Beijing Locked Down For National Day Parade

“Party In the U.S.A.” Tops At Number One On Itunes!

So I put my hands up they`re playing my song,
And the butterflys fly away, noddin` my head like yea,
I got my hands up, they`re playin` my song,
I know I`m gonna be okay,
Yea, it`s a party in the U.S.A.
It`s a party in the U.S.A.
Party In the U.S.A.-Miley Cyrus-(written by Lukasz Gottwald, Claude Kelly & Jessica Cornish)

This single of Miley Cyrus is doing quite well. It must be striking a nerve in the central nervous system of young people all across the country. I must admit, it is a catchy little ditty. It`s hit # 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and is on fire in other countries, like Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Let`s see if it can go to # 1? Oh, it is currently # ONE on itunes.

The lyrics tell of this musician chick`s move from Nashville to Los Angeles. She scores a hit record when she hits L.A. This makes her buoyant with exceeding glee (it would me too), & she parties her exterior off at some glittery fabricated disco. Jay-Z and Britney Spears have provided some inspiration, apparently.

The video has pizzazz too! The humongous American flag as a backdrop aint doin` it no harm. It`s had 1,919,055 views on YouTube-not bad! There are 15, 297 comments posted. Not too shabby-I`m panhandling a couple a hundred…I hope ya don`t mind Hanna? The bottom line, for me, is that Miley is morphing from a child star to a young adult quite successfully. The public at large is also monitoring this transformation very closely.                                                                   P.S. (B.S.) Eureka! This is The Beverly Hillbillies story all over again! No wonder it`s so successful…Ya know-the move from the country to the big city…Paul Henning must be turnin` in his grave…

Bull Escapes From Slaughterhouse

“Love Is the Answer,” Barbra Streisand`s New One Is Out Today!

Barbra Streisand`s new one, Love Is the Answer, is out today on Columbia, of course. It has twelve songs and a bonus track, You Must Believe In Spring. It is a collection of jazzy, mellow standards, such as Make Someone Happy and Smoke Gets in Your Eyes. Also included is one that Frank Sinatra made famous, In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning. It is produced by Diana Krall, the pianist, arranger and songwriter.

Barbra is backed by a jazz quartet and there are orchestral parts, arranged by Johnny Mandell and William Ross, added to the mixed. A deluxe edition includes only Barbra`s vocals and the jazz quartet, harkening back to her earlier cabaret days. Streisand did a performance at the Village Vanguard on Friday, some forty-eight years after she opened for Miles Davis. *(sources-Wikipedia and A Fine Instrument, a Classic Instinct by Anthony Tommasini in New York Times-September 27, 2009)

Taco Vendor Wins Coveted Vendy Award

“It`s Getting Better”-’Something Groovy And Good Found’ In Cass Elliot!

“Once I believed that when love came to me, it would come with rockets, bells, and poetry. But with me and you, it just started quietly and grew, and believe it or not, now there`s something groovy and good found whatever we got. And it`s getting better, growing stronger, warm and wilder, getting better everyday, Better Everyday.”-Cass Elliot (singer)

Cass Elliot died on July 29, 1974 of a heart attack. She left us on a high note, since she was just completing two weeks of sold out concerts at the London Palladium. Cass never did choke on a ham sandwich, but died of a heart attack at the early age of 32. The fact that this silly rumor followed her in death is unfortunate. This reminds me of the line “no one`s getting` fat except Mama Cass” in the Mamas and Papas` song Creeque Alley. That always troubled me.

The truth of this is that Cass Elliot was really the Star of the Mamas and Papas. Her solo career was the most successful one, as the band parted ways in 1968. Cass made appearances in many movies and television shows in the early 1970s, and continued to shine. I remember seeing her on the Match Game and Hollywood Squares. And Cass sub-hosted The Tonight Show for Johnny Carson many times. Do you recall her jingle for Hardee`s: “Hurry on down to Hardee`s, where the burgers are charco-broiled?”

Cass Elliot transcends all this dirt (MacKenzie Phillips)! She will be remembered as a truly beautiful person. Listen to some her music and judge for yourself. My favorite is Better Everyday! Channel your LOVE & AFFECTION into MAMA CASS! *(source-Wiki)

92-Year-Old Granny Celebrates Birthday By Skydiving

Huge Newborn Draws Spectators To Indonesian Hospital

Umm Kulthum-’Star of the East’

I have been studying Egyptian travel books dreaming of a vacation to these distant lands. Fortune came my way when I noticed the beloved singer of Egypt, Umm Kulthum, in my travelogue, with her trademark sunglasses and spirited songs that made Egypt so proud. Her popularity can be tied into the rise of Abdul Gamer Nasser, who became the second president of Egypt from 1956-1970. Umm Kulthum *(spellings can vary) would give a concert the first Thursday of every month, and the streets of Cairo would empty as people gathered around their radios.

Umm has her own museum on the southern tip of Rawdah Island in Old Cairo. Her songs are long, almost jam sessions *(my narrow western view), where she does a call and response with the orchestra, it seems. Umm has influenced many famous artists. Namedropping would include: Jah Wobble, Bob Dylan, Nico, Bono, Salvidor Dalí, Maria Callas, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Led Zeppelin. Umm Kulthum has been given the name ‘Star of the East,’ for ways she unified the Egyptian people. Have a nice Friday!

What quality do you think Umm had that so galvanized the Egyptian people?

Mackenzie Phillips: Why Tell Now?

Phillips Shocker: Too Much Information?

Actress’ sexual relationship with pop star dad bared in media blitz.

In an era where people tweet about what they had for lunch and starlets bare their panties, there still may be a limit on how much personal info we want to know. [TheWrap]

Is this true? Why come forward now?

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