Sunday, February 24, 2013
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
You Have Two Choices
Before voting ask yourself how you actually live. You might be surprised at how you live compared to how you vote. You should always vote the way you live, though. If you are comfortable in your lifestyle, then you should be comfortable voting that way. If you aren’t, then you have further questions to ask.
1. Do you live off of a government check or have a government job or do you have a job in the private sector?
2. Do you make your own decisions or let others make them for you?
3. Do you give donations to private charities?
4. Do you only pay your taxes owed or send extra money to the government?
5. Do you handle your own personal issues in life maybe with family and close friends or do you ask for council from your neighbors and community or a government body?
6. Do you allow just anyone to walk into your house or do you lock the door and expect people to knock or call first before coming over?
7. Do you have a fence around your yard or a portion of it? Do you have a privacy fence?
8. Are you involved in things like the PTA, local community groups, or charities?
9. Do you have a savings account?
10. Do you live on credit or within your means?
11. When people ask you for money do you just give it to them no questions asked?
12. When you loan someone money do you tie certain behaviors to it?
13. Do you hope to be able to pass your property on to your children when you pass on?
14. Do you look for bargains or sales when shopping or do you use coupons?
15. Do you believe your money should be taxed more than once?
16. Do you pay attention to what is taken out of your paycheck in taxes?
17. What percentage of your paycheck should be paid in taxes?
18. Do you think everyone should pay the same percentage in taxes or that the more you make the higher your taxes should be?
19. Do you think anyone should not be taxed?
20. Do you think you should be bailed out of any and all financial risks you take?
21. Would you rather pay into Social Security or have your own private retirement fund?
22. Do you own/drive an SUV or “gas-guzzling” vehicle?
23. Do you bike to work?
24. Do you carpool?
25. Do you recycle?
26. Do you actively hang out with people who have different belief systems than you?
27. Do you put your trust in the people you know or people you’ve never met before?
28. Do you attend church?
29. Do you believe in right and wrong?
30. Do you play games/sports where there is a winner and a loser?
31. Do you believe that global warming is man made or are you not sure all the facts are in, yet?
32. Do you hunt?
33. Would you prefer to send your children to private school if you could afford it?
34. Do you show pride in your country or do you think there is a better country in the world?
35. Do you go to political rallies and/or protests?
36. Do you obey the law and expect those around you to do the same?
37. Do you vote?
There are two choices in all federal elections. You have the Republican and Democrat parties as your two central choices. (In some states there are more choices, but they rarely matter. Maybe that's a shame.)
It doesn’t matter who is running. It doesn’t matter what side the individuals take on social issues. It doesn’t matter which side the individuals take on any specific war. It doesn’t matter what the individuals think of the economy. It doesn’t matter what the individuals think about much of anything, to be honest. They are going to vote with their party on most everything and there won’t be much crossing of party lines. That just happens to be a fact of life in government. Look at the two current candidates for president and see how many times each has voted against their own party.
The two choices come down to each party’s core belief system. If you believe that government can solve most problems, then you vote one way. If you believe that people have most of the answers to their own problems, then you vote the other way.
There are key phrases to tell you which party is which.
If you hear talk of raising taxes, discontinuing tax cuts, taxing the rich, taxing big business or big oil, or phrases such as these, then you are hearing someone say that government has the solutions and they want your hard earned money. If you hear someone talk about starting new programs, creating new government offices, and growing government, then you are hearing someone say that government has the solutions. If you hear someone talk about job creation, creating incentives for social change, and additional regulation of business, then that person believes government is the solution. When you hear a candidate talk about making new laws because current laws aren’t sufficient, then be aware that this candidate is telling you that government has the answers.
If you hear someone talk about tax cuts across the board, continuing or increasing tax credits, or anything that means people of any stature get to keep more of their hard earned money, then you are hearing someone who believes people have the answers to their own financial woes. If you hear someone talk about cutting government funding to certain programs, closing certain government offices, and reducing the size of government, then you are hearing someone state that government is not the answer to most of societies ills. If you hear someone talk about reducing government regulation on business, that person believes that people are the solution.
Can you tell which party is which? Which way do you actually live? Are you going to vote the way you live?
1. Do you live off of a government check or have a government job or do you have a job in the private sector?
2. Do you make your own decisions or let others make them for you?
3. Do you give donations to private charities?
4. Do you only pay your taxes owed or send extra money to the government?
5. Do you handle your own personal issues in life maybe with family and close friends or do you ask for council from your neighbors and community or a government body?
6. Do you allow just anyone to walk into your house or do you lock the door and expect people to knock or call first before coming over?
7. Do you have a fence around your yard or a portion of it? Do you have a privacy fence?
8. Are you involved in things like the PTA, local community groups, or charities?
9. Do you have a savings account?
10. Do you live on credit or within your means?
11. When people ask you for money do you just give it to them no questions asked?
12. When you loan someone money do you tie certain behaviors to it?
13. Do you hope to be able to pass your property on to your children when you pass on?
14. Do you look for bargains or sales when shopping or do you use coupons?
15. Do you believe your money should be taxed more than once?
16. Do you pay attention to what is taken out of your paycheck in taxes?
17. What percentage of your paycheck should be paid in taxes?
18. Do you think everyone should pay the same percentage in taxes or that the more you make the higher your taxes should be?
19. Do you think anyone should not be taxed?
20. Do you think you should be bailed out of any and all financial risks you take?
21. Would you rather pay into Social Security or have your own private retirement fund?
22. Do you own/drive an SUV or “gas-guzzling” vehicle?
23. Do you bike to work?
24. Do you carpool?
25. Do you recycle?
26. Do you actively hang out with people who have different belief systems than you?
27. Do you put your trust in the people you know or people you’ve never met before?
28. Do you attend church?
29. Do you believe in right and wrong?
30. Do you play games/sports where there is a winner and a loser?
31. Do you believe that global warming is man made or are you not sure all the facts are in, yet?
32. Do you hunt?
33. Would you prefer to send your children to private school if you could afford it?
34. Do you show pride in your country or do you think there is a better country in the world?
35. Do you go to political rallies and/or protests?
36. Do you obey the law and expect those around you to do the same?
37. Do you vote?
There are two choices in all federal elections. You have the Republican and Democrat parties as your two central choices. (In some states there are more choices, but they rarely matter. Maybe that's a shame.)
It doesn’t matter who is running. It doesn’t matter what side the individuals take on social issues. It doesn’t matter which side the individuals take on any specific war. It doesn’t matter what the individuals think of the economy. It doesn’t matter what the individuals think about much of anything, to be honest. They are going to vote with their party on most everything and there won’t be much crossing of party lines. That just happens to be a fact of life in government. Look at the two current candidates for president and see how many times each has voted against their own party.
The two choices come down to each party’s core belief system. If you believe that government can solve most problems, then you vote one way. If you believe that people have most of the answers to their own problems, then you vote the other way.
There are key phrases to tell you which party is which.
If you hear talk of raising taxes, discontinuing tax cuts, taxing the rich, taxing big business or big oil, or phrases such as these, then you are hearing someone say that government has the solutions and they want your hard earned money. If you hear someone talk about starting new programs, creating new government offices, and growing government, then you are hearing someone say that government has the solutions. If you hear someone talk about job creation, creating incentives for social change, and additional regulation of business, then that person believes government is the solution. When you hear a candidate talk about making new laws because current laws aren’t sufficient, then be aware that this candidate is telling you that government has the answers.
