Feelin' Kinda Sunday

Hey Mr. Sunlight,
Gonna outshine your bright
It's just the beginning of a happy go fun day
(happy go fun day)
and I'm feelin' kinda Sunday (Sunday)
Feelin kinda Sunday (Sunday)
Feelin kinda Sunday
I'm so there
La, la la la, la la laaaaa!!

If you're not aware of what nonsense I'm talking about, it's the song from the State Farm commercial they play when the football game is on. I get to see that commercial a few times every Sunday when I watch the Bears game, and it never gets old. I love it.

Matter of fact, here's the commercial so you can see it for yourself:



Honestly, I don't know why I love it so much. Maybe because every time I hear it, I get in the football mood.

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flack <-- Thrown in by Big Bro as I was trying to blog. I tell you about these distractions!

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I experienced sadness at a player being hurt for the first time today.

Kyle Orton, starting quarterback for the Bears (and much better than Rex Grossman, in my opinion) was doing excellent as usual. He had actually just run his very first touchdown rush in his career, and you could see how excited and happy he was to do it. It was a good play.

And then, a few plays later, he got injured. He had the ball, was down, and some guy from the Lions clocked him in the leg and hurt him. We sat in suspense, and I'm sure we were thinking what everyone in the stands or on the Bears team was thinking: "Get up, Kyle, c'mon, get up!"

And he got up, and we cheered. He talked shit to the guys who hit him. He limped a few steps, and hit the ground again. There was no way he was walking off the field. And for a whole minute, as the action unfolded in real time, a sense of shock and sadness gripped the field and I'm sure those watching at home; it certainly gripped us. The camera panned to Bears fans covering their mouths; one woman looked like she was crying or on the verge of tears. And Kyle was given a standing ovation as he was driven off the field.

Kyle Orton isn't the best quarterback in the NFL, but he's been having one hell of a season this year. Every game he just seems to show more and more that he should have been starting quarterback all along.

I just hope he gets well soon.

Smooth Jazz Gets the Groove Back

How are you feeling today? Happy? Anxious? Maybe sad?

I feel...musical. It's been a while since I've felt like this. But I'm not in a rap or hip hop mood, or even rock (and yes, I do listen to some rock from time to time). I'm in more of a smooth jazz mood.

So now I'm sharing three of my favorite smooth jazz songs.

First up is "Summer Madness" by Kool and the Gang. Ahhh. This song, like "Moments in Love", was played over and over again when I was a kid. It's an excellent stepping song (ooo, I see another entry in my dictionary...)



Next on the list is "Forever in Love" by Kenny G. This song is a song played in a lot of African American weddings. It's a simply beautiful slow song, and Kenny G kills the saxophone. Just murders it. Amazing, amazing song. You should really go to Youtube and type in Forever in Love, and see the actual video (I couldn't embed it). The video itself is one of the most touching music videos I've ever seen. Enough of my raving...listen to it for yourself...



The third and final song I'm sharing for now is "Obsession Confession" by Slash. Not only does it have a mellow, chill smooth jazz theme, but it has a flavorful spanish groove (helped by the fact that he played this song using the spanish guitar). Great, great song.



Lovin it, lovin it, LOVIN IT! I get the feeling I'll still be listening to songs like these when I'm old. Simply amazing.

Don't Leave Me Alone!

I love beats.

The first time I hear a song, I pay no attention to the lyrics or who's singing it. Those are important, but for me, a beat can make or break a song. A songwriter can be a lyrical genius but if the beat doesn't do it for me then the song gets put in a pile for review at a later time.

Then, of course, there are the songs with beats that are sick but horrible lyrics (Shawty Lo's "Dey Know", for example).

So when I first heard the song "Alone" by Ja Rule, Ashanti, Harry O, 7 Aurelius and Irv Gotti last September, I was instantly drawn to it simply because of the background beat.

I tell bitches I possess they soul, and they can never leave real niggas alone...

Heard that beat somewhere? If you listen to smooth jazz or eighties music and/or have parents that do so, you probably have. It remains one of those songs you hear all the time and get stuck in your head but because of the lack of lyrics, you can't figure out what the name of it is. Look no more! The name of the song is "Moments in Love" by Art of Noise. And just in case you're not sure we're talking about the same song, here's the video for it:

Though I don't quite get the turtle thing...

I'm not gonna lie, this song gives me chills every time I hear it. It's perfect for relaxing, studying, or even (yes) those moments in love every once in a while.