Pophistory: music, movies, history, and life.
Poet and author Maya Angelou has passed away at the age of 86. In this video, the poet who has dispensed wisdom in numerous ways, discusses the best advice she has ever given and the best advice she has ever received. Check it out.
When she speaks of forgiveness, she speaks from experience, having experienced horrible trauma as a child. Through her struggles, she helped make us better. Rest in peace.
Leave your two cents in the comments.
(Some related Chimesfreedom posts.)
For the first time in years, Phil Collins recently took to the stage to sing a couple of his classic songs, “In the Air Tonight” and “Land of Confusion.” His backing band was a group of students from the Miami Country Day School in Florida, and they do a pretty good job.
Rolling Stone notes that Collins’s last major public performance was in 2010 and his last album of original material was 2002’s Testify
What is your favorite song with Phil Collins? Leave your two cents in the comments.
Memorial Day, a holiday to remember men and women who died while serving in the military, originated not long after the Civil War where so many had died. The day became an official holiday in 1971, originally called Decoration Day (and like me you may know some folks who still use that name).
One of the best songs in recent decades about a soldier dying in war is “Travelin’ Soldier,” which was made popular by the Dixie Chicks when it appeared on their 2002 album Home.
“Travelin’ Soldier” tells the story of a shy man going off to Vietnam who meets a woman not long before he leaves. He asks her if he can write to her, and he does. At the end, the woman is at a football game when they make an announcement about soldiers who had died and, well, give it a listen if you have not heard the song. Below is a 2005 version by Natalie Maines, backed up by the songwriter Bruce Robison and his wife Kelly Willis.
We wish everyone everywhere a safe Memorial Day weekend.
Photo by Chimesfreedom. Leave your two cents in the comments.
(Some related Chimesfreedom posts.)
The wonderful Charles Grodin has now made a couple of short appearances on Louis CK‘s FX television show Louie. In a recent episode during this season, Grodin appeared again as Louie’s cranky Dr. Bigelow, reluctantly dispensing his advice to an eager Louie. What comes out is both wise and hilarious.
When Louie runs into Dr. Bigelow taking his three-legged dog for a walk, Louie seizes the opportunity to ask him about his latest love dilemma. Louie wonders what he should do about a woman he has been seeing who is going to move out of the country. Dr. Bigelow recounts some of the horrors of the world, showing Louie how he should not worry so much about his choice. And then he uses his dog to illustrate how happiness is relative.
You may learn something from Dr. Bigelow, or at least get a few laughs. Charles Grodin’s face at several points along with his sigh after he recounts the horrors of the world are priceless. [Update: The video is no longer available on Youtube.]
Here’s to making the best with what life hands us. Leave your two cents in the comments.
(Some related Chimesfreedom posts.)
If you ever wondered how Toy Story (1995) might look if it were a horror movie, you no longer have to wonder. Bobby Burns has cut a trailer from the film as if it were a scary movie with Woody Pride (Tom Hanks) as something a little more psychotic than he was in the original film. Check it out . . . and play nice.
[2024 Update: Apparently, the trailer by Bobby Burns is no longer available, but since then a large number of people have created horror movie trailer versions of Toy Story. So you can go to YouTube and search for “Toy Story Horror” and catch a variety of them.]
Leave your two cents in the comments.
(Some related Chimesfreedom posts.)