If you hear someone talk about tax cuts across the board, continuing or increasing tax credits, or anything that means people of any stature get to keep more of their hard earned money, then you are hearing someone who believes people have the answers to their own financial woes. If you hear someone talk about cutting government funding to certain programs, closing certain government offices, and reducing the size of government, then you are hearing someone state that government is not the answer to most of societies ills. If you hear someone talk about reducing government regulation on business, that person believes that people are the solution.
Can you tell which party is which? Which way do you actually live? Are you going to vote the way you live?
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Bret Michaels Makes Dream Come True
Sometimes you are just put in the right place at the right time. My buddy Brad was that guy last night and he kicked off a series of events that led to Bret Michaels being able to make a 13 year old girl's dream come true.
I'd been debating on going to the Bret Michaels concerts this weekend in both Kansas City on Friday and Dubuque, IA, on Saturday. I had hoped to make both shows, but knew I had to make at least one. I don't like traveling alone so that figured into trying to make my decision. I decided to stay in Friday night and see if someone wanted to go on Saturday. Saturday morning I even started debating making the even longer drive to Dubuque, but then I received a text from Pete Evick asking if I was going to be at the show. I just made up my mind for sure at that moment and said I'd be there so I started texting friends to see who was willing to go. I enlisted my friend Brad and my friend and S&S Entertainment partner Dave.
We got to the show and found our seats inside. At the inside end of our row was a very young girl who seemed to be there by herself. Brad is the talkative and social type and the first question out of his mouth to this young girl was to ask what she seemed to be doing there alone.
Turns out Elaina M. is a 13 year old girl who has a very rare form of cancer. Doctors told her that she is only the 8th person they know of documented to have the form of cancer she has. While she seemed to be a very normal and healthy young girl with a great spirit, she had recently been very sick under chemotherapy and doctors are unable to tell her if she is in remission. Apparently, the others with this cancer have died within 5 years of being diagnosed with it. She wore a knit cap to cover her head and made comments to Brad about how beautiful another girl's hair was and that she missed having hers. Elaina's favorite program to watch on TV during her lengthy time in the hospital was Bret Michael's Rock Of Love. While she had been quite ill, she turned in an application to the Make A Wish Foundation in the hopes of some day meeting Bret Michaels. She was able to get a ticket to this show, but had to come by herself due to what seemed like her family's ability to be able to afford to get her the one ticket. Elaina was very excited to be at the show and hoped she might be able to find some way to meet Bret.
Brad heard this story and soon turned to me to relate it. I have been very fortunate since Bret played Waterstock in Des Moines a few years ago to have kept in touch with Pete Evick. I knew I had to find a way to let Pete know this girl's story and see if there was a way to make this girl's wish come true.
I found a young woman who was assisting at the merch table and I'd seen her talking to Pete earlier and with her access she'd be able to get the word to Pete if I didn't catch him first. I brought Elaina out to meet this young woman and she said she'd do her best to get word to Bret.
I happened to catch Big John and related Elaina's story briefly to him as well. I knew Big John is a father and I had a bit of trouble holding it together as I told him about Elaina because I have two daughters myself. Big John said he'd see what he could do for Elaina, too, and asked that I bring her to the front curtain at the end of the show.
Everyone I could find in Bret's group I had to stop briefly just to let them know about Elaina's wish. I introduced her to Lucky Chuck as he passed through the crowd and finally found Pete to relate the story to him.
The compassion and honest emotion was evident with each of the people I stopped and I knew they would each find a way to let Bret know about Elaina.
This evening became more than just a night out with a couple of buddies to see a concert. It became a mission to make Elaina's wish come true. My 9 year old daughter happened to call before Bret went on stage and I related the story to her, too. She said she really hoped that Elaina's wish would come true, too. She was proud of her old man for trying.
Bret put on a fun show as he always does. Evick is the perfect band to be the Bret Michaels Band. These guys are tight, fun, and always great to watch and interact with. Bret made a great choice not only musically, but it seems to be a great decision on a personal level to have these guys in his band. I will separately write about the show itself.
After the concert, my friends and I had to look around for Elaina. She had initially followed Brad to the front of the stage as the seating really didn't matter at this show. I was in row J and yet was crushed front and center for the entire show against the barrier. Elaina had gotten separated and while she really seemed like she could handle herself just fine, my buddies and I still felt a little responsible for her safety and really wanted to make sure that she had the opportunity to meet Bret.
We found her and as Bob (Bret's cousin), Pete, and Big John tried to get things wrapped up we waited by the merch table. Bob had made a promise to Elaina that she'd meet Bret. It sounded like she really was going to have this dream come true. I asked Elaina if she had brought a camera and all she had was her RAZR to take pictures. I offered to take pics with my camera for her if they would allow that and gave her my card so she could contact me and I could get the pictures to her.
After the merch area had been taken down and packed away and carted off, Bob asked Elaina and me to follow him. Big John and a friend of his came with us and we made our way out to Bret's tour bus.
Bret was the perfect host as we walked on. Elaina immediately got a hug and Bret struck up conversation with her. He asked her if she had anything to sign, which she did. She even asked him to sign her phone. He signed a huge cardboard Rock Of Love tour piece from a previous show with "Something To Believe In". He signed a notebook she had once for her and once for a friend she wanted to give it to. I used my camera and took a couple of pictures of her with Bret and was able to get a picture with them both while one of the crew took the picture. Bret is coming back to Iowa next month and asked if Elaina was going to be there. She hesitated and you could see Bret's heart start to sink as she wasn't sure. She certainly hopes to and it was hard to tell if her hesitation was due to her health or due to other circumstances. Bret was honest in his desire to see her at that show next month.
Elaina has a great sense of honesty and humor about her. I mentioned that Bret certainly made the right choice by picking Ambre on his TV show Rock Of Love. When I said that, Elaina agreed and then added that Daisy "looks like a whore". This brought laughter from everyone on the bus as Bret certainly disagrees in that he believes Daisy is "hot", but he was laughing because Elaina certainly has a knack for honesty and hearing this type of talk from a 13 year old girl was almost shocking. Bret let Elaina have as much time as she wanted and as she was ready to leave, he gave her another hug. As she turned to go, she took a step away and then turned right back around again for another hug from Bret. You could see the raw honest emotion on Bret's face as she did this. It's certainly not easy seeing someone so young and so full of energy and life in that moment knowing that she has been through so much and her future is very uncertain.
I thanked Bret myself for making this Elaina's dream come true. I had never met this girl before this night and just by making Bret's band and friends aware, Bret was able to make this moment happen for Elaina. I thanked everyone in Bret's bus, Bob, Big John, Rob, Ray, Pete, Doyle, Whitey, and the wonderful young lady who helped make everyone of Bret's crew aware of Elaina. These people are incredible and they each have a huge heart.
My friends and I waited until Elaina's family showed up to pick her up. Elaina couldn't wait to tell them and their expressions were pure amazement as she quickly told them she met Bret and we put her cardboard poster in their SUV. They were very thankful and anxious to hear more as they took her home.
I've been to tons of concerts. I've had a lot of great times and even what some might term "religious experiences" as there are just moments in life that hearing certain songs performed live can touch you deeply. I've pretty much been able to attend most concerts in a more selfish manner as I get lost in the music. Last night while I still get lost in the performances, meant so much more as the honesty of Bret's lyrics was followed up in the honesty of Bret's actions after the stage was dark and the crowd had left.
