Monstrously Good

I recently received via Netfilx the 2005 documentary Some Kind of Monster, which chronicles about two years in the life of Metallica as they recorded their album St. Anger.

When this CD was released, it was largely panned by both fans and critics alike. In fact, it was so bad that when I saw them tour for the album, they only performed two songs from the disc!

I'll admit that while I love the band, I didn't think the CD was worth the wait, either. It had a few really good tracks, like "St. Anger," "Amber," and "Dirt Window," but for the most part, it wasn't up to the band's past releases.

Fast forward to now and the documentary. It's an amazing movie and you don't have to be a fan of the band to like it. Followed for almost two years, the film shows how difficult it can be to write an album ... it's not all glamor and glitz, for sure. And Metallica faced even more issues as they didn't have a regular bass player (producer Bob Rock stood in) and lead singer James Hetfield went into re-hab for a year in the middle of writing and recording.

Again, the film was released six years ago and even though you know the band did stay together, it's riveting nonetheless. At one point, the band is in a meeting with their group therapist and you can see that they're on the brink of breaking up. I was literally on the edge of my seat watching this and said aloud (to no one), "Oh my god, they're going to break up! This is the end of the band!" Then I caught myself and realized that this wasn't the case. To me, that tells you how good the film is.

But getting back to the album, St. Anger. Even prior to seeing the documentary, the more I listened to the disc, the more I liked it. Now, after watching the movie about the making of the album, I have a whole new appreciation for what was behind the creative process. Listening to the disc now it sounds totally different ... for the better.

It's too bad more fans don't like this disc because while it's not their best effort (for me, nothing tops ... And Justice for All), St. Anger is an excellent record. The lyrics are incredible introspective given Hetfield's journey to sobriety but without being preachy. And knowing what is behind the lyrics of other songs just makes the music that much better for me.

My all-time favorite part of the album is at about 4:30 into the title track, "St. Anger" when the band kicks into overdrive and Hetfield sings:

and I want my anger to be healthy
and I want my anger just for me
and I need my anger not to "control"
yeah, and I want my anger to be me

Every time I listen to this song, I rewind that part and listen to it over and over again because it gives me chills. As a matter of fact, I got goosebumps just reading those lyrics now because I could hear the song in my head.

I hope this album eventually gets its due because it really is that good. The writing is tight, the band takes some chances musically and for the most part succeeds. Again, it's not their best effort, but it's definitely much better than most fans say it is.

Another reason why I hate Wal-Mart

Although they're not entirely to blame for this ...

So I admit that I like the occasional pop song. Joey watches the Disney Channel which, between shows, will play the latest videos of artists signed to its label, Hollywood Records.

Because of this, I've been exposed to more of the "tween" generation of music (Miley Cyrus, Jonas Brothers, et. al.) than I normally would have. And, in the interest of full disclosure, some of it isn't bad, like Selena Gomez's Falling Down and the Jonas Brother's song "Keep it Real" ... they're actually well-written songs with better than average lyrics. Still not my first choice of music (Slayer's new CD drops in November ... giddy!), but once in a while, it's fun to listen to some of this stuff.

Anyway ... what does this have to do with Wal-Mart? Miley Cyrus has a song our right now called "Party in the USA" and it's a good tune and I thought I'd download it from Amazon.com. Went to the site ... no song. They don't even have the CD on their site. Weird.

Started hunting around and it turns out the CD is only available at Wal-Mart, which means you can't download the disc or any tracks. Ooooookay.

The more I thought about this, the more I don't understand why Cyrus would want to do this. I wonder how many sales she lost because people (like me) won't shop Wal-Mart on principle.

Then again, I don't think 40-year-old dads exactly fall in her target demographic ...

My Top 10 ... well, 12

Kell and my sister are planning a party this month to celebrate the 40-year anniversary of the date (July 22nd) when I was spawned unto this unsuspecting world (we're having dinner, live music, the whole shebang).

As part of the planning, my sister wanted me to burn her a CD of my top 10 favorite songs of all time.

Riiiiiiiiiight ... 10 songs?!? I have hundreds of bands, musicians, artists on our external hard drive ... thousands of songs ranging from classical to jazz to musicals to all manners of rock, hard rock, metal, speed metal and the like.

