We miss you, Aaliyah

 

  Her name was Alliyah Dana Haugtan, and I only knew her.... after she died. Why am I blogging about her? Well, today would have been her 46th birthday. But let's just say...I want to talk about how amazing this singer/actress was in her short time here on earth.

   Aaliyah's singing career started to hit around the early to mdi 90's with her first hit "age ain't nothin' but a number", which was her debut album back in the mid 90's. At times, hearing this song makes you think how long we have on this earth. I'm now 40 and well...maybe they're right. 

   Aaliyah would call her type of music "Street...but sweet." Meaning it is still considered rap, but not the kind back in the 90's that would make any parent blush with the lyrics. The kind of music that has one or two swear words but can still bring heart to the lyrics.

  There was a remake of Dr. Dolittle movie starring Eddie Murphy. It was pretty good, had a good story, good actors, and Aaliyah...had the song for the soundtrack called Are you that somebody which had actual baby crying noises (or so I was told). There were other songs in the soundtrack that I bought which were pretty good. The music video was pretty good as well.

 Another one of her songs that she was popular with was One in a million which came out around the same time as the Dr. Dolittle movie. Pretty good. She had other hits, but sadly, one of her albums would become her last.

   Rock the boat was considered the song that would be Aaliyah's last. Well, she also had an album with a few other songs that were in her final album. This music video took place in the Bahamas where she is filmed with back up dancers on a boat singing how it should not be rocked like a Rocky relationship. I guess.

  Sadly, On August 25th, 2001....tragedy would strike as Aaliayh, in her final picture with the crew that suffered the same fate, died in a plane crash not far from the takeoff. It seemed there was too much in the weight as well as the pilot having difficulty steering the plane. They crashed, and everyone on board died. 

 

  She was also known for being an actress.... although she was only known for Queen of the Damned playing the villain. It was an ok movie, and it would have skyrocketed Aaliyah to stardom, but sadly.... because of one plane crash, that star has faded. But it doesn't mean she is still loved even after death with her music and her movie.

  In honor of her 46th birthday, posthumously, she is being rewarded as becoming a Barbie Doll. Yes, this is happening. Aaliyah is going to be a Barbie doll in honor of all she had done in her short life. But today... we all honor her and her legacy. Happy Heavenly Birthday to Aaliyah. A star, who's still shining bright, in the heavens

The end of party city

  A lot of stores have gone downhill. Some even end up closing their doors for good. Circuit city, Big Lots! Blockbuster, Wet Seal, Frys Electronics and many more. Now....added to the list is Party City. A store where they sell party supplies for anyone throwing a birthday party or any sort of celebration.

  Now, Party City is on the chopping block of a long list of stores being liquidated. When will the last Party City be closing? Who knows, nobody does. The economy has not been kind to many stores that are suffering due to Amazon's on-line shopping craze.

   I remember, when I was young, going to stores like Radio Shack, Blockbuster, even Toys R Us when that huge toy catalog would come in around the holiday season. I would circle which toy I would want for my birthday/Christmas. Those days are now gone. With a click of a simple button, you, or kids can buy anything from toys to movies to electronics.

  I wasn't a huge fan of Party City unless we needed supplies for an upcoming birthday or Anniversary. They would have so many balloons on the ceiling. Themed party accessories and even a few other things that you would find in a Dollar Tree store.

  

    If you have ever been inside a party themed store, you would find things like a themed birthday or 50th Anniversary mugs to huge balloons that would not cost a fortune back when I was young. Now, Party City is joining the list of other stores going under. What will happen to party stores like this, and will there be more around after this one is gone?

   There are other supply chain party stores that aren't as memorable as Party City is. There was another Party chain supply store that was a copycat of Party City. I forgot the name of it, but it vanished before I went to college. I think we might have shopped there more than Party City. Then again, we might have went to a dollar store to get our party supplies.

   It's sad Party City is announcing their closing right around the end of the year. Many people will be without jobs and the economy is not what it used to be since the pandemic. Getting a job now...is like finding a needle in a haystack. Even jobs that require a college degree is harder these days.

  What will replace Party City? Five Below? If so.... how long is that store going to last before it closes too. Times are getting tough, and many stores are throwing in the towel. Party City is now one of them. Since 1986 to 2025, this store helped families with their party supplies; now, it'll just be another empty store.

What is fading away? - POEM

 

 I blink,

and something I love,

is gone,

in a blink of an eye,

what is....

fading away

from our childhood,

remembering the past,

and what is,

gone

Remember DVDS,

\Video games,

and phones that have a wire attached,

Remember your friend's phone number,

Floppy discs came,

before CD's,

and CD's,

are no more

Everything,

will be obsolete,

when something new,

comes along,

remember iPods?

Not many do

The past,

is so far away,

drive in movie theaters,

of yesteryear,

now,

are empty parking lots,

for nothing

When I was young,

the mall was the place to go,

shop,

and hang out with friends,

technology,

took control of our lives,

and made shopping 

on-line,

the new norm

No one,

uses,

phone books,

anymore,

nothing,

is needed,

that involves,

yellow pages

We stream,

networks,

instead of watching,

it,

on tv,

which is only use,

in streaming,

a show

remember cameras?

