Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Love Or Stone - By Carroll Bryant

LOVE OR STONE - By Carroll Bryant
 
 
What would happen if I died
Would you cry for me
If in my thoughts that I was still alive
Would you believe in me or would you just leave
Me alone
When you're long gone because I'm not pretty anymore
And I'm done
I've grown tired of you too
 
That's the way of the world
When the rain comes down
When the snow falls
And everyone is lost in their souls
Drowning in their lusts
Everyone's a zombie now
I know
You look right through me like I'm not there
I'm not here at all
Love or stone
 
What would you do if I ran away
Would you bother looking for me
If in your translucent state of mind
Do I still appeal to you
Enough to find me still to be
Your well kept secret piece of nothing
Walking like the walking dead
And talking like a president elect
 
That's the way of the world
When the rain comes down
When the snow falls
And everyone is lost in their souls
Drowning in their lusts
Everyone's a zombie now
I know
You look right through me like I'm not there
I'm not here at all
Love or stone
 
I wanna be in love or turn me into stone
I wanna be loved or be left alone
I wanna be in love
 
Isn't this easier than trying to catch a rainbow?
Isn't this easier than searching for a leprechauns pot of gold?
Trying to catch a rainbow
Trying to catch a rainbow
 
Trying to catch a cold
 
I wanna be in love or turn me into stone
I wanna be loved or be left alone
I wanna be in love
 
That's the way of the world
When the rain comes down
When the snow falls
And everyone is lost in their souls
Drowning in their lusts
Everyone's a zombie now
I know
You look right through me like I'm not there
I'm not here at all
Love or stone
 
Love or stone
Love or stone
 
Love or leave me alone
 
 
 
 
 


Saturday, December 26, 2015

My Favorite Christmas Songs: Same Old Lang Syne

This one reminds me of someone. Every time I hear it, I get that same old feeling of emptiness inside. Even after all of these years later. I will never forget her. Even when I am dead, I will continue to think of her during the holiday season. This is why I posted it last, and the day after Christmas.


 
 
 

Friday, December 25, 2015

Thursday, December 24, 2015

Story Time: Christmas Lasagna

So anyone who has been following me for a while knows about my mothers Christmas lasagna. It's the best lasagna on the planet. However, do you know the story behind it? Well, I'm gonna tell you. lol

My mothers lasagna didn't originate from my mother, it originated from me. Well, not me but from the man who had it handed down to him from his family. You see, when I went to Italy while serving in the Navy, I had a friend who had an uncle who lived in Naples, Italy. His uncle owned a building that stretched for about half a city block or more. On the ground level, he owned perhaps the largest fashion store in Naples, and on the second floor, the best restaurant in the world. In the basement of this huge building, 1/4 of it was turned into a night club. After going ashore with my friend, he took me to meet his uncle at the restaurant. We ate for free as his guests and that is the night I had the best lasagna ever! I complimented him and after we ate, we went downstairs to the night club, again as his guest, and we drank for free.

However, while we were there, no music could be overheard yet, in the back part of the bar I saw this huge booth with the latest in music technology. It was a DJ booth. It had two turntables, two cassette players and two 8-track players. This booth was loaded. I asked my friend about it and he had one of the waitresses fetch his uncle so I could ask him about it. My first question to his uncle, when he arrived downstairs, was, "Do you have a DJ who is going to come in later and start playing some music?"

His uncle informed me that no, he had no one on staff who could operate the booth, but then he looked at me, "Would you like to give it a try?"

"Sure." I replied, even though I knew nothing about being a DJ and certainly didn't know if I could operate the equipment inside. The uncle showed me into the booth and once the door closed behind us, all of the outside noise in the bar was gone. "It's virtually sound proof." I said.

The uncle showed me around. "If you do this," he told me, "I will let you drink for free all night."

Well, this pleased me very much because when I was in the Navy, drinking was my second favorite thing. (Women was my first favorite thing.) "It's a deal!" I replied.

Anyhow, I not only pulled it off that night, but I also went back the following night and DJ'ed for him. That second night, the place was jam packed. Word had got around quickly about the "American DJ" at this bar who took requests. I also put out a tips jar that got filled every time I DJ'ed. And by every time I mean, when we came back to Italy for the second time, I had received a three day vacation from a request chit I sent through my chain of command. We arrived on Friday morning, I left ship Friday evening around 3:00 PM and had the weekend plus that Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. I didn't have to be back on the ship until Thursday morning for 7:00 AM muster.

I spent all my time working that DJ booth for about 150.00 dollars a night in tips, plus there were a couple sleeping rooms in the basement and what was a mini locker room and a private kitchen that looked abut the same size as the kitchen in his restaurant. So I ended up sleeping in one of the rooms. I would wake up around 9 or 10 in the morning, take a shower, go up top and get something to eat at the restaurant (free of charge) and then go sight seeing (sometimes with one of the girls who worked the bar) and then by 5 or 6 in the evening, I was back at the bar at the DJ booth playing songs for our sailors. It was a sweet gig.

