Six Degrees of Separation

Sometimes it is amazing how we can run in circles with people we have known or know and how they know people that we know - maybe the "six degrees of separation" theory may hold some truth.

Today, my friend Darquise needed some help making h'ordeuvres. Initially she suggested some roasted artichokes and goat cheese with tomatoes but we could not get the artichokes that we wanted. So my brain got to ticking and I suggested manicotti shells, stuffed with smoked salmon, cream cheese and fresh basil leaves - it turned out great so I am hoping it would be a hit at the party (which I was not invited to, mind you).

Anyways - we got to chatting and by the way her apartment is great - all artsy fartsy, and a great view of the shoreline and just a stone throw away from the ocean. But back to what we were chatting about - the topic was her flatmate - as she was telling me the story of him and his wife I began to say that this sounds familiar - turns out I knew the story and I knew her flat mate - nice guy, now divorced and with two kids - he is a good friend of mine and we worked together for some time at PwC - and I see him sometimes out and at the gym - yarda yarda yarda.....small world.

Anyways - the music that comes to mind is the wonderful track originally done by Tears for Fears called "Mad World" - this version is a cover by Sarah Hickman. Hope you enjoy!

Mad World (Tears for Fears Cover)_Sarah Hickman

OK Peeps - TTYL

Pat Benatar - Leading Lady of Hard Rock

Pat today along with her husband of over 25+ years, and lead guitarist Neil Giraldo. Wow - he's kinda hot! 

So a few days ago I was home from the gym and work, made dinner and had a few glasses of wine (Benzinger - one of my fave Savignon Blanc) and of course the alcohol was probably going to my head a bit so I was listening to my 80's collection and Pat Benatar was playing.

I was thinking that back then, there weren't many ladies of rock, and more so hard rock. Hard rock back then seemed to be all a man's game, and for a woman to break through and contend came with a price. In fact Pat had to fight with her record label executives about her look - they wanted a dressed up sexy woman as they feared that a woman in rock in those days probably won't appeal to people unless she was sexy. Pat played this game for a while, but then her music took over as it always has!

Pat - as the sex kitten (as part of record label exec's vision of a sexy rocker)

My cousin saw her perform in New York in the 80's and I missed her about a year ago at City Walk at Islands of Adventure in Orlando - in fact I did not even know she was performing - I arrived after she did the concert and I was like - !@%# !!*&$ - fill in the blanks.

But in the early 80's (1980 - 1983) there was really no one playing serious hard rock (on the female front), except for Pat.  In fact Pat won the Best Female Rock Artist four years in a row from 1980 - 1983 and when MTV launched in 1981, "You Better Run" was the 3rd video aired - wow!

Her music was hard, unapologetic and with her opera-trained voice she was belting out those notes and giving man and woman alike - goose bumps. She rocked - and she rocked hard.

I loved this album cover - Get Nervous!

Two other rocking female artists at that time were Blondie (of course the one and only) and Joan Jett - but Pat's take on hard rock was guitar driven - and more rootsy rock (just the way I like it)!

In later years Pat continued to rock the 80's with tracks like "We Belong" and "Love Is A Battlefield" - these were great, but were also a bit softer than her early 80's hits.

Hope you enjoyed - I leave you with my Top 10 Pat Benatar songs:

10. We Belong
9. Sex As A Weapon (YSI)
8. You Better Run (Video Link)
7. Hit Me With Your Best Shot (Video Link)
6. Shadows of the Night (Video Link)
5. Promises In The Dark
4. Treat Me Right
3. Love Is A Battlefield (Video Link)
2. Heartbreaker (YSI Link)
1. Fire and Ice (YSI Link)



Anyways peeps - TTYL!

SteveA's Top Hard Rock/Metal Ballads...for Valentine's

Wow - I don't think I've ever done two posts in such close proximity and both with the same theme - Valentine's.

I love hard rock/metal music - the only problem was that I was never really able to head bang - as my hair was always short - usually a crew cut - but in my veins I was all rock n' roll!

Valentine's Day - ahhhhh - what is that day without radio playing a mushy love song; you listening to your retro love songs and feeling the love - today those love songs are about Valentine's Day - and tomorrow - they will be "mushy" and relegated to one of those songs you skip-over on your IPOD!

I now leave you with my Top 10 hard rock/metal ballads - power ballads as they were called back in the days - hope you like!

10. Feel Like Making Love_Bad Company

9. Sister Christian - Night Ranger
(See video link - here)

8. Alone Again_Dokken

7. Every Rose Has It's Thorn_Poison

6. Love Bites_Def Leppard

5. Open Arms_Journey

4. Sweet Child O' Mine - Guns N' Roses
(See video link here)

3. When I See You Smile - Bad English
(See video link here)

2. Waiting For A Girl Like You_Foreigner

1. Faithfully_Journey

Anyways peeps - take a look at the links - and enjoy.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY~

Valentine's Day

Hi Peeps,

It's been a while since my last post - to be honest I've been quite busy with the gym and yoga and have also been a bit lazy these days - sorry cuties.

Well - my Valentine's weekend was off to a good - (lonesome, but still a good) start.

I am a sucker for a good chick flick - being lonely for such a long time meant that my vision of love and the joy it brings was somehow expressed through movies - particularly chick flicks. I seemed somehow drawn to these movies, and for one reason or the other these movies were somehow consoling me whilst my life was empty of that significant other.

At one time or the other - through breakups or disappointments, I seem to turn to such movies to find an answer or to seek some other person(s) that felt my pain and my wanting to express it to someone - anyone - I just wanted someone to hear my voice.

Anyway - that was the past and now I have someone - it's not perfect - it's not ideal - but it is good! So - on Friday by my lonesome - I went to see "It's Complicated" - the new romantic comedy with Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin (I have a huge crush on this man - he is so hot!!).

It's Complicated - I think Alec Baldwin is sooooooo Hot!

I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was probably the only single person in there - I don't know what the other folks thought - but I had my coffee and was keen to see this movie!

So - movie was done and whilst walking out I saw a few of my friends (who were all sporting Canada Tees - since it was the opening of the Winter Olympics in VanCouver) - they were going to see "Valentine's Day" (the movie with the all star cast from Jamie Fox to Jessica Alba) - I thought  - "UMMMMM - What the hell - why not" - so two chick flicks in one night? Yeah baby - my Valentines is off to a good start.

Taylor Squared - from Valentine's Day (Movie)

Anyways peeps - HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!! And remember "Get Naked with that special someone".