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Last Dance For Donna Summer

2012-05-20T18:03:30Z

Hello, hello--hello!

Well, folks, another star has gone off to that big cabaret in the sky. This week, we say goodbye to Miss Disco herself, Donna Summer (Gosh! It seems that, with this year, there's more stars in Heaven than in the studios!). She was the biggest star in Disco, back in the day. My parents, uncles, aunts, and teachers all knew her well, as I did through my parent's vinyl albums.

My parents have very fond memories of the 1970s, since they were the age I am now back then. Even though there was no cable or Internet, and TVs and phones were big, clunky things, times were simpler then, mainly because everyone still had the opportunity to have a job and own a home, and college was in reach for many more than it is now. And the music was better, even though a vast majority of it was campy, but good campy. That's what disco was. Good, campy fun. I know this because I've been to many a '70's revival party myself. Disco was something everyone could be a part of: rich, poor, black, white, male, female, straight, gay. Hmmm. Maybe that's the reason why many never liked it, because it treated everyone equally. Disco was a classless genre, and how long did it last? Five years? And how long has punk and rap has been around? Yeah. Over thirty to thirty-five years. I guess the class (and caste) system really do run things in this country.

Speaking of rap, before I rap this blog up for another week, I'd also like to say goodbye to Beastie boy Adam Yauch, whose group did something in the 1980's that was very important to the music industry: they help make rap more mainstream and available to this nation, and to the rest of the world. So, to Donna Summer and Adam Yauch, and the many others who have gone to the great beyond, hail and farewell.

Well, that's all the time we have for this week. Until next time, be well, stay well, and remember to help the disaster survivors!

Sincerely,

Marley Sue

A Feast Fit For Your Queen

2012-05-13T19:11:03Z

Hello, hello--hello!

Well, today is Mother's Day. Time to celebrate that one person in everyone's life who gives so much, and wishes she received as much in return. Sometimes she does, other times... well, we can safely say that's she's thankful for what she does get in return. After all, there wouldn't even be countries on this planet if the founding fathers didn't have a founding mother beside them to help take care of it. Think of that, gentlemen.

Many moms will be going out to eat tonight, but, with the economy being what it is, a lot of us will be fixing Mother's Day dinners at home, like my father, brother, and I will be doing. The 99 Cents Only Stores makes gathering your ingredients easy and more affordable, and you can get the main course on sale at your local mainstream supermarket. 99 Cents Only also makes it easy to get all the stuff you need to make your special one a most perfect Mother's Day basket filled with many great gifts as well, because nothing says "I love you" more than a nice, and affordable, gift and meal.

I, myself, decided on a simple and affordable meal for my dear old mom, chicken and dumplings. I got the chicken broth, canned mixed vegetables, spices, canned buttermilk biscuits to use as the dumplings, and a 12-pack of Wyler's soft drink mix at the 99 Cents Only Store, and got the cut-up chicken pieces that were recently on sale at our local Kroger subsidiary, Food For Less. We plan to put together everything after we've gotten home from church today, and mix up some Berry flavored Wyler's with a bottle of apple juice and some lemon-lime Shasta, also gotten at 99 Cents Only. Talking about doing dinner on a dime! Well, whether you're eating out or eating in tonight, here's hoping that your Mother's Day is a special day.

Well, that's all the time we have for today. Until next time, be well, stay well, and remember to help the disaster survivors!

Sincerely,

Marley Sue

A Not-So-Funny April Fool's Joke

2012-05-07T00:58:23Z

Hello, hello--hello!

Well, I'm sure you all were missing my blog over the past six weeks. Well, let me tell you. On Palm Sunday, The Day of the Fools, no doubt, my computer went dead. Gone. Kaput. Even though it was April Fool's Day, I didn't find that funny at all. It started the usual way. I was doing my normal daily work on the computer, when the screen went dark, and the "blue screen" appeared. So, I did what I normally do when a blue screen appeared: I turned off my computer and turned it back on. That normally worked when I did it before. But that Sunday, things were different. When the computer came back on, Windows took up to 5 minutes, and still, I couldn't get into Windows, so I turned the computer off and turned it on again. Still, I couldn't get into Windows. So I turned it off and turned it on again. This time, when it tried to enter Windows, the computer turned itself off and restarted, then when it tried to enter Windows, it turned itself off and restarted. And so on, and so on, and so on. Over and over and over again. Finally, when I turned it off and on again, the screen announced at the bottom left hand side that it was experiencing a disk drive error. And that was it. And, of course you know, I was ticked off. That was the day I did my weekly blog.

