Rapier's Wit

Music is almost always playing in our house. My son often has ear buds in. He'll listen to a variety of tunes. Often, he will listen to variations of the same song. We sing in the car together. Mostly, on those occasions, we are tweaking the lyrics to humor ourselves. My kiddo was never in choir. The only concert he sang in was in 2nd grade Christmas. His struggle to maintain the choral stance on a riser was a true test. His Asperger's Syndrome diagnosis made it difficult. Still, he had love of music. He was in band (trombone) for a couple of years. It wasn't his true love, but he stuck with it until scholastic requirements meant he couldn't take band as an elective. I have a love of musical theater and talked him into auditioning for a couple of shows. He enjoyed it. It is structured socialization. Plus, it was mother-son time without me appearing to be a helicopter mom striving to have quality time. Mancub is now a sophomore in college. He transferred to the loc...

Hello, 2014! Welcome to my life. You bring with you the promise of clean pages on which to write. I won't leave the old chapters behind, but it is time for a new book to be written. A new saga in a series. In general, grand resolutions aren't made in the house of Riss. However, seeing it as a marker for a new start suits me. Making promises and not keeping them seems foolish. Why not adopt something that will bring enlightenment and joy? As I said in yesterday's post, I am ready to take a chance again. Throw some caution to the wind and let my heart soar instead of being sore. Who's with me? Anybody wanna jump on the new attitude train? I was going to say the Riss-train, but that would some how be turned into a perverse notion and the next thing you know invitations to partake in a human centipede would arrive. Yeesh. As part of my new attitude campaign, the look of this blog has changed. It is a tad spiffier and spruced up. We've parted ways with th...

Wow! That's one hell of a post title, eh? It is the morning of New Year's Eve. Snow is on the ground. Temperature is in the teens. Winter is on a hormonal roller coaster. But enough about the weather. 2013. It is almost history. What have I done with the last 364 days? There are the typical things that comes with being a single mom. My son graduated from high school and started college. Work became more demanding and with that came the revelation that I do not seem to fit corporate jargon filled mentality. With that I must either adapt or seek employment elsewhere. My employment woes is not what this post is about. " What is it about, Marissa? I'm already bored? " This is about what 2013 brought for Marissa the female. The single woman. The mom stuff aside. None of the manager crud. I am talking about the chick... the wo-man that has been stifled. This is about putting it out there and getting my swerve on. Do you catch the drift now? No! It does...

No, that is not me misspelling a word in the title. It's a play on the phrase. Sheesh. The weather has been less than agreeable given that it is late Spring. Today, it was a brisk 53 〫 at a local arts festival. Celebrate strawberries and jazz. At least it is referred to as the Strawberry Jazz Festival. In rebellion against the weather as it was, I wore what would normally be appropriate for this time of year when the temperatures are usually in the upper 80s and sunshine would be baking my shoulders: A sundress and flip flops. My fingers and toes went numb, but damn it! I proved a point to Mother Nature while looking like a fool in comparison to those dressed for the cloudy, chilly weather. Bah. Who cares. I don't embrace fitting in anyway. There were many art and food vendors. We went specifically for the live entertainment. I should mention this is the first outing the boy has made since graduating. Oy. Even with the cloud cover I hope we got a good dose of Vitamin D. ...

"The Wedding Singer" presented by our community theater ( kvta.org ) came and went without so much as a blog post from me. Why? Well, I was preoccupied with work, rehearsals, social-life. Wait, what? Did you just read social-life? Indeed you did. Now, don't get too excited thinking I found me a may-un. No, no. What resulted from being in a musical production of the movie by the same name is friendships. Say that one more time. Friendship. Local. Easily accessible. Let's back up a little bit because the performances of "The Wedding Singer" deserve some attention. I had the best time performing on a stage where my high school days were spent. Additionally, my son and niece were also in the show. Our little winter production even received a review from the newspaper. That hasn't happened in a long time. See, this presentation didn't come without some controversy. The Daily Journal called us "racy but worthwhile." Yep. For this theater gr...

Ya know how you'll be going about your business and not really looking for a song that speaks to you? You hear the introduction and it grabs you. Then, the lyrics start to trickle into your ears and *click*. You'd swear the lyricist knows you better than you know yourself.  So, you hop on the Internet and look for the song to find, as you suspected, that it's by one of your favorite recording artists.  Sarah McLachlan has done it again.  She's recorded some songs that seem to get me.  One in particular really seems to have been written for little ol' me.  I've featured her new release Laws of Illusion in the widget over yonder to the right.  That's the deluxe edition complete with videos. To make life less complicated and to relieve you of the task of searching for the lyrics or song I speak of today, here you go. It's a simple little diddy.  But in life, sometimes it is the simplest things that give the greatest pleasure.