Elaina and her experience touched a lot of people last night, none more so than her. She is in a lot of people's prayers and if her energy and spirit are any indication, she may just surprise her doctors, too.
I'd been debating on going to the Bret Michaels concerts this weekend in both Kansas City on Friday and Dubuque, IA, on Saturday. I had hoped to make both shows, but knew I had to make at least one. I don't like traveling alone so that figured into trying to make my decision. I decided to stay in Friday night and see if someone wanted to go on Saturday. Saturday morning I even started debating making the even longer drive to Dubuque, but then I received a text from Pete Evick asking if I was going to be at the show. I just made up my mind for sure at that moment and said I'd be there so I started texting friends to see who was willing to go. I enlisted my friend Brad and my friend and S&S Entertainment partner Dave.
We got to the show and found our seats inside. At the inside end of our row was a very young girl who seemed to be there by herself. Brad is the talkative and social type and the first question out of his mouth to this young girl was to ask what she seemed to be doing there alone.
Turns out Elaina M. is a 13 year old girl who has a very rare form of cancer. Doctors told her that she is only the 8th person they know of documented to have the form of cancer she has. While she seemed to be a very normal and healthy young girl with a great spirit, she had recently been very sick under chemotherapy and doctors are unable to tell her if she is in remission. Apparently, the others with this cancer have died within 5 years of being diagnosed with it. She wore a knit cap to cover her head and made comments to Brad about how beautiful another girl's hair was and that she missed having hers. Elaina's favorite program to watch on TV during her lengthy time in the hospital was Bret Michael's Rock Of Love. While she had been quite ill, she turned in an application to the Make A Wish Foundation in the hopes of some day meeting Bret Michaels. She was able to get a ticket to this show, but had to come by herself due to what seemed like her family's ability to be able to afford to get her the one ticket. Elaina was very excited to be at the show and hoped she might be able to find some way to meet Bret.
Brad heard this story and soon turned to me to relate it. I have been very fortunate since Bret played Waterstock in Des Moines a few years ago to have kept in touch with Pete Evick. I knew I had to find a way to let Pete know this girl's story and see if there was a way to make this girl's wish come true.
I found a young woman who was assisting at the merch table and I'd seen her talking to Pete earlier and with her access she'd be able to get the word to Pete if I didn't catch him first. I brought Elaina out to meet this young woman and she said she'd do her best to get word to Bret.
I happened to catch Big John and related Elaina's story briefly to him as well. I knew Big John is a father and I had a bit of trouble holding it together as I told him about Elaina because I have two daughters myself. Big John said he'd see what he could do for Elaina, too, and asked that I bring her to the front curtain at the end of the show.
Everyone I could find in Bret's group I had to stop briefly just to let them know about Elaina's wish. I introduced her to Lucky Chuck as he passed through the crowd and finally found Pete to relate the story to him.
The compassion and honest emotion was evident with each of the people I stopped and I knew they would each find a way to let Bret know about Elaina.
This evening became more than just a night out with a couple of buddies to see a concert. It became a mission to make Elaina's wish come true. My 9 year old daughter happened to call before Bret went on stage and I related the story to her, too. She said she really hoped that Elaina's wish would come true, too. She was proud of her old man for trying.
Bret put on a fun show as he always does. Evick is the perfect band to be the Bret Michaels Band. These guys are tight, fun, and always great to watch and interact with. Bret made a great choice not only musically, but it seems to be a great decision on a personal level to have these guys in his band. I will separately write about the show itself.
After the concert, my friends and I had to look around for Elaina. She had initially followed Brad to the front of the stage as the seating really didn't matter at this show. I was in row J and yet was crushed front and center for the entire show against the barrier. Elaina had gotten separated and while she really seemed like she could handle herself just fine, my buddies and I still felt a little responsible for her safety and really wanted to make sure that she had the opportunity to meet Bret.
We found her and as Bob (Bret's cousin), Pete, and Big John tried to get things wrapped up we waited by the merch table. Bob had made a promise to Elaina that she'd meet Bret. It sounded like she really was going to have this dream come true. I asked Elaina if she had brought a camera and all she had was her RAZR to take pictures. I offered to take pics with my camera for her if they would allow that and gave her my card so she could contact me and I could get the pictures to her.
After the merch area had been taken down and packed away and carted off, Bob asked Elaina and me to follow him. Big John and a friend of his came with us and we made our way out to Bret's tour bus.
Bret was the perfect host as we walked on. Elaina immediately got a hug and Bret struck up conversation with her. He asked her if she had anything to sign, which she did. She even asked him to sign her phone. He signed a huge cardboard Rock Of Love tour piece from a previous show with "Something To Believe In". He signed a notebook she had once for her and once for a friend she wanted to give it to. I used my camera and took a couple of pictures of her with Bret and was able to get a picture with them both while one of the crew took the picture. Bret is coming back to Iowa next month and asked if Elaina was going to be there. She hesitated and you could see Bret's heart start to sink as she wasn't sure. She certainly hopes to and it was hard to tell if her hesitation was due to her health or due to other circumstances. Bret was honest in his desire to see her at that show next month.
Elaina has a great sense of honesty and humor about her. I mentioned that Bret certainly made the right choice by picking Ambre on his TV show Rock Of Love. When I said that, Elaina agreed and then added that Daisy "looks like a whore". This brought laughter from everyone on the bus as Bret certainly disagrees in that he believes Daisy is "hot", but he was laughing because Elaina certainly has a knack for honesty and hearing this type of talk from a 13 year old girl was almost shocking. Bret let Elaina have as much time as she wanted and as she was ready to leave, he gave her another hug. As she turned to go, she took a step away and then turned right back around again for another hug from Bret. You could see the raw honest emotion on Bret's face as she did this. It's certainly not easy seeing someone so young and so full of energy and life in that moment knowing that she has been through so much and her future is very uncertain.
I thanked Bret myself for making this Elaina's dream come true. I had never met this girl before this night and just by making Bret's band and friends aware, Bret was able to make this moment happen for Elaina. I thanked everyone in Bret's bus, Bob, Big John, Rob, Ray, Pete, Doyle, Whitey, and the wonderful young lady who helped make everyone of Bret's crew aware of Elaina. These people are incredible and they each have a huge heart.
My friends and I waited until Elaina's family showed up to pick her up. Elaina couldn't wait to tell them and their expressions were pure amazement as she quickly told them she met Bret and we put her cardboard poster in their SUV. They were very thankful and anxious to hear more as they took her home.
I've been to tons of concerts. I've had a lot of great times and even what some might term "religious experiences" as there are just moments in life that hearing certain songs performed live can touch you deeply. I've pretty much been able to attend most concerts in a more selfish manner as I get lost in the music. Last night while I still get lost in the performances, meant so much more as the honesty of Bret's lyrics was followed up in the honesty of Bret's actions after the stage was dark and the crowd had left.
Elaina and her experience touched a lot of people last night, none more so than her. She is in a lot of people's prayers and if her energy and spirit are any indication, she may just surprise her doctors, too.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Monday, October 01, 2007
Monday, September 24, 2007
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Been A Long Time
It's been a long time since I've posted here. Sorry for the delay and with the political season approaching again, I will have more before long.
In the meantime, a lot has been going on in the music part of my life. Check out my MSN and My Space sites to see all the pictures and such that has been going on!
In the meantime, a lot has been going on in the music part of my life. Check out my MSN and My Space sites to see all the pictures and such that has been going on!
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Happy Easter
So many things going on in the world today.