It took me almost six weeks to get a new computer because, first, my friends and family all took a look at it, and they all said that, because of its age (approximately 10 years), it was time for it to konk out anyway, and it would be better to go on and invest in a brand new computer than to spend anything having this one fixed (which was also what the technician at Office Depot said when I took it to have it fixed). And second, of course, it took all this time shopping around for a sweet deal. I finally (thank Jesus!) got an Acer desktop for $299 at Office Depot. It's all hooked up and, now, I'm back in business. And, not to worry, my friends, I managed to keep my blog up these past five weeks by writing it every Sunday on notebook paper, so none of you really missed anything.

Well, that's all the time we have for this week. Until next time, be well, stay well, and remember to help the disaster survivors!

Sincerely,

Marley Sue

What Have We Learned In 20 Years? (4/29/2012)

2012-05-07T00:14:23Z

Hello, hello--hello!

Well, it's hard to believe, but it's been 20 years today that the 2nd LA riots happened. The first one happened 27 years earlier, and apparently, no one has learned that lesson in 27 years. Sadder still, seems no one has learned any valuable lessons in the 20 years that has passed.

Valuable in the sense, as to the real reason why riots such as these that happened, in Los Angeles, happened in the first place. first of all, we have a big, jackass problem with class in this country, which no one wants to speak about, because a person's social class is something that can be changed, while a person's skin color can't, and, let's face facts, people: no one wants to change a person's social class because that takes too much of our time and, more important, money (and we all know how much money we want to spend making the poor's lives better, don't we? Winky, winky, nudgy, nudgy!). After the '65 riots, the factories in and around Los Angeles County started hiring more people from the inner city, which made it possible for many of them to leave the inner city and move to the more affluent suburbs such as Inglewood, Gardena, and, my hometown, Hawthorne. It was good, while it lasted, but then, these factories started closing and moving out of state, starting around the time Generation X started graduating from high school and community college, and tuition at the 4-year universities started rising, which made it impossible for working class kids to even go to these universities. So, around the early 90's, you start having the same social ills that plagued L.A.in the '60s: poverty, crime, juvenile delinquency. So, like I said, no one had learned any valuable lessons: such as, opportunity to a better life leads to a better society.

So what to do? Well, for starters, do what I have always said: If no one gives you an opportunity, make your own. Go to community college, learn a trade, and start your own business. The sooner you learn self reliance, the better your world and the world around you will be.

Well, that's all the time we have for this week. Until next time, be well, stay well, and remember to help the disaster survivors!

Sincerely,

Marley Sue

The Two Pied Pipers (4/20/12)

2012-05-06T23:30:16Z

Hello, hello--hello!

And yet, we gather here today to honor another fallen legend--American Bandstand's own, Dick Clark, roughly two months after the death of Soul Train's Don Cornelius (gee, it's beginning to look like 2012 is going to be known as "The Year of the Legend," for very somber reasons).

You know, many people might not know this, but there are very many similarities between Dick Clark and Don Cornelius. I'm not kidding you! There are! First of all, check out the initials: D.C. Stand for both Dick
Clark and Don Cornelius. They were both host of TV dance shows, both aired on Saturdays, both produced their dance shows, both their names appeared at the end of their shows( Dick Clark Productions and Don Cornelius Productions), the theme songs of both shows have been recorded by famous people (Barry Manilow for Bandstand and The Sound of Philadelphia for Soul Train), and both have been on the top of the charts and have since become classics, and, finally (and this is the most important part), both were influential in bringing all the races and classes of not only this country, but the rest of the world, together, through the most common thread of all: pop music. Dick Clark's American Bandstand introduced African American R&B music to the rest of the country, and Don Cornelius' Soul Train introduced R&B and, later, hip hop and rap, not only to the rest of the country, but the rest of the world as well.

I've really never had any idea how pop music (my personal choice and calling) had really influenced this world until I'd done some personal research on both American Bandstand and Soul Train. It's really had a tremendous effect on everything, and everybody. Everything we've thought, and bought, and even learned, was brought about in some way through pop music, and we have both Deck Clark and Don Cornelius to thank for that.

Well, that's all the time we have for this week. Until next time, be well, stay well, and remember to help the disaster survivors!

