Song of the Day - "Dynamite" Taio Cruz

Today's "Song of the Day" is one of my favorite songs from last year. Everything about it is fun and it's pure joy to dance to! Enjoy!

"I throw my hands up in the air sometimes, singing 'ay yo, baby let's go'"



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February 22, 2010 - Scoring an Interview; Luca, Luca, Luca; My Latest on AC; Fellow YCN Writers on My Work

Luca!

Happy Tuesday! It looks like a nice day outside and since I have a dentist appointment later, I think I’ll finally be getting out there soon enough. I stayed in all day yesterday and did a lot of writing, which is a good thing, but I think I need to take a break from it today, at least for a little while.

You Never Know

Last night I was going through some old pieces I had written for AC and I came across one that I love. It’s called Keys to Life and it was my adaptation of a similar list written by Michael Thomas Ford in his book, “My Big Fat Queer Life.” I posted it to Facebook hoping to get some fresh interest in the piece and within a few minutes I got a comment from a friend of my sisters. She said that she read the piece and loved it, which came as quite a surprise. I never realized that she read the things I wrote and posted.

A little over a month ago, fellow writer Michele Starkey made several comments on a couple of pieces I had written about my estrangement from him. She was probably the one person who had been rooting for a reunion the whole time and she mentioned often that “you never know who’s reading you.” She was right, for he had been reading my pieces and even made a couple of anonymous comments on them. Though the final result has been a complete disaster, those pieces did lead to a brief reconciliation. I don’t think he follows me anymore.

The comment last night reminded me that Michele was right in what she said. You never know who is reading what you write. After all, I sit here alone in my office, typing away and speaking to no one in particular with my words, yet I seem to forget that there are plenty of people following me through this blog and on YCN. I put out a thank you on FB after I got the complement from her, and I’m saying it here again, too! Thank you!

Yesterday’s Articles

Yesterday I started off with my piece on foreign language songs, which is under review at the moment. Once it’s published I’ll share the link. I also did a humorous piece that I’ve been wanting to do for a long time on spam emails. It’s called Spam a Lot? and so far it’s gotten good reactions from readers. Finally I did my weekly Pop Music News, with coverage of the Brit Awards, new songs by Lady GaGa, Adele’s record breaking week and the new Radiohead album. Though I think the items I include in this series are all good, they’re not getting the hits I think they should. Is it the title? I wonder…

Luca, Luca, Luca

In the spirit of my foreign language song article, I’m posting a video here that I absolutely love. Though this foreign language song never hit here in the US, it’s one of my favorites. It’s by dreamy Italian singer Luca Dirisio, and I saw it on MTV Europe when I was in Italy a few years back. Aside from being mesmerized by the singer’s looks, I found the song to be catchy and fun, even though I have no idea what he’s saying. The song is called “Calma e Sangue Freddo”, and loosely translated it means “calm and cool blood” (?). I found this translation in a forum somewhere in case you were interested in the lyrics. Anyway, check it out:


Isn't he beautiful?

An Interview with Han

Yesterday afternoon I was posting comments on some articles by fellow readers and I came across an interview by long time friend and fellow writer Han Van Meegerin. Han is a prolific writer who’s well known for his interviews. The subject of this particular interview was none other than one of my favorite YCN writers, Nancy Canfield. Nancy is one of the funniest writers I’ve ever read, almost always giving me big belly laughs with her words, something that’s hard to do! I enjoyed the interview and commented on it.

About an hour or so later, I got an email from Han thanking me for the comment and asking if I’d like to be the subject of his next interview. I’ve been interviewed before, but like I said Han is well known for his interviews and so I immediately responded with a yes. We agreed to do it live via instant messenger, which was a first for me. The thought of it made me a little nervous because I’d have to be quick with my answers and write them well.

As agreed, we ‘met’ online around 10PM and did the interview, which went splendidly. As I expected, this one was different than the others and most all of the questions were thought provoking. The piece should be out later on today, so stay tuned…

Speaking of …

As always, I am humbled whenever I’m recognized by my peers for what I do on YCN. Here are some links to past interviews and pieces on me that I’m very proud of:

May 6, 2009 – Who in the World is John Myers?, by Sabah Karimi

Sabah is one of YCN’s most successful writers and she used to run a blog called the “AC Weekly.” She was one of the first people to approach me about my work and she published a piece on me for the site. Thanks Sabah!

July 8, 2009 – An Interview with John Myers: A Must Read, by Ana Maria Alvarez

This was the first time I’d been interviewed by another writer. Ana had been a fan of my work and especially loved my pieces on homosexuality, my Aunt Vi, and my dad’s death. She’d started off with a marriage proposal, which I had to turn down, and the rest was just as fun. Ana has since stopped writing for YCN, but I still keep in contact with her through Facebook. She’s got quite a talent for poetry, so if that’s your thing, be sure to check her out here, and the interview as well!

