Here is my current TV schedule and some opinion along with it.
Sunday
This Week (I don't catch this all the time as the host seems very uninformed.)
Meet The Press (Tim is great, but the premise of his Q&A can be way off at times.)
Fox News Sunday (Best of the Sunday morning shows and the Q&A can really point out the refusal to answer by interviewees.)
Surreal Life (This season has CC Deville from Poison. Of course I'm tuning in!)
War At Home (Not sure if this show will make it, but it's a Bundy type of show that I enjoy.)
Cold Case (Done with some great music. It's a ficticious Unsolved Mysteries with great camera work, costumes, flashbacks, and interpersonal stories.)
Monday
How I Met Your Mother (Doogie gets the best lines, but this is a great show and I hope it has many years of success.)
Two And A Half Men (I'm surprised at what they get away with on this show, but it's just very funny!)
New Adventures Of Old Christine (I've always like Julia, and I'm not sure this is the show for her, but it's off to a decent start. I wonder if they will give it time to grow.)
CSI: Miami (I'm a CSI fan and this is getting close to as good as the original.)
The Apprentice (I've caught each season and the appeal for me is realizing that these "highly educacated" people really aren't any smarter than I am in most cases. There are some good ones that win, though.)
WWE Monday Night RAW (I don't catch this all the time, but I'll always be a wresting fan.)
Rollergirls (This show is over, but I enjoyed it as a combination reality series and you got to follow the season a bit with it. The show usually culminated in highlights of a derby.)
Tuesday
The Unit (I watched the first three episodes in a row and this show has a great future. They not only show the missions that these guys go on, but the wives at home and how they cope. Great new show that should get a chance.)
Nashville Star (I'm not a country music fan, but I started watching due to Bret Michaels hosting last season. It's American Idol with more talent since these contestants get to play an instrument and showcase an original tune if they make it far enough. Yes, it's country, so it isn't always the greatest music, but there is still more talent here. This year they are having guest judges instead of Bret since Poison will be touring.)
American Idol (I jumped on the bandwagon last season. I'm not sure why, but I have found myself actually enjoying this show.)
According To Jim (Funny stuff! Yea, it's a no brainer sitcom like many that have preceded it, but that's a good quality.)
Rodney (Another no brainer, but this show has yet to find its footing. I'm not sure it's going to get that chance, but I enjoy it.)
Joey (This one may be over, too, but I'm going to miss all of my Friends.)
Related (I think this show is over, but I sure hope not. Great stories from 4 lovely sisters lives. Yea, I watched because they are hot.)
Commander In Chief (I hope this returns to the air. Geena and Donald are so fantastic in their dynamics. There are so many great stories going on and I'd love to see how these characters change and grow.)
Wednesday
George Lopez (Lopez has a great sense of humor. This show has grown on me over the last year.)
Freddie (I hope this show gets a long run, too. Freddie's best friend gets the best lines.)
Bones (I love the dynamic between the main characters AND the rest of the team. This show started strong and should stay this way.)
Criminal Minds (WOW!! I've never like Mandy since Chicago Hope as my ex had that show on and I couldn't stand it. Especially Lahti. She was a pain. This show does everything right for Mandy and the team. It reminds me of a great show that lasted all of a few episodes called UnSub. It must have been ahead of its time as this one really is doing well in the ratings.)
Out Of Practice (I'll always tune in to the Fonz. I'm also a fan of Chucky's Bride. She's awesome! A fun show that will get stronger the longer it's on.)
CSI: NY (Another great show with more grit than the other two. I'm learning to like these characters a lot.)
Courting Alex (I've always been a Dharma fan, but I hope this show doesn't fall off like that one did. It's a fun show to watch and it just moved to this night.)
Thursday
My Name Is Earl (Is there a funnier show on TV right now? Kharma for dummies.)
The Office (It's all about the awkward moments.)
Smallville (Superman. Need I say anything else? There hasn't been a better show about this character.)
Supernatural (Ghostbusters on a better level than pure comedy. There is a great family story and dynamic here.)
CSI (The original. It's still great.)
The Loop (This is a great new comedy that I hope gets a chance. The balance of work and play can be very funny.)
Without A Trace (Yes, I love these types of dramas, in case you couldn't tell already with Cold Case and the CSI shows. This one has a great team as well and a sense of urgency.)
Friday
Ghost Whisperer (It is usually a story that ends up a tear jerker, but they have a great way of getting there. They couldn't have picked a better lead for this show.)
Modern Men (This show probaby won't get a chance, but it needs one. Dr. Quinn as a personal life coach is a great idea and she's still hot. It especially works when she is doling out advice to the three guys unlucky in real love. She is sassy. Of course, the guys have a funny way of learning what she's teaching, but it's a show with some great possibilities.)
Monk (A detective with so many phobias! A really fun show.)
