THURSDAY NIGHT LOVE SONG

By Debbie Bulloch



Love songs take many forms, from romantic adult ballads to sirupy teeny-bopper tunes.

The following song, "Taxi," from American singer-songwriter Harry Chapin tells the story of Harry, a cab driver in San Francisco. On a rainy night he picks up a woman, his last fare for the night. Harry finds the woman familiar at first, but she doesn't seem to recognize him until after she looks at him in the rear-view mirror and at his license. It is then revealed that she is Sue, Harry's old lover.

In flashback, Harry remembers how he "used to take her home in [his] car" and also how they "learned about love in the back of a Dodge." Sue had wanted to be an actress, while Harry was going to learn to fly. Their relationship ended when Sue "took off to find the footlights" and Harry "took off to find the sky."

For everyone who has loved and lost, here is Chapin’s “Taxi.”

Enjoy!

HARRY CHAPIN – Taxi (video)



HARRY CHAPIN – Taxi (lyrics)

It was raining hard in 'Frisco,
I needed one more fare to make my night.
A lady up ahead waved to flag me down,
She got in at the light.

Oh, where you going to, my lady blue,
It's a shame you ruined your gown in the rain.
She just looked out the window, and said
"Sixteen Parkside Lane."

Something about her was familiar
I could swear I'd seen her face before,
But she said, "I'm sure you're mistaken"
And she didn't say anything more.

It took a while, but she looked in the mirror,
And she glanced at the license for my name.
A smile seemed to come to her slowly,
It was a sad smile, just the same.

And she said, "How are you Harry?"
I said, "How are you Sue?
Through the too many miles
and the too little smiles
I still remember you."

It was somewhere in a fairy tale,
I used to take her home in my car.
We learned about love in the back of the Dodge,
The lesson hadn't gone too far.

You see, she was gonna be an actress,
And I was gonna learn to fly.
She took off to find the footlights,
And I took off to find the sky.

Oh, I've got something inside me,
To drive a princess blind.
There's a wild man, wizard,
He's hiding in me, illuminating my mind.

Oh, I've got something inside me,
Not what my life's about,
Cause I've been letting my outside tide me,
Over 'till my time, runs out.

Baby's so high that she's skying,
Yes she's flying, afraid to fall.
I'll tell you why baby's crying,
Cause she's dying, aren't we all.

There was not much more for us to talk about,
Whatever we had once was gone.
So I turned my cab into the driveway,
Past the gate and the fine trimmed lawns.

And she said we must get together,
But I knew it'd never be arranged.
And she handed me twenty dollars,
For a two fifty fare, she said
"Harry, keep the change."

Well another man might have been angry,
And another man might have been hurt,
But another man never would have let her go...
I stashed the bill in my shirt.

And she walked away in silence,
It's strange, how you never know,
But we'd both gotten what we'd asked for,
Such a long, long time ago.

You see, she was gonna be an actress
And I was gonna learn to fly.
She took off to find the footlights,
And I took off for the sky.

And here, she's acting happy,
Inside her handsome home.
And me, I'm flying in my taxi,
Taking tips, and getting stoned,
I go flying so high, when I'm stoned.

NOTE: Harry Chapin, (December 7, 1942 – July 16, 1981) was an American singer-songwriter best known for his folk rock songs including the number-one hit "Cat's in the Cradle.” Chapin was also a dedicated humanitarian who fought to end world hunger; he was a key player in the creation of the Presidential Commission on World Hunger in 1977. In 1987, Chapin was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for his humanitarian work.

GREAT BIKE RIDING FILMS

By Debbie Bulloch



Serious bike riders are an obsessive bunch. On weekend days, we (and yes, I do include myself in the “obsessive bunch” group) wake up at the crack of dawn, jump on the bike and then head down the road, listening to the sweet music of the bike’s wheels rolling over the pavement as the miles roll by. During the week, we sit in our offices staring out of a window, daydreaming about our next epic ride. When we have some free time, we clean and adjust every gear and component.