By the time I had to go back to the ship, I said goodbye to my new friend, the uncle, and again told him how much I loved his lasagna. (It was just about all I ate when I was there) and he said to me, "Wait, I have a gift for you." He left for a few minutes and when he returned, he handed me a piece of paper. It was the recipe for the lasagna. "It's a family recipe," he said, "keep it only in your family and share with no one else."

I agreed.

When I got back to the ship, I ended up sending the recipe to my mother to hold for me until I returned home. And when that time came, my mother refused to give me the recipe. As it turned out, she got the recipe in mid November and tried making it that Christmas and everyone loved it so, she decided to bogart the recipe for herself. That was also the first year of moms Christmas lasagna.

Mother didn't give the recipe back to me until about three or four years ago. The only reason she gave it back to me was because now I have to help make it for the family on Christmas. Now, I know what you're thinking, lasagna is lasagna. Well, no it's not. This lasagna is the best I have ever tasted. I got this recipe from an Italian chef from Italy. Nobody, and I mean nobody, makes Italian food like an Italian so don't even try to go there, and don't even say so nothing about nothing. It's just a fact.

But now I have that recipe back and now I can enjoy that Christmas lasagna any time I want. Speaking of which, I'm making it right this very moment while writing this post and I have to go now so, you all have a very merry Christmas. I'mma gonna fix, and then eat me some, Christmas lasagna.  

My Favorite Christmas Songs: Last Christmas by Wham

Yes, I like this song. It's beautiful and kind of stabs at your heart a little. A relationship gone wrong and the man left alone for Christmas. I been there a time or two.


 
 
 
 


Wednesday, December 23, 2015

My Favorite Christmas Songs: Rockin Around The Christmas Tree

This is an oldie but goody. I like the upbeat tempo and over-all jolliness and fun of this song. It always puts a little smile on my face when I hear it and gives me an extra kick of Christmas spirit.


 
 
 


Tuesday, December 22, 2015

My Favorite Christmas Songs: Jingle Bell Rock

There has been many versions of this song, but quite frankly, my favorite version is by Hall and Oates. It's a generation thing I guess. I also like their video. Not to take anything away from the "Mean Girls" version. lol


 
 
 
 

Monday, December 21, 2015

My Favorite Christmas Songs: Blue Christmas by Elvis Presley

What would Christmas be without the king of rock and roll? Being an Elvis Presley fan, you knew I had to have him in on one of my favorites.

 
 
 
 
 


Saturday, December 19, 2015

My Favorite Christmas Songs: All I Want For Christmas Is You (Mariah Carey)

They say this song fell from number one on the Christmas charts to a remake of the McCartney classic "Wonderful Christmas Time" by the Shins. I listened to their remake and honestly, it sucks. You're still my number one Mariah. Love you!


 
 
 



 


Friday, December 18, 2015

My Favorite Christmas Songs: Do You Hear What I Hear?

The original version is fine, but I always preferred the Bing Crosby version for some reason. But I also like the version he did with David Bowie, too.

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

My Favorite Christmas Songs: Happy Christmas (War Is Over) John Lennon

I miss all the songs John Lennon would have written and recorded had he not been gunned down.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Check Out The Poetry Daily

Are you looking for some good poetry? How about poetry news? Want to know what's going on in the world of poetry? Look no more! Check out my friends over at THE POETRY DAILY  and you won't go wrong.

No other website or blog captures the essence of poetry like The Poetry Daily site which is run and operated by Govind Joshi.

The Poetry Daily will keep you informed and up to date about all aspects of poetry and poets. Young and old, new and up and coming poets and writers that I am sure you will want to know about. If you love reading new poems and learning about new poets then The Poetry Daily is for you.

They have photos, art and entertainment, leisure, science, world, technology and more. A total and complete site that should carry you through your morning coffee break. So check out The Poetry Daily, you will not regret it. Tell them Carroll Bryant sent you.

Sunday, December 13, 2015

My Favorite Christmas Songs: Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer

When I was a kid, this was funny. It still holds special memories because I may have been the only kid in history who actually wished my grandmother would have gotten run over by a reindeer. I don't think my granny cared for me much. That's sad, if you allowed it to be, but I looked on the Brightside, I didn't have to put up with pinched cheeks or granny breath and kisses. Ha-ha.


