This is an OUTSTANDING movie that really does provide good insights into the insanity that led to the 2008 financial crisis.

Trust me when I say that.

Hubris kills. And THAT, together with greed, is the reason for the 2008 financial crisis.

Christmas.

The default Christmas tune in the U.S., before the 2000s, was Bing Crosby's "White Christmas".

Now?

It is Mariah Careys's "All I Want For Christmas". For better or for worse. Whether you like it or not,

In Japan?

There is only one Christmas song. Christmas is not complete without it. And I don't see it changing anytime soon.

Yamashita Tatsuro.
Christmas Eve.

It was and is an incredible tune. One that became a classic because of, of course, the talent of Yamashita, However, the use of the song in the classic JR commercials absolutely helped!

Christmas.... Japanese style!!

Enjoy!

When Lisa Stansfield came out with All Around The World, I wasn't a huge fan. It was OK, but it just didn't do anything special. The original music video did nothing to change that.

But then she did it as a duet with Barry White. Which was captured in an awesome music video.

And what was an ordinary song, in my view, was transformed into something else. As a duet, with Barry White, the song worked. And the music video presented Lisa Stansfield in a far better light. The Lisa Stansfield in the original MV was not particularly likeable. The Lisa Stansfiled in the duet MV was so much more appealing.

A wonderful song capturing a fantastic duet!

A legendary song by a legendary band at a legendary concert.

What more needs to be said?!

The '90s were a really fascinating time in J-Pop, as artists finally began to explore the world of rap / urban music.

And East End x Yuri were literally the first to have hits that were rap inspired. Unless any J music fans out there want to correct me.

MAICCA was such a catchy tune. Simple and unrefined. The other big hit that they did, DA YO NE, had the same basic back beat.

For me, watching videos like these on Space Shower TV in the mid '90s was like watching early American music videos. Remember the MV for Rapper's Delight? Low budget, simple, but honest.

Anyway, enjoy!!

The Carpenters.
Live in Japan in 1974.

This is a very personal posting for me. My Dad was not a big fan of most pop & rock 'n roll music. There were only a few artists he rated.

-- Abba, primarily for Dancing Queen.
-- The Moody Blues, primary because of Nights In White Satin.
-- Simon & Garfunkel, with The Sounds Of Silence being a favorite, and
-- The Carpenters!

Of all of these, The Carpenters were the band that I hear time and time again. My dad would play a song and then would speak about the musical qualities of the song. Almost as is if to justify his love for it and for the artist.

Of course, he was not wrong in his sentiments. Karen's voice was one of the purest ever heard and she had the benefit of a talented brother and many wonderful songwriters, who, together, gave us a wonderful library of timeless tunes.

Which explains The Carpenters post. But why The Carpenters in Japan?

That's easy!

My parents made Japan their home for most of their adult lives, until they retired. I was born in Japan, grew up there and have so many memories of my childhood in Japan.

Including, of course, those memories of my dad listening to The Carpenters.

We happened to be back in the U.S. when The Carpenters had this concert at the Budokan in Japan in 1974 but we were back in Japan a year later. The memories of listening to The Carpenters on FEN or watching them on Japanese TV in the late '70s is a part of my childhood.

This concert is something special. And it is something very special to me!

There are voices that you hear that are, instantly, recognizable. For better or worse, you know who the singer is.

And then, amongst those vocalists, there are the vocalists who are not only recognizable, but also have a voice that seems to be straight out of the heavens. So pure, so clear. As if God himself made it.

In my life, there are two female vocalists that have been blessed with such a voice.

One was Karen Carpenter. And the other is Sade.

I remember the first time I heard her voice. It was like hearing the voice of an angel or a goddess. And that was before I even saw her!

When I first saw her singing, I honestly fell in love. She mesmerized me in a way that no other female vocalist has. And as time passed, that feeling never disappeared.

Sade was perfection personified. At least, for me.

And while her songs of the '80s were all amazing, it was this song from the late '80s that hold me and doesn't let go.

Is this soul? Is it slow rock? Is it adult contemporary? Is it jazz?

It is all of those things and more!!

It smolders from beginning to end and just holds your heart and soul the entire time!

Utter perfection!!!

When I returned to Japan in 1983, after being away for 4 years, I had to reconnect to the music scene in Japan. I left as a primary school kid, I came back as a soon--to-be high schooler.

I had a neighborhood friend who was also a classmate and he brought me up to speed. And what I discovered in the years that I had been away was just how much West Coast jazz / cool AOR / and surf rock had taken root in Japan!!! I didn't necessarily know all of those labels at the time, just the music sounds.

What I did know was that light & breezy music, music made for summer days, was everywhere. And, indeed, the whole idea of breezy tropical paradises was reflected in so many things.

THAT was the environment that artists like Takanaka and Yamashita were a part of. And it was the environment that gave rise to this tremendous vocal album by Makoto Matsuhita. It is even reflected in the album art.

I remember when my friend introduced it to me, I was immediately hooked by the vocals and the breezy sound of this album. He had recorded it on cassette after renting the record at a record rental store and then dubbed it for me and it became my go-to cassette on my Walkman that summer of '83.

Now, 40 years later, it sounds as fresh and as awesome as I first remember. And it immediately takes me back to that time in my life, when the future was filled with boundless optimism and sunny days!!

I will never forget the first time I saw this movie in the National Air & Space Museum as a kid. It was an incredible experience.