The Dead Zone (I didn't get into this show until the second or third season. I'm sorry I missed the early shows. Great writing and an interesting overall story arc. The seasons for this and Monk are WAY too short.)
Hope And Faith (Sisterly love. I like the writing and hope this show stays on for a few years, but I'm sure they will yank it.)
Saturday
Has everyone given up on great TV for Saturday nights? Saturdays are my day to play catch up with my DVR.
Other shows I watch!
E-Ring (I hope this one returns in the fall, too. Dennis Hopper is great on this!)
Surface (Please don't let this show be done! Their world just changed with a great flood!)
Beauty And The Geek (Should be back again next year. Fun show that can be a real eye opener for some.)
Simple Life (Paris and Nicole are hot!)
The Real Gilligan's Island (I'm not sure why I like this show since I can't stand Survivor, but it's done with some fun stuff related to a show I grew up on.)
Blue Collar Comedy (This one needs to be back on the air. These comedians are great fun and I would think that it should be doing some great ratings.)
Last Comic Standing (I was disappointed to hear that Jay may not be hosting the upcoming season, but I'm all for great jokes so I want to see who the up and comers are.)
I'm very disappointed in the networks over the last several years. They may put a show on once and then cancel it wtihout giving it a chance. Jake In Progress is a good show that was brought back for one more episode and canned. It looks like they did that with Joey, too. Why not leave a show on for a full season and see how it works the kinks out? Seinfeld turned into a great show and was given a couple years to really achieve greatness. I would think it would be a waste of time and effort and money to cancel a show after one to three airings. Eyes was a phenominal show that should still be on and it got canned before people could tune in. How many of these shows have to fall through the cracks in the pursuit of an immediate dollar? I would implore the networks to quit wasting our time and theirs and give every new show a chance without moving it around constantly and looking for an immediate fix. We need time to get to know the characters before we can truly enjoy a show in most cases. Give us that chance.
Sunday, March 26, 2006
Immigration
I'm surprised at the protests lately over ILLEGAL aliens in this country. I firmly believe this country has been given it's success from LEGAL immigrants. I also firmly believe that this country is facing some financial difficulties due to ILLEGAL immigrants. There is a LEGAL way of becoming a citizen and working in this country and it's a slap in the face to those wonderful people when we allow ILLEGAL aliens to live and work in this country.
Why am I highlighting the words LEGAL and ILLEGAL? There is a right way and a wrong way according to our existing laws as to visiting and working in our great country. We should encourage the LEGAL way and strongly discourage the ILLEGAL way just by enforcing the laws that currently exist. If you believe the law should be changed, then do it by voting for those legislators and those measures that allow the law to change in a LEGAL fashion.
With the security problems, financial problems, and other problems ILLEGAL aliens bring on this great country, enforcing the law is the only thing that makes sense. Thank you to all citizens and future citizens of this country who have come through the LEGAL way and please know that we welcome you and are thankful you want to contribute to such a great country.
Why am I highlighting the words LEGAL and ILLEGAL? There is a right way and a wrong way according to our existing laws as to visiting and working in our great country. We should encourage the LEGAL way and strongly discourage the ILLEGAL way just by enforcing the laws that currently exist. If you believe the law should be changed, then do it by voting for those legislators and those measures that allow the law to change in a LEGAL fashion.
With the security problems, financial problems, and other problems ILLEGAL aliens bring on this great country, enforcing the law is the only thing that makes sense. Thank you to all citizens and future citizens of this country who have come through the LEGAL way and please know that we welcome you and are thankful you want to contribute to such a great country.
Monday, March 20, 2006
Motorcycle Accident
I had a minor motorcycle accident last night. One roommate has an old 1972 Honda and we were riding it around the neighborhood. I'd been just making single laps around a couple blocks with nothing above 3rd gear since it's an old bike and it's probably been 15 years since I've done any riding. It was pretty fun to do. It's only a 100CC motor so it's not very big, but it's a fun bike to play around on. There are a couple of things about it that help you realize it's old, such as the accelerator sticking a lot and the gears can be a bit sensitive when going into second or better.
I decided to take a second lap as I came back around the driveway and made it to the bottom of the hill two blocks away before having trouble. I thought I was downshifting from 3rd to 2nd to make the turn, but it was apparently downshifting from 4th to 3rd. As I let off the clutch to come out into what I thought was second, I was braking for the turn as I'd done several times already, but the accelerator got stuck and it lurched out from under me. I slid on the left side and the front wheel slid under a parked pickup. Thankfully, it didn't touch the pickup. I skinned up the back of my left hand and felt a tremendous stinging pain on my left knee as I got up. There was a huge hole in my jeans and when I examined closer after limping up the hill to the house, I went a couple layers deep in the skin of the knee. My knee is bruised pretty good and skinned up, but I'm ok. Thankfully, it's a small bike and I was only going about 20 MPH into the slide. It could have been much worse.
