I have been in many places, but I’ve never been in Cahoots. Apparently, you can’t go alone—you have to be in Cahoots with someone. I’ve also never been in Cognito. I hear no one recognizes you there. I have,however, been in Sane. You have to be driven there, and I’ve made several trips, thanks to family, friends, and work.
I’d like to go to Conclusions, but you have to jump, and I’m not much into physical activity anymore. I have also been in Doubt. That is a sad place to go, and I try not to visit there too often. I’ve been in Flexible, but only when it was very important to stand firm.
Sometimes I’m in Capable, and I go there more often as I get older. One of my favorite places to be is in Suspense!It really gets the adrenaline flowing and the old heart pumping!
And sometimes I think I am in Vincible, but lifeshows me I’m not. I have been in Deepdoodoo frequently. And the more adventurous I get, the easier it is to end up there.
Judy Garland, Margaret O'Brien, and Tom Drake were especially great in this movie.
Tom Drake acted as the boy next door...and he is so handsome...Judy Garland's character falls madly in love with him. Now Margaret O'Brien is Judy's little sister...affectionately called "Tootie". For her young age she was so talented. She played a huge part in the success of this movie.
Now when we lived in Missouri...we drove to St. Louis and got to experience the Gateway Arch.....and the tram ride up to the lookout at the top was a trip in itself....such ingenuity because the trap had to adjust every so often to allow for the curves because it wasn't going straight up....ooops I'm getting off topic....oh but wait...just one more detail. Once you are at the top you can feel the arch swaying....oooh spooky.
Now back to the subject at hand.....the movie. Of course there was a song that I enjoyed in the movie.....here it is in its entirety.....in this clip Judy is waiting for Tom Drake...you will see him chasing the trolley and close to the end of this clip he finally reaches Judy.
Judy sings a well known Christmas song that is just beautiful in this movie....at the end of the song, what is sad is that the family, after living in St. Louis all their lives, will move to New York. Tootie didn't want to leave the snow people behind.
Getting off topic again...bear with me....imagine my daughters and I who lived in Hawaii all of our lives...decide to move to Missouri. In the winter we experienced snow for the first time ever.....We were so excited and we thought we could make a snowman. We nearly froze our "buns" off out in the cold....we couldn't even make a round ball. The snow was too powdery....such Hawaiian hicks!
The other stupid thing we did was... we decided to have a barbecue and put our hibachi into the fireplace to cook our kalbi (Korean shortribs).....this served another purpose....we needed warmth in the apartment...we were so cold!
Well, smoke started to fill our apartment....we didn't know we were supposed to open the flue...BIG OOPS!
This next song from the movie...some of you may remember...it was a popular children's song when I was growing up. Oh and square dancing....we had to learn that in P.E. and it was fun!
You will enjoy the commentary from Margaret O'Brien before the next clip.
The red dress she is talking about was gorgeous on Judy.
The film starred Judy Garland and her husband Vincente Minnelli directed the movie....here is Liza sharing thoughts about the movie and her parents.
I can't tell you how many times I've watched this movie and every time I still enjoy it.
I grew up listening to Elvis' songs and watching his movies. When the Beatles arrived on the scene in my high school years,....I wanted to remain true to Elvis....the King and refused to listen to the Beatles. (I really didn't get to appreciate the Beatles till many years later).
There wasn't an Elvis flick that I haven't seen. So... true to form....what I thought would be great was to highlight some of his not as well known songs.....but still were my favorites.
Growing up in Hawaii...of course I loved his movies that showcased the Hawaiian scenery. This song was a favorite. Now after you've watched this clip....another clip will appear showing the Hawaiian Wedding Song. Elvis sings the English version and in the background is the Hawaiian version....I remember hearing and singing this song many times while growing up and this movie ending created a lot of business for this particular hotel on Kauai called the Coco Palms Resort. Elvis really contributed to the tourism business in the Islands.
Of course that song became very popular....so back to the task at hand...
This clip has 2 songs which were also in the movie Blue Hawaii.