Sincerely,

Marley Sue

A Lifestyle That's Not For Everyone (4/15/2012)

2012-05-06T20:54:28Z

Hello, hello--hello!

So, Easter has come and gone, Spring Break is over, and it's time to get back to work, and school, which, I'm sure, most of you are just ready to go back to (probably not!). And, if you're not, I'm sure you had a wonderful time on your holiday, just as I did.

I've been watching a lot of the media lately, because of the Spring Break and all, and I'm just appalled at all the insensitivity and uncivil behavior That I have seen (and that was just on the news!), and I have come to the sad conclusion that, really, seriously, there is just not enough love in this world, and I've also come to the equally sad conclusion that a lot of people who profess to be Christian, really aren't. Now, I know that this particular opinion of mine is really going to tick a lot of people off, because, of course, we all would love to think of ourselves as followers of Christ (which is a very different thing than being a "Christian," many people may not know), and who can really blame them. It isn't easy being a true follower of Christ. Really, this lifestyle is not for everybody. If Christ Himself were here today, He would tell you that. As a matter of fact, If you've ever read the Gospel, He does tell you that. He tells you it's not for you if you're rich and you don't want to share what you got with the poor (in that whole analogy about the camel going through the eye of the needle), He tells you it's not for you if you do charity and religious stuff in public, for public adoration, and He definitely tells you it's not for you if you have a less than caring attitude toward the least of your brethren, which, in modern times, translates into, "the social outcast." So, if you don't like people of another race, culture, or religion, if you don't want to share what you got with the poor, and if you strongly believe that "God hates outcasts," then this lifestyle may not be for you. but if you don't mind people who are different, if you are willing to share, and if you're willing to be kind to others, no matter who they are, then welcome aboard. We're glad to have you.

Well, that's all the time we have for this week. Until next time, be well, stay well, and remember to help the disaster survivors!

Sincerely,

Marley Sue

Don't Be Bullied By Jackasses (4/6/2012)

2012-05-06T20:23:34Z

Hello, hello--hello!

I'm writing this blog a little early because Sunday is Easter, and I'd like to get a little ahead of myself because of the holiday, and all, you know. With all the going to church and the party, and the big dinner, there'll be no time for blogging.

And now, a few words about a very controversial movie. Yes, you know what I'm talking about: Bully. The movie, not the jackass who's making your life (or your child's life) miserable at school. And I say "jackass" because that's the only term I have for people like that, that can be printed in a family blog. The term that they really are, can, sadly, only be heard in an "R" rated movie, which, unfortunately, what this movie initially got (it was since edited to get its rightfully deserved "PG-13" rating). A lot of people, myself included, thought that this movie should have gotten a "PG-13" so that many teenagers could see this movie and see how ugly bulling can really be, so that they won't take part in it, but, alas, it is that very ugliness (in the form of the "F" word being said 7 times) that got it its "R" rating. The ironic thing that, many times, a very ugly thing known as violence somehow manage to make it into many "PG-13" movies (like The Hunger Games, for one). And, speaking of bulling, a lot of you might not think that popular people do get teased, and yet, we do. An awful lot. For example, I do get teased. Yeah, that's right! I get teased because of my red hair. I get teased because of my Irish heritage. I even get teased because I'm an African American who loves the Beatles (this I get mainly from Rolling Stones fans of all races and cultures!). But the truth of this matter concerning my personal ribbing is, it really doesn't matter. I'm proud of my red hair (so much so that I dye it myself every two months). I'm proud of my Irish heritage. And I will love the Beatles 'till the day I die! So put that in your hookah pipe and smoke it, you jackasses! See, it doesn't matter what people think of you. What you think of yourself is all that matters.

Well, that's all the time we have for this week. Until next time, be well, stay well, and remember to help the disaster survivors!

Sincerely,

Marley Sue

Only Fools Do Drugs (4/1/2012)

2012-05-06T19:45:29Z

Hello, everybody!

Well, today is a very special day. It's the Day of the Fools, which means all sorts of weird, freaky things are bound to happen today. And not only is today All Fools's Day, it's also Palm Sunday, and you know what that means: Yes! Next Sunday is Easter! And I bet many of you just can't wait to tear into all those chocolate bunnies and chocolate eggs and jelly beans and all kinds of delectable treats. And I'm sure you all also can hardly wait to show off your finest Easter garb as well.

