Final thoughts on the Bears Season....

The season is over, the Bears are once again not playing for the Super Bowl and I have yet another gambling wager slip that is now worth nothing!

When the Bears lost to the Packers it was the end of a great season. But, a season with a lot of ups and downs.

A real low point (other than the NFC Championship game loss) was during the October 3rd game when the Giants found a way to sack Jay Cutler 9 times...in the first half. That game also saw the Bears rack up a total of 110yards of offense for the game. Thanks to the crappy play of the other teams in the division the Bears were still okay at this point. But, the nay-sayers were out in force. Jay Cutler would miss time with a concussion and the bears would go on to lose three of their next four games including a pair of three of three point defeats at the hands of the Seahawks and Redskins (two of the worst teams in the league)

After a reshuffle of the offensive line that saw Jay Cutler better protected the Bears would win seven of their last eight games. The only blemish on the last half of the season being a whooping a the hands of the red hot New England Patriots two weeks before Christmas.

With a playoff win against the "Division Champion" Seattle Seahawks the team fell flat against the Packers. A team they had the chance to keep out of the playoffs during the last week of the regular season.

While the NFC Championship game was hard to watch I don't fault Jay Cutler for not playing the second half. Turns out he had a torn MCL which is not an easy thing to play with. So all the Twitter and Facebook haters can take a step back. There were a few points that I did question the coaching staff.

Late in the third (or fourth) it seemed we had a Chicago timeout called just as we were getting ready to snap the ball and the result of the play was going to be a long first down pickup. Not the first time that has happened. Also, what the hell was the coaching staff thinking in the fourth quarter calling an end around on 3rd and 3?

If you're going to make that call don't you think you should at least put the ball in the hands of your fastest weapon in the person of Devin Hester? Just saying.

What I did see was the the Bears are in desperate need of some legit wide receivers. While the group of Hester, Knox, Davis, Bennett and Aromashodu all tried their best to be "the man" we don't have that one guy that other teams fear. We also need a third quarterback. Cutler is still the man, but Hanie showed me a lot of heart and skill with the way he played in a big game with little notice.

That interception by BJ Raji was just a fat man being in the right place at the right time. I mean really...how often is a 300+ pound lineman going to be dropping back into coverage like that? The Shields interception at the end was a bad throw and a crap way to end what was looking like a miracle comeback.

At least I have the Cubs starting soon! But, in true Chicago sports fan mode there's always next year...granted with the next season in doubt the phrase may actually be,. "There's always two years from now!"

The first sign that the end is near...

First sign of 2011 that the End is near...I agree with Kim Kardashian....

I blissfully remember a time when I didn't even know who the hell the Kardashians were (or Paris Hilton for that matter). But, now you can't follow reality TV, or sports for that matter, without getting a Kardashian name drop once a month. The frequency of mentions increases in direct correlation to how close to the greater Los Angeles area you are.

So to say that I don't care about what she or any of her sisters has to say would be a fair assumption. Usually, if the headline even has the Kardashian name in it I don't even click on the link or read the article.

This time I was compelled to read the story for some reason when I came across this headline on CNN.com: Kim Kardashian Blames MTV for Teen Pregnancies.

Now there's a zinger that can go a few different ways! But, in this case I think it was a spot on observation from the reality TV "star".

According to the CNN's Marquee Blog article Kardashian says, "I find it so sad and disturbing," the 30-year-old reality star writes on her blog. "It seems that shows like 'Teen Mom' are all of a sudden making teen pregnancy seem cool in the eyes of young girls. The kids from these shows are all over the news, even on the covers of magazines, and have become almost like celebrities, but girls, these are not people you should idolize!"

I agree with her. Let me step back and look at that statement for a second...

Okay, yeah...we agree.

The glorification of the "teen mom" lifestyle may actually be MTV's fault! That doesn't mean that you shouldn't hold parents and the kids responsible at the same time. But, lets give credit where credit is due...and MTV does deserve credit. With shows like "Teen Mom" having a baby has gone from being an Earth shattering event that could make a girl a social outcast, to a possible windfall of economic gain!

Somehow a few months ago the magazine US Weekly just showed up at the house. It was  in my sisters name for the record. We never paid for it--never will. But, for the first four issues, or more, it was all "Teen Mom" this and "Teen Mom" that. Two which I begged the question, "What the Fuck?"

The funniest part to me of the magazine coverage was the "shocking" side stories like, "Can Mandy do it alone now that Jeff is out of the picture?"  Really? They say it like the biggest problem that a fifteen year old single mother will face is will the fifteen year old father in the picture?! NO fifteen year old boy (or girl for that matter) is ready to be a parent!

I still, in part, subscribe to the theory that there are a lot of "adults" that shouldn't be allowed to have kids. Not sure we need to go as far as testing before giving a green light to people to have kids. But, there should be some checks and balances before some of these "adults" are allowed to care for their kids.

Keep in mind that this all comes from a guy with no kids. Who's only real opinion on the subject is governed by what the media shows. That being said, We all live in a world where media attention is usually focused on the horror stories rather than the good deeds.

Much like Mark Anthony's speech to the Romans in Shakespeare's Julius Cesear when he says, "I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him; The evil that men do lives after them,The good is oft interred with their bones..."  Such is life in a world where reality TV is king. No one remembers the good stories, while everyone remembers the train wrecks...TEMPTATION ISLAND!!

So now I find myself speechless...what's going to happen next? Is that Douche-Nozzle (capitalized to show it is a proper title, like President) Michael Savage going say something that doesn't instantly make me want to stick a red hot poker in my ears in an attempt to unhear it? Will I find myself NEEDING a Lindsay Lohan CD? Or, will the end of the world come swiftly and save me from the shocking truth that I have a comparable viewpoint to Kim Kardashian?

Given those options...I'd have to side with a swift and all powerful Extinction Level Event!!

First Half---Bears -vs- Packers

I was so excited for this game! But for some reason the Bears have decided to take the first half off! Packers were able to move the ball with little or no problems.

The "Monsters of the Midway" need to wake the hell at halftime...Cutler needs to make better decisions...and someone (I don't care who) needs to put Rogers down hard!

Second half is about to start with the Bears getting the ball. Fingers crossed we got our collective heads out of our ass during halftime.

Time Keeps on Slipping....

"The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once." -- Albert Einstein

Right now I kinda wish it did all happen at once! Or, at least that it happened at a little faster pace.

Nothing kills a good day like the feeling that time has come to a screeching halt! We all know that time is an equally measured unit and doesn't actually move faster or slower given you current state of mind. But, damn if it doesn't feel like it sometimes.

Take tonight for example. Work was skipping along at a good pace. It seemed like I hit the 5hr mark and lunch with no problem....but it was all downhill from there.

I've tried everything I can think of to move the night along. I've avoided the clock, taken micro breaks to refresh, pushed the caffeine, and turned on the radio. Nothing is helping. Even writing this down seems to be taking too long....

With that: days off are too short, time at work passes by too slow....and the boredom is killing me right now! Bring on Sunday and the Bears.

Bears -VS- Packers

Well, the time is almost here. Time for another Bears Packers match up...this time for the keys to the kingdom.

Loser goes home, Winner goes on to Dallas and the Super Bowl.

I can't wait. As much as I would have loved to see the Packers lose that last regular season game and not make the playoffs I think it will be a more gratifying win to beat the Pack and head on to Dallas for a match up with either the Jets or the Steelers.

I'm really like a kid the night before Christmas...or to be more accurate. ME the night before Christmas. Having the Bears playing games at this time of year is always fun! But, to watch them take on the Packers for a change to return to the Championship game is all that much sweeter.