Sometimes, we may even sit on the front of the television and we watch movies about bike riding.

PEE WEE’s BIG ADVENTURE



Pee-wee's Big Adventure, the greatest movie ever made about cycling is a wildly creative, idiosyncratic masterpiece. The film tells the story of Pee-wee Herman, a childlike adult who loves his bicycle more than anything else. After his bike is stolen, he must embark on a nation-wide adventure to search for his bike. The movie, which turns 25 in 2010, was directed by Tim Burton, written by Paul Reubens, Phil Hartman and Michael Varho; it starred Paul Reubens as Pee-wee Herman.

BREAKING AWAY



The story about working-class kids, restless in a small college town, is one of the best cycling films ever made. It is also one of the best films ever made, period! It won the 1980 Academy Award for Best Screenplay and was nominated for four other awards. In 2006, the American Film Institute (AFI) listed Breaking Away as #8 on the List of America's 100 Most Inspiring Movies. In June 2008, AFI announced its "Ten Top Ten"—the best ten films in ten "classic" American film genres—Breaking Away was acknowledged as the #8 best film in the sports genre.

TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE



The Triplets of Belleville (Les Triplettes de Belleville) is a Canadian/French/British/Belgian 2003 animated surreal adventure film written and directed by Sylvain Chomet. The story focuses on Madame Souza, an elderly woman raising her young grandson, Champion. Souza notices her grandson is sad and lonely so she buys him a puppy named Bruno to cheer him up. Although he was initially happy, he quickly becomes melancholy once again. After discovering that Champion has a keen interest in road bicycle racing, Souza buys Champion a tricycle. Eventually, Champion enters the Tour de France but during the race, he and two other riders are kidnapped by two French mafia henchmen and brought to the bustling metropolis of Belleville, somewhere in North America. The movie is absurdly bizarre (well, what can you expect when you mix Canadian-French-British-Belgian elements and throw them together in one animated film)…it is also a sweet and stunning homage to Fausto Coppi.

(NOTE: Angelo Fausto Coppi was an Italian bike champion, born on September 15, 1919. Coppi was the dominant international cyclist of the years each side of the Second World War. His successes earned him the title Il Campionissimo, or champion of champions. He was an all-round racing cyclist: he excelled in both climbing and time trialing, and was also a great sprinter. He won the Giro d'Italia five times (1940, 1947, 1949, 1952, 1953), the Tour de France twice (1949 and 1952), and the World Championship in 1953. Other notable results include winning the Giro di Lombardia five times and the Milan – San Remo three times. Coppi also had wins at Paris–Roubaix and La Flèche Wallonne, where he set the hour record (45.798 km) in 1942.)

AMERICAN FLYERS



Kevin Costner’s enormous moustache is hard to ignore…but Rae-Dawn Chong’s wheel change is the real stunner in this fun story of two brothers who tackle the Hell of the West through the Rockies. Some of the details are ludicrous—the way the Russian bike riders bob and weave as they attack—but as celebration of the 1980s American cycling scene, with appearances by the 7-Eleven Team and the gone-but-missed Coors Classic, it deserves a place as a bicycling movie classic.

THE BICYCLE THIEF



Bicycle Thieves (Ladri di biciclette, also known as The Bicycle Thief) is a 1948 Italian neorealist film directed by Vittorio De Sica. It tells the story of a poor father and his son searching the streets of Rome for the father’s stolen bicycle, which he needs to be able to work. The movie is a bleak but truthful story of survival; it is also a rebuke to Hollywood’s slickness. The Bicycle Thief ushered in a new era of cinematic realism and is routinely listed as one of the greatest films of all time.

A SUNDAY IN HELL (long version)



If you have ever struggled to explain the consuming passion of bike racing to non-riders, refer them to this film instead. A chronicle of the 1976 Paris-Roubaix race—with riders like Eddy Merckx, Roger De Vlaeminck and Francesco Moser—it’s a transporting documentary that drops you into the cobblestone dust, soaks you in sweat and idolizes all the suffering in one of the world’s greatest one-day race.