Needless to say, I had a daunting task. Seriously, how do I figure this out? Without thinking about the number of songs I was choosing, I went through the bands and selected my favorite CD by each band, then my favorite song from the disc.

I stopped at 96 tracks.

So I pared the list down to 12 ... I just couldn't get it any shorter than that. Here's the list (in alphabetical order by band) and a brief explanation about why I chose the song:

1. Aerosmith: "Train Kept a Rollin'" (live version) - This song is a classic among classics. I remember being in high school and just cranking the radio to 11 every time it came on. I love the fact that it's a live recording and it still sounds that good. The band is simply at its peak and the drum solo/guitar riffs/base line towards the end is amazing. Just a great pounding sound ... must have been amazing to have been at that particular show.
   
2. Allman Brothers Band: "Dreams" - The version I chose is from the An Evening with the Allman Band CD. I'm a huge ABB fan and loved this song the first time I heard it and this version in particular. At the time of this recording, Dickie Betts was still with the band and he and Warren Haynes absolutely kick the living crap out of this song. Seriously, the ABB is one those bands everyone should see at least once but if you don't, this disc is a great way to get a good feeling for what it's like to see them. As usual, Tom Dowd manned the boards for the recording and he captures the band at their height with this line up. This song is amazing in its tempo, guitar solos and the lyrics are Greg Allman at his cosmic best.
   
3. Boston: "Foreplay/Longtime" - Boston's first, eponymous CD is one of my all-time faves and every song could have made the list. Again, it's one of those discs that as a teen, whenever a song came on the radio, you just had to turn it up. I think the thing that amazes me the most is how good this song (and CD) sound from a production perspective ... and it's over 30 years old! The band's guitarist and techno-wiz, Tom Scholz (an MIT grad) built and/or developed much of the recording equipment used by the band and they sounded light years ahead of their time. I just think this song in particular shows why the band was so good ... they sound so tight and the lyrics are great. I can't not listen to this song when it's on the radio.
   
4. Cream: "Crossroads" - C'mon, this song is legendary even for the casual rock music fan. If you ever want to explain to someone what Eric Clapton is all about, then look no further than this song. Whenever I hear it, it's one of those songs that I'll rewind to the beginning of the solo and listen to it again ... and again. This may sound weird, but Clapton just doesn't waste a note anywhere in this song and Jack Bruce's base playing (especially during the guitar solo) is insane ... and keeping everything together is Ginger Baker who must have had to trade in for a new pair of arms when this song was done. One of the top five rock recordings of all time, IMO.
   
5. Dave Mathews Band: "Jimi Thing" - I wish I could explain in words exactly what this song does to me every time I hear it but whenever it comes up on a CD, I have to listen to it at least two or three times in a row. First off, the production is fantastic ... nice, fat acoustic guitar sound, the drums, and the fact that there's a fiddle solo in the middle of the song ... well, damn. And Dave's lyrics are truly bizarre, but in a good way. You have to really listen to the song to get it. I can never hear this song enough ... just an amazing 5:57 of music. It also reminds me of Martha's Vineyard because when Kell and I would go down there before we were married, we'd always listen to the DMB as we drove around and hearing any DMB song, but this CD in particular, reminds of those times.
   
6. Jane's Addiction: "Slow Divers" - OK, I'll be up front and say it right now ... this song reminds me of when I used to smoke um, a leafy green herb, in particular, smoking with my friend Ray at his house. It'd be summertime at night, we'd be outside with a drink and feeling very relaxed and mellow and we'd put Kettle Whistle on and man, when this song came on everything was allllright. Just an amazing song to relax to and the lyrics are great (quick synopsis: the singer is at an amusement park and watches people going down a water slide and imagines them trying to procreate while doing so). The song itself, though, sounds amazing ... another great live recording. The band is just peaking during this recording and you can almost hear the audience sitting in stunned silence watching this.
   
7. Jimi Hendrix: "Red House" - My favorite story around this song is that when Hendrix was recording in London before he made it big in America, the record people were telling him to not include this song on the album because Americans didn't want to hear a rock guitarist play blues music. Wow! For me, this song is the epitome of Hendrix's style ... he was greatly influenced by the blues and this was his hand at recording in that vein. Thankfully he did eventually record it and released it on his Smash Hits record. The song also has one of my all-time fave Hendrix lyrics in it: "'Cause if my baby don't love no more/I know her sister will!" Always makes me laugh when I hear it because you can hear the smile on Hendrix's face when he sings the line.
   