Plus, I found my betting slip from my summer trip to Vegas. $5 bet on the Bears to win it all will return $65...So I got that working for me. Also, it gives me another excuse to head to Las Vegas!

Here's to next year being this year!! Go Bears!

CBS Cares

I still can't believe this is a legit PSA!!

There is a Season...

next year is here...

It's officially time to start thinking about baseball. Spring training gets underway officially on February 14th when Cubs pitchers and catchers report to the training facility in Mesa Arizona.  Sure a few other teams report the day before...but who really cares about them?!

The team has gone through a lot of changes since the start of spring training last year. Lou Pinella is out as manager..Mike Quade is in!  Derek Lee is out at first base and slugger Carlo Pena was brought in as a free agent to fill the gap.  We've lost players: Ryan Theriot (who is now a Cardinal and bad mouthing the Cubs..but I still like him as a player), we've traded for a new top notch pitcher in Matt Garza (Rays) and we've brought back a guy who never should have left in Kid K (Kerry Wood).

To say that anticipation runs wild for this year would be an understatement. It would also be a statement that could have been lifted from the start of any spring training over the last 100 years!!

As a displaced Chicago fan I only get to see a few regular seasons games in person when they come to whip the D-Backs and as many spring training games as I can fit into my schedule.



Fits well with my Darth Tater and Spud Trooper Models!

 This year, thanks to a great birthday gift from my friend Sara, I will be going to the first game of the spring season versus the Oakland A's. I also got this totally bad ass Mr. Potato head who's all decked out in Cubs gear!


So I am looking forward to another year of sun, fun and some crazy beer prices at the ballpark!

So now I just wait for the MLB 2011 app to become available for my iPhone so I can listen to the games on the radio and be a happy boy during work hours!!

And let me end on this note... RIP Ron Santo this year won't be the same without you. As I said when you passed...it's too bad we couldn't get you into the hall before you got into heaven!

Movie Review---Die Hard Franchise

If you are a guy between the ages of 16 and 60, who likes testosterone fueled action movies, you have most likely seen at least one, if not more, of the Die Hard films.

Some will say the original was a crap film...some will say mindless action movies have no merit. I would like to start off by pointing out that the ooriginal Die Hard was nominated for 4 Academy Awards (Visual effects, sound effects, editing, best sound) and won the Best Foreign Language Film from the Japanese Academy...John McClane is big in Japan, enough said!

While all the films are gems of the action genre. I am partial to the first and second in the series. Much like the original Star Wars films...you can't beat the originals.

The recipe for the first movies is as follows: 1 part Hardened cop coming home for Christmas to reconnect with his ex-wife and kids, 1 part crazy high rise office Christmas party (technically I classify this as a favorite holiday film!), add in a bunch of bad ass terrorists (I'm looking at you Hans Gruber), and some inept Feds, mix in a bowl and watch tensions rise for approx 2hr and 10min.

When he's not running around the building killing bad guys, jumping off the top strapped to a fire hose, or dropping exploding computers down elevator shafts, all while rocking a pair dress pants and a white wife beater sans shoes he's throwing classic one liners at the terrorists.

When called a John Wayne cowboy type by Hans --"Yippee Ki-Aye.. Muther Fucker", aft"Now I have a Machine Gun...HO, HO, HO" (written in sharpie on a dead terrorists shirt), while climbing through the ventilation system "Now I know what a TV dinner feels like", and a personal favorite of mine--"Nine million terrorists in the world and I gotta kill one with feet smaller than my sister."

Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) is equal parts charming and brutal psychopath. In the end

**SPOILER ALERT**

You almost feel bad that John McClane had to drop him off a tall building! Almost....

For the second film in the series , aptly titled Die Hard 2-Die Harder, the scene shift from Nakatomi Plaza to an East Coast Airport besieged by terrorists..again at Christmas time! John McClane has the worst holiday luck ever! It's kinda like getting on a plane now and seeing a member from the cast of Jackass sitting in the next row...you know this may end up being be an interesting ride.

While trying to fly home, again to see his ex-wife and kids, John now has to deal with Terrorists in an airport. These guys though have no thoughts of money. Instead they are hell bent on freeing a political prisoner who is schedule to fly in ... in SECRET, to the airport. To do so they end up hijacking the air control system and wreaking general havoc for all involved.

Where the first film had the fun of Johnny boy jumping off buildings and scampering though ventilation ducts, Die Harder ups the ante with crashing planes and snow mobiles! Seriously, I love this film. Now, the main bad guy is no where as cool as Hans Gruber, but William Sadler's Col. Stuart does his best to stop our cop hero. And per the first formula you have: 1 harden cop, a bunch of terrorists, again some inept Feds, and a passable bad guy. change bowls...shake and re-heat!!

For me this movie was the first time I had seen Fred Thompson on screen which was nothing at the time...but did cause some confusion for me a few years later when I saw him on C-SPAN. It was the first time I think I ever had to do a little research to see if he was an actor or a Senator. For some reason I couldn't wrap my 15 year old mind around the fact that he could be BOTH. I also remember that I wanted John McClane to keep kicking bad guy ass for as long as he could.

In 1995  I would get my wish as John McClane would team up with Zeus Carver (Sam Jackson) "Yeah, Zeus! As in, father of Apollo? Mt. Olympus? Don't fuck with me or I'll shove a lightning bolt up your ass? Zeus! You got a problem with that!!" To take on Jeremy Irons "Simon Gruber"...trying really hard to re-capture some of the uber cool that was Hans Gruber. (hint: the characters were supposed to be brothers)

Then again in 2007 52 year old Bruce Wills again donned the cocky attitude and gun to bring everyone's favorite wise ass cop to the screen. This time paired with a young hacker, played by Justin Long, it's up to the two of them to foil the plan of domestic cyber terrorists lead by Thomas Gabriel (the always fantastic Timothy Olyphant).

With a box office take of almost $135Milion it proved that the cop/terrorist/inept Fed plot line still puts butts in seats. This time you get to throw in some crazy jet plane shooting at a tanker truck...basically it was the movie equivalent of Fonzie jumping the shark.

All in all the four films have made almost $432Million. With the last movie being the top grosser of the series. I wish I could say it was time for Bruce to hang up the John McClane shield and move on...but the man still makes a kick ass action flick! Which means as long as John McClane is in a movie, and he's played by Bruce Willis my ass will be firmly placed in a seat at a theatre nearby!

My Top Ten Sci-Fi/Horror Films

Keeping with the weekly theme that has developed...

here are my top ten Sci-Fi/Horror films. No order

1. The Shining (1980)

2. Serenity (2005)

3. Resident Evil (2002)

4. Shaun of the Dead  (2004) walks a fine line...but I'll allow it!

5. Alien (1979)

6. Cloverfield (2008)

7. Star Wars: Ep IV (1974)

8. Independence Day (1996)

9. The Fifth Element (1997)

10. Stargate (1994)

My Top Ten Drama Films

I've been thinking more and more about this over the last few days...

I'm gonna keep the theme rolling on with a look at my

favorite dramas. Again in no set order.

1. City by the Sea (2002)

2. Silence of the Lambs (1991)

3. Of Mice and Men (1992)

4. Inception (2010)

5. Contact (1997)

6. Untouchables (1987)

7. Ninth Gate (1999)

8. Candy (2006)

9. A Clockwork Orange (1971)

10. 12 Angry Men (1957)

Barrett Jackson 2011

So I spent the better part of the afternoon with my father at the Barrett Jackson Auto Auction. If you are not sure what this is let me enlighten you.