Not without using your phone,

flash,

a picture,

is revealed,

cameras,

are too,

fading away

renting videos,

on cassettes,

dvds,

and even video games,

they are too,

gone,

except,

for one Blockbuster,

that hanging,

by a thread

Empty phone booths,

back before cell phones,

we had to call on these,

if we were lost,

in time,

now,

another relic stands,

on empty street corners

Time is flying by,

things we love,

are gone,

and some,

are still here,

but....

for how long,

will it remain,

before it vanishes,

like time,

in a bottle

No more celebrating- POEM

 

It is January,

It means,

no more,

celebration,

of holidays,

all combined,

is done

It looks beautiful,

around the holidays,

but now,

as we get closer to ending,

the holidays,

it is time,

un-decorate

the tree,

is always,

the hard part,

to dispose of,

is it fake,

or is it real

and with the end of celebration,

you realize,

someone you might know,

having a birthday,

in very early January,

are they screwed,

will they get a celebration,

aren't you tired of all the celebrating

It feels as if,

we are done,

decorating,

singing carols,

having Christmas music,

blasting at all hours,

It's time,

to turn,

Christmas,

off

Let's try to enjoy the year,

with Christmas,

in the back of our minds,

and going forward,

into a new year,

praying,

we make it,

to the next,

Christmas celebration

The end of 2024

 

   A year goes by so fast in a blink of an eye, you never know what happened this year. For me....I knew some things that happened. Some memorable. and some...we want to not remember. What happened this year? Well, this is one year...we're never gonna forget.

    A lot of things happened that we can't forget. The picking of a new president, the Summer Olympics and even some memorable stuff like a baby hippo being an internet sensation for a few weeks. Yes it's true...this year is full of strange things.

  Let's try not to forget what happened that day, but it seems a female president was not going to happen yet. Trump, again, is going to be our president. Shrug. He's also now a convicted felon. First in the presidency. At least Nixon had the courage to resign. Trump...we're doomed. (Bur if you voted for him for your own reason, I would not judge you...yet)

  A baby pigmy hippo became the center of attention. Moo Deng was its name and was born in a zoo in Thailand. He was the center attention for a while as people wanted to start buying baby hippos as pets. That's a no-no. You don't it when it's grown up...and it could kill you. Another pigmy hippo started taking center stage in Mid-December in Virginia just recently.

   The Olympics took place in Paris this year. From swimming to gymnastics and much more, USA had many gold medals, but not as many as China which had the most. There were interesting moments involving a shooting gallery with a man from Turkey making a viral sensation. A lot of things happened during then and Snoop Dogg seemed to be the center of attention through some of it.

 A lot of people were wondering about Jamie Foxx. He ended up sick around the end of 2023 and not much has happened about him. Around the new year, we feared he would be the first celebrity to pass away in 2024. Happily, around the middle of the year...he came back saying that he suffered a stroke and his daughter saved him.

   In April, a Solar Eclipse happened. It was so epic that even Bonnie Tylar performed "Total Eclipse of the Heart" to one of the cities that will view the entire eclipse. What did we get? Well....first off, it was raining and mostly clouds covered the sun, so we didn't get much. Plus, we would only see half of it. It happened...and well.... pathetic. But I think it was better if you got to see the whole thing.

   We lost a lot of celebrities this year, and a few have passed away just recently. James Earl Jones, Shelley Duvall, Shannen Doherty, Richard Simmons, Donald Sutherland, Liam Payne, Bernard Hill, Dame Maggie Smith, Bob Newhart, Greg Gumbel, and just now.... Jimmy Carter. Many more should be listed on-line, but let's just say it's been a sad year when it comes to life. It is...after all, short.

  For me...it was a big year. I turned 40. Yep, I am now four decades into the earth It's amazing that I turned 40 just a couple weeks ago, and I don't even feel it at times. I made many accomplishments in my life lifetime. Even if I'm not living by myself and with my parents, I don't care anymore. I'm happy where I am. Being a writer and helping out at my job...I'm still doing great even at 40

  So... what will the next year be like? I'm optimistic but fear it's not going to be a good one. First off, the New Year starts on a Wednesday. So... the year starts off W.T.F. If you understand what that term means, it means we might be screwed this year. But...it's only another year. Every year we wonder what will happen. All I know is.... we need to survive the next year like we did this one. Happy New Year everybody.

Five days to go

    Five days to go...until Christmas arrives. Have any of you done your shopping yet? I blink, and it will soon be here.

    Winter is here....and it will stay...for a long, long, long time.

   Does it mean the feeling of Christmas will stay with us, once it's gone?

   Shopping on-line is easier than going through an empty mall to find what you are looking for. Even last minute shopping.

   For me, having a birthday around this time...... a double whammy for me and others around this time of year.

 Back in my childhood, around the 90's, everyone ran into a crowed mall grabbing gift after gift of stuff people wanted or needed.

   We didn't have the internet yet, so malls were jam packed with people getting what they need last minute.

  Now....most malls are ghost towns and empty. Escalators still working, but no one inside shopping. Even the big chain malls are doomed to extinction in the future. On-Line shopping is the new norm and so are streaming sites for movies that are replacing theaters. 

    A lot of people working to deliver packages can't keep up the demands for every gift that might end up stolen before they get it at the front porch.

   Desperate thieves coming to steal packages; especially packages that have iPhones, iPads or any electronics that are expensive and easy targets for thieves.

   Five more days left, and some gifts...are gone. Why? Thieves that have no money greedy enough to steal someone's gifts because they have no money.

  Santa getting ready to deliver the gifts. By now, he must be nervous as we are to get everything ready for one jolliest day of the year. A day where schools, banks and certain businesses are closed. (Not all, but some)

   Blessed to be off, it feels as if it's never going to come, and then...flash.... it's gone.

  Five more sleeps till Christmas and children can't contain themselves. Busy workers getting ready for the one day...where family is the most important gift of all.

   Holidays will come and go, but it seems Christmas is in our hearts forever.

 Till then, shop for what you can, last minute or not, and remember the true meaning of Christmas once it arrives.

   Shop on-line, find what they need, and they will give you more than just a gift in return.

    Christmas is almost here, five more days to go, and before you know it.... it'll be a New Year.