So, Whitney Houston autopsy report was recently released, and the news came that many of us were disheartened to hear, although, for many of us, it wasn't unexpected: she died of drowning, quite possibly caused by a heart episode, but cocaine, as well as a number of other drugs, including prescription drugs, were in her body. Now, I'm not saying that she died of an overdose, but the drugs were there, folks. Any time she wasn't doing the 'caine, and aggravating those heart problems, and she'd be alive today. It's as simple as that. I'm sure you all remember what your parents and grandparents and teachers and ministers and counselors all told you about the dangers of drugs (and the prescription drugs are just as bad), and I'm sure you've heard about all of the wonderful and talented people who are no longer with us thanks to drugs, and the same applies to the ordinary folk as well. Turns out everyone out there giving the good advice was right on target. Let what happened to Whitney, and to Amy, and to Michael, and to all the rest, be a lesson to one and all: don't do drugs. And I don't care if you want to fit in with the "in" crowd, or because you're board, or because you're depressed, or because you want to try something new. Just don't do drugs. Your heart will thank you.

Well, that's all the time we have for this week. Until next time, be well, stay well, and remember to help the disaster survivors!

Sincerely,

Marley Sue

Try A Little Tolerance

2012-03-25T19:45:22Z

Hello, everybody!

Well, it's a (rare) rainy day in Southern California, and as I watch the tiny droplets of water fall on the grateful vegetation outside my window, I wonder when are we ever going to be a nation that is, truly, one under God.

I'm sure you all must have heard about what's going on in Florida right about now, about how an innocent African American teen was hunted and gunned down by a neighborhood watch organizer who is part white and part Latino. This has shocked, and outraged, the entire nation, and maybe the entire world, since such news travels fast, thanks to the Internet, especially due to the fact that the shooter has not been arrested as of late. But the thing that upsets many people, especially those around my age, is that things such as this are still happening here, in America, in 2012! Not 1912, not even 1952, but 2012! We couldn't believe that, the fact that our President is African American notwithstanding, there are places in this country where racism is so prevalent that things like this are still allowed to happen, and yet they do.

And since they do, we all must, really, seriously, people, look deep into our own selves and ask ourselves, how can we make this place we all call home, planet Earth, a better place. We thought we all had the answers back in the late 60's, when everyone was getting on the peace and love and harmony bandwagon, but, back then, many people were on drugs strong enough to make someone butt ugly look like a Hollywood matinee idol, so, of course, that didn't last very long. What we need to do today, when everyone is more straight and sane, is try and practice tolerance, to try and be more accepting of everyone else, no matter who they are. Sure, it will be hard, but I know we all can do it.

Well, that's all the time we have for this week. Until next time, be well, stay well, and remember to help the disaster survivors!

Sincerely,

Marley Sue

From Leprecauns To Rabbits

2012-03-18T19:40:42Z

Hello, hello--hello!

Well, we've just got through celebrating St. Patrick' Day yesterday, and I'm sure everyone had a magnificent feast of corned beef, cabbage--and green-colored 7up. My family, for one, had a barbecue, which was almost dampered by a brief rainfall early yesterday morning, but luckily, the luck of the Irish was with us, and everything slacked up by early afternoon, and we were able to barbecue our brisket out in the backyard. We served it with Cole slaw, sourdough bread, potato salad, and two liters of the aforementioned green 7up, a real SoCal St. Paddy's Day feast.

Now that we've celebrated one holiday, we all anticipating the arrival of another. Can you guess what it is? Here's a hint: when you go into any retail store, what's the first thing you notice? Stuffed bunnies, chocolate eggs, jelly beans, and baskets stuffed with all these goodies? That's right! Easter's on the way! Boy, doesn't time go by fast?! It seems as if it was yesterday that we were seeing teddy bears, gingerbread men, peppermint candy, and pre-stuffed Christmas stockings in the stores, and we were all busy buying turkey and canned yams for the holiday feast. Now, we're all buying ham, crunch cake, and plenty of eggs for dying. And some of us are even cutting back on treats so that we can fit into our Easter finest on Easter Sunday.

I'm sure many of you young people have a lot of plans for the upcoming Spring Break. I, for one, just plan to chill out in front of the computer screen (lately, I find myself spending a lot of time watching You Tube, rather than the living room tube), but for now, I plan on having a Sunday afternoon snack of leftover barbecue brisket and fried cabbage. The two great tastes really do taste great together.

Well, that's all the time we have for this week. Until next time, be well, stay well, and remember to help the disaster survivors!