It's, in my opinion, the top collector car show in the world. They hold many auctions each year...with the big event being this time of year in Scottsdale Arizona. This is where you can find the one of a kind treasures from your youth up for auction. In years past they've had The General Lee, The Batmobile, KITT (old and new) and many more iconic TV/Movie cars roll across the auction block. You can also have the chance to buy historic cars like this years feature the ambulance that carried JFK's body. Should go across sometime during the last two days.

2011 Camero Convertible ($36,000 as shown)

You can also see hard to find older cars or if you tend to lean more modern you can find concept cars and new off the line models of some of your favorites.

This year was the first time I've had a chance to attend. My father and I didn't spend too much time in the actual auction as the first few days are filled with nice cars that are, for the most part, cars you see all the time. As the week goes on the cars become more collectible and rare..and the prices keep going up.

For example the first car on the auction block was a 1992 Oldsmobile Delta 88  that was sold on a salvage title only, was not legal to be driven, and sold for about $4500. As we edge closer to the end of the show you will see those figures climb into the six figure range.

2011 Bugatti Veryon Super Sport

One of my favorites at the event isn't even going to be up for auction I don't think ... it's a 2011 Bugatti Veryon Super Sport that has a top speed of almost 270mph. Speaking with the company rep he told me that there will only be 40 of this car produced this year and the currently the one at the show is the only one that is in the United States at this time. This car looks fast just sitting still!

2011 Bugatti Veryon

The fact that the regular run of the Veryon this year that will include the Super Sport above and the regular silver and black model will only have a production run of about 300 will make this one sought after car to have in your garage. When you also factor in the reported plans to stop production on the Veryon after this year it will only drive up the value of this sweet ride.  Granted if last years price is any indication you will need to have a small fortune to take this bad boy home. The 2010 Veryon Super Sport when for $2.5Million.

Other nice cars that were on hand inside the main tent were the new 2011 Corvette, the 2011 Chevy Camero Convertible ($36,000 for those interested) and if you are thinking green .... a large selection of SMART cars.

If you thought you might die if you ever bought a SMART car and had to drive it around...may I suggest you spend you $19.000 on the convertible model! Seriously, it was so offensive to look at that I didn't even take a picture. It was like an assault on my eyes. A train wreck that I couldn't look away from. But, it wasn't because I was intrigued by it! More like I was confused by the concept.

"So let me get this straight...you want to put me in an auto with just barely more protection that riding a motorcycle...and you then want to make it a rag top?" You need to have a good come to Jesus talk every time you sit down in that thing just to make sure all your affairs are in order before you hit the highway! Seriously, helmet laws should apply when driving one of these little tinder boxes!

Gumpert Apollo

Another favorite of mine was the Gumpert Apollo. A car that brings a race car mind to the street.

With a top speed of almost 230mph this car will get you on the evening news should you try to foolishly outrun the Cops while testing out that top speed. And at a cost of about $400,000 you will only have to win a small lotto prize to drive it home rather than the Mega Millions.

With this toy you can push it almost as fast as the Veryon (current world record holder for fastest production car at 267.81mph) While still having almost $2Million in the bank to pay for tickets, repairs, gas and other unforseen expenses that come with have a car that costs more than half the houses on my block put together.

All in all it was a fun birthday with my dad. I got to see some great cars, talk to some great people and generally bum around for a few hours. So I think I'll call this a win.

Another Year older...

Another year in the life of me has come and gone. I'm a year older and really none the wiser. I'm not making the same mistakes that I made in my youth...but still making mistakes!!

What fun would a mistake free life be? Lucky for me none of the mistakes that I am making now are "life changers" Most of my recent mistakes are of the money management type. But, with a new years come a renewed effort to change that....or at least alter it a bit.

The new year always brings resolutions give you something to strive for during the year....but over the last few weeks I've seen a ton of people update their "bucket list"....AKA things to do before you die!! Kinda like a new years resolution, but with more time to follow through than just a year *hopefully*

So not to be one to miss out on a current trend I too will throw in my 2cents and push forth a bucket list.

1. Travel abroad (hope to check this off this summer)
2. Go to a "ghost hunt" event at the Stanley Hotel
3. Get married and have kids
4. Go to a Superbowl/World Series game featuring the Bears/Cubs
5. Make/Win enough money to own a car that costs more than small house
6. See the Pyramids
7. Shoot under par for a round of golf at a major course
8. Kiss a girl on the observation deck of the Eiffel Tower
9. Fly in a private jet
10. Go to the baseball and football hall of Fame
11. New years in Time Square

Those are the major items...minor items to be filled along the way (in conjunction with above): Irish Pub crawl in Dublin, Jack the Ripper walking tour, visit the Great Wall of China, Fish and chips from a lunch van after a night of drinking in London...]

For right now I would say those are the main items on my list. I don't feel a great urge to swim with the dolphins, or write the great American novel. If either happen I won't be mad...I just won't be looking to actively check them off of my list.

My Top Ten Action Films

Time to kill...lets look at my personal favorites in the world of Action films.

1. Boondock Saints (1999)

2. Die Hard (1988)

3. True Lies (1994)

4. Under Siege (1992)

5. The Patriot (2001) -- Mel not Steven

6. F/X (1986)

7. The Expendables (2010)

8. Rambo: First Blood (1982)

9. The Saint (1997)

10. Guns of Navarone (1961)

My Top Ten Comedies

Writing a review of Galaxy Quest got me thinking about my favorite Comedies...they are (in no specific order)

1. Monty Pyton and The Holy Grail (1975)
2. Galaxy Quest  (1999)
3. Stripes (1981)
4. Evolution (2001)
5. A League of their Own (1992)
6. Tommy Boy  (1995)
7. Blazing Saddles (1974)
8. Roman Holiday (1953)
9. The Jerk (1979)
10. Top Secret (1984)

Review time....

Today my sights are set on a fun little film that you need to watch (repeatedly) if you haven't seen it before.

Galaxy Quest

If you look back and fondly remember old sci fi shows like; the original Star Trek, the original Battlestar Gallactica, Buck Rogers, etc.. then you may find a soft spot in your heart for this movie.

Basically, it's the story of the cast of a cult Sci Fi show. The 'crew", years after the show has been off the air. is doing what many cult favorites do...they're working the conventions.
You have the former child star (Daryl Mitchell), the hot actress who really didn't do anything on the show (Sigourney Weaver), the angst-y British actor who now hates the character and catchphrase that made/broke his career (Alan Rickman), the mellow almost strange engineer (Tony Shalhoub), the random "red shirt" crew member who would always die in every show (Sam Rockwell), and of course  the cocky lead who still thinks he's big news (Tim Allen).

The action begins when Commander Jason Nesmith (Allen) is approached at a convention about what he thinks is a paying gig. Turns out it is actually a group of aliens who have been watching the "historical records" of the spaceship NSEA Protector.  Basically, the dummies have been watching reruns as if they were the Earth History Channel (and it wasn't even Nazi week).

From there hilarity ensues! It's a combo fish-out-of-water and standard Sci-Fi spoof.  But in an absolutely fabulous way. You will also recognize a ton of other actors throughout the movie. Not big names...and you may not even know the actors names. But, if you watch TV and moves there a lot of fun appearances including: Justin Long, Enrico Colantoni , Missi Pyle and more!

Where most spoofs try to reference a specific scene in a movie Galaxy Quest hits the broad strokes of the genre and does it with vigor! It's a ton of fun, really funny and in my opinion holds up well to re-watching. Probably in my top ten of Comedy moves....which I now want to sit down and think about...that may come later today if I have free time!

Go Bears

Watching this Bears game I start imagining a world where I see a Bears team as Super Bowl Champions.

Then I have to temper my enthusiasm a little bit when I remember that we are playing a team that won the worst division in football. Granted they did knock off the defending champs in the Saints last week...but this team is awful!