July 20, 2009 – Why John Myers Deserves the Best of AC Nomination, by Kayla Wardlow (now known as Marie Page)

Kayla is another foregone writer at AC/YCN who I still keep in contact with through Facebook. She penned this one without me knowing and made a great case for me winning a monthly award for the best in music writing. I lost the contest, but to me the article was enough of a reward! Check out Kayla’s page here.

October 26, 2009 – AC’s Sexiest Men of 2009, by Jennifer Wagner

Jenny is an absolute hoot! Way back in October of 2009, she published this piece that went absolutely viral on AC, garnering 114 comments. Being included on the list was fun, but reading the comments was even better!

January 29, 2010 – AC Writer’s Showcase: Lending a Helping Hand, by Abby Greenhill

Abby is one of those people whose inner light shines through in her writing. She is a widely beloved contributor at YCN who used to write regular pieces to help out her favorite writers. This one included me! Thanks Abby!

October 15, 2010 – John Myers Writes About Prejudice and Tolerance for Gays, by Pat Bartels

This was another one of those pleasant surprises I didn’t see coming. During my earlier days at Associated Content, I wrote extensively about my personal life as a gay man, and those pieces got me a lot of fans, including Pat. This one was a great affirmation of what I do and I owe Pat a debt of gratitude.

December 11, 2010 – The Most Intriguing Yahoo/AC Music Writer for 2010 is John Myers, by Charlotte Kuchinsky

This was the most recent recognition that I’ve gotten and I’ve blogged about it a couple of times.

Well, I think I’ve written enough for you to read by now. As always, I’m forever grateful for your readership. Until next time…

Song of the Day - Adele - Someone Like You

Today marks the long awaited release of Adele's "21", (I am downloading it as we speak!) and so I had to honor the occassion with a "Song of the Day" nod. Though I posted it on Facebook just yesterday, this newest single is so good it's worthy of posting a second straight day. "Someone Like You" is currently at the #1 spot on the UK Charts, propelled there by her performance at the Brit Awards last Tuesday.

In his introduction to the performance, the host of the show spelled out Adele's gift of song beautifully:

"There's nothing quite like the feeling when you're listening to a song written by someone you don't know, who you never met, who somehow manages to describe exactly how you felt at a particular moment in your life. This next artist is able to do that time after time...if you've ever had a broken heart you're about to remember it now..."

So without further adieu, take a look at Adele performing "Someone Like You" at the Brit Awards:



Someone Like You

I heard
That you're settled down
That you
Found a girl
And you're
Married now

I heard
That your dreams came true.
Guess she gave you things
I didn't give to you

Old friend
Why are you so shy?
Ain't like you to hold back
Or hide from the light

I hate to turn up out of the blue uninvited
But I couldn't stay away, I couldn't fight it.
I had hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded
That for me it isn't over

Never mind
I'll find someone like you
I wish nothing but the best for you too
Don't forget me I beg
I remember you said
"Sometimes it lasts in love
But sometimes it hurts instead."
Sometimes it lasts in love
But sometimes it hurts instead,
Yeah.

You know how
The time flies
Only yesterday
It was the time of our lives
We were born and raised
In a summer haze
Bound by the surprise
Of our glory days

I hate to turn up out of the blue uninvited
But I couldn't stay away, I couldn't fight it.
I had hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded
That for me it isn't over, yeah.

Never mind
I'll find someone like you
I wish nothing but the best for you too
Don't forget me I beg
I remember you said
"Sometimes it lasts in love
But sometimes it hurts instead"

Nothing compares
No worries or cares
Regrets and mistakes
And memories made.
Who would have known
How bittersweet
This would taste?

Never mind
I'll find someone like you
I wish nothing but the best for you too
Don't forget me I beg
I remember you said,
"Sometimes it lasts in love
But sometimes it hurts instead"

Never mind
I'll find someone like you
I wish nothing but the best for you, too
Don't forget me I beg
I remember you said
"Sometimes it lasts in love
But sometimes it hurts instead"

Sometimes it lasts in love
But sometimes it hurts instead

For really cool pictures...

A friend of mine recently sent me a link to a National Geographic site called "Visions of Earth." It is a monthly slideshow of fantastic images done in typical National Geographic style. Since the site was so cool, I wanted to share it with you, so please check it out: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/visions-of-earth/visions-earth-2011

Just scroll through the various months to be treated to all kinds of wonderfull photos like the one below.