8. King's X: "Life Going By" - King's X is one of those bands that a lot of people have never heard of but for those of us who are lucky enough to have heard of them, they're one of the best ever. This song in particular is one that I can't explain why it affects me the way it does, but it's one that I have to listen to a few times when it comes up on the CD. Again, the production is amazing so it sounds unbelievable and the lyrics ... well, I can honestly say that if I'm in the right mood, I actually get a bit choked up when I hear this song. Ty Taybor's guitar work here is some of his best ... it's a shorter solo, but just perfect, tight and to the point.
   
9. Led Zepplin: "Nobody's Fault But Mine" - I knew when compiling this list that a Led Zepplin song was going to be on it and I had no idea how I was going to come up with one song. And this is the only song on the list that isn't on that band's favorite CD of mine (Led Zep II is my fave). But as I was going through the band's catalog and I saw the title of this song, I listened to it and was once again absolutely blown away by it and I've heard this song dozens and dozens of times. For me, this song is a perfect amalgamation of four of the greatest musicians in a single song. Robert Plant's voice hits every note perfectly with authority and clarity, Jimmy Page's guitar work is genius, John Paul Jones has the best and most amazing bass sound ever recorded and John Bonham is ... well, being John Bonham. When you listen to this song, you can hear every influence the band ever had ... the blues, rock, R&B, it's all there. This is a song that the louder you listen to it, the better it sounds.
   
10. Stevie Ray Vaughn: "Couldn't Stand the Weather" - The title track from the first SVR album I ever bought. I love, love love this song. Chris Layton's drum playing is just spot on and nails every fill he has in this song; bassist Tommy Shannon has this awesome, fat sound that perfectly fills in the low end of Stevie's playing and it makes you really appreciate what a good bass player like this does for a song ... and then there's Vaughn and his quintessential blues-rock guitar in this song. The stuff he does in the bridge, the rhythm guitar and that solo ... holy crap, the solo. As I'm typing this, I can hear it in my head and I want to stop and go listen to this song. Vaughn always said he never liked his singing voice but c'mon, I think it's perfect for his music ... gritty, kinda down and dirty, like his guitar playing at its best.
    
11. The Beatles - "I Am the Walrus" - I first heard this song on a two-disc vinyl album I got for Christmas when I was around 12-ish. It was a Best of the Beatles compilation that featured their later stuff and I couldn't get enough of it. I must have listened to that album over and over again. Like Led Zepplin, it was difficult finding one song, but in the end, I think this song really represents the different, um ... altered state-influenced direction the band headed into later in their career. And the lyrics are just unreal ... "Sitting in my English garden waiting for the sun/If the sun don't come, you'll get a tan from standing in the English rain" ... ooookay. A lot of people talk about Sgt. Pepper as being the best Beatles album, but I think Magical Mystery Tour is at least as good, if not better. Like Pepper, the production is just insane but unlike Pepper, I think the influences and styles of music on MMT are more diverse and show the band spreading out and taking chances. Also, I'd be remiss if I didn't say that any Beatles song reminds me of my cousin, Liz, and that's never a bad thing.
    
12. Van Halen - "Mean Street" - Geez, where to begin?!? As many people know, things didn't end well between David Lee Roth and Eddie Van Halen when Roth left/quit in 1985. Whatever the case, legend has it that it got so bad that when the band would record, Eddie would lay down his guitar tracks late in the night and Dave would come in the next day and put down his vocals and rarely did the two see each other. It's been said that Eddie was at his angriest during the recording of Fair Warning, (my absolute favorite Van Halen album and Mean Street is my fave track, hands down) and you can hear that anger in these recordings. There's simply an edge to these songs that doesn't exist on any other VH record before or since. I will never forget being a teenager, sitting in my room and putting on this record (on vinyl!) and listening to it for the first time ... and my jaw just dropped. By the time this album was released (in 1981), Eddie's reputation as a guitar virtuoso was firmly in place; listen to this song and you'll know why. The two-hand tapping and hammering on and off intro as it fades in then gives way to this edgy, almost grating string sound that fades out then ... BOOM! Eddie launches another diatribe again and the drums and bass kick in. And then Dave sings some the greatest lyrics he ever wrote with the band that begin with: "At night I walk these stinkin' streets, pass the crazies on my block/And I see the same old faces and I hear that same old talk/And I'm searchin' the latest thing, a break in this routine/I'm talkin' some new kicks, ones like you ain't never seen!" Gives me goose bumps every ... single ... time and that says a lot about a song when it affects you like that.

