Sunday, February 12, 2012

Whitney Houston, Pandora, and Valentines Day

# Whitney Houston dead at 48. Sad. It had been a question of when rather than if. Her steady descent into narcissism had been difficult to watch, the wasted talent, almost a cliché. All I know about her was that when that adorable girl bounced behind the microphone to sing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl in 1991, nobody had ever performed it better before or since. The joy and abandon on her face, the graceful ease with which she glided through the song, the radiance, the beauty, the art…it was all too much. I’ve never forgotten it, and it is always the way I will recall her memory.

# I have recently discovered Pandora radio. Very cool. I have established four “stations”. I suppose the four say a lot about me. It tags me as to age, gender, and level of hipness. So I present them here and welcome your judgment:
#1 Beatles Radio
#2 Frank Sinatra Radio
#3 Blues Rock Radio
#4 Classical Radio

I’m sure that at some point I will add others, but right now, these about cover it. Every mood I might happen upon, there are songs in this universe to cover it. As I write these words I’m listening to Sergey Rachmaninov’s piano concerto No. 2 with the London Symphony Orchestra and I might add that if you can’t write to such music, you simply cannot write. But, what a remarkable thing is this Pandora?

# This Tuesday I celebrate Valentines Day number 30 with Pam. After so many years it becomes harder and harder to come up with fresh material. How many unique ways are there to say “I Love You”? We’ve done everything from overnight stays at fancy hotels, to laying on blankets at the patio doors with the lights off watching the snow fall. I’ve done roses, chocolates, pajamas, and lingerie. We’ve had Italian food, Chinese, steaks, chicken and fish. I’ve gone Hallmark, and homemade. This year I’ve got a new idea. It might be a hit but also has a chance to be an epic fail. I will let you know how it turns out.

4 comments:

  1. How many more talents have to kill themselves in a drug-induced stupor (whether accidental or not) before the world realizes that fame will never satisfy the human soul? Such an unspeakable tragedy. We should pray for Whitney's daughter, that God will bring Christians into that young woman's life.

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    1. Famous people don't seem to do well. First, there's the battle to get to the top. Then comes the hard part: Staying there. Every time you take the stage, everyone wants to see you at your best. One of Elvis's inner circle said, "His hardest job was being Elvis Presley." The "Hall of Fame" is littered with sad stories. But, each of us thinks things might be different, if only WE had the chance.

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  2. Don't worry, I'm sure your Valentine's Day idea will be great. Your only epic fail was the year you poked holes in all of the chocolates that numerous students had given me (in those heart shaped boxes that I love) in an attempt to locate and eat all of the caramel chocolates (my favorites). You can only go uphill after that! Love you!

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  3. Add the Gregory Alan Isakov station on Pandora. Don't roll your eyes, just do it.

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