The bike suffered a broken left turn signal that may be able to be superglued back on and a screw came out that my roommates found on the road. Both of them said they hadn't ran that fast in quite some time as they came running down the hill after the accident. I was surprised my smoking roommate even made it down the hill without stopping to choke out some air for a while. :) Good guys and they made sure it wasn't a serious accident.
This isn't my first motorcycle accident, but the first while being in control of the bike. When I was a kid and lived in Sedalia, MO, my dad brought our family over to Charlie Brown's house. Yes, the guy's name was Charlie Brown. We were riding blue and red Honda's around his house on slightly wet grass. On one side of the house there was a barbed wire fence laying down, but we had missed it several times going around the house. On one pass we slid on the wet grass and laid the bike down on this fence. I still have the small scars on my right arm from that one, but there were no stitches involved.
It could have been worse, but thankfully it wasn't. I'll be back on there when the knee swelling goes down soon!
I decided to take a second lap as I came back around the driveway and made it to the bottom of the hill two blocks away before having trouble. I thought I was downshifting from 3rd to 2nd to make the turn, but it was apparently downshifting from 4th to 3rd. As I let off the clutch to come out into what I thought was second, I was braking for the turn as I'd done several times already, but the accelerator got stuck and it lurched out from under me. I slid on the left side and the front wheel slid under a parked pickup. Thankfully, it didn't touch the pickup. I skinned up the back of my left hand and felt a tremendous stinging pain on my left knee as I got up. There was a huge hole in my jeans and when I examined closer after limping up the hill to the house, I went a couple layers deep in the skin of the knee. My knee is bruised pretty good and skinned up, but I'm ok. Thankfully, it's a small bike and I was only going about 20 MPH into the slide. It could have been much worse.
The bike suffered a broken left turn signal that may be able to be superglued back on and a screw came out that my roommates found on the road. Both of them said they hadn't ran that fast in quite some time as they came running down the hill after the accident. I was surprised my smoking roommate even made it down the hill without stopping to choke out some air for a while. :) Good guys and they made sure it wasn't a serious accident.
This isn't my first motorcycle accident, but the first while being in control of the bike. When I was a kid and lived in Sedalia, MO, my dad brought our family over to Charlie Brown's house. Yes, the guy's name was Charlie Brown. We were riding blue and red Honda's around his house on slightly wet grass. On one side of the house there was a barbed wire fence laying down, but we had missed it several times going around the house. On one pass we slid on the wet grass and laid the bike down on this fence. I still have the small scars on my right arm from that one, but there were no stitches involved.
It could have been worse, but thankfully it wasn't. I'll be back on there when the knee swelling goes down soon!
Saturday, March 18, 2006
Waterstock 2006
According to the tour dates for Quiet Riot at www.kevindubrow.com Waterstock will feature Poison, Cinderella, Whitesnake, and Quiet Riot. I'm not entirely sure of this, but Kevin Dubrow is cool enough in my book to take his word for it. There is also RUMOR that this will be the Poison tour lineup, but there is also some contradiction on this at www.metalsluge.tv at the Original Gossip Board where there are claims an unknown up and coming band will be the only opener for Cinderella and Poison. Hopefully we will have some answers VERY soon! I will be at Waterstock regardless and I will catch Poison a few times on this tour as well.
Everybody's Working For The Weekend
I'm thankful for the people that work weekends when I need something, but I do not like working weekends. Thankfully, I have a job that only requires this about once every six months. I firmly believe that weekends are for relaxation, but I'm glad that retail places are open so I can get what little shopping I do done.
I actually remember the days when businesses were closed on Sundays. Restaurants opened so you could take your family out to dinner or people from church would gather for dinner with you. You could go to the grocery store between noon and 5pm, too. Everything else was closed. It was great knowing this because you had a day just to do nothing but spend with friends and family.
Now everyone feels they have to do business every single day of the week and it has helped ruin a lot of families and taken away from the values many of us hold dear. I'm grateful for the Fareway grocery store that closes for Sunday. I'm grateful for the financial institutions that close on Sunday and keep short days if they are open at all on Saturdays. I'm hopeful that it's still possible for our country to get back to that sort of thing. There are more important things than working 7 days a week.
Just a quick story from where I currently work. There was a guy that called the Help Desk for assistance on an early Saturday afternoon. He happend to get someone who was on-call at their home to help him out. While the on-call person was logging on to his laptop, he asked where the caller was from. This caller was from California and started describing what a beautiful day it was. Our on-call person asked him what he was doing indoors on such a beautiful day when he could be enjoying a day like that with his family. Before our on-call person could finish logging in, the caller said the on call person was right and he said to forget the assistance because he was going to go enjoy the day as suggested. At least he was able to realize that his priorities were out of whack and he straightened them out.
Will the rest of the country ever realize this? Is there a petition we can sign to bring back the blue law?
