"It's My Turn To Be Brave"

Rules are made to be broken. At least that's what they say, right? That's why this week's quote doesn't come from a politician, Meredith Grey, or a relatively unimportant pop culture personality. Sometimes the most profound statements come from those around you, and that's why today's quote comes from a friend, Tara, over at starting now.

She wrote a pretty wise post about fear this week, and here's an excerpt from the end of the post.

"The last lines of the movie (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) are probably etched into my brain somewhere, I love them so much:

Joel: I can’t see anything that I don’t like about you.

Clementine: But you will! But you will. You know, you will think of things. And I’ll get bored with you and feel trapped because that’s what happens with me.

Joel: Okay.

Clementine: [pauses] Okay.

I’m not trying to get preachy. It’s just that I remembered today that I’d rather live my life trying things and failing and getting my heart broken and feeling all of those crazy, mixed up emotions and all the while holding on to the hope that maybe this time pushing through the fear will lead to something greater, than live my life in fear of what could go wrong.

I’d rather be brave."

You can read the beginning of the entry here.

This Is It

Last night, after the House of Representatives passed the first comprehensive health care reform bill, President Barack Obama tweeted, "this is history." Truer words have never been spoken. After decades of party bickering and political posturing, Congress finally did something.

Now there's no guarantee that the Senate will pass its version of the bill, or that the final version of the bill will even work. (Of course I believe it will be successful, but there are no guarantees). However, at least it's something. It's an attempt to fix one of America's biggest problems. According to CNN, if passed, the bill "restricts insurance companies from denying coverage to anyone with a pre-existing condition or charging higher premiums based on gender or medical history. It also provides federal subsidies to those who cannot afford it and guarantees coverage for 96 percent of Americans, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office."

Maybe I am simply a crazy liberal, but I will never understand how any of those outcomes deserved the heated debate that preceded the vote. I'll never buy the "it's happening too quickly" argument. The last time I checked, taking 70 years to pass a bill didn't qualify as "quickly." I don't put stock in the "it's too costly" argument either. Congressional budget figures show the reform pays for itself. Even if it doesn't, I think we'll find a way to make it work -- this country has gone to war on less information and less budget analysis. If we can't ultimately pass a bill that is meant on helping Americans, but we can irresponsibly risk the lives of thousands of our own citizens, we have a serious problem. Don't even get me started on Utah's lone "Democrat," Jim Matheson. Come 2010, if he survives a likely inter-party challenge, I am going to have a very hard time voting for him.

With the bill's passing you have morons like Sarah Palin (can't she just go away already?) saying, "Congressional action tonight just put America on a path toward an unrecognizable country. It's on to the Senate now. Our legislators can listen now, or they can hear us in 2010. It's their choice." Are you kidding me? An unrecognizable country? In my opinion, there is nothing more American than passing a bill that will improve the lives of millions. We're Americans, we're supposed to look out for each other.

Now that the House has done it's job, we wait. Harry Reid has said that the Senate may not pass it's version of the bill until early 2010, so prepare yourself for more scare tactics and ridiculous accusations. However, this moment cannot be underestimated, we're the closest we've ever been to creating a health care system that's for the people and not for corporations or bureaucracies. The next few months could define a generation, and I am hoping that it does.

"Afterall, I'm Gonna Be Okay, So Let It Rain"

"Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark, in the hopeless swamps of the approximate, the not-quite, the not-yet, the not-at-all. Do not let the hero in your soul perish, in lonely frustration for the life you deserved, but have never been able to reach. Check your road and the nature of your battle. The world you desired can be won. It exists, it is real, it is possible, it is yours."
-Ayn Rand

Two Are Better Than One

This wouldn't be my blog without a weekly Kelly posting.

Last week, Ms. Clarkson, at her Halloween show in Missouri, poked fun at the "Ryan Tedder spat" by performing a mashup of "Already Gone" and Beyonce's "Halo." It could be better, but it still oozes awesomeness.

The video:


Grammy nominations are nearly a month away -- they'll be announced on a primetime show on December 2 -- but I can't help but pray that both "Already Gone" and "Halo" are nominated for Song of the Year. It will never happen, and "Halo" has the advantage, because Kelly shot herself in the foot with her public comments, but they're still two of the best (and my favorite) songs of 2009. Despite the controversy surrounding the backing tracks, the songs could not be more different lyrically or vocally. Kelly's is evocative and haunting while Beyonce's is hopeful and sweeping.