Here's one that you may not recognize....but there are 2 things to notice....first....Elvis doing the Twist (so cool) and the blond's flip hair do...Yup you guessed it...I had that hairdo too! YIKES!
Or...how about this one from the same movie....Kid Galahad
This next song from Jailhouse Rock is also one of my favorites
When Elvis went off to Germany and cut his hair...we were all in shock. Soon though his movie GI Blues gave us this cute number....
Now the next film had 3 songs that I loved.....Return to Sender, We're Coming in Loaded and The Walls Have Ears see below. Of course the name of the movie was Girls! Girls! Girls!
Another song that I liked is called Bassa Nova Baby from the movie Fun in Acapulco.
His dance moves were great in that one. But I'm sure you will agree that Ann-Margret really adds to the dance moves in this next song called C'mon Everybody from the movie Viva Las Vegas. Now if memory serves me right...she is dancing a combination of the Frug and the Funky Chicken!
Now I was fortunate in seeing Elvis perform in Las Vegas and I also got to see Ann-Margret perform there as well shortly after her accident in 1972. She fell off a platform while performing in Reno. She talked about how her jaw had to be wired shut for quite some time...and how her husband loved it! While her face did look different....her talent for dancing was as good as ever.
Now...there are still more songs I liked that Elvis sang but didn't rate high on the charts...now perhaps we will have to cover that in another post.
The Student Prince was a musical film of 1954. It starred Ann Blyth and Edmund Purdom with Mario Lanza's singing voice as the Prince. Purdom's character, Prince Karl, is from a small kingdom of the German Empire. He is sent to get an education at a university in Heidelberg to develop some social skills after his betrothed finds him "stiff" and boring.
There he meets Blyth's character Kathie, a barmaid at the local biergarten and he immediately falls in love with her. However upon the death of his grandfather he must return to the palace to marry the princess in order to save his kingdom.
There were 2 songs I especially liked from this movie..... the song he sings after meeting Kathie at the biergarten.....
and....the song he sings in the church upon the death of his grandfather.
Ann Blyth starred in several other well known movies....Mildred Pierce along with Joan Crawford and The Helen Morgan Story with Paul Newman.
In real life, she later became Lady of the Holy Sepulchre, a rank she received from Cardinal Cook. Today at the age of 83 she lives in New York.
Edmund Purdom acted in another film that I liked, called The Eqyptian, along with Jean Simmons. His character Sinuhe is a struggling physician in a time where a more monotheistic religion is emerging within a society that practices the worshiping of several gods, and the religious persecution that follows.
I believe that with all the movies that I've watched....is there any wonder that I loved taking history courses in college.....especially Art History. World History was great too...only problem is remembering the dates when historic things happened. My brain was in overwhelm big time!
As I am preparing articles to write about for this blog, my memory goes back to some of the music that I loved back in the day. There is no rhyme or reason why I like what I like. If I had to guess...it would probably be the melody....or maybe the lyrics....or maybe both. But one thing is for sure there is no certain time frame.
Here are a few examples that I haven't covered yet...
Beginning in 1958....a musical group called the Poni Tails sang this song called Born too Late. Interestingly enough, this was originally dubbed as the "B" side (the secondary song they are promoting) of the record which went as high as #7 in the US and #5 in the UK.
Oh and by the way, the pony tail hairdo was really criticized back then about how we girls chose to look like a horse's behind.....yet I see that this hairstyle has come back into fashion even today.
Another song called As Tears Go By sung by Marianne Faithful back in 1965 was a favorite. Lip Synching was done quite a lot back then...oh and check out the hemline of her dress....now that brings back memories because shortly thereafter hemlines went shorter.....I mean wayyyyy shorter to the mini skirt. It started in London then became quite popular here in the states.
I can remember going to school one day and having paper stapled to the hem of my dress by the principal because my dress was considered too short. Oh my...
Young Girl was a song sung by Gary Puckett and the Union Gap and was released in 1968. This song reached #2 here and #1 in the UK. By this time the Beatles became quite popular....hence the outfits and hairdos of the performers. Actually though, Gary Puckett was born in Yakima, Washington...close to the city of Union Gap and Twin Falls, Idaho.
