Thursday, May 31, 2012
Song of the Day - Never Close Our Eyes - Adam Lambert
I tell ya, it's getting harder and harder to post actual videos on here. Since the vid for this one's been getting a lot of attention lately, and my pal Sherri suggested I check him out, I figured I'd feature it as Song of the Day, but of course it's all about the money, so it is not available. At least we've got this clip of Adam singing the decent tune (it's growing on me...) at his old stomping grounds. Check it out:
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Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Writing Wednesday, May 30th, 2012
Happy Hump Day everyone! Today is Wednesday, May 30th and it's hard to believe that June is right on our doorstep already, but it is. Ah, time flies... Here's this week's Writing Wednesday:
Portland, TN
Strawberry Festivals
Summer is time for outdoor fests and the season always starts in June with great Strawberry Festivals celebrating the harvest of the delectable fruit. Check out all of the strawberry festivals happening around Long Island next month:
Strawberry Festivals around Long Island
Gay Pride
June is gay pride month and I've been posting several pieces on Examiner covering all the pride events happening in and around the NYC Metropolitan area. Check em out:
NYC
Long Island
Outer Boroughs and New Jersey
Sponsor a Youth for a Gay Prom
Every year, LIGALY (Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth) holds a prom for gay youth as an alternative to the 'straight-up' kind. This event gives these kids a chance to be themselves and the organization is seeking donations to help defray the cost of the event for these kids. Check it out and donate right here.
More Donna Summer
Here's a new piece I wrote for Yahoo Voices, featuring some great Donna Summer songs you probably don't even know. Check it out right here, and check out Donna's "Supernatural Love":
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Portland, TN
Strawberry Festivals
Summer is time for outdoor fests and the season always starts in June with great Strawberry Festivals celebrating the harvest of the delectable fruit. Check out all of the strawberry festivals happening around Long Island next month:
Strawberry Festivals around Long Island
Gay Pride
June is gay pride month and I've been posting several pieces on Examiner covering all the pride events happening in and around the NYC Metropolitan area. Check em out:
NYC
Long Island
Outer Boroughs and New Jersey
Sponsor a Youth for a Gay Prom
Every year, LIGALY (Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth) holds a prom for gay youth as an alternative to the 'straight-up' kind. This event gives these kids a chance to be themselves and the organization is seeking donations to help defray the cost of the event for these kids. Check it out and donate right here.
More Donna Summer
Here's a new piece I wrote for Yahoo Voices, featuring some great Donna Summer songs you probably don't even know. Check it out right here, and check out Donna's "Supernatural Love":
John's World
This is cool! Just cool!
The latest from my so-called life.
Music
What's a week on John's World without a little music news and videos? Take a look at these:
There's also been some great new music featured on John's World this week. Check these out:
Pauline - Give Me a Call (well, this one's new to me, but it's oh so good!)
Well I think that's enough reading for today, lol. Enjoy!
Song of the Day - Only The Horses - Scissor Sisters
I've never been a big fan of the Scissor Sisters. In fact, this is the very first time I am featuring them on a Song of the Day post. At the moment, Jake Shears and Company are pretty hot with a brand new album and a brand new video for "Baby Come Home," the second single off "The Magic Hour." I listened to both that one and this, their Calvin Harris-produced first single, and to me, this one won hands down. It's got a cool, ethereal dance floor vibe and it kind of sticks in your head long after a listen. Check it out:
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Tuesday, May 29, 2012
What the hell is a disco stick anyway?
Sometimes it sucks working for a living! Early this morning, while I was checking my email, I came across several posts about how Madonna is planning on mashing up Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" with her own, that's right, "Express Yourself" for her M.D.N.A. tour. She finishes the mix with the chorus to "She's Not Me," from "Hard Candy." Hmm?
If only I hadn't had to go to work I would've been able to post about it here much earlier. But such is life and at the moment the video that had been circulating has been taken down. :-(
What can I say about this news?
Interesting?
Yes.
Madge hashing this up all over again?
Hmm, yeah.
What for?
I don't know, but I'm intrigued.
My pal Dita doesn't think there's any need for this to come up, and that Madonna is just being somewhat immature by doing it. I'm not sure about that. I'd have to reserve my better judgement when I can see it for myself, but I just think it's Mo's sense of humor, which I know can be kind of icy, if you know what I mean.
Anyway, I read about it on one of my favorite blogs, Idolator, and you can check it out here, but before you do that, I'm stealing a clip that they shared from Saturday Night Live. You'll catch the title of this post when you watch it. Hysterical!