Iran took British hostages and then released them. Someone on Fox News asked a guest if this made the Iranian President look good. His quick answer was that it did. My answer is that most of the world already knows this Iranian President is a terrorist sponsor, which in turn makes him an idiot. Who doesn't realize this guy is a moron?
Nancy Pelosi visited with a terrorist sponsor. This seems to make this terrorist sponsor a legitimate government to many, but most of us know better. Of course Pelosi made mistakes publicly while making this trip. She's not exactly playing with a full deck. It does seem curious that Democrats are consulting with enemies of the United States. That's nothing new, though.
Harry Reid wants to cut our soldiers' funding off. He actually wants to cause our nation to be defeated in the war on terror. Granted, that political party has made it a rule not to use the phrase "global war on terror". How dare they admit we are at war! Rush Limbaugh says the Democrats own defeat. They own it. This seems accurate. I'd prefer that we fight to win and quit handcuffing our soldiers. This is a war. Fight to win. Do not let the enemy known when you plan to pull out. They must be defeated before we can even think about leaving. If you want to let the enemy know when you are leaving, you are securing defeat.
Dianne Fienstein has been voting repeatedly to reward her husband's company some military contracts. Seems like her family is profiting from this war. Of course she quickly resigned from the committee that she was on when her own supporters started reporting this. I haven't seen much of an uproar in the press about this, though. Isn't this a huge deal?
The Attorney General issue...non-issue. What's wrong with firing people? These are political appointees, right? What's the big deal here? I can't find it. Sounds like a witch-hunt to me.
The war on terror in Iraq seems to be shaping up. Looks like the generals are implementing the right plan. I'm praying for our country and our troops and the freedom loving Iraqi people.
Freedom rocks, doesn't it? I hope every nation has a shot at freedom and I'm glad to be part of a nation that is helping others reach this goal.
Happy Easter. Jesus died for your sins and mine. Enjoy the freedom He has given us!
Iran took British hostages and then released them. Someone on Fox News asked a guest if this made the Iranian President look good. His quick answer was that it did. My answer is that most of the world already knows this Iranian President is a terrorist sponsor, which in turn makes him an idiot. Who doesn't realize this guy is a moron?
Nancy Pelosi visited with a terrorist sponsor. This seems to make this terrorist sponsor a legitimate government to many, but most of us know better. Of course Pelosi made mistakes publicly while making this trip. She's not exactly playing with a full deck. It does seem curious that Democrats are consulting with enemies of the United States. That's nothing new, though.
Harry Reid wants to cut our soldiers' funding off. He actually wants to cause our nation to be defeated in the war on terror. Granted, that political party has made it a rule not to use the phrase "global war on terror". How dare they admit we are at war! Rush Limbaugh says the Democrats own defeat. They own it. This seems accurate. I'd prefer that we fight to win and quit handcuffing our soldiers. This is a war. Fight to win. Do not let the enemy known when you plan to pull out. They must be defeated before we can even think about leaving. If you want to let the enemy know when you are leaving, you are securing defeat.
Dianne Fienstein has been voting repeatedly to reward her husband's company some military contracts. Seems like her family is profiting from this war. Of course she quickly resigned from the committee that she was on when her own supporters started reporting this. I haven't seen much of an uproar in the press about this, though. Isn't this a huge deal?
The Attorney General issue...non-issue. What's wrong with firing people? These are political appointees, right? What's the big deal here? I can't find it. Sounds like a witch-hunt to me.
The war on terror in Iraq seems to be shaping up. Looks like the generals are implementing the right plan. I'm praying for our country and our troops and the freedom loving Iraqi people.
Freedom rocks, doesn't it? I hope every nation has a shot at freedom and I'm glad to be part of a nation that is helping others reach this goal.
Happy Easter. Jesus died for your sins and mine. Enjoy the freedom He has given us!
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Some Things Never Change
"It appears we have appointed our worst generals to command forces and our most gifted and brilliant to edit newspapers! In fact, I discovered by reading newspapers that these editor/geniuses plainly saw all my strategic defects from the start, yet failed to inform me until it was too late. Accordingly, I'm readily willing to yield my command to these obviously superior intellects and I'll, in turn, do my best for the Cause by writing editorials - after the fact."
- Robert E. Lee 1863
- Robert E. Lee 1863
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Presidential Race 2008 Already?
Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama? The devil you know or the devil you don't? That seems to be the main question for Democrats as everyone is talking about the 2008 Presidential Race a bit too early. Of course, Democrats don't equate their candidates to the devil, but they certainly do that to Republicans. I have enjoyed the recent bickering between those two campaigns. Hillary thinks the Presidency should be handed to her. Obama thinks he is a rock star. Neither has what it takes to run a Representative Republic. If you want to experience a similar fall to Rome, vote Democrat. If you want to strive toward more individual freedom, vote Republican. Vote conservative.
All the talk about the 2008 race makes me realize that there aren't any Republicans standing out to get excited about. McCain is much too liberal and wishy washy for most of the conservative base. Rudy Giuliani cleaned up New York, but is he too liberal socially? George Allen was a great candidate for Congress, but then he made a comment that some deemed racist. Of course, it wasn't, but the media slammed him enough to cause his defeat. He would make a great President, though, in my opinion. Newt Gengrich would make a great President, too! Of course, the media has already compared him to Hitler in the past so they would do it again.
I'm looking forward to getting involved where I can. We need a true conservative in the White House. We need true conservatives in Congress. It's the only way to get this country back on track with greatness. We are still the greatest country in the world. We are the most free country in the world. We need to return to that foundation which makes us strong. Bring on the Conservative Republican candidates!
All the talk about the 2008 race makes me realize that there aren't any Republicans standing out to get excited about. McCain is much too liberal and wishy washy for most of the conservative base. Rudy Giuliani cleaned up New York, but is he too liberal socially? George Allen was a great candidate for Congress, but then he made a comment that some deemed racist. Of course, it wasn't, but the media slammed him enough to cause his defeat. He would make a great President, though, in my opinion. Newt Gengrich would make a great President, too! Of course, the media has already compared him to Hitler in the past so they would do it again.
I'm looking forward to getting involved where I can. We need a true conservative in the White House. We need true conservatives in Congress. It's the only way to get this country back on track with greatness. We are still the greatest country in the world. We are the most free country in the world. We need to return to that foundation which makes us strong. Bring on the Conservative Republican candidates!
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Losing Sucks
When did it become ok to lose? I thought losing was a bad thing. Winning is the goal, right?
We went to war against terrorism a few years back. The goal was to win. U.S. citizens were united in the idea that we needed to win the war against terrorism. We all realized that we must enjoy our freedom and protect it at all costs.
Now the voice to leave the war is louder than the voice to win. Voices are telling us to pack up our things and go home. These voices are telling us that the war against terrorism isn't one we can win. How did we let these voices get so loud? They are telling us we are losers. They are telling us it's ok to lose.
I believe in winning the war. We must pursue victory. Only after victory will there be peace. Peace only follows victory. It's time we raise the voice of winning and drown out the voices of losers.
We went to war against terrorism a few years back. The goal was to win. U.S. citizens were united in the idea that we needed to win the war against terrorism. We all realized that we must enjoy our freedom and protect it at all costs.
Now the voice to leave the war is louder than the voice to win. Voices are telling us to pack up our things and go home. These voices are telling us that the war against terrorism isn't one we can win. How did we let these voices get so loud? They are telling us we are losers. They are telling us it's ok to lose.