The only mistake the Bears have made all day was an interception...thrown by Matt Forte. That was a bad play, but the Bears were up 28-3 at the time, that didn't hurt them.

So bring on the Cheese knobs and lets get this thing done next week so we can get to another Super Bowl!!

Go Bears!!

Random thoughts (part 2)

I need to throw up some movie reviews here sometime in the future. I'm thinking I may run through some of the Bluray flix I got for Christmas: Galaxy Quest, Rambo 1-4, Die Hard 1-4.

I'm not thinking about anything too in depth. Just something to fill out some blog posts. I'm gonna try to post something everyday, or at least average one post a day. Even if it means I have to go all Doogie Howser M.D on this blogs ass!

Random thought....

Remember when there was a "National Switch off your TV" Day/Week?   Heck if memory serves even the networks would run PSA's about getting outside during the time or reading a book. Or, God forbid, talk to your family.

I've searched the Internet and can't find a major campaign that is still pushing this thought.The campaign nearest that I could find out there is the NFL Play 60.  Now, before you get too crazy, I'm not one for bringing this back. I'm a firm believer in the fact that good TV is a perfect babysitter (although I have no kids to test this theory out on!) and that the warm glow of the boob tube is a great way to wind down your day.

It seems that while companies would like to see you make the shift to a more family centric life...they have stopped reminding you what you should and shouldn't do. That, in my opinion is a good thing. Preachy commercials bug me to no end. The only time that a firm recommendation is handed out seems to be when a drug company is recommending you to "discuss" with your doctor what drugs you should be taking. Because nothing trumps a medical degree like remembering a catchy comerical It even seems like these companies are proud of the horrendous side effects: Explosive migraine, bleeding ulcer, sudden loss of vision, increased risk of TB, loss of bladder control and my personal favorites --- possible death and/or suicidal thoughts. Those last two usually with depression medications for some reason.

"Take drug X it will help cure your depression..." *medical disclaimer* thoughts of suicide and increased suicidal tendencies have been noted in some patients.  It may just be my warped, non-medical, mind. But, should a drug that is meant to be given to a person who is thinking about  or has attempted, suicide really have the side effect of increasing those thoughts and desires?

But, I digress....

Now, this thought crept up on me not in the sense of watching too much TV...but, when it comes to the monster that is Facebook. 

I'm pretty sure that between the time I get up and when I go to bed I mush check Facebook about 50times. That doesn't take into account when I get an alert on my phone that someone has mentioned me or replied to a post, or replied to a post I put a post on!! Seriously it's offensive how much time I spend looking at Facebook.

You want to know the real sad part? I only really stay connected to a handful of my 215 friends. From time to time I will pop in a comment, a like, or a birthday wish on an additional persons page. But, I would say about 10% of my "friends" are people I read their status' each and every day.

According to a 2007 Bloomberg story "US employers may lose $1.2BILLION in work productivity due to the NCAA tournament." That was in 2007 and I would guess that number has grown. I would say the yearly loss due to Facebook is close to doubling that!! That is not based in fact...just a personal thought.

Not sure why this jumped into my head but it fills the blog space that I'm not getting paid to fill. More importantly it will later update to my Facebook profile and give me one more thing to obsessively review and await responses!!

NFC Playoffs

Part of me wants the Packers to win so we have a killer showdown for the conference. But, at the same time I throw up a little in my mouth just thinking about the words Go Packers.

Rise of the iMachines

Apple is taking over the world!! I don't think that this is news to anyone who follows the tech world.

iPad, iPod, iPhone, iMac, about a million variations on each. iTunes was , and to many still is, the gold standard of online media stores.

Which leads me to wonder where it will stop? When will Apple jump into the arena of food? Footwear can't be far off. They already have a partnership with Nike for those crazy runners out there. Hell you can buy jackets that not only has pockets to put your "i" related product...if it plays music the jacket can be you speakers!

The next logical step will be to go with an implant a la Futurama's "Eye-Phone" spoof.

Personally I think the next step is here in a more subtle way...iTunes DJ....it is simple mind control-- mood altering, outlook changing, mood killing...MIND CONTROL.

The brilliant thing is that it doesn't try to control you every time you use it. It's brilliant like that. I woke up today with my iTunes on and the DJ function playing. While I was drifting in and out of consciousness I was remembering two strange dreams I had (not sure if either is related to the tunes).

The first was I was watching an episode of Castle and all the characters had on t-shirts that I had purchased from TeeFury the other was that when I woke up everyone I knew on Facebook had changed their status to both Married and Pregnant. EVERYONE men and women!! I'll let that sink in.....I know right!!

First dream probably not related to music...second? Maybe. So, what was the tune list? Not sure what was on while I was sleeping but here are the next 15 songs that were in the Queue:

Almost Lover -- A Fine Frenzy
Mandy -- Barry Manilow
Love for Sale -- Harry Connick Jr.
Hold her Close -- Blessid Union of Souls
Grace -- Jeff Buckley
Girlfriend in a Coma -- The Smiths
$1000 Wedding -- Gram Parsons
I Trust You to kill me -- Rocco Deluca & the Burden
Don't Look Back in Anger -- Oasis
Kiss With a Fist -- Florence & The machine
Fuck You -- Cee Lo
Melt Your Heart -- Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins
Real Bad News -- Aimee Mann
Unanswered Prayers -- Garth Brooks
Sentimental Heart -- She & Him

All great songs...but they alternate between generally depressing, emotionally depressing, lost love depressing, tragic depressing....I should just make a permanent play list and title it DEPRESSING. I also love how "I trust you to kill me" is placed directly in the middle of the list.

I understand that genius play lists are set up via similar song types, artists, melodic components, etc. But, the DJ button is supposed to be a true Random mix. Seems like there is something sinister at work here.

To quote the great Denis Leary, "Does that mean I sue Dan Fogelberg for turning me into  a pussy in the mid 70's?"  Maybe I should take his approach and try to sue Apple for the bad mood I'm in from time to time. It's just a thought...and I never said it was a good one!

Prince Philip (he's the funny Royal)

The Royal Family. A picture of grace, refinement, pomp and circumstance. The Queen, the Queen mother, Prince Charles, Prince William, Prince Harry....and my favorite PRINCE PHILIP.

As royals go Philip is by far the most interesting of the bunch, William dressing as a Nazi not withstanding. Philip is what I like to lovingly call the Ricky "I'm too much speed in my mouth" Henderson of the royal family. There really doesn't seem to be a filter between what he thinks and what he says from time to time.

Part of me thinks that there is no way that he wasn't aware of some of the things he has said! A top 15 list can be found here but some of my personal faves are among those top 15 such as:

1. "If you stay here much longer, you’ll all be slitty-eyed"-- 1985 China State Visit  (heard this one via Eddie Izzard and had to Google to see if it was a true quote or a bit...so again I have to thank Eddie for opening me up to another funny Brit!!)
2. To an Aborigine in Australia “Do you still throw spears at each other?”
3. To a Briton in Budapest "You can’t have been here that long – you haven’t got a pot belly.”
4. To a driving instructor in Scotland, “How do you keep the natives off the booze long enough to get them through the test?”
5. Unknown, “If you see a man opening a car door for a woman, it means one of two things: it’s either a new woman or a new car!”



who dealt it?

 Then there is this photo that was sent to me as a forward. Now I am sure there is a perfectly good explanation as to what is going on here. But, seriously...you got a reaction from the Queen. That's like getting a Buckingham Palace guard to punch you in the face for being an obnoxious tourist!!

I wish that us poor relations in America could have have half the awesomeness that is the Royal Family from time to time. What do we have in their place? Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears (pre and during breakdown) and anyone who participates in any thing that begins with the word "Celebrity" be it rehab, apprentice, Jeopardy (OK...Jeopardy gets a pass.)

