March 31, 2011

Katie Melua - A Happy Place



Yes, I am on a bit of a Katie Melua kick this week. She's just such a good songstress! This video is amazing to watch as well. So much action! I feel like either the director or musician made it resemble their own happy place. I like the visuals of other people's happy places! It makes me wonder how I would illustrate my own to the world...

March 30, 2011

Anjulie - Boom

A productive day is always dreamed of, rarely attained... c'est ma vie!



Yesterday morning, my schedule was faced with a conondrum. Early morning shift, lunch date just before noon, personal training mid-afternoon and dinner with a friend I haven't seen in much too long to end it all off. And so, where was I going to fit in that work I actually want to be doing - the work that is supposed to be moving my soul further in this world - my writing?

Luckily, I have connections on Whyte... WIFI connections, that is! And like that, my sporadic day of running here and there was supported by my sitting in a bookstore cafe, typing away at my laptop, and listening to the random music trying to be sold by the bookstore. Trying? Hmmm, maybe not. When I talked with the person who chose the album, it was a random picking of an album that looked pretty. (Yes, we do judge books/cds/etc. by their covers! )So, once again, I have serendipitously found a new artist to love....who's also Canadian :-D

Check out her website: http://www.anjuliemusic.com/

March 28, 2011

Norah Jones - Chasing Pirates



I feel like Norah Jones today...and I may feel like Norah Jones until the sun returns to this fair city...maybe one day...

March 27, 2011

Tina Turner : What´s Love Got To Do With It



It's weird how one song can make a line infamous...or how one line can make you remember this whole song...  I suppose, it is the title of the song..

Regardless, this is a legendary song that just felt all too perfect for my morning.  I hope you enjoy listening to Miss Turner as much as I did today...

March 26, 2011

Bright Eyes - I Must Belong Somewhere

Today's video did not embed on my blog :-(.  But, please click on the link and check it out!

For some reason, I've been listening to more mellow music this week.  I think it has something to do with being a bit sick :-( Nonetheless, I always really enjoy this song.  The video, also, captures that desire that the song is responding to.  We all strive to find some real place for ourselves, but the truth is that we are exactly where we are supposed to be.  Call it faith, fate, or just blind belief, but this is exactly what we are supposed to be doing, based on everything that has happened in the past, and everything that may happen in the future.  What we choose to do with our situation is the only thing that will change things, and it will only change the future... Embrace it!

March 25, 2011

FRIDAY (power anthem version)



Like I said on Wednesday..this man is going viral!

(Just like this song... thank you, Rebecca Black ;-D)

March 24, 2011

Meiko - Under My Bed



Tonight I felt like going back to some music from last fall. I turned my YouTube channel to Meaghan Smith and came across this Meiko song. I've been meaning to post this song for awhile now, and I finally got inspired to do so tonight. Enjoy!

March 23, 2011

Stewart Yu ~ GLEE: Bills, Bills, Bills (+ No Scrubs)



I've recently stumbled upon this AMAZING artist (via a friend). He has done this whole video himself...and I have a feeling he's about to get HUGE in the next nine months (2011 is a good year for people to make something out of themselves...).

More to come in the future...but I thought I'd pass on this teaser for today! Stewart is going viral...just wait!

March 22, 2011

Cee Lo Green - "Forget" You



Despite feeling ten times healthier than yesterday morning, I faced a vortex within the first three hours of my day... It was getting me down 'til I heard this song!

This is my vortex-defeating song!!!

:-D

March 21, 2011

Blondie ~ Maria



I feel like this is a follow-up post to what I was beginning to talk about last Friday.  It's more about what I was getting to in the end of the post, which I hope to continue to write about someday...when each day has 72 hours, every week has twelve days, and I can do everything I want to with my time...

I love songs about unrequited love...

March 20, 2011

Metric - Poster Of A Girl



Tu sais que tu n'aimes pas ta réalité
Je sais que tu n'aimes pas ta réalité
On ne peut pas fabriquer la vérité
Je sais que tu n'aimes pas ta réalité
Tu sais que tu n'aimes pas ta réalité

March 19, 2011

Alanis Morissette Perfect

Thursday night, my mountain began to crack...



