From the "Happy Or Else" folder

[squeequeg]

Today kinda sucked. Here in Boston, it was gray, gray, horrible gray, and the day job wasn't much better. I ended up in a really lousy funk during work (and after, since I had to stay late), and this wasn't helped by the realization that I'd been listening to "Brian Wilson" by the Barenaked Ladies on a loop for a little while. Great song; not helping.

As there's only so much I can do in these circumstances, I've been self-medicating with chicken soup, hot chocolate, and aggressively cheerful music. But since a lot of people seem to be going through the same thing, I thought I'd share. Misery may love company, but defiant joy throws better parties.

So here's four from my "Fuck You, I Refuse To Be Sad Right Now" playlist. Post some of your own music that chases off bad moods! Or cat pictures! Or corgi videos! Or anything else that makes you smile or brings back a little of the sunlight!

Comments

[sovay]

Post some of your own music that chases off bad moods! Or cat pictures! Or corgi videos! Or anything else that makes you smile or brings back a little of the sunlight!

I can be remarkably cheered up by any of the songs from The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T—"Get Together Weather" and the "Dressing Song (Do-Mi-Do Duds)" in particular.

(Should either song become stuck in your head, I own mp3s and will gladly share.)

[stealthmuffin.livejournal.com]

Wow. I feel like I need a whole new fabulous wardrobe to match the second song. Thank you!

[osirusbrisbane.livejournal.com]

[stealthmuffin.livejournal.com]

eeee penguin! no further comment!

[osirusbrisbane.livejournal.com]

I sing this song ALL THE TIME. Debbie will vouch for that, in between screaming and trying to kill me.

[magdalene1.livejournal.com]

When the bass line of this comes in, I am filled with joy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmhVY2PLc-c

[stealthmuffin.livejournal.com]

Oh my. That's astounding. I think I might need this album.

[avocadovpx.livejournal.com]

If any of the VP14 students think they really need to sing this at a writing workshop, I'm suggesting they apply to Clarion.

[avocadovpx.livejournal.com]

Der Jeffersons.

[avocadovpx.livejournal.com]

The Final Countdown.

[stealthmuffin.livejournal.com]

I...

what...

If they need to sing this, we need to film it. Can we start having Musical Number night? Plaid suits optional.

[avocadovpx.livejournal.com]

>> Can we start having Musical Number night? Plaid suits optional.

Teary Farewell Friday should be good.

[avocadovpx.livejournal.com]

The line dance from an episode of Soul Train. American Bandstand wut?

[ffoeg.livejournal.com]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGPIhCyI0ik

[stealthmuffin.livejournal.com]

...and now that's an earworm. But a good one!

And now I'm hungry for bananas too.

[balsamicdragon.livejournal.com]

How about 100 cats set loose inside IKEA?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7vXP3tHzhA&feature=player_embedded

:)

[stealthmuffin.livejournal.com]

Yay! Kitties! Thank you!

[prusik.livejournal.com]

This is for rejections, or for stories that have been with an editor so long that a rejection now would be soul-crushing:
I'm Still Standing (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bz7ifClpT4g)
(Oddly, I can't find the original video. Is there something that's actually not on YouTube?)

Two videos I watched an embarrassing number of times during Clarion:
Right in Front of Your Eyes (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4sPQjwCfsg)
Life on Mars (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nW0ACEOEq6w)

Two videos on the same topic that never fail to make me smile:
Melange (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79D8SRrqX5U)
Four Chord Song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pidokakU4I)

See you Saturday at the reading!

[stealthmuffin.livejournal.com]

Strangely, YouTube can provide everything but that one thing you're looking for. At least until the next time you check it. (Or so has been my experience with it.)

For me, this version of Life on Mars (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOdUClEiNGE) seems to be just right. I'm not quite sure why. And the Ukelele Orchestra will forever be associated in my mind with HEATHCLIFF! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FF0VaBxb27w)

See you then!

[avocadovpx.livejournal.com]

>> (Oddly, I can't find the original video. Is there something that's actually not on YouTube?)

Dailymotion to the rescue! Ugh, sorry about the annoying ads and the inability to embed it.

Elton John -- I'm Still Standing

[stealthmuffin.livejournal.com]

...wow.

I remember seeing this on MTV when I was a kid and being both entertained and very, very confused.

[squirrelhaven.livejournal.com]

[stealthmuffin.livejournal.com]

I love this song in its original version and even more this way! Thank you!

...happy monsters...

have a happy earworm.

[keshwyn]

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xcu94x_wilson-phillips-hold-on_music

Of course, it's all stuttery and crap on my phone right now, but I will manage. :-)

Re: have a happy earworm.

[stealthmuffin.livejournal.com]

Oh, man, does this bring back memories. I wonder if I still have the cassette tape anywhere.

[cute-fuzzy-evil.livejournal.com]

This may be the cutest picture I've ever taken of Tiamat.

http://plixi.com/p/44217234

[stealthmuffin.livejournal.com]

eeee! floof in a box!

[ellen-fremedon.livejournal.com]

[stealthmuffin.livejournal.com]

Ooo...This is entirely new to me. I think I'm going to have to listen to it a lot more now. Thank you!

[ellen-fremedon.livejournal.com]

It never fails to cheer me up. Polka AND fugue! Like peanut butter and chocolate!

[kouredios.livejournal.com]

This Avatar: The Last Airbender vid is my new favorite thing ever:



It's set to a remix of the top 25 pop songs of 2009, so it's the absolute most perfectly crafted earworm of a song, with a "get up when you knocked down" message and A:TLA graphics! It's the perfect storm of a pick-me-up!

[stealthmuffin.livejournal.com]

FUCK YEAH AVATAR

ahem. That's a great vid -- and I love DJ Earworm already!

also FUCK YEAH TOPH

[megastoat.livejournal.com]

Hanson's Thinking 'Bout Somethin' is my current happy-making song. The video even has a Weird Al cameo!

[stealthmuffin.livejournal.com]

Very, very happy-making. Thank you!

[ltlbird.livejournal.com]

I am having trouble thinking of songs right now, oddly, but have a video of an otter attacking a stuffed walrus:

[stealthmuffin.livejournal.com]

Oh dear Lord, that's adorable.

[wavyarms.livejournal.com]

Oh, this is a great entry, I think I will be referring back to it periodically!

I find the Bookie Wookie blog to often be full of goodness and light.

[stealthmuffin.livejournal.com]

I may keep this as my emergency happy stash.

And ooo, books...

[wavyarms.livejournal.com]

And of course I regularly go watch Matt dance around the world. Usually the third video, since you get to watch all the other people dance with him!

[rissymonster.livejournal.com]

It's still sunnytime here in the Bay Area, but I've occasionally thought of doing an "If you can't beat the rain, then join it" mix for the month of February*.

* "I Can't Stand the Rain" (Commitments version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cshw-LvHlkM)
* "Purple Rain" by Prince
* "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" (by that old crooner whose name I can't remember
* "Here Comes the Rain Again" x Eurythmics
etc.

* My first winter here, it rained some portion of every single day in February. I was going fairly nutty by the end of that month.

[stealthmuffin.livejournal.com]

Yay Commitments! I swear, I listened to that soundtrack on a loop for months.

[nadyezhda.livejournal.com]

Hmmm...there's always this... (ultimate showdown)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WgT9gy4zQA
and this... (end of ze world)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2f8grWE7AOw
and oh so NSFW... (webguy vs. salesdude)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4D2rQFN3z0
and lastly, poke the penguin! http://gamesville.com/html_downloads/pokePenguin.php