Fugees still

I have days like this when I search my Itunes for something the reminds me of simpler times. The Fugees the score is one of those times. I remember playing these songs over and over again. The generation that I was born into are now up on deck. We are the ones having with families and we are fully into our career.  We are helping to drive mainstream television and still have some markting power.  Think of the most popular shows on now. Well popular shows on network tv that is, they all seem to revolve around this generation.  Lost, 30 rock and I would even say the strongest story lines on the office. When you start to move down the channel listings you see our influence slipping. Maybe that’s a good thing maybe not.  We are now starting to mange people younger than us. Weird when you start being the older person in the room is that what being 30 something is.  When I play Fugees is that now considered old school. Well we’ll see I guess. I still love hearing “ready or not”  That’s my jam.

Peace

Drew

Miley Cyrus Party in the USA

Can I get personal with you .  I need to admit something. It’s true and sometimes I’m really embarrassed but I must come out of the closet.  I own party in the USA and by the end of the week I think I’ll have the entire album. I know what you are saying. That’s bubble gum music. It has no heart.  Look, you can keep your Swedish folk music I’ll keep my Miley.  OK I feel a lot better.  It really is a good song.  Yes I like Jay-Z and I like Miley Cyrus. On Friday I’m going to introduce you to another female singer that I really like and have liked since her debut.  Enough of this. I now give you Miley Cyrus I also like it when rich people act poor. Girl you are L.A. that part you got to get over. Are you in a Miley state of mind? Oh and by the way don’t search for a picture of miley cyrus. Ouch

Not supposed to like her…The Gaga

And I don’t know if I really do.  Her stage name is Lady Gaga I tried not to read a single thing about artist before I listen to their music. I have no skill as an entertainment writer which makes me perfect. Anyway so i’m pretty late to the party. I started hearing her name tossed around as a terrible influence on our young people. She could very well be a bad influence. In fact I think she is only in that her true talent her voice and writing my get over shadowed by her shall we say lack of clothing and sometime provocative lyrics.  We all know who she reminds us of. Yes Madonna. Madonna is now a grandmother and seeing her next to each on Saturday night live was something to see. But….She can sing. Unlike some we know *cough* Britney.  Look its true I cant write and you can’t sing. Admitting it is part of the healing.  Well can’t is a strong word. But when you put her up against Beyonce “you go girl” and Lady Gaga “you freaky” how can you compare. I’ve gotten off topic. So I’m really late to the party. Real late.

Yes, I admit “I want to ride on you disco stick” Is probably not the right message. But I dont go to the likes of Lady Gaga for my moral compass.  But that voice reminds me of those huge pop hits of the 80′s. I’m talking about Pat Benatar’s Love is a Battle Field. I still turn that up or We built this city by Starship. They don’t make hits like that any more.  So yeah I’m breaking all the rules of decency. I’m sure there are people that say this is going to be the down fall of civilization. Well Madonna is still 60 and we are still here so I guess we survived.  here is what people say about lady Gaga. These were all taken from the comments of mtv viewers.

this song, freaky how she killed her BF but we all sumtimes want to.LOL

gaga allway makes the videos nasty and she is a B**** but i still got love 4 her

love this video. It’s funny. Anyway, Lady Gaga is hawt!!!

absolutely love Lady Gaga! She’s so different and Unique! She’s not afraid to be herself and make whatever weird videos she wants. This video is kinda weird though…

a real big fan of this song i like a couple of her other ones as for her style not a big fan but i do like the fact that she dont give a f… about what people think about her

Gaga is unique n all, but I really do think she tries too hard! Sick body though!

Spears “move over” you can’t top this Lady!!

Well so there you have it . Am I a huge fan. I wouldn’t say huge. Do I think she needs the extras.  You know what I mean. Don’t know. Would you have paid her any mind if you knew she could sing. I don’t have a philosophical church thing here. No I just know that “We are young heartache to heartache we stand no promises no demands no one can tell us we are wrong” Aint that the truth. Can’t recommend her at the end of this. I can though ask what you think. So what do you think? Oh and love is a battle field.

New Music Friday

So every once in a while un cool drew finds a little new music. White Rabbits. While floating around the blog world I came across this video.  Well you’ll see it below.  And strangely enough I liked them.  I liked their sound. On reading about them they have two drummers. I’ll have to figure out how that works. Maybe its a kind of percussion thing.  Any way I gave it a listen and I liked them.  I’ll have to do some more investigating to find out more. Until then you should enjoy. Oh and if you know anything about them please fill me in. Well enjoy the video. Oh and buy the album.  Oh wait one more thing. Eric my buddy said something I was reminded about today. We now just buy music by the song and never listen to how an artist has put together an album. I do that.  I will buy the whole album.OK  and now the video. I write like a juvenile. Just noticed that.