I believe in winning the war. We must pursue victory. Only after victory will there be peace. Peace only follows victory. It's time we raise the voice of winning and drown out the voices of losers.
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Political Survey
| Liberal/Conservative | Registered Repulican who votes Republican. |
| Abortion | Wrong. Pro Innocent Life. |
| Gun Control | The second amendment isn't just about hunting. |
| Immigration | Protect our borders and enforce the law. |
| Marijuana | Illegal |
| War in Iraq | Glad we liberated them, now get the job done right and patiently. |
| Communism | Freedom rules! Communism, socialism, and liberalism have never worked. |
| George Bush | Usually great president who doesn't waver on most principles. |
| Third Parties | Don't win elections. |
| Michael Moore | Communist propagandist. |
| Gay Marraige | Wrong. Not homophobic. Wrong |
| Piracy | Huh? Did you say something? Support artists as much as you are able. |
| Education | Should be a state and local issue. Get rid of the Department of Education on the Federal level. Lots of money and only going backward. |
| Prostitution | Illegal |
| Smoking in Public | Freedom. No second hand smoke study has been conclusive that it's worse than any other smoke inhilation. |
| Taxes | LOWER THEM DRASTICALLY!! Why should any government get 30% of what I earn? |
| Take this survey / PimpSurveys.com | |
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Minimum Wage Is Anti Small Business
I found an interesting headline on CNN's website. They are calling the Minimum Wage a raise for poor people. First of all, that's complete hogwash. Secondly, it verifies quite plainly the liberal slant at CNN.
I'm surprised that people get suckered into the minimum wage debate all the time. I've heard it explained that there are more employees than employers and it's natural for people to think negatively about their employer. Employees always suspect that an owner has more money than they really do and that they aren't sharing enough of it with them. There needs to be a re-education on this matter.
Markets decide wages. It's that simple. Free markets make our economy work. It needs to stay as unbridled as possible. If you start imposing on business owners what wage should be provided, you will likely put many small business owners out of business in favor of big businesses. This is also ironic since Republicans seem to have been characterized by the liberal press as being pro big business.
I'm surprised that people get suckered into the minimum wage debate all the time. I've heard it explained that there are more employees than employers and it's natural for people to think negatively about their employer. Employees always suspect that an owner has more money than they really do and that they aren't sharing enough of it with them. There needs to be a re-education on this matter.
Markets decide wages. It's that simple. Free markets make our economy work. It needs to stay as unbridled as possible. If you start imposing on business owners what wage should be provided, you will likely put many small business owners out of business in favor of big businesses. This is also ironic since Republicans seem to have been characterized by the liberal press as being pro big business.
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Superstition and Christianity
Ever said "good luck"? Ever found a penny heads up and thought it was your lucky day? Ever hung a horseshoe above the door for good luck? Ever thought you had a lucky shirt or pair of socks when your team is on a winning streak? Ever owned a rabbit's foot?
There are all kinds of things that we tend to put a loose form of trust in for various reasons. As a Christian, should we be indulging this nature of ours? Are these harmless little things or proof of a lack of honest faith?
I've played along with some of these things and others. I know they aren't real. I know that superstition doesn't get me anywhere. It really is all about faith. How much do we really have and how much trust do we really have in the Lord? I wonder that about myself sometimes, especially in regards to my car.
There are all kinds of things that we tend to put a loose form of trust in for various reasons. As a Christian, should we be indulging this nature of ours? Are these harmless little things or proof of a lack of honest faith?
I've played along with some of these things and others. I know they aren't real. I know that superstition doesn't get me anywhere. It really is all about faith. How much do we really have and how much trust do we really have in the Lord? I wonder that about myself sometimes, especially in regards to my car.
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Change In Format
There will be changes to this site in the coming year. I'm planning on taking this site to a mostly political bent. I will include things philosophical, logical, theological, and all things related to ideas.
My MSN site will be used to cover everything in my life and include a ton of pictures. The My Space site will change to a purely music related format. Instead of just having 3 mostly duplicate blogs, I thought it best to set them up differently since they tend to work better for these environments. Please continue to check out all 3 and feel free to comment on them all as well.
Have a Happy New Year!
My MSN site will be used to cover everything in my life and include a ton of pictures. The My Space site will change to a purely music related format. Instead of just having 3 mostly duplicate blogs, I thought it best to set them up differently since they tend to work better for these environments. Please continue to check out all 3 and feel free to comment on them all as well.
Have a Happy New Year!
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Merry Christmas 2006
I'm home alone this particular Christmas. It is kind of nice, actually. You see, I had a great Christmas weekend with my kids. I was able to get them several things this year. The big gifts were a KC Chiefs winter coat for my oldest and a Dallas Cowboys hoodie for my youngest. They were very grateful for their gifts. I also got them some games, books, clothes, and other goodies that girls would like.
I also cooked for my girls. I made a turkey dinner complete with mashed potatoes, corn, and dinner rolls. We had pumpkin pie with whipped cream for dessert. I also made them a nice breakfast on Sunday. They seem to agree that I should be doing more cooking for them.
It was a great weekend. I got to call my folks and the girls were able to visit with them and my little brother and his wife. I also visited briefly with my kids today to wish them a Merry Christmas.
I've added some pictures for Christmas 2006 that are in the family section of my photo albums. I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas today!
I also cooked for my girls. I made a turkey dinner complete with mashed potatoes, corn, and dinner rolls. We had pumpkin pie with whipped cream for dessert. I also made them a nice breakfast on Sunday. They seem to agree that I should be doing more cooking for them.
It was a great weekend. I got to call my folks and the girls were able to visit with them and my little brother and his wife. I also visited briefly with my kids today to wish them a Merry Christmas.
I've added some pictures for Christmas 2006 that are in the family section of my photo albums. I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas today!
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Birthday Weekend Recap
My birthday is December 4th. I celebrated a bit the weekend prior. As you can read below, the weekend was started off with the Guns N Roses concert, but some other things went down that day and the following couple of days.
The original plan was for my girlfriend to get off work at noon to make the trip to Des Moines and join me in getting to the concert early. I figured there would be quite a long line for the floor seats that night so leaving my house at 5pm, grabbing a quick bite to eat, and then hanging out at the Hilton Coliseum should have been a breeze to get us up front. There isn't any other reason to have floor tickets if you aren't going to be toward the front with a great view.
Thursday was a huge snow day in Missouri and my girlfriend wasn't sure she'd make it. I stayed positive and sent her a link with the road conditions. By noon that day, the roads were ok to travel and got better the further north she'd have traveled. Well, the day started with her getting stuck in her parking lot at home. Her boss got her to work and had some guys get her truck out. While the truck has turned out to be in the same running condition prior to getting stuck, she was told that there were problems with it and she shouldn't travel. That put her in a not so great mood as this concert may be a once in a lifetime thing depending on Axl's mood. It's not something you take chances with if it's important to you. Well, there was no way she could get out by noon and the later it got the more likely it was she'd be stranded in Missouri for the weekend. Well, that turned out to be the case. I called my roommate and he offered less than half of the ticket price if I couldn't sell it and mine for more. It was too late to sell so I took the rip off price and let him have the ticket that cheap. (I have other ways to get the rest out of him. He reads this blog on occasion, too!) You can read about the concert experience below.