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If only I hadn't had to go to work I would've been able to post about it here much earlier. But such is life and at the moment the video that had been circulating has been taken down. :-(
What can I say about this news?
Interesting?
Yes.
Madge hashing this up all over again?
Hmm, yeah.
What for?
I don't know, but I'm intrigued.
My pal Dita doesn't think there's any need for this to come up, and that Madonna is just being somewhat immature by doing it. I'm not sure about that. I'd have to reserve my better judgement when I can see it for myself, but I just think it's Mo's sense of humor, which I know can be kind of icy, if you know what I mean.
Anyway, I read about it on one of my favorite blogs, Idolator, and you can check it out here, but before you do that, I'm stealing a clip that they shared from Saturday Night Live. You'll catch the title of this post when you watch it. Hysterical!
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Song of the Day - Give Me A Call - Pauline
I owe today and a few future Songs of the Day to my Facebook bud, Jeremy. I first met Jeremy last summer at a barbecue at my then new buddy Ozzie's house. The fiesta wasn't exactly what had been planned, as it ended up being only three of us, but in the end it was a good time anyway. What I remembered most about Jeremy was that he had great taste in music and that night he turned me on to a lot of great, new stuff.
Jeremy and I recently had a couple of exchanges on Facebook and I asked him for some suggestions on music, and this was one of the ones he turned me on to. Jeremy kinda raved about Pauline and from what he had said, hers was one of the first suggestions I downloaded. The song reminds me of Amy Winehouse style. No, not that the voices are similar, but this track has kind of an old school R&B feel to it, and I love the way it sounds. I'm definitely looking forward to checking more out of Miss Pauline!
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Jeremy and I recently had a couple of exchanges on Facebook and I asked him for some suggestions on music, and this was one of the ones he turned me on to. Jeremy kinda raved about Pauline and from what he had said, hers was one of the first suggestions I downloaded. The song reminds me of Amy Winehouse style. No, not that the voices are similar, but this track has kind of an old school R&B feel to it, and I love the way it sounds. I'm definitely looking forward to checking more out of Miss Pauline!
Monday, May 28, 2012
Monday, May 28th, 2012 - Memorial Day Sunday at the Grove; Dark Clouds
It's been awhile since I've caught up personally here, and I figured now might be the time to do so. Right now it's Monday night, the end of Memorial Day and I'm sitting here in my office sweating. Not only has the unofficial start of summer begun, but so has the hot, sticky weather. If it weren't for my doctor's orders to not exert myself physically, I definitely would've put my bedroom AC in today. Instead I'll just have to fan it....
Memorial Day Sunday at Cherry Grove
Yesterday was one of those days where my friends, myself and virtually every other gay person on Long Island always go to Cherry Grove. The Sunday of both Memorial and Labor Days are the two days my pals Rich and Bobby always go, and our group can be anywhere from just the three of us to ten or more.
This year it was the three of us and one of my new pals Marianna. I met Marianna a few weeks back in Circus. She was decidedly curious then and we became fast friends, and I thought she might have a blast, which she did. Rich's niece Erin was there with her posse and all in all we had a great time, but for me it was different than usual...
Marianna and I
Dark Clouds
For those of you who read me regularly, you know that I talk a lot about those Ziggy periods, where things just seem to go bad for me, intangible things that I have no control over and it's very frustrating to get through it. From experience, I know that I have to just grin and bear these periods and wait them out until they pass, but this time it seems to be taking forever.
I think that maybe a lot of it has to do with the surgery...well, my outlook on things anyway. In the weeks leading up to it, the whole thing cast a shadow over my life and I couldn't help but think of it a lot of the time. Then, when it was over, the physical pain came and still, almost two weeks later it hasn't ebbed much. Don't get me wrong, the pain is not nearly as it was, say a week ago, but physically I just don't feel right and I hate it.
Coinciding with all of this are the intangibles, the things I have no control over. Really, there have been so many I couldn't even begin to count them all, but in total they've got me in a pretty down spot and the only thing keeping me going is the knowledge that it can't last forever...or could it?
Just today I went to my pal Blanche's house for a quick visit, and when I left, a Ziggy moment occurred. I opened my car door to get in and since my car is so low the door opened up onto Blanchie's grass. Well, I went to close the door and voila, the door handle on the inside of the car just broke off! It seems the door got stuck on the grass and I pulled it so hard it broke. FML, lol...
Things at school are as rough as they've ever been. I can't share much here, but all I will say is that I've found myself smack dab in the middle of a scandal that's made the news, and I've been dealing with very little time for teaching and a lot of time for cleaning up messes. Again, FML!