Just saying the dude is a goldmine. Someone get him an iPhone and a twitter account! Given the right push he could crush Ashton Kutcher.

So Random...

So I got to checking the stats portion of my blog today at work and noticed something funny...I'm big in Sri Lanka

Well...maybe not big! But, i think a few more Nicki Minaj name drops and I can pull that number up a bit.

For what it's worth the top country views are as follows:
1. United States
2. United Kingdom
3. Germany
4. Russia
5. Sri Lanka (hey...top 5 baby)
6. India
7. Denmark
8. Italy
9. Australia
10. Czech Republic (just to make it a nice round 10)

also noted a few views from Iran, South Korea, Singapore

Top URL's
www.omeglechats.com
www.remroom.ru
www.bing.com
http://www.google.com/
www.google.co.uk

keyword searches
Music, Movies, BBC, Robin Hood, Nikon, "Ashton Kutcher Nikon commercial", "Nikon Commercial with the boat, who's the white haired guy?" Michael DeBarres (kinda proud of this one!)

So...random pretty much sums this blog up nicely!! Think I need to find a way to garner a larger selection of that hot Asian/middle eastern blog market

Top 5's

From time to time I may pop in a quick top 5 list for the day. Never really a rhyme or reason to this...but I was looking at some old posts and thought I would give it a go again. so here we go (each top five in no set order)

Top 5 Songs:

1. Rise up with Fists -- Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins

2. Forget you -- Glee version of Fuck you by Cee Lo

3. Jeepster --- T.Rex

4. Taylor -- Jack Johnson

5. $1000 Wedding -- Gram Parsons

Top 5 Cd's of the Moment:

1. Rilo Kiley -- More Adventurous 

2. Neko Case -- Middle Cyclone

3. Jack Johnson -- Live at the Gorge (not technically a cd...but I'll allow it!)

4. T.Rex -- Live at the Rainbow Room

5. The Streets -- A grand don't come for free

Top 5 recent movies watched (not necessarily new movies)

1. Tron: Legacy

2. True Grit

3. Resident Evil: Afterlife

4. Toy Story 3

5. Army of Darkness

Top 5 TV Shows Current

1. Fringe

2. Primeval

3. Dr. Who

4. Castle

5. Human Target

Top 5 TV shows I'm looking forward to

1. Torchowood: Miracle Day (number 1 by a long shot)

2. Game of Thornes

3. Mr. Sunshine

4. Terra Nova

5. Chicago Code

Top 5 TV shows I miss

1. Adventures of Brisco County Jr

2. Robin Hood

3. Black Books

4. Coupling

5. MI-5 (still haven't heard if there is going to be another series)

Top 5 most visited websites

1. Facebook

2. Twitter

3. Flickr.

4. espn

5. Funny or Die

MASTURBATE FOR LIFE with DJ Lubel, Tiffany Dupont and Chris Carmack from MoranisLover

MASTURBATE FOR LIFE with DJ Lubel, Tiffany Dupont and Chris Carmack from MoranisLover: "

MASTURBATE FOR LIFE with DJ Lubel, Tiffany Dupont and Chris Carmack - watch more funny videos

"

So wrong....but so funny!

I'm done!! (AKA another one of those days)

So I think I am going to call it a day! I'm done interacting with people!

The day started off with a misunderstood post on Facebook...which is understandable. Context is big and the written word alone can be misconstrued. Hence the reason we are still debating the true meaning behind great old songs, book, poems, and even artwork out of context is open to interpretation. No worries...

But seriously I think every person, with the exception of my father, that I talked to today didn't know I was speaking the same language as them!

Case in point--when I went to see True Grit (great movie) with my dad the lady at the concession stand wouldn't take no for an answer when I said that I didn't need any candy with my drink. Now that could have been the fact that her job is to sell me things that I don't need. But, in the grand scheme of the day it was just the first (or second depending on when you start counting) of many miscommunications of the day...

I submit for your review my next example.... So I run to the gas station to drop a few bucks into the tank while I have cash and gas is under $3 a gallon. So I tell the cashier I want $10 on 2...he says okay $50 on 1! Where the hell did he get that? Say the two out loud to yourself. Even with a lisp I bet you can't make one sound like other! When I corrected him he gave me that, "don't pretend like you didn't just say $50 on 1" look to me. As I am standing there with a $10 bill in hand!

So I shake that off and head over to CVS Pharmacy to pick up my prescription that is ready. I walk up to the counter that is clearly marked Prescription pick-up...and state "I need to pick up a prescription for James" and the lady just stared at me like I was on fire or had asked her to sell me her first born child! Seriously people I realize I don't have perfect grammar and all but fuck me if I can't have a normal conversation!

I think it was at that point that I decided to document my day just in case someone points out to me later that I am actually a raving nutter. Now...with that done I am going to crawl into my bed and watch some TV and try not to talk to anyone for the rest of the day.

If you do talk/twitter/text/Facebook me and I seem aloof it's not my fault...I blame you! Just kidding *no really it's you* (shakes head no) *I'm serious it's you not me* (shakes head no) yes...no...yes..no........

Two...Two...we got Two?!!

Russell Peters...you are a funny man and you have ruined my life! (but in a good way)

Comedy has always played a big part in my life. Growing up I think I was the only kid I knew who would prefer to listen to a stand up comedy tape (that's right...CASSETTE tape) rather than music. Thanks to my father and grandfather I was raised on the likes of Bill Cosby, George Carlin, Don Rickles, Mel Brooks and many more.

I was transfixed by Cosby the stand up (and then the TV Dad) "Noah, Right!" "Buck Buck" and anything having to do with Fat Albert were my favorites. The bit where he talked about how until the age of 9 he thought his name was dammit and his brother Russell's name was Jesus Christ always got me. 

Carlin's "Class Clown" was, and still is, one of my all time favorite comedy albums. Al Sleet "the Hippy Dippy Weatherman" and the "7 words you can never say on television" are classics not to be outdone. Carlin's humor grew as I did...I got the underlying jokes as I got older...not just the silly stuff. And there was also some profound observations to be had.

I can still remember when I talked a high school teacher into letting me play "bad words", off his Parental Warning album, in class as a part of a speech about context. The routine goes that there are no bad words..just words used in bad context. Carlin then proceeds to list off about 50 racial slurs only to pronounce that the words aren't "bad" but rather it's the context of how they were being used! To this day my favorite class presentation.

As I grew older I picked up other comedic tastes: Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor, Richard Jeni, Dennis Miller, Denis Leary, Lewis Black, and so forth. To my parents credit they never censored what I listened to...as long as I didn't repeat the curse words in public. Hell as a young white boy growing up in central Illinois my first two CD's I ever owned were Ice-T's "Home Invasion" (listen to the first track titled Warning if you dare) and Wu-Tang Clans "Enter the 36 Chambers".

It was my junior or senior year of high school though that a comedian came to my attention that changed the way I would look at things. That man was Eddie Izzard.

Eddie has a brand of humor that is part story telling part observation and part off the cuff train of thought. He's the only stand-up that I've seen live more than once and he opened my comedic mind to realm of international comics.

I had always been a fan of Monty Python (yeah...I was that kid) and the comedy shows of England. But, I had never really paid attention to stand up from other countries. Once I started to look at Eddie I found other talented comics such as: Dylan Moran, Bill Bailey, Jimmy Carr, Omid Djalili and the aforementioned Russell Peters.

