DAY 25 - 30 SONGS IN 30 DAYS

Day 25: A song you like by an artist no longer living 

Janis Lyn Joplin (January 19, 1943 – October 4, 1970) was an American singer and musician. One of the most successful and widely known rock stars of her era, she was noted for her powerful mezzo-soprano vocals and "electric" stage presence.

In 1967, Joplin rose to fame following an appearance at Monterey Pop Festival, where she was the lead singer of the then little-known San Francisco psychedelic rock band Big Brother and the Holding Company. After releasing two albums with the band, she left Big Brother to continue as a solo artist with her own backing groups, first the Kozmic Blues Band and then the Full Tilt Boogie Band. She appeared at the Woodstock festival and on the Festival Express train tour. Five singles by Joplin reached the Billboard Hot 100, including a cover of the Kris Kristofferson song "Me and Bobby McGee", which reached number one in March 1971. Her most popular songs include her cover versions of "Piece of My Heart", "Cry Baby", "Down on Me", "Ball and Chain", "Summertime", and her original song "Mercedes Benz", her final recording.

Joplin died of a heroin overdose in 1970, at the age of 27, after releasing three albums (two with Big Brother and the Holding Company and one solo album). A second solo album, Pearl, was released in January 1971, just over three months after her death. It reached number one on the Billboard charts. She was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. Rolling Stone ranked Joplin number 46 on its 2004 list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and number 28 on its 2008 list of 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. She remains one of the top-selling musicians in the United States, with Recording Industry Association of America certifications of 18.5 million albums sold.

*(borrowed from Wikipedia) 

DAY 24 - 30 SONGS IN 30 DAYS

Day 24: A song by a band you wish were still together 

The Beatles' earliest influences include Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Little Richard and Chuck Berry. During the Beatles' co-residency with Little Richard at the Star-Club in Hamburg, from April to May 1962, he advised them on the proper technique for performing his songs. Of Presley, Lennon said, "Nothing really affected me until I heard Elvis. If there hadn't been Elvis, there would not have been the Beatles." Other early influences include Buddy Holly, Eddie Cochran, Roy Orbison and the Everly Brothers.

The Beatles continued to absorb influences long after their initial success, often finding new musical and lyrical avenues by listening to their contemporaries, including Bob Dylan, the Who, Frank Zappa, the Lovin' Spoonful, the Byrds and the Beach Boys, whose 1966 album Pet Sounds amazed and inspired McCartney. Referring to the Beach Boys' creative leader, Martin later stated: "No one made a greater impact on the Beatles than Brian [Wilson]." Ravi Shankar, with whom Harrison studied for six weeks in India in late 1966, had a significant effect on his musical development during the band's later years.

* (borrowed from Wikipedia)

WHEN KRIS KRINGLE DOESN'T JINGLE

It's always bothered me when people complain about the usage of the phrase "Happy Holidays." For some reason Christians believe they have the market cornered on the holiday season and everyone should say "Merry Christmas" to each other when in reality 66% of all the people who call Earth their home are not of the Christian faith. Quite simply the list of the world's major religions and their populations looks something like this: 1.Christianity: 2.1 billion 2.Islam: 1.5 billion 3.Secular/Nonreligious/Agnostic/Atheist: 1.1 billion 4.Hinduism: 900 million 5.Chinese traditional religion: 394 million 6.Buddhism: 376 million 7.primal-indigenous: 300 million 8.African Traditional & Diasporic: 100 million 9.Sikhism: 23 million 10.Juche: 19 million 11.Spiritism: 15 million 12.Judaism: 14 million 13.Baha'i: 7 million 14.Jainism: 4.2 million 15.Shinto: 4 million 16.Cao Dai: 4 million 17.Zoroastrianism: 2.6 million 18.Tenrikyo: 2 million 19.Neo-Paganism (Wicca, Magick, Druidism, Asatru, Native American religion and others): 1 million 20.Unitarian-Universalism: 800 thousand 21.Rastafarianism: 600 thousand 22.Scientology: 500 thousand

During the months of November and December which are traditionally viewed as the holiday season, many of these religions have major holidays. For example: Samhain - Beltane (Wicca/Pagan) Eid al Adha (Islam) Guru Nanak Dev Sahib birthday (Sikh) Birth of Baha'u'llah (Baha'i) Gkuru Tegh Bahadur Martyrdom (Sikh) Day of Covenant (Baha'i) Hijra - New Year (Islam) Ashura (Islam) Bodhi Day (Buddhism) Hanukkah (Jewish) Yule (Wicca/Pagan) Litha (Wicca/Pagan) Christmas (Christian) Zarathosht Diso (Zoroastrian) Kwanzaa (secular/noneligious) Since we do live in a melting pot, doesn't it make more sense to say "Happy Holidays" to a stranger out of respect for other cultures and religions than to say "Merry Christmas" to someone who may not celebrate Christmas?