These are just two of what feels like hundreds of little, irritable things that have been happening to me lately and I'm not sure how much more I can take. Dita told me that yesterday I wasn't myself at the Grove and he was right. I can't say for certain, but it feels like these dark clouds I call Ziggy are just lingering over my head and I see no end in sight. But there's got to be, right? Right!
Image Sources:
Me
The Universe Between Your Ears
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Memorial Day Sunday at Cherry Grove
Yesterday was one of those days where my friends, myself and virtually every other gay person on Long Island always go to Cherry Grove. The Sunday of both Memorial and Labor Days are the two days my pals Rich and Bobby always go, and our group can be anywhere from just the three of us to ten or more.
This year it was the three of us and one of my new pals Marianna. I met Marianna a few weeks back in Circus. She was decidedly curious then and we became fast friends, and I thought she might have a blast, which she did. Rich's niece Erin was there with her posse and all in all we had a great time, but for me it was different than usual...
Marianna and I
My pal Manny and me 
For those of you who read me regularly, you know that I talk a lot about those Ziggy periods, where things just seem to go bad for me, intangible things that I have no control over and it's very frustrating to get through it. From experience, I know that I have to just grin and bear these periods and wait them out until they pass, but this time it seems to be taking forever.
I think that maybe a lot of it has to do with the surgery...well, my outlook on things anyway. In the weeks leading up to it, the whole thing cast a shadow over my life and I couldn't help but think of it a lot of the time. Then, when it was over, the physical pain came and still, almost two weeks later it hasn't ebbed much. Don't get me wrong, the pain is not nearly as it was, say a week ago, but physically I just don't feel right and I hate it.
Coinciding with all of this are the intangibles, the things I have no control over. Really, there have been so many I couldn't even begin to count them all, but in total they've got me in a pretty down spot and the only thing keeping me going is the knowledge that it can't last forever...or could it?
Just today I went to my pal Blanche's house for a quick visit, and when I left, a Ziggy moment occurred. I opened my car door to get in and since my car is so low the door opened up onto Blanchie's grass. Well, I went to close the door and voila, the door handle on the inside of the car just broke off! It seems the door got stuck on the grass and I pulled it so hard it broke. FML, lol...
Things at school are as rough as they've ever been. I can't share much here, but all I will say is that I've found myself smack dab in the middle of a scandal that's made the news, and I've been dealing with very little time for teaching and a lot of time for cleaning up messes. Again, FML!
Image Sources:
Me
The Universe Between Your Ears
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Song of the Day - Timebomb - Kylie Minogue
On Friday, Kylie Minogue released a brand new single and accompanying video that are both absolutely sizzling! The song is called "Timebomb" and it's classic Kylie, with sultry and catchy hooks and it's oh so danceable. Perfect for summer! The track will be featured on her new greatest hits album coming out on June 19th, and the whole thing is part of a year-long celebration of Kylie's 25 years in music, which she calls K25.
The video is another example of vintage Kylie, interspersed with scenes of the singer moving through London's Soho district first on foot and then in a hot car, and studio shots of Kylie being Kylie, dancing it up in her own sexy way. Just check out the next-to-nothing outfit she's wearing towards the end. Meow! Since the video is so new, of course, I'm not permitted to post it here, but you can check it out by clicking the link to YouTube right here.
Check out the Huffington Post article on the new Kylie here.
By the way, today is Kylie's 44th birthday. as well, so Happy Birthday Kylie!
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The video is another example of vintage Kylie, interspersed with scenes of the singer moving through London's Soho district first on foot and then in a hot car, and studio shots of Kylie being Kylie, dancing it up in her own sexy way. Just check out the next-to-nothing outfit she's wearing towards the end. Meow! Since the video is so new, of course, I'm not permitted to post it here, but you can check it out by clicking the link to YouTube right here.
Check out the Huffington Post article on the new Kylie here.
By the way, today is Kylie's 44th birthday. as well, so Happy Birthday Kylie!
Image Sources:
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Lady Gaga cancels "Born This Way Ball" concert in Indonesia
For those of you who didn't know, Lady Gaga began her "Born This Way Ball" Tour, her second world concert tour, in Asia exactly one month ago today. She's already played dates in Seoul, South Korea, Hong Kong, Bangkok and Tokyo, and she'll be heading to Australia and New Zealand next month after a stop in Singapore tomorrow night. There would have been one more show in southeast Asia on June 3rd, but earlier today, amidst security concerns, the singer cancelled her upcoming show in Indonesia.