Basically I have a 24 hour comedy channel going on in my head at any given time! While this is entertaining it can cause problems. Laughing is fun...unless the situation calls for being serious. Then you drop into something that the BBC Comedy "coupling" described as the Giggle Loop

"You are surrounded by people for a moment of silence when the Giggle Loop begins... Suddenly out of nowhere this thought comes into your head: the worst thing I could possibly do during a minute's silence is laugh. And as soon as you think that you almost do laugh -- automatic reaction. But you don't, you control yourself, you're fine. Whew.

But then you think how terrible it would have been if you laughed out loud in the middle of a minutes silence. And so you nearly do again, only this time it's a bigger laugh. And then you think how awful this bigger laugh would have been. And so you nearly laugh again, only this time it's a very big laugh, it is an enormous laugh. Let this bastard out, and you get whiplash. And suddenly you are in the middle of this completely silent room and your shoulders are going like you are drilling the road. And what do you think of this situation? Oh dear Christ, you think it's funny!" Jeff -- Coupling - Series 1 - Episode 'Sex, Death & Nudity'

Wish I could say I have never been there...but that's not the case. While the giggle loop is reserved for somber situations there is the close relative that I like to call the "what the hell is that idiot laughing at" (granted it needs a new title). This is when a word or phrase that, out of context isn't funny, makes you laugh out loud like a bloody fool.

Take the word Speed (la Vitesse)...or the phrase we got two! The first is Eddie Izzard/s observation that the movie Speed in French isn't La Vitesse it's...Speed. and the second goes to Russell Peters who riffs on all things Indian and, well...I don't want to ruin that joke!

Basically what I'm saying is that I laugh for no reason and I blame my dad (who thought he was Cosby when I was growing up!)...and Cosby, Carlin, Brooks, Pryor, Leary, Izzard, Peters, Black, Carr and so many more that my brain hurts just now!

Also, a big shout out to Richard "Jeff" Coyle for playing one of the funniest characters ever to grace the small screen and bog up my mind with phrases like: Unflushable, The Zone, The Giggle Loop, Porn Buddies...etc.

Looking back at 2010 (the year that was)

Well...it's funny that I decided to look forward to 2011 before looking back at 2010. But, that's just how scattered my brain is at times.

Not a whole lot to report for this last year. I wish I could say I had a ton of exciting adventures, made a lot of money, met the love of my life, quit my job to focus on a passion or made a contribution to something that helped better mankind in some way.... 0-5 *bummer*

That's not to say that it wasn't a great year!

I did: get a new job (not by choice) that led me to meet some great new friends! I got out more than in years past, tried new things, made another road trip to Joshua Tree CA (which is hopefully going to be a yearly event), was able to take my best friend and his wife to the Grand Canyon and just sit and watch the sunset, I've had my eyes and ears opened up to a ton of new movies/music/books and more!

I was also able to watch my father fulfill a dream he has had for many years when he got his first novel "Growing Up Doughnut" published...and people bought it!! Go pops!

I finally joined a gym after months and months (11 to be exact) of talking about it and not doing anything. I got a fair amount of books read - none of which would qualify as literary masterpieces (except yours dad!!). I was able to see a MLB game and an NFL game in person for the first time in probably 10 years...too bad I don't care about Phoenix Suns basketball!!

So while it wasn't an earth moving 2010 it was a year made up of many little joys in the people and events that filtered through my narrative. I wouldn't change a single situation or event of this last year. They are what made me the person I am going into 2011 and they are stepping stones to be used to build a fantastic new year.

Hopefully next year at this time I'm talking about the adventures, love, money etc that filled up 2011...but really if it's like 2010 I won't be disappointed.

Happy New Year

I think I finally made it through a New Years eve and new years day without someone asking me what my resolution was for the new year. It was at that point that I realized that I suck and keeping them anyway.

Take last years resolution to lose weight and get a grip on my diabetes. Well, it only took close to 11 months but I finally joined a gym and took "some" control over diabetes.  Not before it cost me a handful of sick days at work and an unknown amount of money in Dr. visits. (I say unknown because I don't care to know...not because I don't really know!)

So, going into 2011 I have set a few easy goals..but, they were set after January 1st so I don't know if they truly count as "resolutions"!!?

1) Stick with the gym thing. Should be easy. It's on the way home from work. It's paid for the whole year. I'm actually having a good time when I do go!

2) [or 1b] we get to revisit an oldie but a goodie!! Lose weight. To that end may I say that I am a little perplexed at this point. I've been going to the gym for about a month...have dropped my blood sugar numbers by about 50% but have gained about 6lbs. People ask me, "have you gained muscle?" unless my calves have gained about 3lbs each from riding the bike...I'm gonna go with no.

3) Get my happy ass out of the country. Not on a permanent basis. It's not like I'm gonna run off to live in Canada or Mexico...I just would really like to travel. I've always wanted to go to Europe (cliche?) and am still bummed that Illinois State University screwed me out of a chance almost a decade ago..not bitter though. So I have decided that this is the year. I will get my passport by the end of January...save most of my Tax return...and begin to work overtime to give myself the post college travel package I never got.

Thankfully I may have a few travel companions depending on how schedules work out! Fingers crossed! Current plans are for at least two weeks around June or July with destinations of Amsterdam, London, Cardiff (for the BBC sci-fi nerd in me) and all points between ... I'm looking at you Bruges!!

Three fairly easy...but expensive/time consuming goals for 2011. Oh, and for what it's worth I am willing to pick up companions for my adventure as the time moves forward! (I won't even make you call me The Doctor! *I said BBC sci-fi Nerd right?*)

So yeah...lose weight and go to Europe two big goals (oh and learn to count I guess)

TRON: Legacy

I was exchanging texts with a friend who went to see Tron: Legacy the other day to see her thoughts. What I was looking for was a thumbs up or a thumbs down.  Turns out the move was good...but what really got my interest going was the fact that she went to see it in one of those theatres with the D-Box seating.

Not familiar with D-Box? Well, neither was I until a few months ago. Basically, think of it like this. Did you ever go to Disneyland and get on one of those rides where the seat moves in sync with the screen....yeah...it's like that!

So now I'm totally excited for a movie that's a follow up to a childhood favorite...and I get to overpay ($20)  to view it in 3D and have it be almost like a "ride".

Kinda Excited....

That sucking sound...

That sucking sound you hear is the existence of all music leaving my life! Well, not really. But, for some reason I have only been listening to one cd on repeat for the last two to three weeks. What album has my attention you may ask? (and thank you for asking)

 Rilo Kiley's "More Adventurous" is that album....and for some reason it's been the perpetual soundtrack for my life over the last few weeks.

I wake up in the middle of the night thinking I hear these songs. I probably dream with these songs as background noise. Now, I don't fall asleep with the album on which is the strange part.  But, for some reason. I can't get over the vocals of Jenny Lewis.

The album starts off with the upbeat "it's a hit" and runs right into the mellow "does he love you?" For some reason I can't listen to this song without laughing at the line "...and he's going out to California" Mostly because of the delivery of the work California by the brother in The Wizard (which also featured a young Jenny Lewis)

From there we rock it back up to "portions for foxs" and then it's Blake Sennett's haunting vocals on "Ripcord". Which is leads into the sultry voice of Jenny again on "I never".

Now we start hitting my favorite tracks on the album. "The Absence of God" and "Accidental Death" 

Toward the third or fourth refrain of the song you get the line,"All of your failures are training grounds". Which is a good line to remember. As you move forward in life your failures will help shape you as much as your victories..if not more.

"Accidental Death" deals with the little events that change you in large ways. One of the "accidental deaths"  mentioned in the song title deals with a young man killing a deer by accident. While this situation it was an actual accidental death...the song really deals more (IMHO) with the incidents throughout your life that define who you are and who you will become. Be they straight-forward though out plans...or the accidental ones.