Once again I was checking out amazon.com for MP3 bargains and freebies when the soundtrack to " Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory " soundtrack caught my eye.  Not long ago I was searching high and low for the song "Pure Imagination" after it was used in a commercial for a product I cannot recall.  It's a cute commercial ... for something.  Adorable, child like creatures parading around the city ... not a clue. I do know that I love the song and was at a loss because it wasn't available for legal digital download anywhere that I poked around on the web.  Now it is!! I'm willing to bet my last dollar that the use of the song for the product that does not ring a bell at the moment demanded release of the soundtrack.  According to the information on Amazon.com it was just made available digitally June 1, 2010.  It was always a wonderful family time at the Rapier household when the movie aired once a year.  Television, if you recall, wasn't like it ...

My friend Angie tagged me in a note on Facebook. I'm doing it here because I want to. I'm a rebel. But not a rebel without a tune. Should you desire to play along, and you probably won't, here are the rules that are meant to be broken: 15 Random Songs Instructions: Once you've been tagged... (1) Open iTunes or other mp3 player. (2) Go to SHUFFLE songs mode. (3) Write down the first 15 songs that come up--song title and artist--NO editing/cheating, please. (4) Choose 20 (or so) people to be tagged. It is generally considered to be in good taste to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about your musical tastes, or at least a random sampling thereof. (To do this, go to "NOTES" under tabs on your profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, enter your 15 Shuffle Songs, Click 'Preview' below to tag 15 people (in the right hand corner of the app) then click Publish, the little blue ...

It started to set in last night.  I knew it was taking a toll while viewing "American Idol."  Wednesdays are elimination night. Quite frankly, there is little concern from this mommacita as to who is sent packing with their dreams tucked in their carry-on baggage.  This year isn't even snark worthy as years past have been. Sad, really. Sad. That brings me to my mood that began last night.  It came from nowhere... much like the alien monster that threatens mankind in the B-movies of the '60s.  When the results show on Idol came down to Big Mike Lynche or Crystal and they told the dred-locked not full of the mange single mom, I almost wept.  I-DO-NOT-CARE! And that was all the indication required for me to know I was spiraling into despair (hyperbole). As with all things Marissa, I had to analyze my dilemma.  There could have been a variety of reasons but nothing stuck out like that proverbial sore thumb.  Some possibilities were: I'm missing t...

When I was a little girl I never quite understood what The Osmonds were singing about in this song. Yo-yos were a HUGE craze at the time. I never mastered any tricks. Hell, I could barely get the blasted thing to return to my hand. Usually it'd get tangled and stay down.  Let's hope life doesn't mirror my failed attempts to be a yo-yoer.

This will come as a shock (though already revealed in the Twenty Five Startling Facts about Me blog post), I didn't watch GLEE when the season premiere was on April 13, 2010.  As surprising as it may seem with consideration to how much I absolutely adore the Fox program, something better came knocking on my door.  The invitation to dinner didn't come as a surprise, mind you.  The time and place was simply up in the air due to other obligations of the party who would arrive at my door with a present in tow.  Quite frankly, the object this most beautiful man carted from his rental car is a mere representation of the truest gifts one person can give another willfully and unconditionally. Go on. Take a moment to make the finger in the throat gagging motion.  I can wait. What's the literal item he bought for me, you ask? It's an oversized relaxer with canopy.  In essence, a fancy chaise lounge.  It reclines.  I can relax in the sunshine. Yes, it s...

Dearest, though you're the nearest to my heart Please don't ever ummm yeah ever say we'll part You scold, and you are so bold Yes together ummm yeah our love will grow old Ummm yeah our love will grow old You may-ay-ay-ay be a million miles away Please believe me ummm yeah when you hear me say I love you, I love you Come ho-o-o-ome, keep me from these sleepless nights Try my love again ummm yeah I'm gonna treat you right, ummm yeah, I'm gonna treat you right Dearest - Buddy Holly Here's a youtube link since one must sign up on Lala to listen to the tune. Curses! Dearest by Buddy Holly

I was on youtube looking for another Mary Chapin Carpenter song when this one jumped out at me.  It spoke to me at a volume of 11. and the link in case the video doesn't work for you :) "Shut Up and Kiss Me"

Competitive Caterwauling with a purpose and a whole lot of Autotune. With that being said, it is for a noble cause and the people of Haiti will benefit greatly. You donate your money in any way you choose. There's a link for another worthy cause in the right margin of this blog. Some people may love the song because their favorite artist has a solo.  Some might enjoy the video for the pure entertainment value. For me, it's simply something you can't UNhear. All the Q-tips in the world can't remove the memory of it from my ears.  That's not to say every performer is sub-par. No, actually some of them are quite talented singers on their own, but it seems it was forgotten that this was supposed to be a group effort. I know many of the parts were done separately. They had stand ins wear green so actors and singers could be later added for the video to fill those spots.  You have to love the frills and thrills of modern technology. Immediately after viewing the video...