During the short run of the tour, Gaga has been met with resistance at seemingly every turn, with social conservatives protesting, deeming her shows too racy for their youth to witness. Until now, though, all of the shows have gone on as planned and have gotten good reviews. This time though, threats from a Muslim extremist group were deemed serious enough to make her cancel the show, much to the disappointment of the fans that would have witnessed the sold-out concert.
Though Indonesia is a model country for showing that a democracy can exist in a Muslim country, there still exists an element of extremism that casts a shadow over the religion. The threats came about under claims that Gaga's "sexy clothes and provocative dance moves would corrupt the youth" of the country. Sounds like the same claims over Elvis Presley concerts back in the 50's, doesn't it?
Unfortunately in the end, Lady Gaga relented in cancelling the show out of concern for the safety of her fans. That's too bad for them! To read more on this story, check out the Associated Press right here, and to check out the rest of Gaga's current leg of her world tour, see Billboard right here.
In the meantime, check out a performance of "Born This Way" in the Philippines earlier this month:
Image Source: Popcrush
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Though Indonesia is a model country for showing that a democracy can exist in a Muslim country, there still exists an element of extremism that casts a shadow over the religion. The threats came about under claims that Gaga's "sexy clothes and provocative dance moves would corrupt the youth" of the country. Sounds like the same claims over Elvis Presley concerts back in the 50's, doesn't it?
Unfortunately in the end, Lady Gaga relented in cancelling the show out of concern for the safety of her fans. That's too bad for them! To read more on this story, check out the Associated Press right here, and to check out the rest of Gaga's current leg of her world tour, see Billboard right here.
In the meantime, check out a performance of "Born This Way" in the Philippines earlier this month:
Image Source: Popcrush
Song of the Day - Let's Go - Calvin Harris feat. Ne-Yo
Here's a hot new one from Calvin Harris, featuring one of my favorite R&B singers, Ne-Yo. This dancy, clubby track should be a great song for summer 2012. Happy Memorial Day Weekend!
Crowded House drummer passes away at 45: R.I.P. Peter Jones
And then there were three. There's some old cliche about things happening in threes, and one of the things many talk about concerning threes are deaths. First, Donna Summer passed away on May 17th, then the Bee Gees Robin Gibb on the 20th, and now the drummer for 80's Australian band Crowded House, Peter Jones, has passed away at the age of 45. He, like the other two, had been battling cancer.
Here's Crowded House's iconic and melodic song from the 80's, the sweet "Don't Dream It's Over":
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Rest in Peace!
Here's Crowded House's iconic and melodic song from the 80's, the sweet "Don't Dream It's Over":
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Article Spotlight: Summer Music....Party Rock!
It's Memorial Day Weekend and summer is finally upon us. In addition to driving with the top down, hanging at the beach and just being outside, part of what makes summer so great is of course, summer music. There are certain songs that will always be associated with summer, and we've all got our favorites. Check out a couple of pieces I wrote on great summer songs:
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Awesome Summer Songs for All Sorts of Summertime Scenarios
This one's a list of songs chock full of summertime fun, whether you're just getting out of school for the summer, laying out on the beach, or just hanging out on a warm summer evening.
Here are some albums that'll rev up your summer whatever your taste, whether it be classic Beach Boys surfin' fare, hard rocking to ACDC, or popping summer party songs from Madonna, the Venga Boys, Jennifer Lopez or Donna Summer.
Any way you slice it, summer music is always nice! Here's last year's summer smash, from LMFAO...I think it's time for another listen...
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Friday, May 25, 2012
It's Over for NY Rangers!
Just about five minutes ago, the Devils scored in overtime to beat the Rangers 3-2 in the game and win the series 4 games to 2. For Rangers' fans, it was an ugly series as the Blueshirts just couldn't muster much against the high-flying Devs. Though I had a good feeling about this year, it just wasn't meant to be! It was a good run while it lasted and congratulations to the Devils, who go on to meet the LA Kings in the Stanley Cup Finals. Go Kings!
Wait till next year!
Image Source: good-wallpapers
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Flashback Friday Song of the Day - On the Radio - Donna Summer
Someone found a letter you wrote me
On the radio
And they told the world just how you felt
It must have fallen out of a hole
In your old brown overcoat
They never said your name
But I knew just who they meant
I was so surprised and shocked
And I wondered, too
If by chance you heard it for yourself
I never told a soul
Just how I've been feeling about you
But they said it really loud
They said it on the air...
And I wondered, too
If by chance you heard it for yourself
I never told a soul
Just how I've been feeling about you
But they said it really loud
They said it on the air...
I'm gonna finish this week of Donna Summer tributes with one of her most famous, the dancy, discoey, wonderful "On the Radio." Enjoy and Happy Friday!
