety on Ariana Grande's smash Problem and then whipped it up on this funky, bassy jam.

#10 - Happy - Pharrell Williams

This oh so 'happy' tune finally brought some very well-deserved attention to a longstanding multi-talented artist Pharrell Williams.  This one is of a new breed of genre that's brought back some old feel good funk and was definitely a precursor to Mark Ronson's Uptown Funk.  Check out the Happy Song of the Day Post from February.



#9 - Royals - Lorde

Though this masterpiece from young New Zealand singer/songwriter Lorde was released in 2013, it still got lots of airplay in 2014.  The Grammy winning Royals is one of those songs that comes along only once in a blue moon and is very deserving of a spot on the top ten tunes of 2014.

#8 - Talk Dirty - Jason DeRulo

Ooh, this was a fun one.  A little...no, a lot...on the explicit side, but it's got that R&B smooth swagger that's so fun to jam to.  Check out Talk Dirty.


#7 - Waves - Mr. Probz

My face above the water
My feet can't touch the ground
I can see the sands on the horizon
Every time, you are not around
And I'm slowly drifting...

The year 2014 saw a resurgence of chill/lounge music, and this one lead the way, growing in popularity throughout the year.  The Robin Schulz (who I've really come to love) remix is the one that you all know and it goes a lil something like this...



#6 - Problem - Ariana Grande, with Iggy Azalea

Now a year I ago, many of us never even heard of Ariana Grande, but after this one with the oh so appropriate in-your-face lyrics and the infectious dance track, she's become a huge part of the current pop music landscape.  Check out the Problem Song of the Day Post from May.

#5 - Take Me to Church - Hozier

Here's another song I only recently discovered from Irish indie singer Hozier.  The Grammy-nominated song is simply powerful and the video is equally so.  Check out this Song of the Day post of Take Me to Church.

#4 - All About That Bass - Meghan Trainor

One of the most iconic and popular songs of the year comes from newcomer Meghan Trainor and she had us all thinking about bass and treble in a whole new way.  Check out All About That Bass.

#3 - Sing - Ed Sheeran

Ed Sheeran was one of the most successful artists of the year 2014, and this is the one that was his springboard to success.  With the help of producer Rick Rubin, Sheeran recorded his second studio album, X, a compilation of twelve stellar tunes.  The album has earned the singer many accolades, nominations and fans, including me, and though I love the entire set, this one featuring Pharrell Williams has to be my favorite!




forbes

#2 - Shake It Off - Taylor Swift

This one is so irresistable it's got to be one of the catchiest and funnest songs of all time!  Check it out...

And the players gonna play play play play play 
And the haters gonna hate hate hate hate hate...



#1 - Dark Horse - Katy Perry, featuring Juicy J

All the while I was thinking about this post, I was sure that I was going to name Swift's tune the #1 Song of the Year, and then I remembered this one.  Katy Perry's Dark Horse came out in late 2013 and its title is very appropriate.  It wasn't originally aimed to be a single, but its perfect blend of thumpy beats, Juicy J's raps and mystical feel simply induced all who heard it to listen and listen and listen.  Oh, what a great song!  Take another listen...


So there you have it, my Top 20 Pop Songs for 2014.  I hope you've enjoyed reading and reliving some of the year's best music and please let me know down in the comments some of the songs that rocked your world in 2014.  Stay tuned for my annual countdown of the year's 30 best dance/club tunes coming soon!