*reposted November 15, 2011

DAY 23 - 30 SONGS IN 30 DAYS

 Day 23: A song you think everybody should listen to

This selection may come as a huge surprise, but yes, I like classical music. Without music like this there wouldn't have been any music of today. I know this piece is rather long, but maybe you can listen to it at night and drift off into a deep peaceful sleep while listening to it.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM MILDRED

To celebrate Halloween I thought something a little "magical" might be in order: 

THE MAGICAL DOOR: POWER COLORS TO PAINT YOUR ENTRANCE

In feng shui and the magical arts, your front door is known as one of the most powerful places in your home.

It’s literally the threshold where the energy from the outside world – visible and invisible – enters your home and becomes your own. Even if you don’t use your front door frequently, it’s the symbolic entry point of blessings and wealth.

In feng shui, the front door is known as the “mouth of chi.” Just like our actual mouths are the places where we receive nourishment that keeps us alive, our front door is the place where we receive the energetic and physical resources that keep our homes happy and healthy.

With that in mind, a front door color is sort of like lipstick: it draws attention to this power point and defines the energy in a particular way. Energetically, your front door color defines the vibration of your home and advertises the qualities of energy you want to call into your life. Painting your front door a vibrant color can work well whether your house is brick, natural wood, gray, white, beige, tan, brown, or anything else, and will help boost the unique visual appeal of your home.

In a number of feng shui schools of thought, the direction your door faces informs the shades you have to choose from. In my personal opinion and experience, following your intuition about what feels right to you overrides potential directional considerations.

Here are six auspicious and protective door color ideas and the meanings and magical properties they possess.

You might want to consider the meanings and magical properties associated with these door color ideas in when you choose the color you want to paint your door, or you may prefer to paint your door the color that calls to you most. Paint color choices can be a form of divination: your intuitive preference will indicate your subconscious magical intentions.

(Of course, if you can’t paint your door because you’re renting, don’t worry! While a freshly painted door can add a nice magical touch, it’s not a make-or-break scenario. But you may be surprised, and it doesn’t hurt to ask! Some landlords are open to the idea.)

MAGICAL DOOR COLOR #1: RED

Red is a classic door color in feng shui. That’s because in feng shui, the color red is considered celebratory, successful, prosperous, and protective. A red door is one of the best door colors because it has a cheerful, radiant vibration that keeps negativity out and calls positivity in. If you’re wondering what shade of red to paint your door, keep in mind that bright shades are considered the luckiest.

MAGICAL DOOR COLOR #2: BLUE



Blue is a favorite magical door color of legendary Witchcraft author Scott Cunningham. In his classic book The Magical Household, he recommends painting your door blue for protection. A blue door is one of the best door color choices for Witches and other magical practitioners, as it wards off negativity while inviting in harmony and peace. If these magical qualities appeal to you, choose a bright royal or deep sapphire blue for your front door.

MAGICAL DOOR COLOR #3: PURPLE



A purple door is a glorious, magical thing. In addition to enhancing wealth and prosperity vibrations in your home, a purple door invites in magic, synchronicity, and divine guidance. A purple front door helps anchor your magical worldview and preserves a sense that life is magical within your home. Choose a vibrant purple for your front door in order to reap the most benefits from this color choice.

MAGICAL DOOR COLOR #4: BLACK



A black door emanates elegance and promotes success, which is why feng shui considers it one of the best color choices for your front door. As the color of the water element in feng shui, a black front door helps align you with your most ideal career path and promotes a harmonious flow in work. If you’re focused on your career and life path at this stage in your life, black might be the front door color for you. From a feng shui perspective, navy blue possesses similar properties to black, so you if these door color properties appeal to you, you might like to choose navy blue as an alternate.

MAGICAL DOOR COLOR #5: GREEN



If you’re drawn to forests and the magical properties of plants and herbs, chances are good you’ll love having a green door. As the color of money and healthy greenery, a green door also calls in wealth and abundance. Green is one of the best door colors to choose for money magic and aligning with the magic of the earth. Be sure to choose a green that reminds you of a lush and vibrant landscape in order to maximize the luxurious benefits of this magical door color.

MAGICAL DOOR COLOR #6: PINK



If you think a pink door wouldn’t be protective, think again! While pink gets a bad rap as a cutesy color, it’s actually a surprisingly powerful and useful color in magic and witchcraft. It keeps harshness and negativity out, calls in sweetness and positivity, and generally promotes good vibes and good luck. A pink door also invites in friendship, harmony, and love. Choose any shade of pink that you like for your door, but be aware that less noticeable pinks will begin to lose their magical qualities. In general, brighter and more vibrant colors are the most powerful when it comes to door colors

DAY 22 - 30 SONGS IN 30 DAYS

Day 22: A song that moves you forward 

Just because this reminds me from where I came and I needn't say any more...