Thursday, May 24, 2012
A Walking Roller Coaster!
Yesterday I "Stumbled Upon," literally, something I thought was very cool: a walking roller coaster. The structure is located at the top of a hill overlooking the Rhine in the city of Duisburg, Germany. The piece is called Tiger and Turtle - Magic Mountain and it was created by Heike Mutter and Ulrich Genth. It stands almost 70 feet in height and it's got a loop smack dab in the middle of it (I wonder how one traverses that!). The structure is fitted with LED lights, so interested walking enthusiasts can go for a stroll even after dark. The walking coaster opened in November of 2011 as part of a refurbishment project of the city and if I ever get to Germany, I wanna go!
Song of the Day - She Works Hard For The Money - Donna Summer
Well it's back to work for me today after six days out recovering from last week's surgery, and here's the perfect song for this day. Donna Summer's "She Works Hard for the Money" struck a chord with working people everywhere back in 1983. I remember the story of how she was in a restaurant, or maybe even a diner, and a hard-working waitress inspired her to write the song. I hope she gave that woman some of the profits...
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Ooh, check out the prices they're asking for the CD at Amazon, even for a used one. Wow! So sad!
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Writing Wednesday, May 23rd, 2012
Well it's been two weeks once again since my last WW, but at this time last week I was in the hospital after my surgery, so at least I've got an excuse. In the past week that I've been home recuperating, I've been doing a lot of writing, mostly for Examiner. Check it out:
Gay Pride is Coming
June is Gay Pride month. Ever since the Stonewall riots in June of 1969, gay people have stood loud and proud every year to commemorate the event and show some unity in the face of hatred and discrimination, something I feel very strongly about. New York City, the birthplace of the gay pride movement has the biggest such celebration in the world, and Long Island's is not too shabby either. Here's the lowdown on both events:
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Gay Pride is Coming
June is Gay Pride month. Ever since the Stonewall riots in June of 1969, gay people have stood loud and proud every year to commemorate the event and show some unity in the face of hatred and discrimination, something I feel very strongly about. New York City, the birthplace of the gay pride movement has the biggest such celebration in the world, and Long Island's is not too shabby either. Here's the lowdown on both events:
NYC Pride Week 2012 events
R.I.P. Donna Summer
Just six days ago, iconic singer Donna Summer lost a bout with cancer, something no one really even knew she had. Donna Summer was one special singer. She was music royalty, and she was one of my favorite divas. I've been paying tribute to Donna ever since, both with a week's worth of Songs of the Day and some pieces I penned. Currently I'm planning just one more piece, which has yet to be written. I'm just waiting for both the time to do so and deciding where to put it.
So yes, the Donna Summer tributes will continue, at least for a little while. I think she's worth it, and I believe the coverage and tributes to her have been too little for such an icon. She was low key, but she deserves a bit higher key for all she's given us in the form of great music. Here's a tribute piece I penned in honor of her and the gay community that loved her so much:
And here are some great Donna Summer tunes that have been featured this week:
Defending My Own
Most of my readers know that I am a teacher, and a proud one at that. After seeing yet another newspaper article about teacher jobs being cut in the latest round of budget votes, I was motivated to write this piece:
Summer Concerts at Jones Beach
The Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, Long Island is my favorite place to see a concert. Every summer, the theater puts on a summer festival of the best of music old and new and this year's schedule can be found here, of course with a little commentary by me:
New Coasters
Roller coasters and theme parks are a big part of this John's world, and here's a rundown of the newest thrill rides coming to an amusement park near you:
There's been plenty more posted here on John's World, but I think I've already given you enough to read, lol. If you like, just take a look at the sidebar to check out some new coaster videos, a hateful speech against gays by a North Carolina pastor, an obituary for the Bee Gees' Robin Gibb, who passed away last Sunday, and much more. As always, thanks for checking in with me! have a great Thursday!
Image Sources:
Gay Pride - J. Myers
Donna Summer - stereogum
Jones Beach Theater - gatewayinnlongisland
Verbolten, Busch Gardens Williamsburg - MSNBC
My 1,000th Post
This is my 1,000th post on this blog, and still I'm not really sure how to approach it. I started this blog on December 29th, 2007 with a post called Reflections. The post was a re-post of a piece I had written for what was then Associated Content. It was the first installment of a series about the end of my relationship with Joe. When I posted the piece, my intentions for this blog were to promote my various pieces all in one place. Well, the blog has definitely changed since then!