Where to start

It has been a busy month. The most major is that I went to the funeral of my Grandmother. There is something about burying your grandparents. I think we will always say I wish we had spent more time.  This first post is going to be a little different instead of me writing on some topic that I mostly don’t know anything about I’m going to let my cousin tell you about her. First my last living grand parent Joseph Allen then the eulogy to my grandmother.

EULOGY – MRS GLORIA JANE ALLEN

Rev. Thomas, Dr. Prendergast, Pastor Burnett, Aunt Preshous, Uncle Vaughn, My Mother Thelma, Family and Friends, please indulge me to offer this eulogy for our beloved, Mrs. Allen, Mama, Mother, Miss Gloria, Sister Allen, Grandma, Grandmother, Aunt Gloria, Mother G – a remarkable and Godly woman, whose life/death we celebrate today.

Grandma was a Wife, Mother, Grandmother, Sister, Aunt, neighbor, friend the one who brought a smile in the face of hardship, encouragement in the face of life battles, soft, tender, forgiving, kindhearted, a Peacemaker and passionate about living a life pleasing to God her Savior and always conscious and careful to note that this life on earth is not the end but we look forward to a heavenly home, a greater resurrection, imperfections, yes, but she carried the hope and faith daily that she enters heaven not on what she has done but the work of Christ on the cross.

Grandma was born December 1915, to Ophelia Graham and Uriah Graham. She is the youngest of five children- Louise, Gertrude, Clifford, Hilda all now deceased. Mass Urie as great Grandfather was affectionately called, loved to farm and Great Grandmother, Miss Phelie was a stay at home Mother tending to the garden and taking care of her 5 children. Miss Phelie and Mass Urie were strong Baptists and sang in the Choir at the Brown’s Baptist Church for several years and instilled Christian principles in her children.

Grandma was fortunate to attend school as few in her time did. She excelled at school but had a bit of a problem with Math – “sums” as she referred to it but that did not deter her from excellent financial management during her life. Grandma knew the art of stretching a dollar to two. Grandma however had a very creative mind and later in life enjoyed that. We often told her that she could have become a famous artist or musician (you may recall the impromptu song she rendered in this church called “Jesus is excellent”)

Grandma loved to live and was full of ambition so as a young woman she left home to “seek her fortune” (as seeking a career was called back in the day) in Kingston to locate employment…something that was not common in the day for young women. The independent spirit that Grandma had surfaced….she learned dressmaking and many a garment was made by her hands for her children and without a sewing machine..too poor to buy one. Sometimes it was remake from her own clothes when she could not afford to buy new cloth. Her dressmaking skill explains why she was so well dressed, coordinated and everything matching. Aunt Preshous recalls coming home from “Infant” school to find a beautiful rag doll that Grandma had made for her and how it delighted her so much she has never forgotten, only wished she had kept it, that was the skill and tender kindness of heart she had.

On one of Grandma’s home visits from Kingston, Grandma was walking along in Brown’s Town, going about her business when “a tall brown man” started to approach her. She brushed him off as of course she was now a “Kingston Girl” and had no interest in a country boy and a very poor country boy at that! However, Grandpa Joseph Allen pursued her relentlessly and even before she could say “yes” to any forthcoming proposal, Grandpa purchased a wedding band and was ready for a marriage and the next thing you would know on March 26, 1946 they were married here by Dr. DeCateret, much to the chagrin of Mass Urie but blessed somewhat by Miss Phelie as when grandpa visited the home he would take with him the biggest bible and so Miss Phelie thought “tall good looking brown man with a bible..poor but not bad as the large bible indicated a large man of God! The young couple briefly lived in Retirement as Grandma decided that was not for her and moved back to Wilberforce hotly pursued by Grandpa. She never left Wilberforce to the day she died except for a stay in the United States.

