One of my greatest joys in life is music. Next to settling down with a great book, preferably something written by Stephen King, getting lost into the fantastical world that really good music creates can whisk me into a magical world far away that elates my heart and soul and for a period of time  can fly me away high above my worries, doubts and fears. There are very few musical artists that have this power over me, and very high up on that list is the one and only goddess of pure raw emotion... Tori Amos.

Since the time I was sixteen and Tori released her debut album Little Earthquakes I have been confounded and astounded by her musical genius. Here is a woman who stuck to her guns, defied the odds, and made her piano explode with songs filled with love, hate, joy, misery, and enlightenment.

And 20 years and 17 albums later she is still (to this blogger at least) one of the greatest artists of our time. In September 2011 she released her 12^th studio album entitled Night Of Hunters which in my opinion has got to be one of her all time best recordings.

Night of Hunters is a mesmerizing album in which Tori returns to her classical roots and takes 14 of the most famous classical pieces of music from the likes of Chopin, Bach, Schubert and Satie just to name a few and creates her own songs based on variations of these beloved classics. The result is a magical journey of life, love, and death that would, dare I say, knock the satin ribbons out of Chopin and Bach's delicately powdered wigs.

And anyone who knows Tori knows that family has always been a huge inspiration for her music so it should come as no surprise that this amazing album was recorded and mixed by none other than Mark Hawley, Tori's husband. And the topper on the cake, accompanying Tori on vocals on many tracks and taking the lead on 3 songs is Natashya “Tash” Hawley, Tori's 11 year old daughter who's voice is as hauntingly beautiful as her mothers. (Watch out Adele, this girl’s pipes make you sound like a sick cat.)

In true Tori style this album is a cornucopia of moods and emotions. From the haunting Shattering Sea, to the fun and fickle Cactus Practice, to the desperate longing of my favorite song Your Ghost, which is such a powerfully mournful love ballad that it literally breaks the listener's heart.

Yes, there is a little bit of everything on this album. Along with Tori's amazing vocals and unparalleled piano playing, she has taken true masterpieces of music from time before and while staying true to the original purpose of the pieces made then brand new and relevant in a way that only Tori Amos is capable of.

Whether you’re a long time Tori fan, or someone whom has no idea of whom I'm speaking, take my word for it, Night of Hunters is sure to delight even the most finicky and open new doors to anyone willing to take a chance on something new and different.

Tori pours her whole body and soul into her songs. She calls them her children and brings them into technicolor life with her exquisite piano playing. She takes your mind and heart on an amazing ride that is well worth the price of admission.

Thank you for reading. XXOO Danny

 

I walked into my mother’s house the other day to be met by the most intoxicating of scents. My nostrils flared to take in as much of the fabulous aroma as possible! My mother was busy in her kitchen. She had spent most of the day baking like so many do this time of the year. She looked up.  “Hello she said. “Hey Mom, boy oh boy does that smell good!” I said.

One entire counter top was covered in fresh baked peanut butter cookies and oatmeal raisin cookies. I immediately scooped up two, still warm from the oven peanut butter cookies and devour them almost instantly. And again I took in a deep whiff of that amazing smell, “hot damn Mom, it smells so good in this kitchen.”

Mom was wiping down the stove and adjoining counter top, “I've been baking since seven this morning.” . “What a busy little lady you are” I reply. “Yea it keeps me off the streets.” she jokes.

I pour myself a cup of coffee and ask what is next to come out of the oven. “Banana bread.” “Oh hell yes for homemade banana bread!!” My Mom makes the best banana bread in the whole entire world, and I'm not just saying that cause she's my Mom and I have to. She really does make the most kick ass banana bread!)

As I usually do when I go to Mom's, I take out the trash for her. Coming back into the kitchen from outside that wonderful smell hits me again like I have just fallen into Lake Nirvana. “MMMMMMM! I love that smell!” I repeat.

“Well your just gonna have to wait, the banana bread won't be done for another half an hour.” “Huh??” I say as I break back into the surface of reality and out of the magical trance of that wonderful smell. “Oh yea, right, half an hour.”

We lapse into the usual small talk, asking each other how the other is feeling today, With us it's always a craps shoot.  Either we are both feeling fine or we have a litany of gripes and moans about being tired or stuffed up - you know, the usual stuff.

As we waited for the bread to come out of the oven we talked about what to have for dinner. My Dad works both a full time day job and a part time evening job so he isn't always home for dinner so Mom and I usually eat dinner together when Dad isn't there.

We decided that I would go out and pick up some Burger King for the two of us. “The banana bread will be ready by the time you get back,. We’ll let it cool while we eat dinner and then cut some for dessert.” “Sounds like a plan to me, lady!” (For some reason I tend to call Mom “lady” a lot. Don't ask, I don't have an answer.) I head out the door to pick up dinner.

