Because it’s my blog, and because I want to….
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Joe Manganiello Monday morning fix
Jon Stewart on Nancy Grace wardrobe malfunction
Arista Records is gone
Arista Records is over. The new management at Sony’s RCA division have put the venerable label started by Clive Davis to sleep at age 36. Arista had drifted since 2000 when BMG, which owned it then, let then overall chief Michael Dornemann oversee the ousting of Davis.
Arista has enormous legacy with dozens of huge acts and famous albums to its credit. From Whitney Houston’s catalog – including “The Bodyguard” soundtrack – to Carlos Santana’s amazing Grammy winning comeback with “Smooth” – Arista deserves more than to be a footnote in history.
Davis started it in 1974 from the rubble of little Bell Records with Barry Manilow’s “Mandy.” Hit after hit kept coming, but not all were in the Whitney-Manilow middle of the road category. At different times, Arista released the Grateful Dead, Graham Parker and the Rumour, and the Kinks. A few other artists from the Arista roster:
- Toni Braxton’s “Unbreak My Heart”
- Dionne Warwick’s return (“Heartbreaker,”“I’ll Never Love this Way Again,”“Deja Vu”)
- Aretha Franklin (“Jump to It,” “Freeway of Love”)
- Carly Simon’s “Coming Around Again,” her Oscar winning “Let the River Run” from “Working Girl”
- Eric Carmen’s classics (“All By Myself” and “Never Gonna Fall in Love Again”)
- Air Supply
- Ace of Base
- Taylor Dayne’s 80s disco hits
- Lisa Stansfied’s “All Around the World”
- Lou Reed
- Iggy Pop
- Prince
- Alan Jackson
- Hall & Oates
- Alan Parsons Project
- Kenny G
among many others…
Clive Davis? He’s working on the new Leona Lewis album even as we speak.
(via showbiz411)
Abbey goes to heaven
Posted on Facebook by Rasta’s Rescue Ranch:
Our 14-year-old dog Abbey died last month. The day after she passed away my 4-year-old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. I told her that I thought we could so, and she dictated these words:
Dear God,
Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss her very much. I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick.
I hope you will play with her. She likes to swim and play with balls. I am sending a picture of her so when you see her you will know that she is my dog. I really miss her.
Love, Meredith
We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith and addressed it to God/Heaven. We put our return address on it. Then Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven. That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office. A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet. I told her that I thought He had.
Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed, ‘To Meredith’ in an unfamiliar hand. Meredith opened it. Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers called, ‘When a Pet Dies.’ Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope. On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey & Meredith and this note:
Dear Meredith,
Abbey arrived safely in heaven. Having the picture was a big help and I recognized her right away.
Abbey isn’t sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart. Abbey loved being your dog. Since we don’t need our bodies in heaven, I don’t have any pockets to keep your picture in so I am sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by.
Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me. What a wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for you. I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much. By the way, I’m easy to find. I am wherever there is love.
Love, God
Doonesbury character ‘Roz’ comes out after repeal of DADT
After the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” Roz from the popular comic Doonesbury came out as a lesbian to her army sergeant Melissa Wheeler, her mother and other member of her unit all in the past few days.
Click on the pics to view larger.
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Congrats to Roz and everyone in the armed forces!
Fav tweet of the day: Andy Borowitz
Kevin Richardson – The Lion Whisperer
Just watch. So beautiful.
Kevin Richardson is a zoologist and animal behavioralist who raises and trains lions at the Lion Park in Johannesburg, South Africa. Kevin uses instinct and love to create bonds with these animals.
His unique method of getting to know animal’s individual personalities, what makes each of them angry, happy, upset, or irritated-just like a mother understands a child-has caused them to accept him like one of their own into their fold.
It is here he has been working on the dramatic feature film called White Lion, a project years in the making and released in October 2010.
White Lion was nominated and won for several awards at the South African Film and Television Awards including Best Cinematography /DOP in a feature film (Michael Swan), Best Music Composition in a feature film (Phillip Miller) and Best Sound Design in a feature film (Ivan Millborrow, Nicky De Beer and Charlotte Buys).
Read more about Kevin at lionwhisperer.co.za
Herman Cain says “Blame yourself”
Herman Cain recently gave an interview in which he said about the “Occupy Wall Street” movement:
““I don’t have facts to back this up, but I happen to believe that these demonstrations are planned and orchestrated, to distract from the failed policies of the Obama administration,” Cain said.
“Don’t blame Wall Street, don’t blame the big banks — if you don’t have a job and you are not rich, blame yourself!”
If you would like to read countless stories of people who went to school, went to work and found their employers or Wall Street or lots of others DIDN’T live up to their end of the bargain, check out WE ARE THE 99 PERCENT website.
There you can read many, many stories of people do did the “right” things only to have big business, Wall Street or others not hold up their end of the bargain.
The bargain: you study hard, work hard – you get rewarded for such.
The equation is broken.
Liza Minnelli in Concert – Las Vegas 2011
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| photo by Scott Harrison – www.harrisonphotos.com |
Last night, Michael and I had a great time seeing the Academy Award/Tony Award/Grammy Award/Emmy Award-winning legend Liza Minnelli at the Hilton Hotel here in Las Vegas.
So much has been written about Liza, her amazing career and incredible talent. There’s really not much to add to the lengthy and well-earned praise but to emphasize THIS is a truly great star.
A lot of talented performers/singers/actors out there – but star quality is something you are quite simply born with.
From the moment she took the stage the audience was completely in heaven. I lost count of how many standing ovations occurred throughout the evening.
Of course, she sang her iconic songs Cabaret, New York New York and World Goes ‘Round, to wild applause. But some of the even better moments came when she sang from her new CD “Confessions.”
“Confessions” is easily the most intimate and revealing recording of her career. The songs exploit her fantastic “story-telling-through-song” gift. A collection of American classics, “Confessions” features songs arranged simply and elegantly, with accompaniment by her long-time pianist, Billy Stritch – a musical star in his own right.
Special thanks to the fab Jim Caruso for helping get the much sought after tickets, and for taking us backstage to meet the legend herself. Jim performed with Liza for years and is the talented host (with often musical director Billy Stritch) of NYC’s “Cast Party,” which recently had a big splash here in Las Vegas.
She performs again tonight here in Las Vegas at the Hilton. If you haven’t seen Liza live, I highly recommend it. You don’t see many true legends in your lifetime.
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| photo by Scott Harrison – www.harrisonphotos.com |
Vampire – new dance track by Jaymes Vaughan
So, who likes vampires?
With Twilight, Vampire Diaries and True Blood all the rage, someone was bound to record a sexy dance track using the vampire theme. And that someone is Chippendales lead singer, Jaymes Vaughan.
For all you fans of sexy vampires, this one’s for you.