In 1974 the song ran up the charts again only to peak at #6 this time.
Morning Has Broken, a Christian hymn, and Moon Shadow were both songs made popular by Cat Stevens that I've liked. Cat Stevens was his stage name. He was born Steven Demetre Georgiou in 1948, then changed his name to Yusuf Islam when he converted to Islam in 1977. The following year he auctioned off all of his guitars for charity to devote himself to philanthropic causes after contracting and recovering from tuberculosis in 1969 and a near drowning in California in 1976.
He has received several humanitarian awards, and has even been denied entry into the United States from London in 2004. In May 2012, Moonshadow, a musical featuring music from throughout his career opened in Australia.
This last song called Time and Tide is performed by Basia, (born Basia Trzetrzelewska) a Polish singer, songwriter and record producer. This album sold almost 2 million copies.
I just love doing this blog.....what I especially love is doing the research that goes on behind it. The first step always starts off as quick notes on the topics that come to my mind.
There are 2 songs that Eric Clapton sang that are my favorites....Layla and Tears in Heaven.
There was 1 song that George Harrison sang that I liked as well. It was called...Got My Mind Set on You.
Well....it is probably known by most that Eric Clapton co-wrote the song Tears in Heaven, a ballad, about the pain and loss he felt following the death of his 4 year old son Conor who fell 53 stories from a window of his mother's friend's apartment.
The song won 3 Grammy awards and an MTV video music award and also had the #1 spot on the music charts for several weeks.
This next song sung by George Harrison is the only solo that he sang that I know of...he was known as the quiet Beatle. While most of the songs the Beatles sang were written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon, George wrote My Sweet Lord and Here Comes the Sun....to name a few.
Now here is the Co-Inky-Dink.....this last song called Layla was written by Eric Clapton inspired by his unrequited love for Patti Boyd, the wife of George Harrison. Who knew????
Banjos and Harps along with other instruments like Harpsichords and Spinets, Concertinas and Pipe Organs...oh and Xylophones and Autoharps have lost its popularity in music. It used to be that we saw many of these instruments being played when I was growing up. Where are they now?
Now banjos got a real boost in popularity as a result of this song from the movie Deliverance. The name of the song was Dueling Banjos. I really didn't care for the movie...but I did enjoy the song.....here it is.
Steve Martin...besides being a well known actor, comedian, author, playwright, producer, musician and composer.....also plays the banjo. Here is the same song done in a more comedic fashion with the Muppets. It will bring at the very least, a smile to your face.
In the 60's there was a popular singing group called Peter, Paul and Mary. This trio was composed of Peter Yarrow, Paul Stookey and Mary Travers.
Here is a picture of how I remember them....
They were folk singers during the time of the Viet Nam War, as I recall. They had some very appropriate songs for the times we were in....a war that seemed to go on and on....the fear in everyone's mind about the draft and sons being shipped off to a country to fight a war we all thought was a mistake. The 'proof is in the pudding' so to speak....of where our focus was during those days...War...there was even a song that became popular called The Ballad of the Green Berets. That song was written by Robin Moore and Staff Sgt. Barry Sadler, a medic that was wounded in the Viet Nam war. Believe it or not...that song was the #1 hit in 1966.
But back to Peter, Paul and Mary....here are some of their great hits...
There was a song that they sang that really said it all and was used in many protest marches in Washington, DC....Where Have All the Flowers Gone. Here is the Kingston Trio (another popular singing group) version: Oh by the way what you are seeing is a record player with a 33 RPM record....this was before IPods, tape cassettes and MP3 players.
Of course there was also the song called Puff the Magic Dragon that became popular as well.
My favorite was the song called Lemon Tree.
Now the impact of groups such as these was mind blowing....I can remember going to church (Catholic masses entirely done in Latin) on Sundays for years then all of a sudden, Hootenanny masses started happening....what a shock.
Now you may ask where is the fun in all this? The fun is in remembering all the changes I've experienced in my lifetime.
