Hey there internet, what’s brewin’ with you? Me, who knows? … who could ever know…
If you guys picked up page A1 of a newspaper this morning… you’re probably over fifty. If you instead read an aggregate of socially-upvoted AP headlines via an RSS reader on your iPhone, you likely came across a story that broke last yesterday: the Cash for Clunkers program might be busted; flat broke. That’s right… a week into the program and the rumor is that the Fed is going to pull the plug because they’re afraid the backlog of already-done deals might burn through the remaining funds and then some.
Personally, I agree with some of the bloggers (and others who are in the know) who think this may just be a tactic to secure continued funding for the program. Perhaps a legitimate tactic, in that the program may really be going like gangbusters, but a well-placed PR type of tactic to show 1) how well the program is actually stimulating the industry and 2) make a plea for additional money and facilitate additional stimulus – hey, who doesn’t like more stimulus?
Seems we did our part; thanks for the stimulus, Americans.
Hey let’s switch gears…
Remember a while back when Michael Jackson died? Oh, what’s that? You can’t not remember because the story still dominates the news, even though there are tons of other real newsworthy stories we could be discussing? Well, either way…. Michael Jackson did die a while back now. And, when that happened, the radio stations went MJ crazy. Remember now? Yup, they played Jackson’s stuff (which, by the way, was pretty dang brilliant pre-’87) wall-to-wall. Michael was on every station, filling every minute of every hour. No, I’m not writing to bag on this adoration – I think it was fairly appropriate given the man’s status. I’m writing to tell a story that all the MJ hooplah made possible.
See, during the MJ marathon, Keaton became quite familiarized with the King of Pop’s better numbers. I mean, who wasn’t struck by a bit of nostalgia and didn’t play some of their own favorites in memorial? Me, I rocked some of the better numbers that I think he ever did for a day or so, just to kinda fit in with the nation or something. Sharaun, too, got her dosage via her radio habit. So, through our couple Jackson-drenched days, Keaton learned his stuff fast. In fact, during those days it was not uncommon to hear her singing snatches like, “… ♫ the pain is thunder! ♫ …” or “♫ pretty young thing ♫ …” It’s amazing how fast kids can pick up on things when they’re indoctrinated for hours a day, y’know?
Anyway, Keaton’s quickly established her favorite song as Jackson’s “Wanna Be Startin’ Something,” a track written in 1978 and intended for inclusion on 1979’s Off the Wall album but instead released on 1982’s seminal Thriller. She was drawn to the gibberish style ending, where Jackson repeats a nonsense phrase that I’ve always sung as something close to “Mama-say, mama-saw, m-ma-coo-saw.” (Wikipedia says I’m not far off from what he’s actually saying, either.) Anyway, what Keaton hears and sings is different in one key way.
In what I deem one of the cutest three-year-old misheard lyrics ever, she sings “Mama-say, mama-saw, my applesauce.” I absolutely love this; what a brilliant interpretation from within the context of a three-year old mind. I mean, surely he’s saying “applesauce” right, no other word in the three-year-old vocabulary sounds anything like that…
Well, not only did Keaton have her own interpretation, she apparently tied that interpreted phrase to the artist singing the song. In other words, she thinks Michael Jackson’s name is Mamasaymamasawmyapplesauce. Yup, all one word like that… that’s his name. To the point where when she hears any track that’s a Jackson track, she says, “Hey Mom! It’s Mamasaymamasawmyapplesauce!”
At some point, Sharaun must have told Keaton that Michael Jackson passed away. Those were her words, I’m certain. Probably something like, “Did you know the singer of this song passed away?” Well, maybe something like that… but one thing’s for sure: Keaton remembered that the guy who sings mamasaymamasawmyapplesauce “passed away.” It’s not likely she even knows what “passed away” is, but it sure is hilarious to hear her say, whenever a Jackson track comes on the radio, “Hey Mom… did Mamasaymamasawmyapplesauce really pass away, or are you just joking?!”
Yes babe, Mamasaymamasawmyapplesauce really did pass away…
Goodnight internet.
Also written on this day...
- in arrears - 2008
- a total homo for weddings - 2007
- the camera lives in the diaper bag - 2006