STARS AND WATER CARRIERS



A film about the 1973 Giro d’Italia, directed by Jurgen Leth, who also directed A Sunday in Hell. Leth's commentary is perhaps some of the most passionate and descriptive commentary on cycling to be found anywhere. Failed breakaways are referred to as "a beautiful waste of energy.” Leth is a great film maker not a former cyclist; his time trial commentary is arguably the most insightful and artistic narrative of athlete and machine yet written on bike racing--indeed "Pain is an Icon.”

Now, get off your computers, go get your bike, clean it up and take it for a long spin down the road.

Enjoy!

FRENCH BIKE RACING LEGEND LAURENT FIGNON DIES AT AGE 50

By Debbie Bulloch



Laurent Fignon, a French bike racing legend died Tuesday after a long battle with cancer. Fignon was only 50 years old.

Fignon twice won the Tour de France but was defeated by American rival Greg LeMond in arguably the event's greatest race. The gargantuan battle between Fignon and LeMond in the 1989 Tour de France produced the narrowest winning result in the history of the world's most famous cycling race: 8 seconds.

David Lappartient, president of the French Cycling Federation said that Fignon , “…was a great champion who used a combination of talent and will to win the Tour de France twice." David added that Fignon, “…had an iron will, and was also a very intelligent man."

Lance Armstrong, the seven-time Tour champion who himself battled cancer, wrote "Allez Laurent!!!" (Let's Go Laurent!!!) on his Twitter feed late Monday -- a sign that he was aware of Fignon's condition.

Born Aug. 12, 1960, the blond, bespectacled Fignon excelled at sports as a child and took up cycling because his friends did -- initially against the wishes of his parents, who disliked the fact that amateur cycling races took place on Sundays, which they considered to be a day for family activities.

Despite his reputation for being well-read and his nickname "The Professor," Fignon dropped out of college. He competed in cycle races while completing his army service.
Fignon won the Tour on his first attempt in 1983 in just his second year as a professional, seizing the opportunity presented by the absence of four-time winner and defending champion Bernard Hinault. He also won in 1984.

In 2006, Fignon opened a hotel complex in the foothills of the Pyrenees as the Centre Laurent Fignon, offering enthusiastic amateur cyclists guided rides up the Col du Tourmalet and other famed Tour de France climbs.

Fignon – The Legend - Part 1 (From a French television documentary shown in the 2007 tour de France)



Fignon – The Legend – Part 2



Historical Note:

The final stage of the 1989 Tour de France was a time-trial. In a time-trial, the bike riders race individually against the clock. In the final stage of the 1989 Tour, the riders had to complete a 25-mile course from Versailles to Paris.

In the closest Tour in history, American Greg LeMond was behind by 50 seconds on the final ride into Paris. In that time trial LeMond put his bike in a huge 55 x 12 gear (that is a 52 tooth front chainring and a 12 tooth rear cog) and rode it 54.545 km/h (34.52 mph), the second fastest time trial ever ridden in the Tour de France. LeMond also used what was, at that time, a new invention: the time-trial (or aerodynamic) handlebars. He made up 58 seconds on Laurent Fignon, ultimately winning the race by 8 seconds. Since 1989, there has not been another individual time trial to finish the Tour de France.

Here is a video clip from the last stage of the 1989 Tour:

1989 TdF final stage



Allez Fignon. Merci infiniment des mémoires merveilleuses!

1980's WEDNESDAY MUSIC

By Debbie Bulloch





















To ALL the lovers in the world, here are three of my favorite love songs from the 1980’s.

Enjoy!