Glenn Miller was an American Jazz Musician who arranged, composed and led a band in the era of swing music.
He was reported missing in action on December 15, 1944, while travelling to entertain U.S. troops in France during World War II. His plane disappeared in bad weather somewhere over the English Channel.
There is a truly great movie that depicts his life and music. It is called
The Glenn Miller Story. The movie was filmed in 1954 and stars James Stewart and June Allyson.
Here is a clip from this movie.... the song is called Saint Louis Blues March. Now this sequence is considered to be an anachronism because the parade happened in 1942, just after Miller was inducted into the army, but the B29 bomber in the background wasn't introduced until 1944. Also, the marching troops are desegregated which didn't happen until 1948. However the movie is enjoyable nonetheless.
I think the best part of the movie introduced one of my all time favorite songs called In the Mood. I just loved how the band played on in the middle of an air raid....true genius of the director to create this effect.
On a more personal note....throughout the movie, June Allyson, who portrayed his wife, loved the song Little Brown Jug. She always hoped that he would rearrange the music...but he hated the song so vowed he would never play the song. However just before he was reported missing he finally did rearrange the song and I just loved the outcome.
Of course there are a number of other great tunes he composed like A String of Pearls, Moonlight Serenade, Tuxedo Junction, and Pennsylvania 6-5000 to name a few. All great tunes!
When you get the chance....see the movie...you won't regret it!
One of my favorite pastimes involves listening to music. I choose music, that for lack of a better phrase...."sends me." Somehow it catches a funny bone and I just love the song...I can't explain it.
Well here is one of those songs....now I am embarrassed to say that I actually wore my hair this way....even with the pin in the middle....when I was in high school....don't laugh....be kind.
Here is a picture of that hairdo on Skeeter Davis....somebody shoot me now...why didn't anyone tell me how ridiculous this actually looks! In fact, my senior picture from high school is a version of this...minus the pin. Needless to say....I hated that picture. I revisit that photo every time I go to Hawaii to visit my daughter because somehow she kept that photo....but now I just cringe a little and laugh (not cry) about it.....Thanks Tam for keeping the memory alive for me. I love you so much!
Anyway...here is the recorded version of her song.....
One thing I do miss are the old songs...I just love to sing along with them.
The movie Drumline starring Nick Cannon (Mariah Carey's husband) is a fun movie to watch. If you haven't seen it, I recommend it highly.
The best part of the movie is the final battle when the "underdog" school goes up against the more popular school (receives larger endowments/donations).
A drumline, also referred to as a battery, is the percussion section that marches on the field as a group. It consists of snare drums, bass drums, tenor drums and cymbals. The pit or front ensemble of the band is stationary on the front of the field or wherever it will create the desired visual effect.
Here is the clip....the drumline we are cheering for are in blue and yellow.
While my daughter was in high school, she participated in their marching band and I was able to experience it up close. They performed at half time in football games, we marched in the Aloha Week Parade (I was a volunteer chaperone)....and they even marched in Disneyland in California....but by far the most memorable moment was when they performed at the Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena. Now that was awesome!
People from the Rose Bowl committee came to the high school and showed us a short film about the history of the parade and the queen selection process, even before we signed up to go on the tour. The planning started a year before the actual trip.
Her high school put together a parents' tour which was separate...yet a wonderful experience for all. Their goal was to let the students have their own experience (away from parents)...and still have the parents take part in the excitement. The students stayed in a different hotel from the parents and rode in separate buses and yet we were still able to participate in the excursions they took....while all the time keeping separate from the kids. I thought that was a brilliant idea!
The floats must contain only fresh flora and fauna. It was so fascinating because we got to see up close how the floats were put together. Now when you see the parade itself you are truly awestruck!
We went to Mt. Rose to ski (BRR it was so cold)....and it was my first and last experience with skiing....thank God. It was not a pretty sight. It took me probably 30 minutes to suit up. Now we were forewarned to wear these plastic pants over our jeans to keep out the cold and wet (Reality....I was so covered up I felt like I couldn't breathe).
