Happy 'Groundhog Day'

If Candlemas be fair and bright,
Winter has another flight.
If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,
Winter will not come again.

Shadow or not, winter does not end until March 20.

Sunshine and Rain Clouds

These bright and peppy songs have a center as cold as ice.  Sometimes heavy lyrical messages are disguised behind uplifting music. This is why I always recommend listening to the lyrics.

1. Jump - Van Halen
The synth line was written around 1981 by Eddie Van Halen but it was refused by the other members of the band. In 1983, producer Ted Templeman asked Roth to take a listen to the unused song idea. Roth listened repeatedly to the song. To come up with a lyric for it, he remembered seeing a television news report the night before about a man who was threatening to commit suicide by jumping off of a high building. Roth thought that one of the onlookers of such a scene would probably shout "go ahead and jump". Roth bounced this suggestion off of Hostler who agreed it was good. Instead of being about a threatened suicide, the words were written as an invitation to love^.
 
2. Pumped Up Kicks - Foster The People
"Pumped Up Kicks" became the group's breakthrough hit and was one of the most popular songs of 2011. The lyrics are written from the perspective of a troubled and delusional youth with homicidal thoughts. The lines in the chorus warn potential victims to "outrun my gun" and that they "better run, better run, faster than my bullet."

3. Some Nights - Fun
An indie pop song with elements of power pop and afrobeat while the lyrics depict the protagonist having an existential crisis. There is a common theme of decrying fame and the notoriety it brings. "Some nights I stay up cashing in my bad luck / Some nights I call it a draw / Some nights I wish that my lips could build a castle / Some nights I wish they'd just fall off." 

4. Electric Avenue - Eddy Grant
"Down in the street there is violence!" The song's lyrics refer to the 1981 Brixton riot, the title referring to Electric Avenue, a market street in the Brixton area of London.  Things between police and residents of Brixton were already tense, but an incident in which police officers were accused of ignoring a black youth as he lay bleeding in the street from a stab wound proved to be the tipping point for a day of violence that came to be known as Bloody Saturday.  "Workin' so hard like a soldier / Can't afford a thing on TV / Deep in my heart I abhor ya / Can't get food for them kids / Good God!"

5. Rock the Casbah - The Clash
The song gives a fabulist (a fable in song or verse) account of a ban on rock music by the king being defied by the population, who proceed to "rock the casbah." The king orders jet fighters to bomb any people in violation of the ban. The pilots ignore the orders, and instead play rock music on their cockpit radios. It was inspired by the ban on Western music in Iran after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

6. Semicharmed Life - Third Eye Blind
The super fast vocal delivery makes the lyrics somewhat difficult to understand, but if you listen closely you will notice some seriously depressing stuff.  This song is aobu the downfall caused by drug abuse, specifically crystal meth, and the depravity that comes with it.  "The sky was gold, it was rose / I was taking sips of it through my nose / And I wish I could get back there, someplace back there / Smiling at the pictures you would take / Doing crystal meth will lift you up until you break."

Under the Covers

1. If I Were a Boy
BC Jean and Beyonce
 It was written by BC Jean and Toby Gad and Deejaycyfer, who also handled its production alongside Beyoncé. Inspired by the difficult break-up of a romantic relationship, the song was initially recorded by Jean, whose record company rejected it. Beyoncé then recorded her own version. Jean was upset when she learned that Beyoncé was releasing it as a single, but eventually they reached an agreement.

2. I Will Always Love You
Dolly Parton and Whitney Houston
 A song written, composed, and originally recorded by  Dolly Parton, the country track was released on June 6, 1974.  "I Will Always Love You" received positive reviews from critics and attained commercial success, twice reaching number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.  With that accomplishment, Parton became the first artist ever to earn a number one record twice with the same song.  It has since become one of the best-selling singles of all time.   Houston's version of "I Will Always Love You" re-charted in 2012 after her death, making it the second single ever to reach the top three on the Billboard Hot 100 in separate chart runs.

3. Nothing Compares 2 U
The Family and Sinead O'Connor
 A song originally written and composed by Prince for one of his side projects, The Family. It was later made famous by Irish recording artist Sinéad O'Connor.  This version became a worldwide hit in 1990. A music video, which has been described as iconic, was shot and received heavy rotation on MTV.

4. Me and Bobby McGee
Roger Miller and Janice Joplin
Originally performed by Roger Miller. Others performed the song later, including the Grateful Dead, Kristofferson himself, and Janis Joplin who topped the U.S. singles chart with the song in 1971 after her death, making the song the second posthumous number-one single in U.S. chart history after "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" by Otis Redding. In the original version of the song, Bobby is a woman.

5. Crazy
Willie Nelson and Patsy Cline
 Partly due to the genre-blending nature of the song, it has been covered by dozens of artists in several genres over the years; nevertheless, the song remains inextricably linked with Cline. Nelson's own version appears on his 1962 debut album ...And Then I Wrote.

6. Torn
Natalie Imbruglia and Ednaswap
 Torn is a song originally by American alternative rock band Ednaswap from their debut album in 1995. It was then covered several times, the most widely known version of the song was recorded by Australian pop singer Natalie Imbruglia in 1997. Imbruglia's version peaked at number one on singles charts in Belgium, Denmark, Canada, Spain and Sweden;

7. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
Cyndi Lauper and Robert Hazard
 This is a song written by and first recorded in 1979 by American musician Robert Hazard. However, it is much better known as a single by American singer Cyndi Lauper, whose version was released in 1983. It was the first major single released by Lauper as a solo artist and her version gained recognition as a feminist anthem and was promoted by a Grammy-winning video. It has been covered on either an album or in live concert by over 30 other artists.

Charger Cord Holder

Olive Oil

Your olive oil is probably fake. Many of us are so used to eating bad olive oils, or simply fake olive oils, that we can’t tell the difference between the good and the bad, and thus we’re not reaping any of the health benefits that fresh, good olive oil can give us.  Being sure you are actually eating this olive oil is a good thing to do. Extra virgin olive oil, the oil gathered from the very first press of olives without the use of high heat or chemical solvents, should not just help something cook or wet a salad; it should add flavor and antioxidents. Unlike wines that age and become better, olive oils should be eaten as freshly as possible.  In fact, both the flavor and the nutrients in olive oil deteriorate over time.  Freshness with olive oil is important, and a cheap but freshly-pressed extra virgin olive oil is better than an expensive one that's been stored for weeks before shipping, only to sit on a store shelf for weeks more. Regardless of where you live, the key is to check the bottle for a harvest date and make sure the oil you're getting is as fresh as possible

Failed EVOO Test		The Good Stuff
Bertolli		California Olive Ranch
Carapelli		Cobram Estate
Colavita		Lucini
Mezzetta		Kirkland Organic
Newman's Own		Trader Joe’s Premium 100% Greek Kalamata Olive Oil

Orchid update

One of my miniature orchids is blooming. Couldn't be more excited! Also the moss on my other miniature is doing well.

Dino Trouble

My dinosaur pal was left behind at the hotel. The least I could do is show him a good time. We ate cookies, got our nails done, went for a dip in the pool, than caused a little chaos in the lobby.