 
 


Thursday, December 10, 2015

Aggressive Pleasure - By Carroll Bryant

AGGRESSIVE PLEASURE - By Carroll Bryant


What is it like to be a shadow dancer
Roaming in the night and hunting for your food
I can see in time and blow your mind forever
Don't look so surprised when the devil finally finds you

I heard your screams
Your footsteps close behind me
I didn't care
Sometimes I play the fool
What does it mean
If the wind won't come so easy
It's everywhere and always on the loose

You can't stop it
You can only beg for mercy
You can't tame it or save it from itself
So just drop it
The pleasure is aggressive
You can't feel it when you live inside of someone else

What can you say when the sex just leaves you speechless
You can't throw away the glory of the touch
Caught up in the chase and we can never catch the crazy
It lurks inside our brains and it all gets to be too much

I learned your ways by watching from a distance
You never knew because I believe in sorrow
Where did it go
If not the heart to be your savior
We'll never know and now you know we lost tomorrow

You can't stop it
You can only beg for mercy
You can't tame it or save it from itself
So just drop it
The pleasure is aggressive
You can't feel it when you live inside of someone else

Hour by hour it passes you by while you're sitting still
The love you thought would never leave
You can't beat its power when it fights against your will
Knocking you to your knees

She's leaving you for good now

I heard your screams
Your footsteps close behind me
I didn't care
Sometimes I play the fool
I can see in time and blow your mind forever
Don't look so surprised when the devil finally finds you

You can't stop it
You can only beg for mercy
You can't tame it or save it from itself
So just drop it
The pleasure is aggressive
You can't feel it when you live inside of someone else

The pleasure is aggressive
The pleasure is aggressive
The pleasure is aggressive

Now your soul becomes your hell
 
 



 


Tuesday, December 8, 2015

My Favorite Christmas Songs: Simply Having A Wonderful Christmas Time

This could very well be my all-time favorite Christmas song. I'm pretty sure it is.
 
 
 
 
 

Friday, December 4, 2015

My Favorite Christmas Songs: Feliz Navidad

When I was a boy, one of my favorite things was riding in the car with momma on Christmas Eve, on our way to see family and friends. We had the radio turned up and singing to the Christmas songs that were playing. Here is one of my favorites.


 
 


Tuesday, December 1, 2015

DVD Review: Elf / Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer

I wanted to do a couple of Christmas DVD reviews and I wanted to start with a couple of my all time favorites.

Let's start with one that quickly became one of my all time favorites the moment I first saw it. ELF - starring Will Ferrell.
 
A baby at an orphanage crawls into Santa's toy bag and soon finds himself in the North Pole living with Santa and his elves. He grows up believing he is an elf despite the fact that he is more than twice the size of all the other elves. He was named Buddy (Will Ferrell) when he was first discovered by Santa that fateful Christmas Eve.
 
Once Buddy discovers he is an orphan, he sets out to find his real father who lives in New York City. He gets hired by his father to work at his publishing company but gets in his fathers way and becomes a problem so his father fires him and Buddy, walks across the street to a toy store and lands himself another job, meets his future wife, and gets into more trouble until Christmas Eve arrives and he goes to rescue Santa Claus who crashed landed in Central Park while distributing presents. The Christmas spirit gets a boost at the end and quite frankly, I just found this movie sweet and funny. It also stars James Caan, Ed Asner, and Bob Newhart. If you have kids and they haven't seen this movie, buy it and let them see it! lol It's awesome.
 
My rating: I give this two thumbs up and a solid 8.5 stars out of ten stars. You just won't go wrong with this one.
 
 
 
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RUDOLPH THE RED NOSED REINDEER is the ultimate all time classic children's Christmas show. I watched it as a kid and now I own the DVD. I'm pretty sure everyone in America has watched this by now, or at least I hope so because it is FANTASTIC!
 
 
 
 


Rudolph is enjoying playtime with the other reindeer while playing reindeer games when after receiving a kiss from a doe, he goes off half cocked, flying all over the place when the cover on his nose, which his father placed on him, comes off, revealing his shiny red nose. Told that he can no longer play reindeer games, he is cast aside and rejected. Determined to find his way in life, Rudolph sneaks off one night and runs away. In doing so, he meets up with a runaway elf who also was rejected by his peers because he wanted to be a dentist.

Together they roam the North Pole looking for a place to belong when they run into a prospector. The trio soon finds themselves on the island of misfit toys but ironically, being misfits themselves, they were not allowed to stay on the island, however, they were allowed to spend the night, which because of his nose, Rudolph decides to sneak away when the other two fall asleep because he feared his nose would lead the snow monster to them.

Ultimately, Rudolph saves the day when he rescues his mother, father, and the pretty doe who kissed him at the reindeer games when they went out to search for him - with the help of the elf and the prospector. Then he goes on to lead Santa's sleigh. Come on, you know how the story goes.

My rating? ... A PERFECT TEN !!!!!