Sincerely,

Marley Sue

The Japan Earthquake: One Year Later

2012-03-11T18:09:40Z

Hello, everybody!

Well, there's not much to write about this week. Nobody died, thank goodness, the awards season is over with the airing of the Oscars, and the Republicans in the South and Midwest can't make up their minds as to whether or not to choose Romney or Santorum. Other than me acing a math test this past Thursday, there's really nothing to talk about.

Of course, we could take a few minutes to commemorate the one year anniversary of the biggest disaster to hit Japan since the end of WWII. Yesterday marked exactly one year since one of the biggest, and most devastating, earthquakes ever to hit this planet hitting Japan, a 9.0, a big earthquake by anybody's standards. It caused devastation on a massive scale in Japan, and that's not including the great tsunami and, consequently, the nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant, which is still causing problems with radioactive activity in Japan today. In all, about 20,000 souls were lost, making this one of the most deadliest earthquakes known to mankind.

And so, naturally, the big question is this: could the same thing happen here? Well, of course, it can. Earthquakes can happen anywhere, as people in the Eastern part of the United States is finding out. But, we who live on the West coast, a region that's more prone to earthquakes than any other part of the country, are, of course, quite concern about this. Of course, the main thing to do is, in the inevitable event of that ever happening, is to be prepared. Have plenty of canned goods and bottled water on hand, an updated emergency kit, and an evacuation drill so that you will know where to go in the event of an emergency.

Well, that's all the time we have for this week. Until next time, be well, stay well, and remember to help the disaster survivors!

Sincerely,

Marley Sue

From Daydreamers to Artists

2012-03-04T20:27:00Z

Hello, everybody!

And yet, we begin this week's blog with another, "Oh, no! Not again!" Oh, well. And now, there are three. Monkees, that is. Davy Jones, the ultimate Daydream Believer, is gone, leaving us all with only our personal daydreams, as well as our memories. And so, now is the time we ask ourselves, or at least I ask, what the heck is going on here? I mean, it seems that a legend is leaving us every week now, this last one, on the last train to Clarksville, yet. All of these great people going, and nobody's taking their place. With the possible exceptions of Lady Ga Ga, Justin Beiber, Beyonce, and Rhianna, the pickins are mighty slim.

Well, at least there are some good news out there. The Artist finally won! Now, a lot of people didn't like this movie (many of my friends and relatives thought The Descendants should have one, as, I'm sure many of you have thought as well), and I really believe that's because it's a movie that, really, many people don't understand. Think about it. The last time this country had a silent movie in the theaters was around the time the first Great Depression happened (and since we're living in another one now, that irony didn't escape me). Also, it's a movie about the movies, which is always interesting to me, if not to others. Many people my age want movies about their lives, or the lives that they would like to have, which is the main reason young people go to the movies in the first place. The third reason many people didn't get this movie is the main reason they don't get most Oscar winning Best Pictures: it was GREAT! Not good, but GREAT! But then again, if it's a Best Picture, it has to be great, just like a certain jam that begins with "S" has to be good. So, hail, and farewell, Daydream Believer, and to The Artist, and to all the other Oscar Winners, congratulations to one and all! You truly deserve it!

Well, that's all the time we have for this week. Until next time, be well, stay well, and remember to help the disaster survivors!

Sincerely,

Marley Sue

The Perfect Recipe For Oscar Night

2012-02-26T19:28:16Z

Hello, everybody!

Well, tonight is Oscar night! And it couldn't come any sooner, either, after the couple of months we all have had, with all that happened to Don Cornelius and Whitney Houston and all, as well as what happened to that luxury liner off the coast of Italy. Have any of you been keeping up with that? We sure could use a breather from all that's happened, although I hear that there will be a tribute to Whitney tonight at the Oscars. Oh, well. I know it will be lovely.

But anyway. Tonight will be snack night, for one and all, and I don't mean only popcorn and Diet Coke, either. Tonight, one can have, or serve, anything one wants. One can even have a buffet, if company's coming over. Why, the Oscars have become the Super Bowl of award shows, as far as what to eat while watching. Here's one example: One can serve a simple platter of sliced canned ham (which symbolizes most of the Hollywood celebrities) and sliced roast turkey (same thing) and sliced cheese (which symbolizes most of the movies that come out of Hollywood, but not the ones up for Oscar tonight, thank goodness!). One can also serve corn chips (which also symbolizes most Hollywood movies) and dip (which symbolizes most Hollywood agents! LOL!), especially bean dip (which produces a certain type of gas that smells like some of the movies that come out of Hollywood!) One can also serve that one classic dish that also reminds many of the people of Hollywood: noodles and meatballs! Topped with a peanut sauce, of course. Wash it all down with plenty of lemonade (made from the lemons that were given to the all too many who never had their Hollywood dreams materialized), and you have the makings of an evening that's full of good eating and even better entertainment industry merriment. So, here's to a night of good movies, and good food!