At about 3AM, my roommate and I started heading south for a Missouri road trip. We stopped at Wally World for a case of water and some caffeinated drinks. I did all the driving and we only saw one deer along the way to Missouri. We arrived at our destination about 8AM to the smell of biscuits and gravy. We were welcomed by my girlfriend and her daughter and fed heartily before crashing for a few hours. My roommate got the couch and I got a fairly comfortable Queen Size bed. I say fairly comfortable because I have a King size pillow top mattress and I have to give my girlfriend a hard time for having the more comfortable sleeping area. I told her to not let me sleep past 1pm and just before time was up, she woke me up. It's always great waking up to someone you love.
We pretty much puttered around the house most of the day, but I had the pleasure of joining my girlfriend for some taxi excursions for her daughter. In doing so, I got a nice trip around the town I spent most of my youth growing up in. It was great to see the changes and the familiar. Memories came rushing back at every turn.
My roommate and I were fed a wonderful chicken dinner that evening and we all turned in early since we needed the sleep. Sunday morning we had the aroma of more sausage, bacon, and French toast made by her daughter. Breakfasts like this are awesome. We ate a lot and then spent the rest of the morning just visiting for a while. I told them that we had to make a trip in to Wal-Mart for some shopping before leaving town, though.
We finally got around and headed out for another tour around a couple other parts of town and I wanted to see if anyone was at my old church. Sure enough, there was a carry-in dinner occurring at the church so my roommate and I headed inside. While in there I ran into some friends from my youth. Adults who had helped teach me and people who were friends of the family were there to say hello to. It was also great admiring the addition onto the building. I will be back in June for a celebration of my parents' wedding anniversary.
We finally got around to heading to Wal-Mart. I had received some Christmas money from my parents and wanted to get some new work clothes. I had asked my girlfriend to pick out something she'd consider stylish that might look good on me. She has great taste and picked out two wonderful outfits. I've received compliments on them at work and sent a picture to my mom for her to see. Thank goodness people like this stuff! I've always gone the plain route, but this new set of clothes looks good. If someone doesn't like them, I can always just say my girlfriend dresses me funny.
My roommate and I took off for Des Moines and made it home before 7:30pm that night to get settled and rested after such a crammed in weekend. I figured that if my girlfriend couldn't come see me, I'd go see her and we had a great time. She was kind enough to get me a handheld Yahtzee game and a card that fit me to a T.
Yes, I'm another year older, but it was a good way to celebrate.
The original plan was for my girlfriend to get off work at noon to make the trip to Des Moines and join me in getting to the concert early. I figured there would be quite a long line for the floor seats that night so leaving my house at 5pm, grabbing a quick bite to eat, and then hanging out at the Hilton Coliseum should have been a breeze to get us up front. There isn't any other reason to have floor tickets if you aren't going to be toward the front with a great view.
Thursday was a huge snow day in Missouri and my girlfriend wasn't sure she'd make it. I stayed positive and sent her a link with the road conditions. By noon that day, the roads were ok to travel and got better the further north she'd have traveled. Well, the day started with her getting stuck in her parking lot at home. Her boss got her to work and had some guys get her truck out. While the truck has turned out to be in the same running condition prior to getting stuck, she was told that there were problems with it and she shouldn't travel. That put her in a not so great mood as this concert may be a once in a lifetime thing depending on Axl's mood. It's not something you take chances with if it's important to you. Well, there was no way she could get out by noon and the later it got the more likely it was she'd be stranded in Missouri for the weekend. Well, that turned out to be the case. I called my roommate and he offered less than half of the ticket price if I couldn't sell it and mine for more. It was too late to sell so I took the rip off price and let him have the ticket that cheap. (I have other ways to get the rest out of him. He reads this blog on occasion, too!) You can read about the concert experience below.
At about 3AM, my roommate and I started heading south for a Missouri road trip. We stopped at Wally World for a case of water and some caffeinated drinks. I did all the driving and we only saw one deer along the way to Missouri. We arrived at our destination about 8AM to the smell of biscuits and gravy. We were welcomed by my girlfriend and her daughter and fed heartily before crashing for a few hours. My roommate got the couch and I got a fairly comfortable Queen Size bed. I say fairly comfortable because I have a King size pillow top mattress and I have to give my girlfriend a hard time for having the more comfortable sleeping area. I told her to not let me sleep past 1pm and just before time was up, she woke me up. It's always great waking up to someone you love.
We pretty much puttered around the house most of the day, but I had the pleasure of joining my girlfriend for some taxi excursions for her daughter. In doing so, I got a nice trip around the town I spent most of my youth growing up in. It was great to see the changes and the familiar. Memories came rushing back at every turn.
My roommate and I were fed a wonderful chicken dinner that evening and we all turned in early since we needed the sleep. Sunday morning we had the aroma of more sausage, bacon, and French toast made by her daughter. Breakfasts like this are awesome. We ate a lot and then spent the rest of the morning just visiting for a while. I told them that we had to make a trip in to Wal-Mart for some shopping before leaving town, though.
We finally got around and headed out for another tour around a couple other parts of town and I wanted to see if anyone was at my old church. Sure enough, there was a carry-in dinner occurring at the church so my roommate and I headed inside. While in there I ran into some friends from my youth. Adults who had helped teach me and people who were friends of the family were there to say hello to. It was also great admiring the addition onto the building. I will be back in June for a celebration of my parents' wedding anniversary.
We finally got around to heading to Wal-Mart. I had received some Christmas money from my parents and wanted to get some new work clothes. I had asked my girlfriend to pick out something she'd consider stylish that might look good on me. She has great taste and picked out two wonderful outfits. I've received compliments on them at work and sent a picture to my mom for her to see. Thank goodness people like this stuff! I've always gone the plain route, but this new set of clothes looks good. If someone doesn't like them, I can always just say my girlfriend dresses me funny.
My roommate and I took off for Des Moines and made it home before 7:30pm that night to get settled and rested after such a crammed in weekend. I figured that if my girlfriend couldn't come see me, I'd go see her and we had a great time. She was kind enough to get me a handheld Yahtzee game and a card that fit me to a T.
Yes, I'm another year older, but it was a good way to celebrate.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Thanksgiving Recap
I guess I forgot to put up any details about my Thanksgiving trip to Missouri. It was a great week. My entire family was there and we created some great memories for a few days. My parents, my brothers and their families, and even my dad's sister were there.
I picked up my daughters not long after school on Tuesday that week. We went through KC and on to Kingdom City. We stopped there to meet my girlfriend and have a bit of ice cream. We got to my folks before 10pm and soon got the kids off to bed.
Wednesday was a nice quiet day for me and the girls to spend with my parents and aunt. We had raisin bran muffins for breakfast, which are my favorite. The middle brother got into town about 5pm with his wife and 4 kids. We had some dinner and then went to a Thanksgiving church service. My daughters sang a special with my niece and my brother accompanied them on the piano. It was great seeing all the girls sing together. They sounded great. The 4 oldest grandkids stayed with my parents and the rest of us went and stayed where my mom works. It was like having my own hotel room with my brother, his wife, and the two youngest boys next door.
Thursday morning we all went to my parents and my youngest brother and his wife joined us. It was a nice warm day so we went out and played some catch in the backyard with my oldest daughter. It was great tossing a baseball around with my brothers and Brittany. I haven't done that for a long time. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner of turkey and ham. We played Farkle and other games.
My girls and I then headed off to see my girlfriend and spend Thanksgiving evening with her. She had some ham made and had some key lime pie for us. It was great to just spend the time with her. She even bought a Yahtzee game and we played that with her. Yea, I'm pretty crazy about her.