I actually remember the days when businesses were closed on Sundays. Restaurants opened so you could take your family out to dinner or people from church would gather for dinner with you. You could go to the grocery store between noon and 5pm, too. Everything else was closed. It was great knowing this because you had a day just to do nothing but spend with friends and family.
Now everyone feels they have to do business every single day of the week and it has helped ruin a lot of families and taken away from the values many of us hold dear. I'm grateful for the Fareway grocery store that closes for Sunday. I'm grateful for the financial institutions that close on Sunday and keep short days if they are open at all on Saturdays. I'm hopeful that it's still possible for our country to get back to that sort of thing. There are more important things than working 7 days a week.
Just a quick story from where I currently work. There was a guy that called the Help Desk for assistance on an early Saturday afternoon. He happend to get someone who was on-call at their home to help him out. While the on-call person was logging on to his laptop, he asked where the caller was from. This caller was from California and started describing what a beautiful day it was. Our on-call person asked him what he was doing indoors on such a beautiful day when he could be enjoying a day like that with his family. Before our on-call person could finish logging in, the caller said the on call person was right and he said to forget the assistance because he was going to go enjoy the day as suggested. At least he was able to realize that his priorities were out of whack and he straightened them out.
Will the rest of the country ever realize this? Is there a petition we can sign to bring back the blue law?
Friday, March 17, 2006
The Cult In Minneapolis, MN
I was in pure Les Paul guitar bliss at the Cult show at First Avenue last night. Billy Duffy gets the most perfect sound out of that guitar of his. It's my favorite sound in the world.
Three of us left for Minneapolis from work at noon yesterday. We got out of town before 2pm and made great time getting to our hotel and in the room before 6pm. We had heard there was a Hard Rock Cafe across the street from First Avenue so we decided to make it our dining stop. We headed out, figured out where both places were and paid for our parking. As we got a block away from the parking lot, the guy with the tickets realized that HE LEFT THE TICKETS AT THE HOTEL!! What a friend! We hopped back in the car, drove the 6 blocks to the hotel and made him run up to the 4th floor to retrieve the tickets. He put us about 30 minutes behind. Fortunately, the lady at the parking lot remembered us and let us in without paying again.
The Hard Rock is a pretty cool place. I've never been to one before so I was checking out the walls to see what souvenirs they had. There were guitars from Bon Jovi, Steven Tyler, and Bono on the wall as well as drum heads, gold and silver records, and even a shirt and vest from Bob Dylan. The food was expensive, but good. I had the pulled pork (I've been in the mood for barbecue a lot lately! Maybe it's my anxiousness for summer.) and even had the Chocolate Peanut Butter Sundae for dessert. I'm kind of wishing I had some extra cash for a souvenir, but I think I'll probably see some more shows there since it is closer than Kansas City. Oh, and Minneapolis really looks like a city, as opposed to Des Moines.
We got to the venue in time to chill out, literally, for a while before letting us in at 8pm. It was VERY cold since they had just had a blizzard that shut some things down a few days before. There was quite a bit of snow on the ground. We were early enough to get FRONT AND CENTER for this Cult show. They were also recording it live as part of the Instant Live CD's that you can purchase after the show. I had to have this since it was only $25.
The show itself was great. There was no opening band so The Cult went on at 9:15pm to a packed house. This is the venue that Prince filmed Purple Rain in so it is a decent sized club with a nice stage and some great history. We heard the strains of A Clockwork Orange and then the band came out to L'il Devil. The rocked right through Sweet Soul Sister, the Witch, and Peace Dog before Ian had much to say in between songs. He chastised some of the guys for not rocking out as hard as the two girls next to us in front of the stage. It didn't take long for the band to really look like they were having fun and really feeding off the energy of the crowd and it only picked up steam as the show went on. The set consisted of the following:
L'il Devil
Sweet Soul Sister
The Witch
Peace Dog
Revolution
Spiritwalker
In The Clouds
Wonderland
Brother Wolf
Gone
Rise
Rain
Fire Woman
Wildflower
War
The first encore was:
Edie (acoustic)
Electric Ocean
Sanctuary
The second encore:
Love Removal Machine
The intensity of the show spilled over into a stage diver late in the set, but seemed to be at its height during Fire Woman. There were several highlights such as their bass player Chris playing an electric upright bass, the acoustic beginning to their encore with Edie, and the sense of humor both Billy and Ian displayed when talking to us between songs. They were grateful for the large turnout and really seemed to be running on all 8 cylinders during this show. The band was tight with rhythms grooving by John Tempesta and Chris and the awesome crunch and color of Billy's playing.