Well, that's all the time we have for this week. Until next time, be well, stay well, and remember to help the disaster survivors!

Sincerely,

Marley Sue

White Collar Vs. Blue Collar

2012-02-19T19:18:02Z

Hello, hello--hello!

Well, yesterday, Whitney Houston was sent off to her final reward with the utmost of style, and grace. The services at her home church in New Jersey were lovely, and everyone who was there spoke well of her. As many have said yesterday, she's in a much better place now.

And now, I'd like to take a little time to talk about a subject that, it seems, nobody is talking about. I'm sure you all know about the dangers of drugs by now, and how they've damaged and even destroyed the lives of countless many, both ordinary and extraordinary. But now, I feel that we should focus on the kind of drugs that we have in the world today, and how, in varying degrees, each affects people's lives. The first kind of drugs are what I would call, "white collar drugs," which are the prescription drugs you see advertised on TV, dolls, as they were called in the 1960's, after Jackie Suzann's novel, Valley Of The Dolls, as well as legal alcohol and tobacco you can buy at the store. The other kind of drugs, which everyone talks to their kids about, are the "blue collar drugs," which are the illegal kind, as well as moonshine and marijuana. Both kinds can have devastating effects on people's lives, but here's the difference. Blue collar drugs, because of their illegality, have a social stigma that white collar prescription drugs don't have, since the "pusher" of these drugs wear a white coat and work behind a pharmacy's counter, as oppose to the "other" pusher, who generally wears blue jeans, athletic shoes, a backward sport cap, and who works out of an alley or van. This difference gives the white collar prescription drugs an air of respectability, but they are no doubt just as dangerous, if you pay attention to the side effects described in the ads. My advice to everyone, it's time we tell our kids the dangers of taking prescription drugs as well as the notorious illegal kind.

Well, that's all the time we have for this week. Until next time, be well, stay well, and remember to help the disaster survivors!

Sincerely,

Marley Sue

Oh, No! Not Again!

2012-02-12T19:12:39Z

Hello, hello--hello!

Just yesterday, I was sitting down wondering, "What am I going to write tomorrow?", since I was clueless about what to write about, since there was nothing going on last week, other than the Republican preliminary elections. Then the terrible news broke yesterday evening, and now, we do have something to talk about. And yet, a forth soul legend has gone on to the great beyond, but this one, like Don Cornelius the preceding week, was so unexpected, it's beyond belief.

You know, out of all the people in this world that I would expect to read an obituary on, I never thought I would read one about Whitney Houston, at least, not this soon. The news of her death shock just about everyone in my world, including me. I was just about to get ready for dinner (Saturday is burger night at our house), when a friend of mine texted me with the tragic news. And then, I told my family. My parents were devastated, because they listened to her music when they were in college. Then, I texted the rest of my friends. I mean, we were all in disbelief.

I cannot stress enough to everyone about the dangers of drugs, and the devastating effects they have on people. The lives of too many people, ordinary and extraordinary, have been destroyed by drugs. Just last year, we lost Amy Winehouse in a similar way. There's a reason why they call it, "dope," ladies and gentlemen. Whitney Houston, no doubt, was one of the greatest talents of this, or any other, generation, and look what drugs did to her. But whatever she chose to do with her life, she and her music will forever be in our hearts. Her signature song was her cover version of Dolly Parton's "I will Always Love You." And we will always love you, Whitney.

Well, that's all the time we have for today. Until next time, be well, stay well, and remember to help the disaster survivors!

Sincerely,

Marley Sue

Taking The Soul Train Back In Time

2012-02-05T18:46:32Z

Hello, hello--hello!