I return about half an hour later, just as Mom predicted, and was once again wrapped in wonderful scented bliss as the aroma once again surrounded me like a warm quilt. “I know I keep saying it, but holy smokes, does that smell good!” “Well you can have some after dinner, so stop your drooling!”

I turn my head to the side like the RCA dog, “I can have some after dinner?” I ask, still lost in the scent and a bit confused by what she had said. “Banana bread Sparky,” (For some reason Mom has called me Sparky since I was a kid, again don't ask, again I don't have an answer) “You know the stuff you have been going on and on about how good it smells??”

“Oh, you're talking about the banana bread” I muse, “Well what were you talking about then if not the bread?” She asks? “Windex of course!” I reply, “I so love the smell of Windex!!” “You rotten brat!! I thought you were talking about my banana bread, and you’re going on and on about Windex?” Mom had used Windex to clean the stove and counter top, and man oh man do I love me some Windex!! Smells so fresh and clean.

Mom rolls her eyes, and says “come on, let's eat our dinner before the fries get cold and soggy. Windex? Really?” “Yes Mom, Windex, really.” “You're one weird kid, you know that right??”

We finished our dinner and then had some delicious fresh baked banana bread and coffee while standing in Mom's Windex scented kitchen, and there was much rejoicing. Give me Windex or give me death!! Thank you for reading.

XXOO Danny

The three biggest holidays of the year are upon us. Thanksgiving - when we gather with our families and eat more food in one sitting than most third world villages see in a year.  Christmas - when the battle of who spent more, and who got bigger and better gifts, ensues. And New Years - when everyone gets dressed to the nines, goes out, proceeds to get drunk and then pukes in their neighbour's bushes.

This, though, is the one time of year that I truly get excited, because along with all of the aforementioned traditions, people start acting nice!  They call it holiday cheer. Neighbors start helping each other more, people in traffic tend to cut you off less. It is these small things that I look forward to all year long.

But this year it seems holiday cheer is either in very short supply or is extremely late in its arrival.

I look around and all I see are people bitching and complaining about frivolous things  - and I find myself wanting to whack people over the head with a wreath. I mean who gives a shit if you can't afford the new iPhone4. What the hell is wrong with the iPhone3 you bought less than a year ago? You can't get a date for Saturday night? Suck it up and put on your big boy panties, call some friends and just have a game night, or something. I mean if people died because they didn't get laid by some hung stud every Saturday night I would have dropped dead about ten years ago!

One of the biggest things that has irked me about this year’s lack of holiday cheer has to do with the simplest of gestures that, to me anyway, is a big deal. Christmas cards. It's big for me because I have a ton of friends and family and while I would love to get each and every one of them a gift, living on a $700 a month disability check just doesn't make it possible. But what are possible are Christmas cards.

As I was compiling my Christmas card list I ran into some names that I didn't have addresses for, so I made phone calls and emails to procure said addresses and was shocked and appalled at some of the responses I got. While everyone was willing to give me their address so that they may receive a card, there were a lot of “OMG people still send actual cards?” And “OK. here's my address, but you’re wasting time and postage cause you won’t get one back from me, I don't bother with Christmas cards!”

Am I truly the only person left on earth that actually sits down and writes out Christmas cards?  I remember as a child, one of my favorite things about Christmas, aside from decorating the tree, was opening the mailbox and finding cards in there. My mother used to let us open and read them and then scotch tape them around the doorway.

Has this become a bygone tradition? Has the world become do digital that it is beyond people to actually write out cards in lieu of mass e-mails and e cards? Have we really become such an impersonal society?

So here is my holiday request for all of you; quit your bitching, buy a box of Christmas cards and take an hour off from facebook and let those people in your life know that you’re thinking of them. Hell you don't even have to licks stamps, they come pre-sticky now.

Getting Christmas cards in my mailbox is still one of my favourite things about the holiday season. Give it a try, you might be surprised!

Thank you for reading.

XXOO Danny

So I was in a committee meeting with a local HIV/AIDS organization that I sit on the board of. We were discussing plans and events for this year’s World AIDS Day (December 1^st). A committee member asked me if I could imagine a world free of HIV/AID., I looked at her and said “no I can't imagine that. Just being realistic, and to be perfectly honest, I am not hoping for a world free of HIV/AIDS.” The entire room went silent, all eyes on me, and said committee member was looking as if I had just called her the whore of Babylon and pushed her grandmother down the stairs.

“How can you sit on this committee and think like that?” she demanded of me. “Very easily” I replied. With the entire room looking at me like I had just insisted the earth was flat and the pope wears a pink satin garter belt from Victoria's Secret, I decided it best to explain myself.