After the show, we hung out a bit to get our Instant Live CD's and see if we might get some autographs. As I was heading for the restroom, I happened to see Ian signing some things by the stage. I ran back to get one of the friends and we all 3 got autographs from Ian and Billy and got a few words to them of gratitude for putting on such a great show and looking toward the future with new music. I told one of the friends that I had to get the drumstick that John tossed me signed before we left. As we headed outside to see if Johnny T. was on the bus, this particular friend though we had no chance of meeting Tempesta, but then got shocked when we met the tour manager and he led us back into the venue through the back to find JT. We couldn't find him inside so the manager tried calling JT's cell phone. After not getting an answer, he told us that eventually JT had to come out to the bus so we were welcome to hang around until then. My negative friend still hung outside waiting, but was about to give up as I headed back to the front of the venue. As I was walking to the building John Tempesta happened to be walking toward me. He saw that I had his drumstick and I struck up conversation with him about the show. He stopped and my friends came running up to get their CD's signed. Once we finished visiting with John, it was time to head back to the hotel. Rock N Roll Mission Accomplished!
We were rocked by a band I have always liked, but have never been a huge fan of. Now I'm a much bigger fan and will see them any time they are in the area. They are great guys with good humor and really enjoy what they are doing. It's infectious in a good way. Check them out on tour when you have the opportunity and get the Instant Live CD so you can relive your memory any time. We checked mine out in the car on the way back from Minnesota today and it was a great quality recording of last night's show. Hopefully these guys will get some new music out soon and keep making things fresh and new with new tours as well.
Three of us left for Minneapolis from work at noon yesterday. We got out of town before 2pm and made great time getting to our hotel and in the room before 6pm. We had heard there was a Hard Rock Cafe across the street from First Avenue so we decided to make it our dining stop. We headed out, figured out where both places were and paid for our parking. As we got a block away from the parking lot, the guy with the tickets realized that HE LEFT THE TICKETS AT THE HOTEL!! What a friend! We hopped back in the car, drove the 6 blocks to the hotel and made him run up to the 4th floor to retrieve the tickets. He put us about 30 minutes behind. Fortunately, the lady at the parking lot remembered us and let us in without paying again.
The Hard Rock is a pretty cool place. I've never been to one before so I was checking out the walls to see what souvenirs they had. There were guitars from Bon Jovi, Steven Tyler, and Bono on the wall as well as drum heads, gold and silver records, and even a shirt and vest from Bob Dylan. The food was expensive, but good. I had the pulled pork (I've been in the mood for barbecue a lot lately! Maybe it's my anxiousness for summer.) and even had the Chocolate Peanut Butter Sundae for dessert. I'm kind of wishing I had some extra cash for a souvenir, but I think I'll probably see some more shows there since it is closer than Kansas City. Oh, and Minneapolis really looks like a city, as opposed to Des Moines.
We got to the venue in time to chill out, literally, for a while before letting us in at 8pm. It was VERY cold since they had just had a blizzard that shut some things down a few days before. There was quite a bit of snow on the ground. We were early enough to get FRONT AND CENTER for this Cult show. They were also recording it live as part of the Instant Live CD's that you can purchase after the show. I had to have this since it was only $25.
The show itself was great. There was no opening band so The Cult went on at 9:15pm to a packed house. This is the venue that Prince filmed Purple Rain in so it is a decent sized club with a nice stage and some great history. We heard the strains of A Clockwork Orange and then the band came out to L'il Devil. The rocked right through Sweet Soul Sister, the Witch, and Peace Dog before Ian had much to say in between songs. He chastised some of the guys for not rocking out as hard as the two girls next to us in front of the stage. It didn't take long for the band to really look like they were having fun and really feeding off the energy of the crowd and it only picked up steam as the show went on. The set consisted of the following:
L'il Devil
Sweet Soul Sister
The Witch
Peace Dog
Revolution
Spiritwalker
In The Clouds
Wonderland
Brother Wolf
Gone
Rise
Rain
Fire Woman
Wildflower
War
The first encore was:
Edie (acoustic)
Electric Ocean
Sanctuary
The second encore:
Love Removal Machine
The intensity of the show spilled over into a stage diver late in the set, but seemed to be at its height during Fire Woman. There were several highlights such as their bass player Chris playing an electric upright bass, the acoustic beginning to their encore with Edie, and the sense of humor both Billy and Ian displayed when talking to us between songs. They were grateful for the large turnout and really seemed to be running on all 8 cylinders during this show. The band was tight with rhythms grooving by John Tempesta and Chris and the awesome crunch and color of Billy's playing.
After the show, we hung out a bit to get our Instant Live CD's and see if we might get some autographs. As I was heading for the restroom, I happened to see Ian signing some things by the stage. I ran back to get one of the friends and we all 3 got autographs from Ian and Billy and got a few words to them of gratitude for putting on such a great show and looking toward the future with new music. I told one of the friends that I had to get the drumstick that John tossed me signed before we left. As we headed outside to see if Johnny T. was on the bus, this particular friend though we had no chance of meeting Tempesta, but then got shocked when we met the tour manager and he led us back into the venue through the back to find JT. We couldn't find him inside so the manager tried calling JT's cell phone. After not getting an answer, he told us that eventually JT had to come out to the bus so we were welcome to hang around until then. My negative friend still hung outside waiting, but was about to give up as I headed back to the front of the venue. As I was walking to the building John Tempesta happened to be walking toward me. He saw that I had his drumstick and I struck up conversation with him about the show. He stopped and my friends came running up to get their CD's signed. Once we finished visiting with John, it was time to head back to the hotel. Rock N Roll Mission Accomplished!
