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"Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad." -Proverbs 12:25

"Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad." -Proverbs 12:25
Midnight Blue (1963): Jazz guitarist Kenny Burrell featuring Stanley Turrentine on tenor saxophone, Major Holley on double bass, Bill English on drums and Ray Barretto on conga. Midnight Blue is one of Burrell’s best-known works for Blue Note Records. In 2005, NPR included the album in its "Basic Jazz Library", describing it as "one of the great jazzy blues records".

He said, She said...

"You are not designed for everyone to like you - Wise Man Phil


FRAGILE: Sting, Yo Yo Ma, Dominic Miller & Chris Botti


Monday, February 7, 2011

The National Anthem: A Honor; A Privilege

Privilege: a right, immunity, or benefit enjoyed only by a person beyond the advantages of most: the privileges of the very rich.


The guys on ESPN have a segment called "C'mon Man" on their "Sunday Countdown" show every Sunday. During the segment Tom Jackson, Mike Ditka, Keyshawn Johnson, Chris Berman and Chris Carter highlight unbelievable behavior on, and off, the NFL field. The segment is often entertaining and spot on. There is no better way to dismiss a bonehead move than saying "C'mon Man". 

It's synonymous with, "Seriously?" and my personal favorite, "Really?"

Well, if they were to have another "Countdown Sunday" show this week they would have to lead with the disastrous National Anthem sung by Christina Aguilera and one of the worst Super Bowl halftime shows in recent memory.

Seriously?

Is that the best the NFL could come up with?

I'm going to pass on and refrain from commenting on the Black Eyed Peas because I don't want to relive that experience ever again. For those keeping score at home Prince, U2 and Michael Jackson (PART 2 LINK OF MJ) were the best halftime performers ever.

I believe Prince to be the best. He sang "Purple Rain" when it was raining, with a prison doorag on his head and high heels on his feet. And with all that, he didn't fall, get electrocuted or miss one note, or word(s). Christina.

Talent doesn't need props, it just needs talent. Black Eyed Peas.

Michael, U2 and Prince I salute you. You guys got it right.

As far as getting it completely wrong that award goes to Ms Dirty herself. 

There were 111 million people watching Christina. 

That is 111 with six zeros. 
 
I think she is hot, I think she has a great voice and I think her performance was an embarrassment to herself, to the Super Bowl and to our country.


It is a privilege and honor to sing our country's "National Anthem."

Get it right.

We have people that haven't seen their loved ones because they have been at war in the Middle East.

Get it right.

Soldiers have come back to America in boxes this year.

Get it right.

Leave your ego and your new signature arrangement at the door. Everyone knows you can sing... that is why you got the gig in the first place. Just sing the song, don't go Patti Labelle on me.

Don't get cute with a new vocal arrangement. Coke tried that with Coke Zero and look where that got them. It sucks. And "Gay", I mean "Glee", you suck too. 

When you get it right the first time there is no need to mess with it. We've been singing the Star-Spangled Banner since 1889. 

And singing quite well if I do say so myself. 

Note to self: if you do decide to change the arrangement of the Star-Spangled Banner you better be so good at singing it that we forget how the original is sung.

My intention is not to be harsh, but point out that there are exactly 80 words in the Star-Spangled Banner. 

Get it right.

If the moment is too big and your nerves are too weak then make sure you have a teleprompter on the ground about 5 feet from you or use one of those glass teleprompters Barack is so good at using.
      
And don't give me that "if you know so much you get up there and do it." I can't sing, that is your thing. Abraham Lincoln once stated "a wise man knows his limitations."  

Well, I know mine.

Either way, too big of event or too weak in the nerves area, get it right.

I could go on forever, but I won't. Listen to the best National Anthem ever sung... thank you Whitney

Seriously, thank you Whitney, you're performance was remarkable in the 1991 Super Bowl. In my book you are forever forgiven for the Bobby Brown decision and the cocaine use because of your performance in Super Bowl XXV.

And for you Christina I have "cut and pasted" the words to our, to your, National Anthem.   

Francis Scott Key still must be turning over in his grave. 

C'mon man, get it right. 

 
 
“The Star-Spangled Banner” 
(National Anthem Lyrics)


O! say can you see by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;
O! say does that star-spangled banner yet wave,
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?



sbb 7.2.11
799
...Amazing


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