Truly, this list could go on and on and on ... but it's only supposed to be 10 ... well, 12 'cause it's my list, so there!

Top 10 Favorite Soundtracks

Here's the impetus for this list ... over the weekend I saw a band that friends of mine are in and they did a cover of "Son of a Preacher Man" which got me to thinking about Pulp Fiction and the Pulp Fiction soundtrack and how much I love that CD.

So I started poking around the ol' external hard drive onto which I've ripped our 1000+ CDs and we have a number of soundtracks. So here is a list of my faves (in no particular order, except the first one):

1. Pulp Fiction

This to me is the quintessential soundtrack. Every single song on this CD works and it's a brilliant collection. Whenever I listen to this disc, I immediately think about where in the move the music appears. Quentin Tarantino hit the mark on this soundtrack from the first to the last track. And the sound bites from the movie are perfect. "No man, they have the metric system in Europe, they wouldn't know what the f%#$ a Quarter Pounder is ..."


2. The Producers

My god, how much do I love this disc? Mel Brooks is a genius and he writes the most amazing music and lyrics for his projects. I can't tell you how many times I've listened to this CD and laughed like hell, especially when "Keep It Gay" is playing (best song in the show, IMO). "Shows should be more witty, shows should be more pretty, shows should be more ... what's the word?" "Gay?" "Exactly!" Whenever I listed to this disc, I can't skip around because every song is just that good.



3. The Fifth Element

This is one of those movies that not a lot of people have heard of but it's one of Bruce Willis' best, I think. It looks amazing, great story, lots of humor (Chris Tucker steals every scene he's in) and the music is amazing. The more times you see this movie, the more you appreciate the music because it's so ethereal and blends perfectly with the action on screen.



4. Austin Powers

An excellent movie because it was a fresh idea at the time and a great soundtrack from start to finish. "Incense and Peppermint", "Soul Bossa Nova" and "Mas Que Nada" are standouts. Now, if Myers would just not make another one of these movies, we'd all be better off. I really wish he'd stopped after the first because the franchise really tanked after this movie, but I digress ...



5. Jackie Brown

Much like Pulp Fiction, Tarantino hit another home run with this collection. Every song just...works. "Strawberry Letter 23" ... just amazing. And like Fiction, the disc is peppered with sound bites from the movie. Excellent. "The AK-47 ... when you've absolutely, positively got to kill every
motherf-er in the room, accept no substitutes!"





6. Star Wars: The Phantom Menace

Admittedly, not a great movie, but it's another great collection of music from the genius that is John Williams. "Duel of the Fates" just sent a shiver up my spine when I first heard it and then hearing it in the movie when Darth Maul appears just gave me chills again ... still does and for me, that's the sign of a great piece of music.





7. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

Three words for you: Darth ... Vader's ... Theme. I actually have the vinyl version of this soundtrack and I remember the summer (1980) that this movie came out. I bought the album and must have listened to it dozens of times.







8. Monty Python's Spamalot

Python legend Eric Idle is at peak form on these tracks and shines once again as one of the comic geniuses behind the Python franchise. And the Broadway cast, including Tim Curry, David Hyde Pierce and Hank Azaria, is just perfect. I actually saw this show before getting the soundtrack and remember thinking that I wanted to stop by a store on the way home from the show to get the CD. Remember, "What happens in Camelot stays in Camelot!"



9. A Charlie Brown Christmas

If there ever was an iconic Christmas album, that has to be it (or, at least one of them). One the things I liked most about the Peanuts TV specials was the music (even as a kid) and as an adult, I really appreciate the virtuosity of Vince Guaraldi. When the holidays roll around, this is one of the first Christmas CDs I'll listen to. "Skating", "Christmastime is Here" and "O Tannenbaum" are true standouts. Who can't listen to "Skating" and not picture Snoopy gliding along the ice? A classic soundtrack for a classic special.