In the months that followed that first post I would re-post other pieces I'd written, but the posts were sporadic at best. Then in January of 2011, things began to change. It was another sort-of breakup that got me going in a different direction with John's World. For the first time in my life, at the age of 45, I got hurt, and as before I turned to writing to work out my emotions. I began to post music videos and depressing feeling-sorry-for-myself novellas. On New Year's Day, I penned A new start for an online journal, spelling out my first change in direction for this blog.
I went on this way for months, spilling my guts out and interspersing it with sad songs, and you know what? I started getting hits to John's World. In April, I decided to write a post that tried to define just what this blog is. I'm going to re-post much of A defining post here, because after reading it again, I'm glad to say it still works:
Traveling down this road, Watching the signs as I go
I think I'll follow the sun, Isn't everyone just
Traveling down their own road, Watching the signs as they go
I think I'll follow my heart, It's a very good place to start
I posted these words on my Facebook page earlier tonight. They’re from Madonna’s song “Sky Fits Heaven,” which is from her 1998 “Ray of Light” album. To me, it’s one of her best albums and this is one of my favorite tunes off of it. As I listened to the words for the umpteenth time, something clicked inside of me.
For a long time I’ve been thinking about this blog and how to define it. Many of my friends who run blogs all have a niche they write in. My niche has been hard to define. For months, my tag line has been “I’m just a regular guy trying to get through life…” Well, yeah, that’s true, but how am I getting through it? What’ exactly is my journey and how and why do I share it here? The answer for me lies within these lyrics.
For a long time I’ve been thinking about this blog and how to define it. Many of my friends who run blogs all have a niche they write in. My niche has been hard to define. For months, my tag line has been “I’m just a regular guy trying to get through life…” Well, yeah, that’s true, but how am I getting through it? What’ exactly is my journey and how and why do I share it here? The answer for me lies within these lyrics.
We all travel down our own roads. I believe that probably more so than most, and I live my life in my own way, never worrying about conforming to expectations. I am always following the sun, looking for my own happiness, whatever that may be and I’m not usually afraid to try. Of course, signs are all around us, all around me as I travel down the road of my life and more often than not it is my heart rather than my head that I follow. Whether or not things go the way that I want them to, I’ll never waver in my journey, and for that I’ll have no regrets.
So what is this blog about? It’s about me. It’s about all of the things and the people and the places that I encounter along my way, and the signs that I choose whether or not to obey. Right or wrong, I am me, and I’m living my life the best way I know how. In a way, I’m slowly painting a picture of the landscape of my life through the words and images I share here, and I hope it serves others somehow.
I’m going to continue to share myself with those of you who continue to read this blog. I’ll continue to share the songs and the music I love so much. I’ll continue to talk about the people in my life who help to shape what it is and what it will become, good or bad. And I’ll continue to impart my feelings on the world as I see it, for its troubles and its beauty. This is my long-awaited mission statement.
So what is this blog about? It’s about me. It’s about all of the things and the people and the places that I encounter along my way, and the signs that I choose whether or not to obey. Right or wrong, I am me, and I’m living my life the best way I know how. In a way, I’m slowly painting a picture of the landscape of my life through the words and images I share here, and I hope it serves others somehow.
I’m going to continue to share myself with those of you who continue to read this blog. I’ll continue to share the songs and the music I love so much. I’ll continue to talk about the people in my life who help to shape what it is and what it will become, good or bad. And I’ll continue to impart my feelings on the world as I see it, for its troubles and its beauty. This is my long-awaited mission statement.
So yeah, that's John's World, and this is my 1,000th post, with almost 300K page views. I'm grateful to anyone who checks in on me from time to time, and especially those who read me on a regular basis. Take care!
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Verbolten: Busch Gardens, Williamsburg's newest coaster
I was in the middle of penning a piece on the newest thrill rides for 2012 when I came across Verbolten, Busch Gardens, Williamsburg's newest masterpiece. Busch Gardens is one of my favorite theme parks, modeled after European countries in a most spectacular way and interlaced among the countrysides of Germany, Scotland, Italy and England are some mighty fine roller coasters.
This one was built on the site of the old Big Bad Wolf and it looks to be really fun. It's not the biggest, nor the fastest, coaster in the park, but the folks at BG have always proved in the past that bigger and faster is not necessarily best anyway. Take a ride on Verbolten with commentary from a representative of Theme Park Review.
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This one was built on the site of the old Big Bad Wolf and it looks to be really fun. It's not the biggest, nor the fastest, coaster in the park, but the folks at BG have always proved in the past that bigger and faster is not necessarily best anyway. Take a ride on Verbolten with commentary from a representative of Theme Park Review.