ASIA – It Was the Heat of the Moment



REO SPEEDWAGON _ I’ll Keep Loving You



BERLIN – Take my Breath Away

SUNDAY NIGHT MUSIC - ELTON JOHN & OTHERS

By Debbie Bulloch






















ELTON JOHN – Your Song



HEART – Alone



YES – Owner of a Lonely Heart

WEDNESDAY EVENING MUSIC - ELVIS THE KING OF ROCK

By Debbie Bulloch



















From the King of Rock, one of his sweetest love songs...

ELVIS PRESLEY – The Wonder of You



(With lyrics)



Another love song...sort of.

ELVIS PRESLEY - Suspicious Mind



And finally...

ELVIS PRESLEY - You Were Always In My Mind

HOMELESS WOMAN FINDS A PLACE TO STAY AFTER 34 YEARS ON THE STREETS

By Debbie Bulloch



Not every story about the homeless has an unhappy ending. Take for instance, the story of June Don.

For more than three decades, June lived in the streets of Ventura County. Until recently, June was a fixture in the Conejo Valley (Thousand Oaks). She was often seen at her makeshift home at a bus shelter at Lakeview Canyon and Townsgate Road or pushing around a shopping cart filled with her belongings.

An act of kindness by one person, however, turned June’s life around. Enter into the scene Michelle Munyon, a Thousand Oaks resident.

The first two times Michelle drove past the homeless woman sitting on a bench at a Thousand Oaks intersection, her heart went out to the older woman with the distinctive long, blond wig and shopping cart. The third time, Michelle pulled over and invited the woman to lunch at a nearby Carrows Restaurant.

Out of that small kindness, a friendship began. Michelle eventually coaxed June off the bus bench and into an assisted-living facility – after 34 years living on the streets June, who was born in New Orleans, finally had a soft bed to sleep on and a roof over her head.

At a recent event, people gathered to celebrate June’s 74’s birthday. A steady stream of guests came up to wish her a happy birthday and present her with gifts including beauty supplies, toiletries and flowers. June, in her trademark long blond wig and a new dress, greeted them all.

“I feel so blessed, so blessed, to see the community coming and just sharing in this day of love for June,” Michelle said.

Michelle’s friend Sally Tulao, a hairdresser from Sherman Oaks, gave June a dress to wear for her party and helped her with her makeup. “I put the makeup on today and I put the wig on for her and she’s just such a sweet lady and my hat just goes off to her,” Sally said.

“Michelle made a difference in June’s life. It’s like a little ripple and now it’s making a big wave,” Tulao said.

Guests at the party were invited to take part in a silent auction and raffle to raise money for a new non-profit organization set up by Michelle’s son Wes. Wes said The Centurion Center aims to spread what he calls “The Love Revolution” and help others in need in the local community.

Karol Schulkin, homeless services coordinator for Ventura County, said it is that first point of contact — whether it be talking to a homeless person on the streets or at a meal site — that is often the first step toward placing the chronically homeless, many of whom have disabilities, in housing.

“By necessity, a person has to adapt their life to less-than-appropriate circumstances,” Schulkin said. “In doing that, I think over a period of time regular indoor living isn’t attainable for them. It becomes hard for them to even imagine walking into a door. For others, it’s an economic reality.”

The money homeless people scrape together might be used for a meal or a place to stay for a night. But gathering money for a rental deposit on a home or apartment is insurmountable, Schulkin said.

“It’s kind of like tumbling down a cliff,” she said. “You pick up different challenges along the way.”

Mother Theresa once remarked that, "If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one." The story of June and Michelle’s remarkable friendship points out what miracles one person can achieve, just by feeding one person. Their story also points out that people do not need big government to solve their problems – we can do a far better job helping each other out on a one to one basis.

Mother Theresa also said, "At the end of life we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done. We will be judged by 'I was hungry and you gave me to eat, I was naked and you clothed me, I was homeless and you took me in.' Hungry not only for bread - but hungry for love. Naked not only for clothing - but naked for human dignity and respect. Homeless not only for want of a room of bricks - but homeless because of rejection."

Think about it...I challenge you!