From that union, three children were born – Gloria (so named because at the birth registration, Great Grandma Albertha Allen forgot the name given “Angela” and just figure that Gloria was just as good as any. As she was the firstborn she was called Precious. Son Vaughn was next and Thelma (called Curly because her hair was so very curly at birth)

Grandma was always fired by ambition and she worked hard to instill that in her three children. As she would often say “I can’t stand someone without ambition….might as well ‘dem dead” and she lived what she preached. With three children and very poor she was burned with ambition to make sure that they attended school and become “somebody”. She worked diligently and hard at it. She kept cows until one pulled her down and she decided that she would not lose her life from a cow and that was the end of the cow. We eat beef for months! She kept pigs, chickens, rabbits, and planted vegetables for the dinner table. Poor but there was not a day that food was not on the table..many times by a miracle. She made sure that we had food so that we would learn at school. Oh that hot cornmeal porridge made with the fresh cow’s milk that Grandpa had just milked and hardough bread for breakfast. Walking 2 miles or so to school was not a problem, all the children were fed.

She made sure that all the children had clothes. Well, new ones for Church and when those were short and tight they became “yard clothes”. She did not have the patience for sloppiness and clothes had to be starched ironed and shoes shining clean. No matter that it was only one set of church clothes, one set of uniform, one pair of church shoes and one school shoes. She made sure everyone, Grandpa, and all the children were always well “put together” as she would say before they leave the house. And as you know she was a good dresser herself….even to this day.

As I mentioned before education was very important to her and school was a given, Preshous went on to York Castle High, Durham College of Commerce, Thelma to Business school in Kingston becoming one of the fastest Stenographers on graduation, and Vaughn to mechanic training.

Not only was education important but a Christian upbringing was paramount for her. She attended the Catholic Church briefly as a young woman and when she had children and they were ready for church around 2 years old she started them out at the Catholic Church. That did not work after 2 visits because Grandpa had been saved under the fiery preaching of Dr. Johnson and would have none of it. So they were sent off to the Brown’s Town Tabernacle and under the ministry of Dr. Kennedy, Grandma accepted Christ and never looked back. As she said on the day of her baptism, there is no turning back. All three children also accepted Christ under Dr. Kennedy’s ministry. There was no compromise. It was to Church every Sunday.rain or shine sustaining what God had begun. Night services were not included as “night have no governor” so no one was allowed to go out of the house at night.

Grandma was a business woman at heart also. She could not sit still and when things were not looking to her “suit” she began to travel to Kingston and purchase bales of cloth at Princess Street and hire a seamstress to make all kinds of clothing and she would sell at the market for a profit. However, frequently, she would always take out the best cloth to make dresses for the two girls and shirt and pants for the boy. She did this business for a long time and she did it well.

Then in her mid 50’s Grandma decided she would travel overseas.. always wanted the experience. The earlier England migration was not appealing to her as she loved her children so much she would not leave them. They were grown now and so off she went to the United States. A tremendous risk but she is a brave woman at heart and fearlessly she worked there for 15 years and returned home and lived a great life. Don’t be fooled, her life was one of humility. Grandma disliked intensely a haughty and “show off” lifestyle. She was very kind, always giving to someone in need and offering a helping hand but quietly without a word…”because yu no haffe mek people know wha yu a do”. She never hesitated to share some food or clothes with the ones in need. She considered it a sin to have 2 shoes when someone had none. She was so kindhearted; she did not like to have too much for herself. She did not like to have too much for herself so she was always giving away clothes, shoes, food to those who did not have. We recall a lady who was sick and everyday Grandma would take her some soup for a long time and there are many who received her kindness but she did not talk ..you had to only observe it.

She was totally devoted to her husband and children were the apple of her eyes and would wisely let us know that she does not love one more than the other so there was not the rivalry that happens sometimes with siblings. As she would often say, when the hair on the head of one of her children hurt, she hurts. She was a lot of fun and when the children were small there are fond memories they recall of them all playing in her big bed while waiting for Papa to come home from work. When one of her Daughters became ill as a result of untreated Post Partum complications, she did not hesitate to standby by her 110%. She taught us during that time to the day she died how to love unconditionally. As she would often say, there is nothing like the love of a Mother for her child. She was quick to forgive, never held a grudge or a spirit of un-forgiveness. She was always a peacemaker and hated to hear bickering, quarrels and discord. She wept openly when such a thing happened and prayed the more for anyone involved. She was always conscious of not doing anything wrong to upset Jesus. And was constantly praying and asking Jesus to forgive her if she has done anything wrong that she is not aware of. As she always says, “we have to forgive as Jesus did for us”

She lived an authentic life not seeking to impress or to be pretentious. Her life was the truth. She was adamant about the truth…when the children would be naughty or stepped out of line she would cup the face in her hand and say as sternly as she can “Tell me the Truth because I can’t stand a dam liar”. Once she had the truth she would work on fixing the trouble of course with a reprimand.

