My Favorite Song in the Whole Wide World

"For Once In My Life" performed by Stevie Wonder

The man who (co)wrote this song, Ron Miller has died. He wrote my most favoritest song AND he was a Cubs' fan - he sounds pretty cool to me.

Miller got his professional start in the music business in the 1960s, when Motown founder Berry Gordy saw him perform at a piano bar and invited him to Detroit as one of the label's first songwriters and record producers. His songs have been recorded by many leading artists, including Judy Garland, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross and Ray Charles.

"For Once in My Life," written with Orlando Murden, is one of the most recorded songs in history, with more than 270 versions, according to All Music Guide. A rendition by Tony Bennett and Wonder won a Grammy award this year.

Born in Chicago, Miller was a die-hard Cubs fan, who wrote his first sad song as a child about his beloved but hapless team, his daughter said.

"My father will be reborn every time someone sings one of his songs," Lisa Dawn Miller said. "When they feel joy or sadness or any emotion, that will be my dad and his words." Miller is survived by his wife, Aurora Miller, and six children.
-P
For once in my life I’ve got someone who needs me
Someone I’ve needed so long
For once unafraid I can go where life leads me
And somehow I know Ill be strong

For once I can touch what my heart used to dream of
Long before I knew
Someone warm like you
Could make my dreams come true

For once in my life
I wont let sorrow hurt me
Not like its hurt me before
For once I’ve got someone
I know wont desert me
And I’m not alone anymore

For once I can say: this is mine you cant take it
As long as I’ve got love I know I can make it
For once in my life
I’ve got someone who needs me

Los Angeles Non-Dodgers-Game Weekend

I traveled to the sprawling metropolis that is Los Angeles this past weekend with a friend. The main geographical focus of our trip was Venice, a little Marina Del Rey and wee bit of Santa Monica. LA is only ~120 miles from San Diego. It has been 7+ years since I've truly visited the city (head hung in shame that I haven't made it to Dodger Stadium-YET.) For all the negative images LA has (gangs, phoniness, excessive focus on wealth/material possessions) I choose to take the fun, beautiful, playful features of LA and run with them.

Cases in point:

The morphed 7-Eleven-Simpsons-Kwik-E-Mart - we love it!

Hot dudes at the beach - we love it!

Cute, minor celebrities spotted zoning out at coffee shops - we love it!

The Getty Museum - we love it!

Cute dogs chillin' at the Santa Monica Pier - we love it!

Sushi-filled happy hours - we love it!
-P

"she had to leave

los angeles

she found it hard to say goodbye to her own best friend

she bought a clock on hollywood blvd the day she left

it felt sad she had to get out"

-"Los Angeles" - X

Perhaps Someday I Will Be Married

Estonia dominates wife-carrying championship

SONKAJARVI, Finland - Estonians took gold and silver at the world wife-carrying championships in Finland yesterday, defying rain and exhaustion to stumble along a path with women clinging upside-down to their backs. They were among 44 couples from 12 countries competing in the annual event in Sonkajarvi, central Finland.

The race, held for the 12th time, is intended to evoke the spirit of a legendary Finnish brigand, Rosvo-Ronkainen, who made those who wanted to join his gang run through a forest carrying heavy sacks on their backs.

In the modern version, couples race along a 250-metre track, tackling a pool and several hurdles, with the men carrying the women on their backs.

Estonian Madis Uusorg finished first, in a time of 61.7 seconds, despite having Inga Klauson on his back upside-down with her legs around his neck. Uusorg, who holds the world record for the event of 56.9 seconds, is the brother of last year's winner, Margo Uusorg. "I'm feeling really great because we won," Madis said afterwards. "It was my fifth time here, second time to win this competition. And it was the first time to beat my brother!"

Margo won his fifth world championship in 2006 and said at the time it might be his last.
He could not resist turning up again this year, carrying a rather heavily built Julia Galvin from Ireland, but the pair could only manage 29th place. "I kept my promise, having won last year, of carrying Julia this year," he said.

John Keerie, a Briton living in Helsinki, ran the race dressed as convict. He carried his wife Aino Telaranta-Keerie into 19th place. "I drowned in that pool, but at least my wig is still in place. Now for beer," he said. The winning couple received plasma televisions and Klauson's weight, 49 kilograms, in beer.

"My goal was to have fun. But not only did we have fun, but so did our kids and the people here had fun," said American James Lafferty from Ohio, who carried his wife Susan into 33rd place.
The purpose of it all? So the town of Sonkajarvi can spread a little happiness, said organiser Veikko Tervonen, with a smile.