Well, they always did say it comes in threes. And now, we say goodbye to yet another soul pioneer, Don Cornelius, the creator, producer and host to one of Saturday mornings' longest running shows, Soul Train, which ran in syndication for 35 years. Known to many people around the world, and especially known to Gen X'ers of "a certain age," Soul Train made its debut in the early 1970's, at a time when Big Bird and Cookie Monster were in their infancy, at a time when The Electric Company was the name of an actual TV show, and not just your local utility provider, at a time when we were first introduced to the Bill on Capitol Hill through Schoolhouse Rock, at a time when Archie Bunker, Fred and Lamont Sandford, and Mary Richards had yet to become household names, and during the decade when a lot of our favorite Rankin/Bass holiday programs were first run.

For many people who now have children and even grandchildren who are at the age now their parents and grandparents were when Soul Train was the most popular, Don Cornelius, and American Bandstand's Dick Clark, for that matter, were truly the town criers of pop music. Every Saturday morning, for most X'ers, their childhood memories included Bugs Bunny, Road Runner, "B" movies, classic sitcoms and western TV shows, Japanese Anime shows with English subtitles, and, of course, those dance shows, Soul Train and Bandstand, all on broadcast TV (Many of these same shows are now only available on cable). For many, news about Don Cornelius was like going into the attic and rummaging through their old memory chest, a time capsule of sorts: The Malibu Barbie, the GI Joe with the Kung Fu Grip, the Pet Rock, the mood ring, the platform shoes, the T shirts with the yellow smilely face on it, and, of course, the big, clunky vinyl LP's and 45 singles of songs that were heard for the first time on Soul Train. So, here's to you, Don. Hail and farewell.

Well, that's all the time we have for this week. Until next time, be well, stay well, and remember to help the disaster survivors!

Sincerely,

Marley Sue

Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves

2012-01-29T20:28:55Z

Hello, hello--hello!

Well, we're just about a month into the new year, and now is the time to make plans for the rest of the year, if you haven't already done so, and one of the plans to make for the rest of the year is not to get ripped off in any way, and one of the common ways to get ripped off these days is through lottery scams, and I think I should tell you about one of the oldest, and most often used, around. It all begins when you get a letter through the mail telling you that you've won a lottery of some kind, and this letter also contains a check for a few thousand dollars, with instructions on what to do with the check, instructions that must be thoroughly followed, if you are to collect your winnings. Do not, again I repeat, do not fall for this, because the check is no good. It's all part of the scheme to extract money out of your bank account. Let me explain.

First, they instruct you to deposit the check into your bank account. Then, after you deposit this check, the tell you to withdraw the same amount that was in the check out of your account. Then, after you've withdrawn it, they ask you to send it through Western Union so someone you don't know. Then, after you've done this, then your winnings will be sent to you by Fed Ex. Do not do this! First of all, they want you to deposit this check into your account, and not cash it out right, because they want money to come from your bank account, because after you've sent this money through Western Union, these people stop payment on the check, and your bank deduct that money out of your account. Second, the reason why they want you to send it through Western Union is because Western Union doesn't trace it once you've sent it, so once you've sent it, that money is gone, and you'll never get it back. And the only way you'll know you've been scammed is when you contact Fed Ex and find out that absolutely nothing is coming for you. That, and when you find out that your bank account is exactly the same amount less as was in that bogus check.

As I said before, this is the oldest scam in the book, dating back centuries, when con artist traveled in covered wagons from town to town, using wooden slugs covered with gold paint, or coins made out of "fool's gold," which is just as worthless. They would call this "good faith money," because you were to keep this fake gold and give the con artist your own money in order to get your windfall, and, of course, by the time you found out that the gold was fake, the con artists were long gone, with your real money. And anyone can be a victim, from college students to the elderly, black, white, male, female, Jew, gentile, Islamic. This is an equal opportunity racket. The old adage, "Don't take any wooden nickels" originated from this very scam. I guess they should update that saying to say, "don't take any rubber checks."

Well, that's all the time we have for this week. Until next time, be well, stay well, remember to help the disaster survivors, and, of course, don't take any rubber checks.

Sincerely

Marley Sue

Two More Stars In The Heavenly Sky

2012-01-22T19:52:08Z

Hello, hello--hello!

We begin this blog with some sad news, as the music industry suffered two devastating losses this past week.

The first was the loss of one of the first true showmen of the modern day music era, a person who had inspired many artists in the music industry, including me. Many people, from hearing his music, would have assumed that Johnny Otis was African American, but he proved that you don't have to be African American to have soul. And, you don't have to be African American to make sweet soul music. His now classic Hand Jive has inspired many, and had also inspired other similar sounding songs and even a couple of TV commercials. It had even inspired a song that I, myself had written, Otter Pop, about a talking sea otter. It's hard to believe how a simple little song such as Hand Jive could bring many people of many races, religions, and classes together, but it did. Johnny Otis will surely be missed.