10. The Song Remains the Same

One of the greatest live recordings from one of the greatest rock bands of all time. Yeah, the movie itself was a bit ... um, weird when the concert footage cuts to the dream sequence kinda of stuff (you get the sense that an altered state is probably helpful when viewing this film), but still, the film shows the band at it's height and the soundtrack just plain rocks. And not for nothing but I'll forever be jealous of my cousin Joe who got to see Led Zeppelin at Madison Square Garden.

Honorable mentions would include:

• Chicago - Yes, I'm a guy and yes, I liked this movie. Great soundtrack, too. Who woulda thunk Catherine Zeta-Jones could sing like that? Fave track, tho, is John C. Reilly singing "Mister Cellophane" ... heartbreaking.
  
• Pink Floyd's The Wall - Yes, the album came first but it's a concept album and the movie followed it virtually verbatim.
  
• The Breakfast Club - I defy anyone who grew up and was in high school in the 1980s to not know at least one line from this movie. "Don't you, forget about me ..."
  
• The Big Chill - Top to bottom, front to back, one classic song after another.
  
• Woodstock - 'Nuff said!
  

Frankenstein

This is worth 10 minutes of your time ... especially 4:50 in ...


And holy crap, this is too ...

Ed in rare form

Found this on YouTube ... this is from an HBO special in the late '80s ... was a b-day tribute to Les Paul in which a bunch of guitarists were assembled to pay tribute to the pioneer who invented, among other things, multi-track recording.

Just amazing to see Eddie Van Halen, Tony Levin and Jan Hammer on stage together. Very cool.

'80's cheese, but it's sooooo tasty!

I admit that I'm a child of the '80s hair metal movement and "Hair Nation" is one of the favorite channels on Sirius satellite radio.

One of my fav hair bands is Ratt and for me, it doesn't get any better than "Lay It Down" ... pretty sure if you looked up "cheesy '80s metal hair band video" in the dictionary, you'd see this video. Roooocks!

Britney ... Britney ... Britney

Just saw this story about Britney Spears being committed to a psych ward.

Being a dad really changed my perspective on this story.

When all of this started, I really couldn't have cared less. I thought, "Pffft, Britney Spears. She's rich, poor thing ... she has problems. Don't we all."

But, as this has played out over the past few months to a year, I've come to realize that this woman really is sick and needs help. The article says she may be bipolar ... she could be still suffering from postpartum depression, too. Every time I read something about Spears, I just keep thinking about her kids. I mean, c'mon, for better or worse she is a mom and I think it speaks to the level of her mental illness when she just can't seem to get it together enough when she's threatened with losing custody of her children (the article says she hasn't seen her kids in almost a month).

Here's hoping she gets the help she needs so she can get her life back on track. That and once she does, may be we won't have to hear about this crap anymore. Seriously ... we're in a recession or about to enter one (depending on who you believe), there's a war going on, healthcare is still a major crisis in this country and Spears and her shenanigans still make headlines?!? Oy vey ...

That all being said, I won't lose any sleep over this. If no one ever hears about Spears again it'll be too soon.

The most random list you'll ever read

I'm not ashamed to say I got the idea for this post from a fellow blogger. To me, that's a compliment when fellow bloggers borrow each other's ideas. Disagree? Well, it's my blog, so there.

The following is a completely random list about ... me.

1. I was born July 22, 1969 … the story goes that my mom went into labor as Neil Armstrong was walking on the moon. She wanted to go to the hospital but my dad couldn’t take his eyes off of the TV. She won.
   
2. My son, Joey, is one of the most amazing people I have ever met. Seeing the world through his eyes is indescribable.
   
3. When I worked in Boston, I used to commute 20 hours a week. Fun.
   
4. I’ve never been sued.
   
5. If there's one person in my life that I trust more than anyone else, it's my mom. She absolutely would never BS me.
   
6. I am a huge golf nut and love playing. Well, if you call having a handicap over 20 "playing".
   
7. My favorite color is navy blue.
   
8. One of my most favorite things in the world is the way Joey prefaces almost every sentence he says to me with, "Dah-dee".
   
