birthday wish...

Good Morning,

Good news. According to a U.K. psychologist, if you are reading this, you've made it through the "most depressing day of the year" --January 24th.

Better news...today is my birthday! (we gonna partee like it's my birfday!)

Interesting news. This time last year I was in Park City, Utah at the Sundance Film Festival. It is 18 degrees and cloudy there this morning...it is 34 here...


Good news. Many of these shows will be coming out on DVDs or in a warm cozy theater somewhere near me this year. I miss the excitement not the cold mountain air.

Let’s see…I’ve been a bit under the weather lately. Instead of my usual carousing, I watched the "Hope for Haiti" Telethon this weekend. Although I'm not sure what comfort it will bring to the Haitians to know Shakira will "Stand by..." them or that Taylor Swift is "Breathless" and waiting for them with open arms…

I do know that every disaster relief telethon should have a back-up tuba player!

The man's name is Damon "Tuba Gooding Jr." Bryson and he is what got me off the couch and to my computer to make my donation.



Mister Tuba Gooding Jr. is a Sousaphonist for the Roots, a jazzy hip hop band out of Philadelphia.

As I see it, the performances on this night were almost too good. The images of the Earthquakes unearthly wrecking ball power and the stories of survival for the brave orphaned children...indeed moved me to tears...

The contrast of the immortality assumed of "Superstars" and their unquestionable talent and beauty left me somehow too depressed to punch 1-800-HAITI...somehow it did not seem the time or place to phone in and hope for a chat with Sandra Bullock (come on come on!!!).

It was Tuba Gooding in this performance. It contained the moment that gave me hope. Shakira the seductive songstress known for her belly-dancing ways stood belting out a beauty of a ballad while a knee bouncing Tuba Gooding Jr...stood by her in the background... (he's most notable 2:52 into the clip)..



I felt happy and uplifted like life will go on...

There is an empowerment that comes from deep within after a moment of charitable giving. Filled with the high of hope and power of the community. I found there’s probably enough spark and energy after on-line donating to clean and put away laundry.

I sat back down on the couch.

Each performance held transference and symbolism. stretching the meaning of a song...

Beyonce was clever changing the lyric "Baby I can see your halo" to "Haiti we can see your halo..."

Madonna somehow turned sex into Third World advocacy with her provocative 1980’s hit "Like a Prayer."

Jennifer Hudson. a past American Idol and no stranger to tragedy herself… she is our Jack and Rose clinging to the raft..amidst a sinking Titanic!

Broke into a powerful rendition of the Beatles' “Let it Be.”

None of this was able to lift me out of the sea of funk. who can forget the images on the news?

"Aftershocks of 6.1 sent people with broken legs running into the street."

Once again lost in the belly of sadness I sat staring at the screen only to be rocked from complacency with the sighting of a big shiny brass bell. To the tune of a mellowing classic someone was going to add the toot of a tuba (i.e., sousaphone)?

I share this clip so you too can enjoy. May we all be filled today with the hope and joy of a dancing sousaphone that finds its way into a power ballad.



This is my b-day wish.

Amanda