The other major loss we suffered was expected, because she was ill for a very long time, but it also is no doubt just as devastating. Etta James was, far and away, one of the first great female crooners of the rock era. Her signature song, At Last, is just as timeless as Hand Jive, and I think it also was used in at least one TV commercial. Her style of singing brings to mind another top notch singer, Amy Winehouse, whom we also lost just a few months ago. Amy, just like Etta, was one of those artist that young girls such as myself would stand in front of the bedroom mirror and emulate as we would sing into our hairbrushes. Etta James will be equally as missed as was her very good friend and college, Johnny Otis, will be.

Well, that's all the time we have for this week. Until next time, be well, stay well. and remember to help the disaster survivors!

Sincerely,

Marley Sue

The Hostess Without The Mostest (Sales)

2012-01-15T19:16:53Z

Hello, hello--hello!

Well, folks, when it rains, it pours. Last week, I told you about Sears and Kmart's money woes. This week, I have to tell you of another well known company whose future is uncertain. This past week, The makers of Twinkies and Ding Dongs has filed for bankruptcy--for the second time in its history.

Interstate Bakeries Corp, the parent company of Hostess, maker of the aforementioned Twinkies and Ding Dongs, are blaming union contracts and pension costs for their financial troubles. The 82-year-old country obviously survived the first Great Depression, but it might not survive this current one, and the reason is quite obvious to everyone. You see, the real reason isn't the problem with obesity in this country, as it is the problem with diabetes.

You see, back in the 1930's, we didn't nearly have as much, say, "pleasingly plump" people in the country, because a lot more kids spent time playing outdoors instead of watching a TV or computer screen because, of course, TV and computers didn't exist back then, and they were able to burn up all that cake and cream filling. However, we also didn't have a big diabetes epidemic back then either, so everyone was able to eat as many Twinkies to their little hearts' content. Fast forward a good eighty years to 2012. Everyone's having a hard time fitting into their jeans and worrying about getting diabetes, especially those who have a history of it in their families. So the more people are watching their health, the less likely they are to indulge in snacks like Twinkies. Add the fact that, because of this fact, sweet snacks no longer are advertised during youth programming on TV, and it's plain to see why Hostess is having a hard time selling its snacks today.

Well, that's all the time we have for this week. Until next time, be well, stay well, and remember to help the disaster survivors!

Sincerely,

Marley Sue

Sears And Kmart: The End of An Era?

2012-01-08T19:43:28Z

Hello, everybody, and Happy New Year!

Well, we begin the new year with some unbelievable news that none of us wanted to hear, but just might become a reality: According to recent lackluster sales at both these stores, it looks as if Sears and Kmart just might go the way of Montgomery Wards and Woolworth. That's right. Sears and Kmart, which is owned by Sears, are going to shutter a combined 120 stores across the nation, which means more lost jobs in this country, which means, more of a strain on an already weakened national economy. And, according to some, this all could signalize the beginning of the end of what was once both two of the most profitable department and retail stores, respectively, in the United States.

Once the nation's biggest and most popular department store, Sears began in 1886, when Richard Sears, a watch salesman, teamed up with partner Alvah Roebuck, creating Sears, Roebuck, and Co., Sears' original name and a name Sears went by for many, many years. They started selling merchandize through the now famous and fabled Sears, Roebuck, and Co. catalog, which many people all over the country knew as "The Big Book," because of its immense size that resembled a telephone book. (Before the Scott brothers invented bathroom tissue, the "Big Book" was known for something else as well, as many people took it into the privy room, and not just to read it, either.) Around the 1920's, Sears, Roebuck opened their first department store, which, like its catalog, sold everything from furniture to hardware supplies. However, when specialty stores such as Home Depot and Living Spaces started cropping up, this was what signaled the beginning of the end of major department stores like Sears, because people no longer had one stop place that they had to go to buy everything they needed, which is sad, because I really enjoyed going to the Sears we have here in the Baldwin Hills mall. I hope Sears, and Kmart, stick around for a very long time.

Well, that's all the time we have for this week. Until next time, be well, stay well, and remember to help the disaster survivors!

Sincerely,

Marley Sue