9. Nothing beats walking in the door and Joey comes running up to me saying, "Dah-dee, Dah-dee, you're home! I missed you!" I fall in love with him every day.
   
10. I’m not a fan of sodas like Coke or Pepsi … I can’t stand the way it feels like your teeth are covered in sugar after you drink them.
    
11. If I drink soda, it’s soda water (lemon and orange are the favorite flavors).
12. That being said, Jack + Coke = always good.
    
13. I’m proud to be a Jack Daniel’s Squire.
    
14. My favorite beer is Cape Ann Brewery's "Boston Tea Part Ale", followed closely by Boddington's and just about anything Sam Adams makes, especially Sammy Light.
    
15. I have one sibling, a younger sister, Beckie.
    
16. My all-time favorite book is “To Kill A Mockingbird” … I’ve read it over a dozen times.
    
17. I try not to use the word "hate", but I have to say that I really hate being late for anything. As far as I'm concerned, if you're ten mintues early for something, that's being on time.
    
18. I’ve only owned five cars in my life (in order): metallic blue 1980 Pontiac Sunbird, black 1991 Nissan NX 1600, 2001 green Dodge Stratus coupe (man, I loved that car), a 2004 Subaru Impreza RS sedan, and my current car, a 2010 Subaru Impreza.
    
19. I graduated from Fitchburg State College in 1993 with a degree in Journalism and a double minor of Political Science and U.S. History. I had a GPA of 3.1.
    
20. My first job out of college was as a newspaper reporter for the Concord (MA) Journal.
    
21. I worked in the Public Affairs office of Brigham & Women’s Hospital and then at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.
    
22. My two favorite expressions (and I use them all of the time) are: "Not for nothing, but ..." and "It'll look good from my house!"
    
23. To put myself through college, I was a chef at a restaurant.
    
24. All told, between high school, college and post-college (when I had to work two jobs to support myself), I was a chef for almost 16 years.
    
25. My favorite type of food is steak, followed closely by Italian cuisine.
    
26. I am a great cook and can make almost anything, but I’ve never tried making soup.
    
27. I used to own and wear a black leather motorcycle jacket. I thought I was cool. I was wrong.
    
28. I'm so not a fan of gore in movies. I like being scared as much as the next person, but I don't like being grossed out. And no, the sight of blood doesn't bother me. There's just no need to see people's entrails in movies.
    
29. I hate seafood. Lobsters look like giant cockroaches and I just can't see how anyone can eat them. Nasty .... just, nasty.
    
30. When it comes to creamy vs. super chunk, I'd have to go with super chunk.
    
31. I think the greatest condiment ever created is Frank's Red Hot sauce.
    
32. I like white wine and red wine (although red doesn’t like me as much … it’s the nitrates).
    
33. I’m a card-carrying member of Red Sox Nation and a hard-core fan of the New England Patriots.
    
34. I love watching baseball and football in HD.
    
35. I’ve known my best friend for 26 years and I’ve known he’s gay for 20 of those years.
    
36. I'm very good at figuring out who the actor is doing voice overs for commercials and movies. If I can't figure it out, it drives me nuts.
    
37. When I was a pre-teen, Star Wars was my life. I’m still a tremendous fan and have loads of collectibles in the attic to prove it.
    
38. I used to collect and read comic books, but can't really afford the 12+ titles I used to regularly read a month now that I'm an adult (sort of). If I could afford it, I'd still read them.
    
39. I don’t believe in god.
    
40. I absolutely bombed my SATs but was accepted to all five colleges to which I applied.
    
41. I’m an editor by profession but am one of the worst spellers you’ll ever meet.
    
42. I used to smoke cigarettes but quit after a few years. Nasty.
    
43. I love smoking a good cigar now and then, especially in the summer.
    
44. I used to speed, but since my son was born, not so much.
    
45. I could give up cigars and Jack Daniel’s in a heart beat … but never coffee … especially Starbucks.
    
46. I finally have all speeding tickets off of my record and am paying the lowest insurance rates available.
    
47. It doesn't bother me to chew on tin foil.
    
48. My favorite place to take a summer vacation is Martha's Vineyard, MA.
    
49. To me, driving in Boston is fun, not scary.
    
50. I absolutely abhor roller coasters.
    
51. Almost as much as roller coasters, I hate being in the water, like a pool, lake or ocean.
    
52. I can drive a manual transmission car (my Subaru is 5 on the floor).
    
53. I’m a registered Democrat.
    
54. I’m pro-choice.
    
55. I can’t cross my eyes.
    
56. For me, the "Big Three" was Larry, Kevin and The Chief.
    
57. I have little to no patience for people who cannot drive. The idiotic things people do on the road never ceases to amaze me.
    