Friday was another one of those days to sleep in a bit. I took the girls and my aunt in for some shopping to the outlet malls. We looked around a bit for some Christmas ideas. My niece was given some money to do some shopping and bought a beautiful dress to wear. We got back in time to get ready for family photos. My parents had scheduled a professional photo session for the entire family. We also had a sitting for the kids. Both pictures turned out great and I can't wait to get the prints I ordered. We had another nice meal when we returned home. There is little like mom's cooking to make a holiday or any day.
We had said our goodbyes to my youngest brother and his wife on Friday evening and Saturday was the day to say goodbye to my other brother and his family. The kids had so much fun together and they only get to do it about once a year.
I left that afternoon to go see my girlfriend while my girls spent the evening with their grandparents and my aunt. The helped bake a cake and did some other fun things like watching a movie that evening that was finishing when I arrived. I had a great time that evening just spending some quiet time with my girlfriend. She even had another piece of pie for me. I got home in time to get my girls tucked in.
Sunday morning we all got up early for church. It was great to see some old friends while there. We had another nice dinner when we got home and left shortly after.
While at my folks on Sunday, we found out that my ex-brother-in-law had a mild heart attack that morning. Instead of taking my girls back to their mom's house, we took off for Des Moines. It was nice to have a shorter trip home, but would have been better under other circumstances. Turns out he was ok after surgery, though. I got home in time to spend a couple of hours relaxing and spent a part of the evening on the phone with my woman. It was great to be home with so many wonderful memories that had been made the previous week.
There is truly a lot to be thankful for.
I picked up my daughters not long after school on Tuesday that week. We went through KC and on to Kingdom City. We stopped there to meet my girlfriend and have a bit of ice cream. We got to my folks before 10pm and soon got the kids off to bed.
Wednesday was a nice quiet day for me and the girls to spend with my parents and aunt. We had raisin bran muffins for breakfast, which are my favorite. The middle brother got into town about 5pm with his wife and 4 kids. We had some dinner and then went to a Thanksgiving church service. My daughters sang a special with my niece and my brother accompanied them on the piano. It was great seeing all the girls sing together. They sounded great. The 4 oldest grandkids stayed with my parents and the rest of us went and stayed where my mom works. It was like having my own hotel room with my brother, his wife, and the two youngest boys next door.
Thursday morning we all went to my parents and my youngest brother and his wife joined us. It was a nice warm day so we went out and played some catch in the backyard with my oldest daughter. It was great tossing a baseball around with my brothers and Brittany. I haven't done that for a long time. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner of turkey and ham. We played Farkle and other games.
My girls and I then headed off to see my girlfriend and spend Thanksgiving evening with her. She had some ham made and had some key lime pie for us. It was great to just spend the time with her. She even bought a Yahtzee game and we played that with her. Yea, I'm pretty crazy about her.
Friday was another one of those days to sleep in a bit. I took the girls and my aunt in for some shopping to the outlet malls. We looked around a bit for some Christmas ideas. My niece was given some money to do some shopping and bought a beautiful dress to wear. We got back in time to get ready for family photos. My parents had scheduled a professional photo session for the entire family. We also had a sitting for the kids. Both pictures turned out great and I can't wait to get the prints I ordered. We had another nice meal when we returned home. There is little like mom's cooking to make a holiday or any day.
We had said our goodbyes to my youngest brother and his wife on Friday evening and Saturday was the day to say goodbye to my other brother and his family. The kids had so much fun together and they only get to do it about once a year.
I left that afternoon to go see my girlfriend while my girls spent the evening with their grandparents and my aunt. The helped bake a cake and did some other fun things like watching a movie that evening that was finishing when I arrived. I had a great time that evening just spending some quiet time with my girlfriend. She even had another piece of pie for me. I got home in time to get my girls tucked in.
Sunday morning we all got up early for church. It was great to see some old friends while there. We had another nice dinner when we got home and left shortly after.
While at my folks on Sunday, we found out that my ex-brother-in-law had a mild heart attack that morning. Instead of taking my girls back to their mom's house, we took off for Des Moines. It was nice to have a shorter trip home, but would have been better under other circumstances. Turns out he was ok after surgery, though. I got home in time to spend a couple of hours relaxing and spent a part of the evening on the phone with my woman. It was great to be home with so many wonderful memories that had been made the previous week.
There is truly a lot to be thankful for.
Monday, December 04, 2006
Guns N Roses in Ames, IA
I have mixed feelings about this one. I've read a ton of comments to other reviews and it sounds like most people are griping about this show with a few of the "die-hards" defending Axl Rose for everything. This is only my opinion of the Ames show so here goes.
My girlfriend got snowed in and was unable to come up from Missouri to attend this concert with me. I sold my roommate my other floor ticket at just under half the price and we got to the Hilton Coliseum about 6:40pm. There wasn't a huge line at either entrance, so we knew we'd get a decent spot on the floor. The doors opened on time at 7pm and we walked in to get frisked and were let into the floor area. We looked at prices for the merchandise and almost died laughing that key chains were $10 and beanies were $30. They have a great baseball jersey at an outrageous price of $125. It's a shirt that wouldn't cost $50 elsewhere, but since it has a GNR design on it, it must command a higher dollar than sane people are willing to pay.
As we got to the front of the floor, the St. Louis band Modern Day Zero was starting a set long before the 8pm start time. They are a tight band that is still using the dated "nu-metal" sound, but considering that everything is considered dated at a GNR show, this wasn't entirely out of place. I actually enjoyed some of the rhythms of the band and they were very energetic. Everyone seemed to command the stage in that band with the only low point being the singer. The bass player and guitarist on the left hand side of the stage were great players with great presence.
When 8pm rolled around, the Suicide Girls came out with their entertaining and erotic burlesque show. Their whole thing is that they are natural girls with a bit of the gothic look and they look good without the harsh diets and fake parts. They were quite entertaining with their dance numbers on chairs, a ladder, with a flaming hula-hoop, dressed as cop and prisoner, and even as airline stewardesses. They came out again before GNR went on and even used chocolate syrup. It's not a concert type of production, but was entertaining.
Sebastian Bach came out with some great Skid Row tunes from their early days. He did Piece Of Me, I Remember You, Big Guns, and several from Slave To The Grind and Skid Row before closing with Youth Gone Wild. There were even a couple of tunes that I didn't recognize, but seemed to be new. Bas made some cheesy comments to go along with the titles of a few songs. He initially said he couldn't remember his last time in Ames, but before I Remember You he mentioned that he certainly remember us. That was one of the cheesier intros to a song. Bas does deliver, though. He has the vocal chops to hit everything and then some and he certainly gets the crowd into the show. He just has a natural enthusiasm for entertaining. Bas did brag about lying to Ted Nugent about his drinking, but I'm not sure how much of that is an act. The band did a great job playing the tunes, but it would be great for Bas to get a crack band that can keep up with him and look better doing it. Metal Mike looks like a Dimebag fan, but I'm not so sure that's a good thing. At least he has the chops.
Helmet followed Sebastian Bach and got booed loudly and angrily. I like Helmet. I liked their set, but it was out of place and out of pace with this concert. Helmet should have gone on at 8pm and then should have been followed by the Suicide Girls and Sebastian Bach. When you have to follow the crowd singing Youth Gone Wild and you are then put before Guns N Roses, you face the daunting task of keeping that energy up. It wasn't Helmet that had the fans angry, but the pacing of the show and the fact that many didn't even know Helmet was going to be at this show. The fans were expecting Bas and GNR, not Helmet and the Suicide Girls. Helmet got to the point of not even taking much of a break between songs in order to play their set. They were laughing off the crowd a bit, but thankful for the very few that were into them. I'm anxious to see how they perform the rest of the tour, but GNR would be better served to put Helmet on first.