We were trained on what is called the "bunny slope" and I took one ride down that slope and I was done with skiing. Now the trick is how to stop....I had to throw myself onto the snow to stop and someone had to assist me with taking off the skis. Who knew that skis are so heavy? In the movies you see people carrying both skis on their shoulder....NOT.....I had to drag one ski and carry the other on my shoulder. After that experience it was off to the clubhouse and a cup of hot chocolate!
What was even more memorable was the fact that my mom got to experience the fun too. When I told her that we were going on this trip she adamantly refused to go. Her health was already deteriorating by that time and she didn't want to be a burden. So I agreed with her while all the time I already planned to purchase a ticket for her. I could tell as the time for the trip got closer that she was regretting not going and about a week before, I gave her the tickets and spending money to gamble in Reno while we were off skiing. She was so thrilled and was truly a trooper on the entire trip....she never complained and I had to practically carry her up the bleachers to see the parade from our seats at the top (now imagine me with a fear of heights trying to get my mother up there and all the while making sure my younger daughter was okay too)....but the entire trip was just that memorable.
Oh and BTW....my daughter's picture, along with 3 other select students from her marching band. was in the Rose Bowl program representing her high school. I was (and still am) so proud of her!
As Bob Hope used to say...."Thanks for the Memory."
There are many different customs to follow which depend where one lives geographically in the world.
In Hawaii....one always removed their shoes or slippers before entering someone's home. The local custom also includes giving people a kiss on the cheek as well.
Many years ago Frank Fasi's campaign for Mayor made popular the "shaka" sign which some may not have known is what Barack Obama showed
during his Inauguration walk.
In America....a groom carries his bride over the threshold of the place they spend their wedding night.
In India....when a bride enters the home of her husband and his family there is a certain ritual they perform....putting salt, water and even flowers across the threshold. Depending on the various beliefs....there are so many additional customs to follow.
I think that is why I just love watching Hindi movies....their customs are so interesting and the purpose of the custom itself is so touching and incredible.
In Korea, when drinking with an elder or someone that is at a higher social level, one must turn to the side and drink. When pouring for another person, it is a sign of respect to use one hand holding the bottle and the other hand is placed at the elbow of the hand pouring the drink.
Kowtowing....or bowing is done when leaving the presence of an elder and when entering the room of an elder, a bow is also given.
Oh....and I forgot. When eating, the elder person or the person at a higher social level has to start first before anyone else can start.
Another social custom here in America that has somewhat been lost, is opening a door for a woman...whether it be a car door or the door to a store....this is a dying custom that should really be brought back. We women deserve it!
I remember when I was growing up, our neighbor had a "get together" at their home following funeral services of someone that lived there. They were a Chinese family. Everyone that entered their home had to jump over fire before going in. My mom even commented that if a woman had her period she was not allowed into the home.
Now, I venture to say that I may not know the significance of a lot of these customs, but I'm certain that showing respect to another person is a step in the right direction for the most part.
I'm just so fascinated by the fashions I see in pictures of weddings in India. It is not just the bride's moment...it is really a time for the groom and everyone in attendance to shine as well.
Just recently BusinessOfCinema.com posted pictures and videos of the Wedding Ceremony of Esha Deol, an Indian actress to Bharat Takhtani, a businessman.
At the Sangeet (a Punjabi ceremony about 2 days before the wedding), the attire of the groom was beautiful....The blue (looks like velvet) and gold designs are so elegant looking next to the bride's red and gold colored sari.
Not to be outdone are some of the guests....
I'm sure the day is profitable for the jewelers and florists as well....most definitely! No matter how you look at it...because they celebrate for 7-10 days....just imagine how many change of outfits are possible. FYI...At the wedding reception the bride had a pale pink sari outfit with what looked like diamond jewelry while the groom was in a tuxedo.
What would I do without YouTube? I watch movies off of it and can find some pretty interesting videos from it.
Here is one that I thought was great.....How does she do it?
Well...anyone who has ever seen the Cirque du Soleil perform here in Las Vegas....can attest to the great costumes and of course the wonderful performances. They have several different shows in various casinos...but here is a sample of the caliber of acrobatic maneuvers that they are capable of....