We were rocked by a band I have always liked, but have never been a huge fan of. Now I'm a much bigger fan and will see them any time they are in the area. They are great guys with good humor and really enjoy what they are doing. It's infectious in a good way. Check them out on tour when you have the opportunity and get the Instant Live CD so you can relive your memory any time. We checked mine out in the car on the way back from Minnesota today and it was a great quality recording of last night's show. Hopefully these guys will get some new music out soon and keep making things fresh and new with new tours as well.
Saturday, March 11, 2006
March 11 Update
I have the girls here a second weekend in a row. I had to trade due to working on a Saturday next week, which doesn't happen often. It looks like it's going to be a great weekend and the girls are anxious to do something outdoors. I've been sick with a sinus infection or something the last couple weeks, but I'm up for anything when they are here.
I purchased Petra's Farewell DVD, which just came out this week. It's only $10!! I'm watching it now and I can't wait to get to the medley's when former Petra members join them on stage. Now if only they'd put all the other Petra videos on DVD...
There are some CD's I just can't get out of my system lately. I've recommended Crashdiet and Hardcore Superstar before and still highly recommend them. I'm adding a few to the mix, though. Billy Idol's Devil's Playground is a great CD that doesn't get old. It's fresh and a little edgier than some of his older stuff. Superchick's Beauty From Pain is a fun CD. I have it in when the girls are in the car. They also enjoy, as I do, Bon Jovi's Have A Nice Day. I created a 16 track version of that CD with the 3 bonus tracks from the Japanese release. One I started listening to this week is The69Eyes. I'm still not sure about that singer since he sings in a low voice like old Bowie or Type O Negative, but it fits the sound and the style is good. It's kind of a got/sleaze if there is such a thing. Warrant has a new one called Born Again coming out. I will be purchasing it when it comes out, but I have the leaked version currently. It has some great songs on it. Angels, Hell CA, and Good Times are some of my favorites and I can't wait to see them performed live.
I finally got my new phone in on Wednesday. It's one of those that works over cable internet. I can't tell any difference in the few calls I've made. It actually seems to be a little louder and clearer. Mediacom made a deal with Sprint to offer this service. I called my dad with the first call from it and then my daughters got the next call. I'm not a big phone talker, but with free long distance that could change at least a little.
I'm looking forward to The Cult concert next Wednesday. My friend Richard is a HUGE Cult fan and he is pretty pumped for it, too. It's good to attend shows with people as excited as you are. We plan on having a great time and coming back the next day. I told him I'm hoping my recent luck at shows helps him meet his idols, but we shall see. We should be down front, though!
One last thing... Check out www.godsfort.org/godtalk for some great conversations. There have been more people getting involved and you don't have to be from the church to get involved. It's free to register and maybe some of your questions can be answered or you'll make some great friends online.
I purchased Petra's Farewell DVD, which just came out this week. It's only $10!! I'm watching it now and I can't wait to get to the medley's when former Petra members join them on stage. Now if only they'd put all the other Petra videos on DVD...
There are some CD's I just can't get out of my system lately. I've recommended Crashdiet and Hardcore Superstar before and still highly recommend them. I'm adding a few to the mix, though. Billy Idol's Devil's Playground is a great CD that doesn't get old. It's fresh and a little edgier than some of his older stuff. Superchick's Beauty From Pain is a fun CD. I have it in when the girls are in the car. They also enjoy, as I do, Bon Jovi's Have A Nice Day. I created a 16 track version of that CD with the 3 bonus tracks from the Japanese release. One I started listening to this week is The69Eyes. I'm still not sure about that singer since he sings in a low voice like old Bowie or Type O Negative, but it fits the sound and the style is good. It's kind of a got/sleaze if there is such a thing. Warrant has a new one called Born Again coming out. I will be purchasing it when it comes out, but I have the leaked version currently. It has some great songs on it. Angels, Hell CA, and Good Times are some of my favorites and I can't wait to see them performed live.
I finally got my new phone in on Wednesday. It's one of those that works over cable internet. I can't tell any difference in the few calls I've made. It actually seems to be a little louder and clearer. Mediacom made a deal with Sprint to offer this service. I called my dad with the first call from it and then my daughters got the next call. I'm not a big phone talker, but with free long distance that could change at least a little.