The Suicide Girls came back out for another few dances, but the crowd was even more restless at this point in their anticipation for GNR. Many were unaware that Axl likes to go on after 11pm or even after midnight and that there was some trouble getting through the weather from Chicago to Des Moines. There were many that left at 12:30am angry that they spent their hard earned money on a show that they weren't aware would last over 7 hours.
Axl and his band finally came on about 12:40am. I'm not sure if it was worth the wait, but it was a great show. Axl did sound good and had a lot of energy. They started with Welcome To The Jungle and did the first three tunes from Appetite For Destruction before launching into their cover of Live And Let Die. There were a few new songs sprinkled into the set, but mostly the familiar. Sebastian Bach came out for his duet on My Michelle and both sounded great. There were fireworks, flames, and a great light show to go with the large backdrops and video screens used. The stage was split level with the drums in the center at the top flanked by keyboard setups on either side. Dizzy Reed, the only other member to record on a previous GNR disc was up on the left and he got a solo front and center on a grand piano. Axly used the piano on November Rain, too.
The band looked like they have been playing with Axl for quite some time as they were very tight. I just didn't get the feeling that this was truly a band, though, as it still came across like Axl and his backing band. That could just be my impression. The members have some originality and are very good players. The guitar players do play a little clean for my taste as I'm used to hearing Slash's tastefully sloppy play when hearing these songs.
Overall, there is no way to complain about how much you got for your ticket price. Four bands and a burlesque show for a top price of $77 plus TicketMaster charges isn't a bad value. The bad parts are the advertising for the show being that two bands would be there (some included The Suicide Girls.) and the late hour at which GNR goes on. If people were warned in advance, they could have just shown up later instead of thinking that they'd get a show and be home in time to get their babysitters home. The other bad part was the pacing of the show. As good as Helmet is, they aren't as popular as Sebastian Bach and certainly don't get the crowd going for the headliner when they are being booed.
Hopefully, this review will serve as a warning to some so that all will know what to expect in future shows. See it once, but don't bother a second time unless you have seats or the legs to stand it.
My girlfriend got snowed in and was unable to come up from Missouri to attend this concert with me. I sold my roommate my other floor ticket at just under half the price and we got to the Hilton Coliseum about 6:40pm. There wasn't a huge line at either entrance, so we knew we'd get a decent spot on the floor. The doors opened on time at 7pm and we walked in to get frisked and were let into the floor area. We looked at prices for the merchandise and almost died laughing that key chains were $10 and beanies were $30. They have a great baseball jersey at an outrageous price of $125. It's a shirt that wouldn't cost $50 elsewhere, but since it has a GNR design on it, it must command a higher dollar than sane people are willing to pay.
As we got to the front of the floor, the St. Louis band Modern Day Zero was starting a set long before the 8pm start time. They are a tight band that is still using the dated "nu-metal" sound, but considering that everything is considered dated at a GNR show, this wasn't entirely out of place. I actually enjoyed some of the rhythms of the band and they were very energetic. Everyone seemed to command the stage in that band with the only low point being the singer. The bass player and guitarist on the left hand side of the stage were great players with great presence.
When 8pm rolled around, the Suicide Girls came out with their entertaining and erotic burlesque show. Their whole thing is that they are natural girls with a bit of the gothic look and they look good without the harsh diets and fake parts. They were quite entertaining with their dance numbers on chairs, a ladder, with a flaming hula-hoop, dressed as cop and prisoner, and even as airline stewardesses. They came out again before GNR went on and even used chocolate syrup. It's not a concert type of production, but was entertaining.
Sebastian Bach came out with some great Skid Row tunes from their early days. He did Piece Of Me, I Remember You, Big Guns, and several from Slave To The Grind and Skid Row before closing with Youth Gone Wild. There were even a couple of tunes that I didn't recognize, but seemed to be new. Bas made some cheesy comments to go along with the titles of a few songs. He initially said he couldn't remember his last time in Ames, but before I Remember You he mentioned that he certainly remember us. That was one of the cheesier intros to a song. Bas does deliver, though. He has the vocal chops to hit everything and then some and he certainly gets the crowd into the show. He just has a natural enthusiasm for entertaining. Bas did brag about lying to Ted Nugent about his drinking, but I'm not sure how much of that is an act. The band did a great job playing the tunes, but it would be great for Bas to get a crack band that can keep up with him and look better doing it. Metal Mike looks like a Dimebag fan, but I'm not so sure that's a good thing. At least he has the chops.
Helmet followed Sebastian Bach and got booed loudly and angrily. I like Helmet. I liked their set, but it was out of place and out of pace with this concert. Helmet should have gone on at 8pm and then should have been followed by the Suicide Girls and Sebastian Bach. When you have to follow the crowd singing Youth Gone Wild and you are then put before Guns N Roses, you face the daunting task of keeping that energy up. It wasn't Helmet that had the fans angry, but the pacing of the show and the fact that many didn't even know Helmet was going to be at this show. The fans were expecting Bas and GNR, not Helmet and the Suicide Girls. Helmet got to the point of not even taking much of a break between songs in order to play their set. They were laughing off the crowd a bit, but thankful for the very few that were into them. I'm anxious to see how they perform the rest of the tour, but GNR would be better served to put Helmet on first.
The Suicide Girls came back out for another few dances, but the crowd was even more restless at this point in their anticipation for GNR. Many were unaware that Axl likes to go on after 11pm or even after midnight and that there was some trouble getting through the weather from Chicago to Des Moines. There were many that left at 12:30am angry that they spent their hard earned money on a show that they weren't aware would last over 7 hours.
Axl and his band finally came on about 12:40am. I'm not sure if it was worth the wait, but it was a great show. Axl did sound good and had a lot of energy. They started with Welcome To The Jungle and did the first three tunes from Appetite For Destruction before launching into their cover of Live And Let Die. There were a few new songs sprinkled into the set, but mostly the familiar. Sebastian Bach came out for his duet on My Michelle and both sounded great. There were fireworks, flames, and a great light show to go with the large backdrops and video screens used. The stage was split level with the drums in the center at the top flanked by keyboard setups on either side. Dizzy Reed, the only other member to record on a previous GNR disc was up on the left and he got a solo front and center on a grand piano. Axly used the piano on November Rain, too.
The band looked like they have been playing with Axl for quite some time as they were very tight. I just didn't get the feeling that this was truly a band, though, as it still came across like Axl and his backing band. That could just be my impression. The members have some originality and are very good players. The guitar players do play a little clean for my taste as I'm used to hearing Slash's tastefully sloppy play when hearing these songs.
Overall, there is no way to complain about how much you got for your ticket price. Four bands and a burlesque show for a top price of $77 plus TicketMaster charges isn't a bad value. The bad parts are the advertising for the show being that two bands would be there (some included The Suicide Girls.) and the late hour at which GNR goes on. If people were warned in advance, they could have just shown up later instead of thinking that they'd get a show and be home in time to get their babysitters home. The other bad part was the pacing of the show. As good as Helmet is, they aren't as popular as Sebastian Bach and certainly don't get the crowd going for the headliner when they are being booed.
Hopefully, this review will serve as a warning to some so that all will know what to expect in future shows. See it once, but don't bother a second time unless you have seats or the legs to stand it.
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