In reality, Kelly will likely be shut out of major categories, but I hope that Grammy producers share her tongue-in-cheek humor when planning the Grammy night performances. It would be incredible to watch two of pop music's best voices share the stage and sing the other's song. Beyonce would add an ethereal quality to "Already Gone" and Kelly could inject "Halo" with raw emotion.

I'll keep on dreaming...

(Video via mj's big blog)

If It Ain't Broke, Don't Fix It

Carrie Underwood is, without a doubt, the savviest artist to hold the title of American Idol. When push comes to shove, she knows how to sell albums. On her third disc, Play On, Underwood sticks to the same multi-platinum formula of her previous two records, Some Hearts and Carnival Ride. Play On contains similar sweeping ballads, foot-stomping tell-offs, and feel-good, country-pop ditties -- albeit with different twists.

Underwood takes lead writing credit for more than half of Play On's tracks, and they're surprisingly some of the album's highlights. However, even more shocking, are the results of the collaboration between Underwood and American Idol judge, and writer of the abomination known as "No Boundaries," Kara DioGuardi. Their combined talents make magic on Play On's best track, "Undo It." Underwood plays scorned lover to perfection as she belts, "You had my heart, now I want it back / I'm startin' to see everything you lack / Boy, you blew it, you put me through it / I wanna uh-uh-uh-uh-uh undo it." The song represents Underwood's best chance at replicating the ubiquitous success of 2006's "Before He Cheats."

"Undo It" isn't Underwood's only feat. On "Quitter" she stretches and teams with pop hitmaker Max Martin (the man behind "Since U Been Gone" and "So What") to create a sweet, simple song of devotion. "Temporary Home" plays like Some Heart's "Don't Forget to Remember Me," which isn't a bad thing. She also utilizes her strengths on the man-hating "Songs Like This."

If uptempo songs are Play On's strength, then the ballads are its weakness. "Unapologize" is the album's best, but even it has a country rock feel. "Mama's Song" starts strong but fails to deliver necessary emotional heft. "Change" is the disc's most grievous misstep. Not even Underwood's pristine and powerful voice can save a song with lyrics of "What ya gonna do with 36 cents/ Sticky with Coke on your floorboard?."

Play On will appease any Underwood fan, but it also won't win her any new ones. With Taylor Swift nipping at her Prada heels, Underwood needs to sing outside the lines on her next effort to continue her reign as country music's queen. With her undeniable talent and a few calculated risks, she has the potential to make a crossover record as successful and iconic as Shania Twain's Come On Over.

Grade: B

Download It: "Cowboy Casanova," "Undo It," "Songs Like This," "Quitter"
Ditch It: "Change," "Look At Me"

"I'll Take a Risk, Take a Chance, Make a Change"

Because I didn't post my usual sappy quote last week, and to celebrate the rejuvenation of Grey's Anatomy, two quotes from America's favorite medical drama today:

"A couple of hundred years ago, Benjamin Franklin shared with the world the secret of his success. Never leave that till tomorrow, he said, which you can do today. This is the man who discovered electricity. You think more people would listen to what he had to say. I don't know why we put things off, but if I had to guess, I'd have to say it has a lot to do with fear. Fear of failure, fear of rejection, sometimes the fear is just of making a decision, because what if you're wrong? What if you're making a mistake you can't undo? The early bird catches the worm. A stitch in time saves nine. He who hesitates is lost. We can't pretend we hadn't been told. We've all heard the proverbs, heard the philosophers, heard our grandparents warning us about wasted time, heard the damn poets urging us to seize the day. Still sometimes we have to see for ourselves. We have to make our own mistakes. We have to learn our own lessons. We have to sweep today's possibility under tomorrow's rug until we can't anymore. Until we finally understand for ourselves what Benjamin Franklin really meant. That knowing is better than wondering, that waking is better than sleeping, and even the biggest failure, even the worst, beat the hell out of never trying."
-Meredith Grey

The next exchange sums up what I want to yell at the Mormon church right about now.

Mr. Torres: “Leviticus: ‘Thou shalt not lie with a man as one lies with a female. It is an abomination.’”
Callie: “Oh, don’t do that, Daddy. Don’t quote the Bible at me.”
Dad: “The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and their sin is exceedingly grave.”
Callie: “Jesus: ‘A new commandment that I give unto you, that you love one another.’”
Dad: “Romans: ‘But we know that—’”
Callie: “Jesus: ‘He who is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone.’”
Dad: “So you admit it is a sin—”
Callie: “Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy. Jesus: ‘Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.’ Jesus: ‘Blessed are those who have been persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’ Jesus is my savior Daddy, not you. And Jesus would be ashamed of you for judging me. He would be ashamed of you for turning your back on me. He would be ashamed.”