Check out Busch Gardens website here for more.
For rides on other new roller coasters for the 2012 season, check these out:
X-Flight, Six Flags Great America, Chicago, IL
Mr. Freeze, Six Flags Arlington, TX and St. Louis, MO
Swarm, Thorpe Amusement Park, Surrey, England
New Music from Justin Timberlake?
Well, kinda sorta...One of my favorite blogs, Idolator, reported yesterday that Justin has signed on to compose the score for the upcoming film, "Devil in the Deep Blue Sea," starring Chloe Moretz and Justin's fiance Jessica Biel. Whether or not the music will be what we're used to from the singer/actor remains to be seen, but it's been a long while since Mr. T. has put anything new out there...2006 to be exact! Oh we've missed you Justin! Let's hope this leads to something more! Stay tuned...Check out Idolator here.
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Song of the Day - No More Tears (Enough is Enough) - Donna Summer & Barbra Streisand
The year was 1979, and these two world-class singers from different musical worlds came together to record a song in mixed musical genres. Donna and Barbra's now classic female anthem starts off as a tender, sweet ballad and segues into a frenzied disco tune. Great stuff!
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Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Viral Video : North Carolina Pastor Calls for Death of 'Queers & Homosexuals'
Wow! Just wow! Yes folks, we've got another hater here, another supposed lover of God who uses the pulpit to spew hate at those that he judges to be unworthy of sharing this world with everybody else. Take a look below at Pastor Charles L. Worley, of Providence Road Baptist Church in Maiden, North Carolina, as he calls for the death of all gays, queers and lesbians by coralling them inside one large electric fence and letting them starve to death. That would be the end of them, he claims, because they "can't reproduce."
Wow, just wow!
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Wow, just wow!
Rangers-Devils, Game 4 - UGLY, Just Ugly!
I swear this is not becoming a sports-related blog, but since the Rangers are a part of John's World and in the thick of it for the Stanley Cup, I feel I need to report on them here and there. Until now, my posts on the playoffs have been sporadic, and they will probably continue to be so, but since my last Rangers' post was about last night's game and how I wished them to take command of their series with the Devils, I feel the need to follow up on the ugly game it turned out to be.
NY Ranger's fans are some of the longest-suffering teams in all sports. We went 54 years between two Stanley Cup titles, and now it's been 18 since their last one already. Going into the playoffs, they were surely one of the favorites to win it all, having finished the regular season in a tie with the St. Louis Blues with the second most points overall behind the Vancouver Canucks, and at the moment they are the only remaining team of the three still in it. But nothing comes easy for the Rangers or their fans.
The first round the Blueshirts faced the 8th seed Ottawa Senators, who played in a style much like the Rangers, and it turned out to be a really good, close one. The Sens played their asses off and took the series to the limit, before the Rangers moved on with a Game 7 win at MSG. The second round against the 7th seed Washington Capitals was much the same, with neither team getting up to a two game lead and the Rangers winning it in 7. Like I said, nothing comes easy!
Now it's the Rangers and the 6th seed, much hated Devils, and this series looks like it may go the full seven as well, especially after last night's game. So far, the Devils have had the best of play throughout, though the Rangers have managed two shutouts in Games 1 and 3 behind the brilliant goal-tending of Henrik Lundqvist. I've been a believer all season long and I think that the ability to be outplayed and still find a way to win is the mark of a championship team. Of course, nothing comes easy!
That being said, last night's game was UGLY! After falling behind 2-0 in the first period, hope was still alive that the Blueshirts would come back, but an early third period power play goal by the Devs' captain Zach Parise really iced their chances, and that's when it got ugly!
The Blueshirts were clearly frustrated with how the Devils were outplaying them and responded with stupid penalties that gave the Devils plenty of power play time the rest of the game, further diminishing their opportunity to come back. Fisticuffs erupted for the first time in the series involving McDonagh and Henrique, Rupp and Brodeur, and even the coaches Tortorella and DeBoer came close to getting it on. Yes it was ugly, and it was the Rangers, who've really been cool all season, that completely lost it.
The only redeeming quality of the whole game was the fact that the Rangers broke Martin Brodeur's shutout with a late goal by Fedotenko. I, and many of my fellow Rangers' fans really hate the Devils and I think it satisfied all of us that at least we could do that much last night.
So yeah, nothing comes easy for Rangers' fans. The top seed in the Eastern Conference has been met with the stiffest of competition from the 8th, 7th and now 6th seeds, which shouldn't be. The only thing I can say is that if it were easy, it wouldn't be as exciting. I'm still believing!
Let's Go Rangers!