By this point you should be seeing a pattern emerge. I know I did...

"More Adventurous" is by far the stand out track on the album for me though. While it is, upfront a love song...I hear more. To me it's more of an anthem to pick yourself up and move forward. Take what you had and let it lead you to what you will have next. Take what you've learned and grow.

The album rounds out with "Love and War (11/11/46)" which has my favorite line in the whole album, "when my gramdpa drank, fell and broke his face in two when the cops arrived he exclaimed I fought in World War Two!"  Not sure what the deal is with that line for me...but I always hit that line when singing along in the car. (what can I say...still a dork at heart).

"A Man/Me/Then Jim" a truly depressing song, at first glance, about going back to a high school friends funeral after he has committed suicide. The song opens with the line, "had one friend in high school recently he hung himself with string His note said, 'If livin' is the problem, well that's just baffling.' " Really, it doesn't get much happier from that point. You think it may become a song about revelations and seeing the good in a bad situation...but, not really. But, again Jenny's voice gets me every time.

The final track, "It Just Is" really kinda raps the mood of the second half of the album. "And this loss isn't good enough, For sorrow or inspiration, It's such a loss, For the good guys. Afraid of this life. That it just is

Cause everybody Dies." Take it at face value or take the whole album as an up and down trip through...well sorrow and inspiration.

All together you get an album that makes you sing along, think, mist up, get a little depressed, get lifted up a bit. Find hope and sorrow. Examine you life and past loves. All done without being to pretentious and in your face. No one is screaming at you...in fact even while helping us discover the obvious flaws we all face in our day to day lives...it's done with a sweetness through Jenny Lewis. (who right now is pound for pound one of the best singer/songwriters out there for my money...with Neko Case a close second or even tie for first!)

Even looking at each song I can't say why my musical fancy has been stuck on this album...but it is slowly rising up the ranks for my top album of MY year (even though it was released in 2004). I must again point a thanking finger at my musical guru Ryan. Brother man you have pointed me in the right direction more often than not...and Rilo Kiley is right near the tops of the "Thank God he told me" list.

The Song of life...

The music that you're drawn to can say a lot about who you are or what mood you're in at any given time.


Fact is, if you’re depressed you may chose to listen to a more somber tune. Hence the continued popularity of The Smiths! (not hating..just usually a go to for me when it been a bad day!)

When you're having a good day you may tend to listen to more up-beat tunes. Why bring down a good day with a depressing ditty about love lost and chances missed. That’s usually why I steer clear of country as a rule of thumb. With only a few exceptions.)

This topic hit me last night at the gym when I decided to hit shuffle instead of using the same old workout mix. A series of completely non-workout type songs came on and seemed to click for me.

It got me thinking, "if your mood can push you in a certain direction when choosing music...does it also change your outlook on the songs you hear that you didn't actively choose?

Or at least does it make you think differently about those songs?"

Case in point: Garth Brooks--Unanswered Prayers. Always been a favorite of mine. Catchy, tells a story and makes a pretty good point. Not really a workout song one that would usually get skipped at the gym...and given your personal mood sometimes downright un-listenable.

Last night while riding the stationary bike it got me thinking...not sure why really. Maybe I'm in a place right now that seems better than where I was last year. Maybe it was a moment of clarity when the song made sense. But in that moment I couldn't have chosen a better song.

It's like listening to a song that you've heard a 1000 times only to finally figure it out. Billy Joel's "Only the Good Die Young" springs o mind. I'd sung along with that one for years without seeing how truly dirty it was. You know Catholic girls growing up much to late and all!!

I guess sometimes you're just not in the right frame of mind to truly hear a song. Or maybe your mind isn't open enough to let the song speak to you.

To paraphrase the late comedian Richard Jeni...why is it that when your going through a rough breakup that every radio station on the dial is "All Love Songs All The Time"? Sappy crap that makes you want to stick your head in the oven!!!

It comes down to perception, plain and simple.

As a music lover it's amazing that a song you want nothing to do with one day, can speak to you a short time later. Kinda like how those around us draw us into the gravitational field of music likes and dislikes. If it wasn't for friends and loved ones I'd have missed out on the likes of: Gram Parsons, T.Rex, New Riders of thePurple Sage, Mumford and Sons, Tinie Tempah, Jenny Lewis, Rilo Kiley, Jack Johnson, Ryan (not Bryan) Adams....and a myriad of similar artists.

Granted I'd have found some on my own. But some would have remained unknown (Parsons) or disregarded (Johnson--even though he's in my iTunes library for a few songs and I've owned CDs in the past!). That's the joy of music. You may think you have a song or artist figured out until something changes in you or your life to open you up new possibilities and ways of thought.

Don't pigeon hole a song or artist because you hated it or didn't get it at some point. There's always the opportunity for a comeback...if you just give it a second chance.

To end I'll throw you a wise word from Jenny Lewis, off her album (with the Watson Twins) Rabbit Fur Coat..."you are what you love, not what loves you back." Sometimes those things that you love will rub off on those around you and change their perceptions of life. But only if they are open to a little change. So don't be ashamed of those things you love...be it music, art , literature. Share them! Be proud of that part of you that drew you to those things! Most importantly...be open to new things. You may surprise yourself!

Truth in music.

Growing up a child of the 80's/90's I seem to be more drawn to the music of my parents generation.  Partially because it's truly what I grew up listening to and partially because since I was little I tagged along with my father to his part time job as an oldies DJ (even going so far as to follow in his footsteps later in life).

"Oldies" (or what I consider as oldies '50-'79) are where the music truly lives.

Don't get me wrong I am a huge fan of contemporary/modern music. Which is a term that makes me laugh since David Bowie on the 1977 Christmas special with Bing Crosby stated that he sang "modern music". To quote Bing, "modern music is marvelous, some of it's really fine." I like a wide variety of current music...From Tori Amos to Duffy, from The White Stripes to Rilo Kiley, from Lady Gaga to....well Gaga gets her own category!

But, the wealth of music from my parents era is where my heart lies. The Kinks, The Beatles, The Animals, The Doors, Herman's Hermits, The Grass Roots, Bob Dylan, Iron Butterfly, Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie, Harry Nilsson, Ray Charles, Smokey Robinson, The Alman Brothers, Crosby Stills Nash (& Young)...etc.

I always laughed at my dad when he would ask me growing up if I could see myself listening to Ice-T when I was his age. For a long time I said the answer was yes...and still do think so to a point. But, lets face it "Cop Killer" isn't going to have the same lasting impression on music fans as "I Want to Hold Your Hand".

I don't see myself grooving to "Firestarter" by Prodigy the way I may still rock out to "People are Strange" by the Doors.

Is it too much to think that Lennon/McCartney will have a richer impact on music than Chris Brown or Miley "I still can't believe your Billy Ray's Daughter" Cyrus? I don't think there are many people who can argue the Brown/Cyrus point of the argument. 

The other issue with today's music not having the same impact on future generations is that is borrows so damn much from the past. Now, it's not a new thing to take from those who came before you...but lets face it...there are people (I have talked to them) who think "Helter Skelter" is a Motley Crue original. If you're nodding yes to that last statement...back away from the blog and pick up the "white album" by The Beatles.

You can't listen to a rap station without hearing a sample of Michael Jackon, Smokey Robinson or others. Hell, Wu-Tang sampled the Beatles "While my Guitar Gently Weeps" and Jay-Z hooked "Five to One" by the Doors.

Nothing other to really at to this topic right now...just had some time on my hands and a thought in my head. Time to listen to some Beatles...Hmmm---Something or All you need is Love?

WWMD?

WWMD? WWMD? What would MacGyver Do?