I'm looking forward to The Cult concert next Wednesday. My friend Richard is a HUGE Cult fan and he is pretty pumped for it, too. It's good to attend shows with people as excited as you are. We plan on having a great time and coming back the next day. I told him I'm hoping my recent luck at shows helps him meet his idols, but we shall see. We should be down front, though!
One last thing... Check out www.godsfort.org/godtalk for some great conversations. There have been more people getting involved and you don't have to be from the church to get involved. It's free to register and maybe some of your questions can be answered or you'll make some great friends online.
Saturday, March 04, 2006
The Move Is Over
These last two weeks were a pretty decent move for a change. The new landlord gave us the 20th-28th at no charge to get things moved. It's so nice being able to move slowly without having to cram everything into one or two days and have boxes all over the place. Most eveything is unpacked, but there are some small things left to do. All of the big things are in place except for the basement. Everything that belongs down there is there, but needs to be arranged. I'm letting the roommates take care of that at their leisure.
The girls are here this weekend and they really like the new house. They were pretty excited about this being their first weekend at the new house. Because there is only one bathroom, there are a few habits to get used to. Thankfully, the new one has a fan! :) I still have to finish the kitchen, but I'm using the dishwasher to get everything clean before putting it away. Oh, the new place has a dishwasher, too. :)
It's interesting living next door to a nursing home and at the end of a dead end street. Parking is something to get used to. We have one long driveway that has enough room for all 4 vehicles. On weekends we are able to use the nursing home parking lot if needed. Due to differing work schedules, we have to work out this parking arrangement. The street is narrower and the neighbors across the street park in front of our house. Just a new arrangement to get used to.
Thankfully there isn't much left to do to unpack, but THE MOVE IS OVER! Now if we can only stay here longer than 18 months...
The girls are here this weekend and they really like the new house. They were pretty excited about this being their first weekend at the new house. Because there is only one bathroom, there are a few habits to get used to. Thankfully, the new one has a fan! :) I still have to finish the kitchen, but I'm using the dishwasher to get everything clean before putting it away. Oh, the new place has a dishwasher, too. :)
It's interesting living next door to a nursing home and at the end of a dead end street. Parking is something to get used to. We have one long driveway that has enough room for all 4 vehicles. On weekends we are able to use the nursing home parking lot if needed. Due to differing work schedules, we have to work out this parking arrangement. The street is narrower and the neighbors across the street park in front of our house. Just a new arrangement to get used to.
Thankfully there isn't much left to do to unpack, but THE MOVE IS OVER! Now if we can only stay here longer than 18 months...
Thursday, March 02, 2006
Naked Beggars in Clear Lake, IA
Way more than I expected! This was an $8 show and worth so much more. There is not reason this band shouldn't be headlining much bigger venues.
J-Dub and I hit the road and got to the venue at 8pm. We were told the show started at 8:30pm, but it turns out that Naked Beggars didn't go on until about 10pm. Thankfully, there was a nearby sports bar to grab some barbecue. The opening band sounded like some 70's band with older guys and they weren't very good. Some songs too fast, others too slow, bad vocals, and no stage presence at all. Fortunately, some of the members of Naked Beggars were wandering around before the show so I got both CD's signed and had time to slip on a Get Naked shirt.
I was able to meet Kris, Kristine, Inga, Eric, and Shawn. Kris was soft spoken, but kind and told me he played a Les Paul mostly, which is my favorite. Since all I had previously heard was the three song sampler from Spit It Out, I wasn't sure what to expect for a stage show and how the musicianship would translate. Kris helped allay my fears when mentioning a Les Paul through a Marshall stack. Inga is just a ball of energy and very excited about the band and the music. She was moving and singing along to the opening band when they started doing Buckcherry's Lit Up. She mentioned doing an acoustic tour this summer while Cinderella are on the road, so I'm hoping they hit Des Moines. Shawn played drums for Bret Michael's single Driven. After the show he signed a broken drumstick for me. Eric was soft spoken and polite. He didn't stick around very long, but was gracious and signed the CD's for me.
Kristine was my favorite! It turns out she used to live in Ft. Scott, KS, and my lil bro married a girl from there. My lil bro has a brother-in-law I'll call PW and Kristine and I both know him. That was kind of a "small world" experience as we were both shocked that we had a common friend. She actually remembered mine and J-Dub's names after the show, too. She has such a great personality and I hope she goes very far with this band. Oh, and she's also a nurse! So awesome and I hope I see her again this summer with the band in Des Moines. (She's hot, too!)