It's difficult to feel bodacious when, in the course of 3 days, you've worn nothing but pajamas and your head is so filled with snot that sneezing gives way to panic that your head will explode. Flat hair and a red nose does not describe hotness. Even the most confident woman might be left feeling less than sexually intoxicating under these conditions. I am not that confident woman. That is unless you're asking me if I'm certain that I currently feel like hell warmed over. Alas, I have taken to task to answer the BODACIOUS question of the week posed by Jane at Confessions of a Middle-Aged Suburban Diva.  She asks: What is your personal theme song ... why did you choose it? Oof! With consideration to the theme of 'being bodacious', I had to dig deep under my current health conditions.  I grew up as the youngest child in a household of eight children.  For as long as I can remember I made choices based on what I thought everyone wanted me to do.  I gave u...

Yeah, yeah. I know. Yesterday I was all Little Miss Cynical . Today, I give it counterbalance by providing you with this lovely little tune. I'm not 100% cold hearted and shut off from the concept of love. I just don't like the über importance placed on one single holiday.  It's too much pressure. Ladies and gentlemen, from her album Medusa: Annie Lennox Something So Right You've got the cool water When the fever runs high And you've got the look of love right in your eyes And I was in a crazy motion 'Till you calmed me down It took a little time But you calmed me down Some people never say the words "I love you" It's not their style to be so bold Some people never say the words "I love you" But like a child they're longing to be told They've got a wall in China It's a thousand miles long To keep out the foreigners They made it strong And I've got a wall around me That you can't even see It took a little tim...

Valentine's Day. Blech! A DAY. One unit comprised of 24 hours. That's enough. But now I see ads for Valentine's Week. Valentine's Weekend.  When will it stop? Oh, don't get me wrong. I'm not opposed to love or romance. Quite frankly, I'm open to both.  And another thing, please don't tell me I have the greatest love of all.  My son is a treasure. That I'm fully aware. Cupid's arrow had absolutely nothing to do with that unquestionable affection, either. Please don't be condescending by reminding me that I'm loved by so many people. You know exactly what the modern Valentine's Day represents.  Yes, I'm a tad pissy that I am without. So sue me! I'm not angry at love.  I'm aggravated about Valentine's Day. Something else that irks me about this holiday are the people (read women) who seem to gloat that they aren't spending it snarfing down chocolates they bought for themselves. Great! Hooray. Her foolish hawt man...

On their 1971 release, Sticky Fingers , The Rolling Stones included the song Wild Horses . It has been widely covered -- more times than I dare to count. I confess I have not heard each and every artist who attempted to top or equal the original. Thanks to a little movie, Fear , starring Reese Witherspoon and Mark Wahlberg we were exposed to The Sundays ' take on the haunting melody. That is what I was most familiar with outside of Mick's vocals on the track.  That is until this morning.  Always a day late and a dollar short, am I! I'm not going to bother listing all the covers of this song that I didn't like. Nope. No need to waste your time or mine. Rather, let us focus on what I do like.  Please keep in mind that I absolutely love Mick and the boys first take on their composition.  Let's keep that absolutely clear.  However, not until this morning did the lyrics resonate to so deeply that tears ran down my face.  I felt a tugging at my chest as chill...

In popular music, a cover version, or simply cover, is a new rendition (performance or recording) of a previously recorded, commercially released song... Cover songs, in my opinion, should only be done if the artist is creative enough to maintain the integrity of the original but improve upon it. Most attempts are copy cat or diabolically atrocious. Case in point is the reason I am writing about this today.  I stumbled upon a Jonas Brothers' attempt at Aha's 'Take on Me." Really Joe, Kevin and Nick? I'm sure your fan base adore the invitation. Don't you love how the instrument playing brothers really rock out. Wooooo! Thrash that perfectly coiffed hair, boys. Some covers outshine the original.  The artists own it like they wrote it. The following examples are such endeavors. Naturally, this is just my opinion, but if you disagree I would appreciate you just shut yer pie hole.  Oh, I will fight you ... Katie Melua covers "Just Like Heaven" orig...

Meet You At The Moon - Imelda ... Color me shmoopy. Say I'm hypnotized by the glorious full moon. This song just popped up on my playlist. It's as lovely as the moonlit night.