It's all too huge, too widespread. The world has been trying to contain this virus for thirty years to no avail Yes,we have made great strides in controlling it, but containing it? Impossible. There are far too many areas in this world where access to care and medications are either so limited or just non-existent for this pandemic to ever be contained. I’m not trying to be a kill joy here, but just stating reality as I see it, the reality of HIV/AIDS that the world is facing - in my opinion.

Not nearly enough people are getting tested, resulting in millions of people around the world who are positive, without treatment, not using condoms, unknowingly infecting others. It's a roller coaster domino effect that we have yet to break. Have we slowed the roller coaster down? Yes, definitely. Have we come close to shutting it down for good? The unfortunate truth is no, not even close.

Am I saying that I have giving up hope on us ever conquering HIV? ABSOLUTELY NOT! I will never give up that hope - 'til my dying day I will stand and fight. And speaking of my dying day, this brings me to my second point on why I am not holding my breath for a world free of HIV.

As far as I can see, and I can see pretty far, (I just got new glasses), there are two ways of obtaining a world free of HIV, One is very unlikely, and the other is just unthinkable.

First, find a cure and vaccine. But science has been busting it's ass for nearly 30 years and hasn't made too much headway there. I am not saying science should give up, I'm just not holding my breath on that avenue. I just don't see it happening. Again MY opinion.

Second, to eradicate AIDS, everyone living with HIV/AIDS would have to die. Start from scratch with an untainted world population. Now I don't know about you, but I have SERIOUS issues with this option for very simple reasons. I'M NOT READY TO DIE! Nor am I ready for the many friends, colleagues, and well every other infected person in the world to just buy the farm. It's just that simple.

What I do hope for is a world where every person gets tested, every person knows their status, every uninfected person protects themselves, and every infected person has the care, medications, and support they need to live long, happy and healthy lives. This is what I am working towards. This is my wish this World AIDS Day.

Thank you for reading. XXOO Danny

(Editors note: Read what POZ magazine has to say about ending the epidemic here.)

So the holiday season has begun here in the States. Thanksgiving, (the last Thursday of November) is the kick off and the following day is perhaps the most ridiculous of all the days of the holiday season. It is the first official day of Christmas shopping, It is lovingly referred to as Black Friday. All the stores open at ungodly early hours and the masses turn out in droves to partake in all the super sized sales.

Not having worked in retail and having an extreme loathing for shopping. I had sworn to never venture out on Black Friday for anything. There is nothing worth putting up with all the insanity of shoppers fighting over this or that item. It's best just to stay home. out of the war zone.

Alas, this Black Friday at midnight I found myself in line with about 4oo other people outside of Target. (hey at least I went classy and wasn't in line at Wal-Mart!) I have a tradition of putting up and decorating my Christmas tree after Thanksgiving dinner (as do many other Americans) and unfortunately my trusty artificial tree that I have been dragging about the country for the last 18 years was down to its last two branches and one and a half lights. So I sucked it up and went to join the masses so I could get a new tree and lights and not miss out on one of my favorite traditions of the holiday season.

I looked at it as a military operation, planned to get there half an hour before Target opened, at midnight to avoid too much of a line, zip in, grab said tree and lights and zip out, not allowing myself to be distracted by any sale items and thus lured further into the madness. Easy peasy lemon squeezy right?

 WRONG!!!!

Arriving at Target at 11:45pm, I see a line already formed from the door all the way to the very back 40 of the parking lot!!  (GREAT!) But I was on my mission and would not fail. Thankfully the line went rather quickly even with the fire brigade there counting heads to make sure that the store didn't go over its occupancy limit.

I make it into the store and make a bee-line for the Christmas decorations department, which to my joy was blessedly empty of shoppers. (Everyone else was fighting over toys and electronics). I had already selected my tree and lights a few days previously and would have bought it then but a little thing we call payday stood in my way, thus explaining my need to be out on Black Friday. My boyfriend was with me. He got the tree, I scooped my six boxes of lights and we dashed for the checkout.

We get to the checkout line and my carefully laid out plan went to shit in one fail swoop. They had people directing checkout traffic to keep the mayhem to a minimum. Unfortunately (for me) they had the line for checkout snaking up and down about five aisles of cleaning products. I never stood a chance.

Being the super obsessive cleaning freak that I am, I found myself in my own personal version of heaven and hell combined. Cleaning products are my kryptonite.  I told myself to be strong, to resist the value of the gallon size Windex for only $2.99, the Febreze with double size refill for only $4.99, but alas my eyes caught sight of the Ocedar 8-pack of blue swerve sponges with the scrubby on one side for only $0.99 and my resolve broke. I turned to my boyfriend and ordered him to get me a shopping cart - not a basket but a cart.

What followed is just to un-pretty to tell here. I'll leave it at this. I will probably be getting thank you cards from every major cleaning product distributor in existence. But hey, at least I will have something to discuss with my therapist at out next weekly session.

Now if you'll excuse me I have some new sponges to break in.

Thank you for reading. XXOO Danny