Really, it began Thursday morning when I just really couldn't handle having to be the Mountain for everybody else! Why can't everybody else just be happy on their own?!? ...

And that's why putting the positive energy out there is so much more important...the world needs more love...the world needs more positive energy...the world needs to punish the vortexes out there, no longer allowing them to bring the rest of us down. Yes, that's right. I think negativity should be locked up in a jail and not allowed out until the pessimists of this world are too old to reproduce...Until then, I'll just cry about having to be Perfect :-(

March 18, 2011

Rebecca Black - Friday

The interruption continues...before this girl explodes like Vesuvius...



Okay, so this girl explode in just the last few weeks, so it IS possible that you have been living under a rock and not heard of her. But, beware, she'll soon overtake Justin Bieber...and this song may be the reason.

Let the record stand, though, that I started the "Happy Friday" texts last June - almost before Rebecca could talk...
(I'm thinking of trademarking them right now, though...just in case they go viral like this song...)

March 17, 2011

You Don't Own Me - The First Wives Club

The month of veganism, is interrupted for a reflection on mountain-building:



Don't let you vortex own you!

March 15, 2011

Two of My Fav Vegans: Prince and Ellen

Remember when Oprah went vegan for a week?

That was probably over a month ago now, wasn't it? Well, around that same time, I sat down with a friend of mine and we discussed the difference between Oprah and Ellen. Both have fought long and hard to get where they are, and both give back immensely to random strangers now that they are so high up there. Now, Ellen has probably another three to five years before she replaces Oprah as the most influential woman in (forget politics, celebrities have much more of an effect on what people think), but I know she will one day be even bigger than Oprah.

Later on in the evening of discussions, I began to complain about not really getting anywhere in my life. My friend reassured me with one small comment, "don't worry, Jodi. One day, you're gonna be bigger than Ellen!"

A girl can dream, can't she? ;-D



So, here you go: two of my favourite celebs, and both of them vegan!

Of course, nearly everybody knows Ellen is vegan. She's pretty open about her whole life. Prince, on the other hand, like many musicians, tries to keep his life private. He still jabs in some of the animal rights issues onto liner notes, though. See "Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic" for his thoughts on the production of wool...

March 14, 2011

Loretta Maine - Vegan Song



A song about "cheating"...the vegan lifestyle.

This is hilarious. I love Loretta Maine, now.

March 13, 2011

Elvis Costello ~ 'Sulphur to Sugarcane'

I have a confession to make...

I haven't listened to enough Elvis Costello in my life! But it's never too late to start:



And, yes, are you really surprised to hear that he's of the vegetarian way?

:-D

And Canadian!

And Folk!

How amazing...

March 12, 2011

OutKast ~ Hey Ya!



Every time I hear this song, I am taken back to the year I lived in res, the field we played touch (canadian) football on and listening to this song as we cheered on the boys from our house. Especially the "lend me some sugar, I AM your neighbour" and "shake it like a polaroid picture"...

The coincidence is that my journey to vegetarianism began that year...and Andre 3000 is also a vegetarian! I knew nothing about that at the time, but now find it an interesting coincidence. This song reminds me of the cafeteria that opened my eyes to what it was like to be a vegetarian - and the reason I never want to eat meat again...it's gross when you don't know it comes from!

Andre 3000, regardless of where he's from, can never be gross! ;-)

March 11, 2011

Bryan Adams - Summer Of '69



When I think of Bryan Adams, I think of this song...and when I hear this song, I think of Bryan Adams, and what a wonderful person he is!

This song is definitely on my list for Top 100 Best Songs Ever. It's a pretty eclectic list, I must admit, but one filled with only MY favourite songs. This song is there not only because Bryan Adams is Canadian, but becuase my name is in the lyrics :-D

Five years after the release of this song, as Bryan Adams was beginning his ascent into the realm of wonderful Canadian celebrities, he also became vegan. Now, as far as his philanthropic work goes, animal rights is not his top priority and probably not even something you would have known about him before. Like many other people who enjoy giving back to the world, Bryan also thinks about the animals. His latest project involved writing letters to KFC Canada, on behalf of PETA. Now, he wasn't campaigning for them to stop serving chicken (give us another ten years before we break down that wall), but merely asking them to "become leaders in using more modern and more humane methods of killing chickens." Every little bit helps...