Image Sources:
Blueshirtsunited
Rangers Report Blog
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NY Ranger's fans are some of the longest-suffering teams in all sports. We went 54 years between two Stanley Cup titles, and now it's been 18 since their last one already. Going into the playoffs, they were surely one of the favorites to win it all, having finished the regular season in a tie with the St. Louis Blues with the second most points overall behind the Vancouver Canucks, and at the moment they are the only remaining team of the three still in it. But nothing comes easy for the Rangers or their fans.
The first round the Blueshirts faced the 8th seed Ottawa Senators, who played in a style much like the Rangers, and it turned out to be a really good, close one. The Sens played their asses off and took the series to the limit, before the Rangers moved on with a Game 7 win at MSG. The second round against the 7th seed Washington Capitals was much the same, with neither team getting up to a two game lead and the Rangers winning it in 7. Like I said, nothing comes easy!
Now it's the Rangers and the 6th seed, much hated Devils, and this series looks like it may go the full seven as well, especially after last night's game. So far, the Devils have had the best of play throughout, though the Rangers have managed two shutouts in Games 1 and 3 behind the brilliant goal-tending of Henrik Lundqvist. I've been a believer all season long and I think that the ability to be outplayed and still find a way to win is the mark of a championship team. Of course, nothing comes easy!
That being said, last night's game was UGLY! After falling behind 2-0 in the first period, hope was still alive that the Blueshirts would come back, but an early third period power play goal by the Devs' captain Zach Parise really iced their chances, and that's when it got ugly!
The Blueshirts were clearly frustrated with how the Devils were outplaying them and responded with stupid penalties that gave the Devils plenty of power play time the rest of the game, further diminishing their opportunity to come back. Fisticuffs erupted for the first time in the series involving McDonagh and Henrique, Rupp and Brodeur, and even the coaches Tortorella and DeBoer came close to getting it on. Yes it was ugly, and it was the Rangers, who've really been cool all season, that completely lost it.
The only redeeming quality of the whole game was the fact that the Rangers broke Martin Brodeur's shutout with a late goal by Fedotenko. I, and many of my fellow Rangers' fans really hate the Devils and I think it satisfied all of us that at least we could do that much last night.
So yeah, nothing comes easy for Rangers' fans. The top seed in the Eastern Conference has been met with the stiffest of competition from the 8th, 7th and now 6th seeds, which shouldn't be. The only thing I can say is that if it were easy, it wouldn't be as exciting. I'm still believing!
Let's Go Rangers!
Image Sources:
Blueshirtsunited
Rangers Report Blog
Song of the Day - Romeo - Donna Summer
Here's Donna Summer's catchy contribution to the 1983 cult classic, "Flashdance." Love it!
"He's a boy, he's the boy, he's the boy, he's the boy, he's my Rome-oh-oh-oh!"
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"He's a boy, he's the boy, he's the boy, he's the boy, he's my Rome-oh-oh-oh!"
Monday, May 21, 2012
Rangers go for 3-1 lead in semi's against Devils
Tonight is Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and Ranger fans like me are hoping beyond hope that the Blueshirts can finally take a commanding lead in a playoff series this year. So far the Rangers have yet to hold a two-game advantage in this year's tourney.
Rangers' forward Brandon Prust won't be in the lineup tonight, serving a one-game suspension for a high hit in Saturday's game against the Devils' Anton Volchenkov. The suspension has heated up the tension between these two longtime rivals, and a war of words between the coaches erupted earlier today.
The Rangers bounced back on Saturday after a home-ice loss last Wednesday that evened the series at one game apiece, scoring three goals in the third period in an almost mirror image of Game 1 last Monday. Henrik Lundqvist was spectacular in goal for the Blueshirts, proving once again that he is a force to be reckoned with in the NHL.
So let's hope the Rangers can take command in this one tonight and arrive within one game of their first Stanley Cup Finals appearance since their championship year of 1994. I Believe!
Let's Go Rangers!
For more coverage of the Rangers' quest for the Cup, check out the NY Post's web page here.
Image Source: greenobles
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Rangers' forward Brandon Prust won't be in the lineup tonight, serving a one-game suspension for a high hit in Saturday's game against the Devils' Anton Volchenkov. The suspension has heated up the tension between these two longtime rivals, and a war of words between the coaches erupted earlier today.
So let's hope the Rangers can take command in this one tonight and arrive within one game of their first Stanley Cup Finals appearance since their championship year of 1994. I Believe!
Let's Go Rangers!
For more coverage of the Rangers' quest for the Cup, check out the NY Post's web page here.
Image Source: greenobles
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