Mother did her own thinking and did not leave it up to others, whether it is politics or church to do the thinking for her. She spent long period of times talking with God and insights would come to mind as to how god would lead her. She worked out her own salvation. So Godly! She was way ahead in her understanding of God and we think that is because she spent so much time praying to God and cultivating a daily relationship with.

Then the time came, sad time for all, about 5 -8 years ago, her memory started to fade. She had difficulty remembering and was confused. We all thought it was just the usual aging process but she knew something was wrong and she let everyone who would listen know, mostly trying to see if she could fix it. Some people would just dismiss or just rudely turn away, but she knew in her heart that something was not right. You see that was the beginning of altsztimer. A severe form of dementia for which there is no cure. Grandma had the best medical care that is available but thru it all, her one desire was to go home to Jesus. For a long time Grandma just wanted to go home to Jesus. Sometimes she would express her disappointment waking up on earth on not haven. She is the most prepared person we know who with such deep longing and confidence just wanted to be with Jesus.

Jesus answered this remarkable woman of faith wish, desire and prayer on September 6, 2009.

Random Music

For some reason I’ve been hearing new songs and when I like it I buy it. Kudos to the marketers that put original artist songs on tv shows.  I have a second song …not really album for you. I think I know what it is. Why Ive been doing songs lately. Its not the song but the scene that I remember.  There is a particular show that I’ve getting into. My tv watching goes in spurts much like my writing. Oh I’ll get to the song in a minute just hold on.

The show is the Cleaner. I think I’ve written about it before. I didnt really say why though. The Cleaner is about a guy who is an ex-addict who goes around taking on  clients who have no where to turn when their loved ones are on drugs.  He gets them into rehab and off drugs. Dont worry I dont have a drug or alcohol story about my self. Trust me though I have stories of my family but that’s a little too deep.  Mom if you happen by not us. Anyway I had a friend or maybe a friend of a friend that I grew up with. She drank her self almost to death… was in the hospital and the first thing she did when she got out was get another drink. I still remember visiting her in the hospital…twice…I dont know what happened to her.

I dont believe in throw away people.  Maybe that’s why I have a heart (I think that’s the super  chrish thing to say) But at the time I didn’t really do anything (I dont do anything)  maybe it’s guilt for that. Maybe by watching this I can make some kind of sense to that.  Addiction pretty much sucks.  Oh and in this story (tv show) the father who is our hero is slowly losing his family.  By the end of the season he has moved out. How about that hitting home.

So I watch the cleaner and now the song.  Oh first the scene. The father makes it home just in time for dinner. He has been out all day saving the world while he loses his family. Enjoy The song is called is there a ghost. Now enjoy.

New Music

I always say new music but I think what I mean is new to me.  So here is a the new album for me Kate Nash. I like her style so give it a listen.

2/8 Life, New Albums, Tonight

So I was turned on to these guys a couple days ago by the great Steven Bush activist, father, musician, lover fighter…ive now worn it out. There is a particular song that causes me to pause.  Poison and Wine. Maybe one day I’ll figure out why.

I had an interesting conversation this week about blogs. Whether they are diaries or not.  Its a good conversation. It came to mind this week when I started watching 2/8 life. Interesting online show. It starts out with a girl wanting to chronicle her life through a video blog. Now these kids were in middle school while I was in highschool but I dont think we are too different.  We all were raised by parents that believed that a nice home a good job and a beautiful mate is who and what we were meant to have.  I think some of us have disappointed. Some of us are right on track.  So how does the conversation on blogs or this show fit. Well I don’t know if it does. Here is what I think.  There are a few of us that have realized that, that dream isn’t what we had in mind. We sit up at night and contemplate the meaning of life through our blogs or website or whatever you call it. (there is some debate on what a blog is).  Maybe its because we are wired that way or we are trying to channel what our parent’s once dreamed of until their parents snapped them back into reality.  Now with our single families we see that that 50′s family is broken and some of us cling to our faith while other just blow in the wind. Moving from one cause to no cause to nothing. Maybe its a little bit too late.  And this album may be getting a little sad. I may need to put on some Black eyed peas before too long.  Lets have some fun. Tomorrow I’m going to try something.  I’m going to think of just what I will do for the next hour. Baby steps.  Well check out those links. You wont be disappointed.

Oh and sometimes we write here because its better than doing and saying nothing. Too bad we have to be grown ups some times. I’m listening to a new album right now but i’ll let you know about that later.

drew

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