Your Feel Good Songs

Posted on March 19, 2010 by MAL

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THE COMPLETE FEEL GOOD SONG LIST – According to You!

(And, in no particular order. See bottom of page for full explanation about this list, or click here.)

Eric B. Rakim “Paid in Full”

Glee – “Don’t Stop Believing”

Owl City – “Fireflies”

Boston – “More Than a Feeling”

Gramophonedzie – “Why Don’t You”

Gloria Gaynor – “I Will Survive”

Three Dog Night – “Shambala”

Pointer Sisters – “Jump”

Lady GaGa – “Just Dance”

Robbie Williams – “Rock DJ”

Sugarland – “Who Says You Can’t Go Home”

The Verve – “Bittersweet Symphony”

ABBA – “Dancing Queen”

R. Kelly – “Ignition Remix”

Estelle and Kanye West – “American Boy”

M.I.A. – “Paper Planes”

Cheryl Cole – “Fight for this Love”

Oasis – “Supersonic”

KD Lang – “Miss Chatelaine”

Iggy Pop – “The Passenger”

Katrina and the Waves – “Walking on Sunshine”

Tina Turner – “The Best”

The Clash – “Train in Vain”

Elvis – “Lawdy Miss Clawdy”

La Colegiala – “Rodolfo y su Tipica”

Toots and the Maytals – “Reggae Got Soul”

George Michael – “Faith”

Bruce Springstein – “Dancing in the Dark”

(BACK STORY: Back at the end of January, I posted a blog about “Feel Good Songs”, and asked for your input. I said that I would post a compilation list of everyone’s answers once I received them. It’s been nearly two months, but better late than never. Thank you for everyone who added an answer.

Funny how so many are oldies – perhaps those are the ones that make us feel the best – like comfort food, this is comfort pop.

Anyone else, feel free to add a comment to what your feel good song is.

Right now, I’m feeling Justin Bieber. I got Bieber Fever!!! (Not really. But I did see him last night on Alan Carr’s Chatty Man and I can see what the pre-teens see in him. He’s definitely no Jordan Knight though…)

(Please let me know if any of the links don’t work in your country. I did my best to find ones that would.)

January Word Cloud

Posted on January 31, 2010 by MAL

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It being the last day of the month, the wonderful Michelloui over at Mid-Atlantic English tagged me to do a word cloud based on what January means to me – clever words I’ve read, seen or perhaps written?

She writes:

“The End of Month Collection Cloud is a New Thing. I keep collecting words and phrases that sound right, savvy, delicious or outright decadent. Time to share. And I’d love to read yours…For more about this share fest, go here.”

January, for me, means the finishing of my first novel. So, I randomly (well, kind of randomly) scrolled through the 225 pages of my novel, and picked a few sentences to share with y’all. Enjoy! (You must click on words below to enlarge!)

It’s My Feel Good Song

Posted on January 27, 2010 by MAL

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I am writing one of the final chapters of my novel, and I keep thinking of the song by Soul II Soul, Back to Life, Back to Reality. It’s been stuck in my head for literally three days now, and it’s one of those songs I haven’t heard in so long, but gives me a grin whenever I think of it.

It’s probably the same reason people are loving the Journey Song Don’t Stop Believing that has become popular again due to the television show Glee ) (INSERT – I have been told that the previous link doesn’t work in the states, so try this one! At least you’ll get the song, just without the video.) ….reminds us of simpler times. Reminds us when we had no doubts that our future would hold bright and amazing prospects. I might admit to still feeling that my future holds those things…so it’s no wonder I’m a sap who gets really into Don’t Stop Believing when it comes on. Like literally, if no one is watching (as in today at the office), I’ll start mouthing the lyrics really emotionally. Sometimes, my fists will clench, and I might even do a fist pump in the air. The hair might twirl around. My hips may just swing in my chair. And, if I’m at home and it comes on… and I’m alone (not to mention when Jocko’s sitting right next to me) – yeah, I could just jump on my feet and do the boogie woogie full-on. Jimminy Christmas! as Sisqo would say. (If you want to do the same, I highly recommend clicking on the link above. You won’t be sorry.) Kind of like this, but without the dance club:

But the moment I hear someone coming, regardless of whether or not they walk in, my face goes red and my heart beats a bit quicker. Because, as much as I don’t mind admitting it to the entire world on my blog – catching me in action is a whole nother kettle of fish.

But come on, you know you want to shake that booty! It’s good for the soul. Enjoy the music video.

(Side note: It’s also no surprise that Owl City’s Fireflies song is so popular right now either. People want to feel good right now. The recession, Haiti, political mess, the war…at least we have the MUSIC to keep us smiling! So, what’s your favorite feel good song? I’ll tag Mid-Atlantic English, Eileen O’Shea, 3-Bedroom Bungalow, and Lahloo Tea. And, anyone else, feel free to answer in the comments! Let’s get a good list going, and I’ll post it once we have at least twenty…yeah?!)

Soul II Soul : Back to life (However do you want me)
by tartenpion333

Laughing Amongst the Flowers and Best of 2009 in Photos

Posted on January 8, 2010 by MAL

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I have been tagged in a photo meme by Smitten by Britain that asks for me to post my favorite photo of all time. So, I have been going through the photos like crazy for the last day and a half. How to pick one out of so many??

Because of this assignment, however, I have now gone about compiling my favorite pictures of 2009 taken by my camera or by someone who had a camera near me. It took a long time considering there are literally thousands of pictures in my portfolio. (Yes, I have too much time on my hands.) And, I was originally going to narrow it down to the top 20, but indecisive as ever – we now have The Top 62 Photos of the Year 2009 (and some of 2008). I based this on what I considered artistic merit and sentimental meaning. (And for those who may notice that these are posted on Flickr after I vehemently stated that I would delete my Flickr account forever….well, I have an explanation. You see. I did delete it, but when I went to look at a friends Flickr photos, it said I was still logged on and apparently all of my photos were still in place. They just don’t listen, do they? So, I uploaded more because they do a better slideshow than Picasa.)

Right. So, back to the original assignment. Favorite photo of all time.

There are so many. There is the photo of Jock with the kindest eyes I had ever seen that got me through the four months we were separated while he was traveling through Africa, and made me believe that he may actually be the person I thought he was during those eight hours of meeting him (but that’s for me to cherish). There is the picture of my mother as a woman in her twenties smiling and beautiful. There is the black and white photo of my Tia Juanita in her fedora, mi padre y mi abuela in Miami during the happiest of times. There is the incredibly remarkable and oh so defining photo of my best friend of twenty years and I in Cape Cod Massachusetts. There is the black and white picture that Lindsey took of my sister and I circa 1995 for a class assignment that exudes sisterly love….hold your horses…

Just when I was about to insert a completely different picture, I check my email and I have an email waiting in there from my Grandfather Vennes (you remember Sir John!) with a picture attached of my sister and I. Talk about perfect random coincidental timing! He took this picture of us circa 1988 in the fields of Prince Edward Island, Canada just outside of the campground he owned called Seal Cove. Despite our horrible matching shirts, I’d say he captured us at just the right moment.

So, in keeping with the passing of the torch of this photo meme. I am tagging people’s blogs I follow, some who know me and some who don’t…just to keep it interesting! Let’s see if they respond