The show was great. So much stage presence, great songs, total confidence in what they are doing, and Inga can really work a stage with the best of them. I'm sure I have a set list around here somewhere, but have misplaced it in the move temporarily. They did 10 cuts from the new CD and paced them perfectly throughout the show. There were some cuts from the original and even a few Cinderella tunes! Jeff puts on quite the show as he always does, but his personality seems to come out more here. Eric held down the bottom end with a quiet confidence and truly looked like the music moves him. He and Inga had some fun playfulness on stage, too. Kris also had a quiet confidence on stage and just ripped those rhythms and riffs as tight as could be. Shawn played a left handed setup and was phenominal. He has such a heavy sound that I could feel in my chest. His drum solo was full of rhythms that kept us all watching, while showing off his skills. Kristine proved her versatility by playing keys, singing some great harmonies, and then came out with the violin! She just really added a great dimension to the music with some honky tonk keys, great synth tones, and the violin worked perfectly in these songs. This band works together well and truly puts on a performance greater than the sum of their parts.
After the show, the band came out to meet everyone there. Unfortunately there wasn't a big crowd, but they certainly had fun with those of us that did show up to support them. They took lots of pictures, signed everything anyone asked them to (including some drunk guy's back side - Kristine had the perfect comment that she was used to seeing old people's butts and it wasn't bad for his age - the things they have to be nice about...), and generally had a good time promoting the band.
I will be e-mailing Inga some information on places to play in Des Moines and doing my best to spread the word about this awesome band. Jeff and Eric will be on tour with Cinderella as they trek with Poison this summer so I will catch them a few times this year. Shawn is taking the summer to work on some other projects he has brewing. Inga, Kris, and Kristine will be doing the acoustic shows. Get Naked...Beggars on CD and go see their shows. They rock and really connect live.
J-Dub and I hit the road and got to the venue at 8pm. We were told the show started at 8:30pm, but it turns out that Naked Beggars didn't go on until about 10pm. Thankfully, there was a nearby sports bar to grab some barbecue. The opening band sounded like some 70's band with older guys and they weren't very good. Some songs too fast, others too slow, bad vocals, and no stage presence at all. Fortunately, some of the members of Naked Beggars were wandering around before the show so I got both CD's signed and had time to slip on a Get Naked shirt.
I was able to meet Kris, Kristine, Inga, Eric, and Shawn. Kris was soft spoken, but kind and told me he played a Les Paul mostly, which is my favorite. Since all I had previously heard was the three song sampler from Spit It Out, I wasn't sure what to expect for a stage show and how the musicianship would translate. Kris helped allay my fears when mentioning a Les Paul through a Marshall stack. Inga is just a ball of energy and very excited about the band and the music. She was moving and singing along to the opening band when they started doing Buckcherry's Lit Up. She mentioned doing an acoustic tour this summer while Cinderella are on the road, so I'm hoping they hit Des Moines. Shawn played drums for Bret Michael's single Driven. After the show he signed a broken drumstick for me. Eric was soft spoken and polite. He didn't stick around very long, but was gracious and signed the CD's for me.
Kristine was my favorite! It turns out she used to live in Ft. Scott, KS, and my lil bro married a girl from there. My lil bro has a brother-in-law I'll call PW and Kristine and I both know him. That was kind of a "small world" experience as we were both shocked that we had a common friend. She actually remembered mine and J-Dub's names after the show, too. She has such a great personality and I hope she goes very far with this band. Oh, and she's also a nurse! So awesome and I hope I see her again this summer with the band in Des Moines. (She's hot, too!)
The show was great. So much stage presence, great songs, total confidence in what they are doing, and Inga can really work a stage with the best of them. I'm sure I have a set list around here somewhere, but have misplaced it in the move temporarily. They did 10 cuts from the new CD and paced them perfectly throughout the show. There were some cuts from the original and even a few Cinderella tunes! Jeff puts on quite the show as he always does, but his personality seems to come out more here. Eric held down the bottom end with a quiet confidence and truly looked like the music moves him. He and Inga had some fun playfulness on stage, too. Kris also had a quiet confidence on stage and just ripped those rhythms and riffs as tight as could be. Shawn played a left handed setup and was phenominal. He has such a heavy sound that I could feel in my chest. His drum solo was full of rhythms that kept us all watching, while showing off his skills. Kristine proved her versatility by playing keys, singing some great harmonies, and then came out with the violin! She just really added a great dimension to the music with some honky tonk keys, great synth tones, and the violin worked perfectly in these songs. This band works together well and truly puts on a performance greater than the sum of their parts.
After the show, the band came out to meet everyone there. Unfortunately there wasn't a big crowd, but they certainly had fun with those of us that did show up to support them. They took lots of pictures, signed everything anyone asked them to (including some drunk guy's back side - Kristine had the perfect comment that she was used to seeing old people's butts and it wasn't bad for his age - the things they have to be nice about...), and generally had a good time promoting the band.
I will be e-mailing Inga some information on places to play in Des Moines and doing my best to spread the word about this awesome band. Jeff and Eric will be on tour with Cinderella as they trek with Poison this summer so I will catch them a few times this year. Shawn is taking the summer to work on some other projects he has brewing. Inga, Kris, and Kristine will be doing the acoustic shows. Get Naked...Beggars on CD and go see their shows. They rock and really connect live.
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