And, still, to this day, it stays with me. The movie, the music, the IMAX experience!!

Have you been looking for the weight loss program with proven success??

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The Ty Joe Weight Loss Program!!

Watch this promo commercial and you will see for yourself!!

**Disclaimer: This weight loss program has not been reviewed by the FDA and has no testing data to support its claims, which makes it pretty much like the COVID jabs the FDA HAS approved!!

Italy's new Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, gave a speech that directly challenges the worldview of today's intolerant leftists.

And they are not handling it well.

YouTube is banning it as quickly as they can. Under the guise of "violating community standards".

Which, of course, is utter horse manure. This is nothing more than outright censorship of views & ideas they abhor!!

Watch and understand how ideas that were not so controversial 20 years ago are now "forbidden".

Orwell's world in real life!

One of the wonderful things about living outside of the U.S. in the 1990s was being exposed to so many amazing artists and so much great music, artists and music that never got their proper due in the U.S.

I will never forget the first time I heard this song. I was living in Asia. And it captured me instantly. In 1995, it was unlike anything else at the time, with a retro sound and such understated but powerful vocals.

And then I saw the video. Sometimes a video and a song seem somewhat unconnected. Not in this case. The video not only captures the song perfectly, it elevates it. And not just elevates it, it absolutely completes the song and makes it whole.

I remember thinking that The Cardigans would surely become a successful band. And they did, in fact, find some success. But never as much as I would have thought and part of that was probably because they were forced to change some of what I loved about them and their music in Life.

Regardless, they left us and me with this masterpiece. The song and the video!

"For Your Eyes Only". Sheena Easton. There are a few Bond songs that compete with this for fame and success, but NONE actually had the singer shown in the movie. That privilege belonged to Sheena Easton alone.

Sheena Easton was legend. Her career, while relatively brief, produced some amazing songs. And she was a vocal powerhouse. She owned this song and, indeed, it was as good of a Bond song as was ever made. But, more than that, it was just an awesome song!

What a tune! And what a singer!!

So often pop stars are dismissed as being musical lightweights, not having the chops to sing difficult pieces of music. Especially doing it live.

This song showcased the incredible voice and talent that Sheena Easton possessed in her prime. For a rather petite Scottish woman, she had some serious pipes! Her live performance of this song was actually better than the record version, because you actually got to SEE her sing it.

And there is that incredible high note that she hits. Not strains to reach, but actually nails with power!! And seemingly effortlessly!

When Santana visited Japan in 1981, he was considered a guitar god by many. Including by Masayoshi Takanaka.

Takanaka had burst onto the Japanese music scene in the mid-70s and there is no question that Santana was an inspiration for him.

By 1981, when this video was recorded, Takanaka had already recorded multiple albums, which were and are amazing. Sadly, many outside of Japan had and have no clue as to Takanaka and his talent.

What this video does is capture Takanaka and Santana playing an amazing piece by Takanaka, in an absolutely amazing setting!

Total awesomeness!!!

When Santana came to Japan in 1981, there was one guitarist in Japan that played in the stye of Santana. One could argue that Santana was one of his inspirations. In fact, he said as much.

This video is about Santana playing one of his signature songs. Together with an amazing guitarist from Japan who helped create a memorable live moment.

What an amazing piece!!

OK, let's be honest here.

Will you ever forget this song after seeing the video?!

There are songs where the videos are sort of an afterthought. Then there are songs like this one, where the video and its content is as important as the song itself!

Kylie is the ultimate pop female musician because while she does have musical talent, she knows it's about "selling the product"!

And, boy, does she ever "sell" the product in this music video!!

It doesn't hurt that the song itself is a really good dance tune!!

This is one is a guilty pleasure for me!!

One of the benefits of living outside of the U.S. in the 1990s was being exposed to artists and music that barely registered in the U.S.

I remember the first time I heard Louise sing. I was on a treadmill at the Island Shangri-La in Hong Kong and it was playing on the music video channel there in HK. It was one year before the handover and I just remember thinking.... this is what pop music is all about.

Some will mock pop music and pop musicians, but when it is good and when they are good, it is awesome.

Louise had a short career and she may not be the most talented, but this was just such a great tune.... and, yes, having a beautiful woman sing it doesn't hurt!!!

One of the wonderful things about living outside of the U.S. in the 1990s was being exposed to so many amazing artists and so much great music, artists and music that never got their proper due in the U.S.

I will never forget the first time I heard this song. I was living in Asia. And it captured me instantly. In 1995, it was unlike anything else at the time, with a retro sound and such understated but powerful vocals.

And then I saw the video. Sometimes a video and a song seem somewhat unconnected. Not in this case. The video not only captures the song perfectly, it elevates it. And not just elevates it, it absolutely completes the song and makes it whole.

I remember thinking that The Cardigans would surely become a successful band. And they did, in fact, find some success. But never as much as I would have thought and part of that was probably because they were forced to change some of what I loved about them and their music in Life.

Regardless, they left us and me with this masterpiece. The song and the video!

NBC Reporter Kelly Stavast will go down in history for having created one of the most viral slogans in all of political history. Thank you, Kelly and NBC, for your fine work!!

Theme song from classic '80s surf movie.

AMAZING video of a doctor describing the completely UNRESEARCHED connection between aluminum nanoparticles in vaccines and their impact on the brains of those who have gotten the vaccinations!!

A MUST WATCH!!!