Now in a previous post I mentioned Wii Fun....well this is yet another
"ball buster" (pardon my French) game someone at Wii thought up. Now watch closely because you have to catch the hoops coming at you by sticking your hands out....believe me...it's not as easy as you might think. I never could do this. The funny thing about it is that when I was a youngster I did pretty good at hula hooping....go figure...no not mine (if you know what I mean).
Every day I log in to my Facebook page and discover more and more fun things...all about people being creative and enjoying life.
Here are a few things that I've gotten from my friends:
The Som Sabadell flashmob.....to celebrate the 130th anniversary of Banco Sabadell
Then there is an entry from Punahou School (my daughter's alma mater) in preparation of their 2013 carnival....the making of mango chutney....yum! For those of you living in Hawaii....there are 2 annual events that were my favorites while my daughter was in Punahou and those were the Christmas Fair where you can get some really great gifts of food and homemade goodies....and the Punahou Carnival where you can get some really great Portuguese Bean Soup and their Jams, Jellies and Chutneys.....see the link below.
There are some specific dance moves in Bollywood movies that they do with their heads....I guess you had to have done it from when you were young to be able to do this.
My head just can't do such things....you'll see what I mean about 3/4 through this clip (about 4:15) when they grab the 2 older women to do this head thing....the woman on the right of the screen does it better.
This is the first Bollywood movie that I saw and that's when I got hooked...it is referred to as DDLJ which stands for Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge which translates to... The brave hearted will take the bride.
Believe it or not....this movie has been shown in a theatre in India for ten (10) solid years and it is always packed. It first caught my eye on Netflix because it had an award. At the time I had no idea that this would turn into an addiction to Bollywood movies...I just thought the award meant by chance it would be enjoyable.
Although this was not the first movie with Shah Rukh Khan in it....this became the movie that catapulted him to fame and fans that number in the billions all over the world!
There are other movies he has done that are simply referenced by just the initials...they are:
KANK: Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna - (Never Say Goodbye) this film explores the theme of adultery. While not popular in India, it was the highest grossing film of all time overseas....especially in the United States. In an Art History class that I took...I met a girl from India and she confirmed that a lot of people from India didn't like the theme of the movie, hence the poor ratings in India. It felt as though their view was kind of like how we think of X-rated movies here in America...boy....what a testament to how different our tastes in cinema are here!
K3G: Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham - (Sometimes There's Happiness....Sometimes There's Sadness) I've mentioned this film a lot...because it is one of my favorites...but this movie is about an adopted son who marries a woman and in so doing defies his father who has already picked a bride for him. Great movie!
MNIK: My Name is Khan - This is a story about a Muslim man with Asperger Syndrome (a form of autism) and how his life changed post 9/11. Also a wonderful film which pairs him again with Kajol.
KHNH: Kal Ho Naa Ho - (Tomorrow May Never Come) this is a sad movie whereby Shah Rukh's character becomes like a guardian angel to a family that experienced suicide and are living with the after effects due to blame and guilt.
I love all of the dancing and the music! As far as the above movies go....I enjoyed the KANK songs the most!
Tonight my friend Shirley treated me to a stage show called "Legends in Concert." The show features impersonators doing Elvis, Michael Jackson, Tina Turner, Lady Gaga and the Blues Brothers. It was really a blast!
Of course no one can beat the original performers....but it was fun hearing all that great music again.
The Blues Brothers did a montage of TV show tunes....and at one point they stopped singing and pointed to the audience who...guess what.....yes...you got it....we completed the song. Wow, talk about showing our age!
When the Tina Turner impersonator came on stage.....of course she sang Proud Mary, (my all time favorite), but I also like this song:
The other songs that I don't hear too often are....
About a month ago I watched the farewell concert she did back in the year 2000...the woman was 65 when she performed and boy...she can still "shake her tail feather."
After shedding her abusive husband Ike....now she lives in Zurich with a man that makes her happy. She met him in 1985 at a record label party in London, started dating a year later and has been with him ever since....You go girl!