What's the way to find the answer to some of life's toughest questions! All you need to do is be ready with a Swiss Army knife, duct tape and maybe a pack of matches.

Violence was always a last resort and never involved a gun. Granted that man made a lot of crap blow up over the years.

I always wondered what it would be like to look at a room and say, "well, if I can get that block of ice to melt into the lock by heating it up with a light bulb and a section of molding then the ice will freeze in the lock and expand. Once that happens the lock will pop open and we'll be free!"

In reality I am more likely to just sit down and wait to die! Or possibly try to beat the door down with whatever happens to be lying around! Never been a fighter myself. Never really been put in a position to find out what would happen.

But, enough about me...back to MacGyver. For a guy who always preached doing the right thing I wonder how many times during the course of the series that Mac could have been arrested for breaking into a building or office or destroying property. I'd also like to know what the final death toll was on the show?

Granted most of the deaths were at the hands of others...I'm guessing it was fairly high.

Speaking of killers and MacGyver...name me one TV bad guy who was better at being bad than Murdoc! I dare you. Michael Des Barres was fantastic in the role of the impossible to kill hit man. FYI--glad to see he's still getting some high profile exposure. (he's white haired guy on the boat in the new Nikon commercial with Ashton Kutcher)  I was always shocked that when they did the final two TV movies they didn't bring him back for some kind of closure for the character.

Now, as I'm almost done re-watching one of the few shows I liked as a child/young adult that has remained a favorite (or as I like to say hasn't suffered from Thundercats Syndrome) I now have to look for something else to take up my lunch hour at work. I think I should find an older show...or maybe a cartoon....but I'm not sure which is worthy of my lunch hour viewing.

Some of the finalists though are: the cartoon Beetleguise, Lupin III (yes I like Anime...get over it), Dr. Who (new not old) maybe the A-Team.....suggestions?

I'm not a Hoarder...I just save a lot.

So this last month Hoarding has popped up everywhere! CSI, South Park, Internet stories...Which, if you are obsessed with the train wreck that hoarding can be for other people, is a good thing.

I am transfixed with watching this disease overtake people. I understand that it is a problem that in most cases is out of the persons control. But, it still boggles my mind.Thankfully, I am only exposed to it in the extent that I watch shows like: Hoarders, Hoarding: Buried Alive, and ANY other show dealing with the subject.  I don't know what it is that draws me in..but the pull is there.

I liken it to the guy who slows down and rubbernecks the accident on the freeway and is enthralled with the destruction, but at the same time is also thankful that it didn't affect him or anyone he knows.

Personally, it acts as a catalyst to get stuff cleaned around the house. I can't remember the last time that I watched the show and didn't then run to the fridge to check expiration dates or do some laundry. Or, as of late, box up cd/dvd/books to sell.

There was a time where my DVD collection was a source of pride. I would have conversations that went:

Other Guy: "Oh, I have the most movies of anyone I know!"
ME: "Give me some numbers! I have 700 movies and over 130 seasons of tv shows!"
Other Guy: "Bet you don't know everything you have!"
ME: "Try Me....I may not be able to name every movie from memory. But, if you ask if I have something I can give you a yes or no!"

Since the obsession has really hit an upswing I have greatly reduced the amount of DVD's that sit on my shelves. For the most part a movie has to be a personal favorite: my Kevin Smith collection, or something that I paid way too much for: any Criterion DVD in my collection. Others are slowly moving out in favor of picking up credit at either Zia Records or Bookmans.

Granted I am slowly replacing the DVD's with Vinyl LP's. When you look a the space issue it's a lot less. Plus, those actually get used and are an investment. If you think I am rationalizing a new "hoard" I say it's a collection of treasures...not a hoard!!

So, for me this show is a catharsis of sorts. Until I started watching I never noticed that I had a ton of crap just sitting around my room taking us space and acting as a constant reminder of how much money I have spent wasted over the years.

While it sucks to think that something you spent so much money on is being sold at less than a fraction of the price. I have to feel like it is a little liberating for me to detach from those things. Now I know a day will come when I think "man I really want to watch that crap fest that was The Dukes of Hazzard staring Johnny Knoxville" only to find that it was "sold" ages ago. It's a good thing. I mean I've watched a few Bluray's over the last 6-8months but the last DVD I remember watching was "The Salton Sea" with Val Kilmer.  I actually made a special run to Zia's to grab that gem...and that was back in July!

Which brings me back to the point. Hoarders...the train wreck that I can't stop watching.

Reality TV to me is just so much low cost crap (read hear Survivor, American Idol and for you old school few...Temptation Island). Every now and then you do get a compelling reality show like Hoarders, Hoarding: Buried Alive or Intervention that can entertain while opening dialogue on a tough subject.

While I mock and laugh while watching...I also realize that it is a serious problem. I mean how could it not be if you have an emotional attachment to your pets shed hair, 3 year old pumpkins or a front room full of old newspaper clippings?

Even writing this make me want to clean something!! Guess I'll do the dishes when I get home. (plus I think we are running out of usable forks!)

"Life moves pretty fast...."

If you can finish that quote correctly ("...If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.") Then you are either just plain awesome, or you grew up in the 80's and are familiar with the works John Hughes, more specifically "Ferris Bueller's Day Off".

I had a conversation with a friend the other day about the great things about growing up as a child of the 80's. I tend to think that the decade gets a bad rap!

Yes there were some horrible trends that are hated by many: Shoulder pads, Members Only Jackets, Mini Skirts, and some that were loved by many....slap bracelets, mini skirts...and....uh....ok, I give.

Movies ran the gambit of...

GOOD: Sixteen Candles, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Dirty Dancing (if forced to watch at gun point. I.E. someone puts me in the corner.) Back 2 the Future, Goonies, Princess Bride  

     *****UPDATE for the GOOD*****

Big Man on Campus

BAD: Troll, Troll 2 (granted it was 1990 but that close to 80's and being known as one of the worst movies of all time has to count for something) Most of the "Corey" movies (bad but fun), He-Man, Garbage Pail Kids.

Some things tended to walk a fine line between both good and bad: He-Man was an awesome cartoon and a horrible movie, Garbage Pail Kids were great novelty cards and a HORRIBLE movie, Thundercats was an awesome cartoon and on second viewing was a HORRIBLE cartoon.

Music was equal part Epic and Awful: Epic-Def Leppard, Epic-Bon Jovi, Epic-Michael Jackson; Awful-Dexy's Midnight Runners, Awful-Chris DeBurgh Awful-Culture Club

TV I don't even have the strength to go over....All I have to say is The Golden Girls (for the record how you judge that show is how I judge your worth as a person! Not really..*shakes head yes*...not really...*shakes head yes*)

What has this proven? Nothing really. Just got a bug to blog and this was something that I was thinking about. Remember,  "No purpose or vision" should be the new motto of this blog.

Guess who's back? Back again? (the answers not Shady)

Commitment, follow-through, a keen sense of purpose. These are things that are great to have when it comes to blogging.

Commitment, follow-through, a keen sense of purpose. These are things that my blog has a sever lack of!! Not that those short comings has stopped me in the past!

So, it is with a raised spirit and renewed hope that I am going to give this thing the old college try. By college try I obviously mean years 2-5!! Not that evil party first attend class 8th year that damn near killed me! So we will see where this takes me.

I have few plans for this...and fewer promises that anything will even happen. But, it should help me kill a few minutes at the end of my work day. When I'm not reading. (shut up I read books)

Food for thought (and maybe future posts) -- "Should you keep reading a book that at the same time makes you laugh, cry (from laughing so hard) and feel really dirty and ashamed to be able to read...all at the same time?" If the answer is yes...let me pimp the newest Tucker Max book "Assholes Finish First".