In non-animal philanthropic work, Bryan Adams has his own foundation. No wonder he has the Order of Canada! The proceeds from all of his photography goes to the Bryan Adams Foundation, which works to improve educational standards in Africa.

Need I go on about why I love Bryan Adams?
 - Canadian
 - musician
 - C-U-T-E (even for a man my father's age)
 - world traveller
 - philanthropist
 - vegan

March 10, 2011

Sarah Harpur- The Vegan Song



Why are all the good vegan songs farces? Is it because vegans are funnier? Or more self-deprecating? Does our self-deprecation make us more approachable?

Is this a farce?

March 8, 2011

METRIC ~ Succexy

And, another break from the vegan artists, I think.



It's gotten to the point where I just assume that like-minded liberal artists are on the same path as me when it comes to the compassionate lifestyle; however, I cannot confirm nor deny that the members of Metric are vegetarian...but I can tell you without a doubt that I LOVE their music.

My iPod randomly hits this song at the most opportune times lately. Yesterday, it was not my electronix iPod but my internal one that kept coming back to this chorus. It's a good beat and a great song, in my opinion...and the video is pretty killer, too!

March 7, 2011

DJ Weekly ~ So So Vegan

YouTube describes this video as "a satirical music video by DJ Weekly about Vegan Hipsters that infest our major cities around the country."



When I became a vegetarian, we called people who did it as a fad "yuppies." Those were the people who would eat chickens, "'cause they're not really meat." And fish was a staple, too. I tried to let people know that I was a "true vegetarian," because the only flesh I ate came from a tree.

Now, the term we have for the imposters of any fad these days is "hipsters." It's an interesting word and I'd like to know its origins one day. Probably, like "yuppies," it came from their tendency to flock to what was "hip," just as "yuppies" followed the rest of their school.

I think there's something about human nature that makes us all want to fit in. If people choose a more compassionate lifestyle in an attempt to "fit in," I think that's awesome! Also, it's much better than choosing drugs, alcohol, or another unhealthy activity to fit in. Bring it on!

Also, today I had a discussion about the "vegan police," as mentioned in Scott Pilgrim. I have yet to see that movie, so I can't comment fully on how they convey our "cult," as I jokingly call it, to the world. One of my colleagues, though, commented on it in a recent presentation on becoming a vegan. She assured the audience that we are not "Vegan Police," and will accept you regardless of whether you drink milk or not.

I just ask for your honesty if you're cooking my supper...and acceptance back if I don't care to join you in your dairy-infested "vegan" meal! We can all define ourselves however we want...and I'll love you for however long it takes you to join me in my opinion... ;-)

March 6, 2011

Aerosmith ~ Cryin'



I love Alicia Silverstone. She has always come across as this compassionate individual, even in videos like this, where she's playing a woman scorned. In this video, I still see her as Cher, from Clueless, who just really wants to help people look better.

I've mentioned her veganims before on my vegan blog. I really did love her book, The Kind Diet, and reccomend it to anybody considering veganism, or even vegetarianism, or healthier eating habits. It's very informative about her journey, and she packs a lot of guidance and information into it about why not eating meat is not only kind to them, but kind to yourself. She is an amazing animal activist, as well as darling actor.

Aerosmith ain't bad, either! ;-)

March 5, 2011

Bif Naked - I Love Myself Today



Well, Bif Naked may be a vegetarian. It wouldn`t surprise me. But I`m not 100% certain of the fact, so, please, don`t take my word on it... ;-)

This is just a song that began playing in my head as I began my day. It never really disapeared from the soundtrack that is always running in my head. It`s a good anthem for a funky day...and today, well, I was just in a funk.

Tomorrow will be even better, I`m sure :-D

March 4, 2011

Paul McCartney - Dance Tonight

Speaking of vegetarians...



Now here are two fabulous artists - Paul McCartney and Natalie Portman - who just so happen to also be fabulously ethical individuals, in my opinion.

Since she burst onto the scene as a young teenager, I have been drawn to Natalie Portman. Not only for her beauty, but her grace, intelligence and talent. She may only play a bit part in this music video, but it's well worth watching for! She's also doing some amazing things for the vegan movement :-D without being too pushy - just being her amazing vegan self!

Paul McCartney. What accolades can I provide for this man that have not been provided before? And, yes, he is an amazing spokesperson for the animal rights movement as well.

Also, I just LOVE this video!

March 3, 2011

Danny Michel - Beautiful

I interrupt this veg*n month for a brief Michel interlude:



The last time I saw Danny Michel live was at the Edmonton International Folk Music Festival in 2009. While waiting to get an autograph and my photo taken with this fabulous folk singer, I met another adoring fan.

Since Danny is a huge star, this was a huge line we had to wait in, so I talked with the other adoring fan. She explained to me in some sordid manner that when you take a picture with a great musician, it means you are married to them. Like most folk fans, she was obviously crazy, but in the way you can love, not the way that makes your skin crawl and your feet move an immediate two inches backwards. So, as another crazy folk fan, I followed her logic and went along with the photo marriage.

After I had my photo taken with Danny, I went back to the fan, patiently waiting as the next person in line. "I'm married to him, now!" I told her proudly, showing her the photo on my digital camera.

"Um, no," was her response. She went on to explain that, "when somebody else has their photo taken with the same star, your marriage to him becomes a divorce and that marriage is not forever. Soooooo, I'll be his wife next!"

Take what you will from crazy folk fans, I don't care. For all extensive purposes, Danny is my husband...and I'm going to see him live again.... tonight! Maybe we'll have another "wedding"...

March 2, 2011

If You Love Me - Joy Valencia



I have featured Joy on my blog before. And, truly, I think of it as synchronicity that I found her on twitter. I find so many examples of synchronicity on twitter, it's great!  And this blog basically runs off the merits of synchronicity!  Embrace it! Love it! Trust it!

Joy is a vegan musician whose career is about to hit it big. Last time I featured her on my blog, she was fundraising to make her latest music video, which I think will be premiered on April 16 of this year.

I may never have met this beautiful woman, but I know the warmth of her soul already. Her music is so peaceful, her work is guided with love, and she's a vegan, so you know I already love her!

Bon Appetit!

March 1, 2011

MARCH MEAT OUT: MVP Boyz ~ She's a Vegan



If you're a vegan or vegetarian, or even just somebody who pays attention to our "cult" (j/k, we're not actually a cult), you probably already know about March Meat Out. If not, well, today is your lucky day, 'cause you get to find out more about it!

I know Oprah got many people interested in the "vegan-ish" lifestyle a little less than a month ago. She also brought attention to the "v"-word two years ago when she did Kathy Freston's month-long vegan detox diet. (I stress the detox part of it, because Oprah went further with her month-long diet than most everyday vegans - we can eat gluten!) You've all probably heard of Skinny Bitch, too. Well, that's all under the same premise: give up meat, for a month! You won't even miss it!

Nah, I'm joking. You'll probably miss it. It's the most addictive thing your doctor will advise you to consume! (I try to keep my disdain for western medicine off of my blogs, but I'll let that statement remain.) But in that one month, you'll save the lives of eight animals. You'll find this energy you never knew you had (it take much more energy to digest meat than it does vegetable protein)! You may even lose weight! (In seven years, I've shed forty pounds, have enough protein to donate plasma (blood) weekly, rarely get sick and have become five times more aware of how my body should feel.)

It's a challenge, I extend to you all, and I know a few of you will take that challenge! If you need motivation along the way, read my vegan blog at cheatingvegan.blogspot.com.  I'll be posting more frequently there this month, and responding to any of your queries!

Step One: Enjoy this Hilarious Music Video re: Sexy Vegan Girls. It's almost as good as the PETA commercial that was too racy to air during the Superbowl!