58. I’m obsessed with getting achievements on Xbox 360 games.
    
59. I believe gay people have as much right to marry as straight couples do.
    
60. I’m not a fan of country music.
    
61. I love hard rock/heavy metal music … the harder, the better (if I can air guitar to it, I’m in!)
    
62. Sometimes I get the heebies and the geebies.
    
63. I played Little League baseball as a kid (short stop).
    
64. I'm a very sarcastic person.
    
65. I’m an amateur photographer … digital photography is great.
    
66. I once had a photo published in USA Today.
    
67. I had a hernia operation when I was 11 years old.
    
68. I’ve only ever broken one bone in my body … a bone in my left foot in karate class.
    
69. Speaking of which, I studied Kempo karate for a few years and was three belts away from black when I stopped (I had to get a job to make money and it left me with no time for anything else). I was even an instructor for a while.
    
70. My favorite number is 7.
    
71. I have a pair of "hospital green" scrub pants that are one of, if not the, most comfortable pieces of clothing I own. If I could, I'd wear them every day, all day.
    
72. My driver’s license says I’m 6 feet tall, but I’m more in the 5’ 11” and ½ to ¾ range.
    
73. I've never flown in a helicopter but would really like to some day.
    
74. I can see why women think Tom Brady is good looking ... not that there's anything wrong with that.
    
75. I can’t swim and have absolutely no desire to learn.
    
76. I can whistle … not well, but I can.
    
77. I've never skydived before and have absolutely no plans of ever doing so.
    
78. I’ve never traveled outside of the US.
    
79. I love gmail and wish I could have bought Google stock when it was first offered.
    
80. If I could vote again for Bill Clinton, I would.
    
81. The farthest west I’ve ever been was Anaheim, CA for my ex-brother-in-law’s wedding in 2005. Awesome time.
    
82. My blood type is O+ and I try to donate whenever I'm eligible (every eight weeks).
    
83. I've never been arrested and I've never been in the back of a police car. (Front of the car, yes, but not in the back).
    
84. Aside from Fenway Park, the only other MLB ballparks I’ve ever been to are Wrigley Field in Chicago and Angel Stadium of Anaheim.
    
85. I think George Dubbya did more harm to this country than any other president in our nation's history.
    
86. I don’t gamble, but I’ve been to Mohegan Sun just to see it … bizarre, but fun.
    
87. I have used a laser radar gun to clock people speeding on a highway.
    
88. In 1986, I was the only person I knew that had a CD player.
    
89. Mean people suck. I agree.
    
90. I don't care who beats the NY Yankees, the Indianapolis Colts or the NY Jets ... as long as they lose.
    
91. If I could, I would live in the Back Bay area of Boston.
    
92. My favorite Harry Potter book is the last one, “The Deathly Hallows”.
    
93. I listen to a tremendous amount of music, but if I had to pick one all-time favorite band, it would have to be Van Halen (David Lee Roth era).
    
94. I like Jazz and Classical music.
    
95. I have met John Glenn and actually declined to have my picture taken with him. I really regret that decision.
    
96. I listen to Howard Stern every morning on Sirius Satellite Radio.
    
97. Since I installed Sirius in my car in November, 2005, I haven’t listened to broadcast radio.
    
98. My all-time favorite TV show is The Sopranos.
    
99. I’m lactose intolerant.
    
100. My favorite ice cream flavor is Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.
     
101. I’ve never stolen something from a store.
     
102. My current favorite show is The Daily Show with Jon Stewart...brilliant!.
     
103. Best Buy is my favorite store.
     
104. I used to be on MySpace and Facebook but deleted my accounts because the whole thing just got too obnoxious.
     
105. For as much as I love playing first-person-shooter games on Xbox like Call of Duty, I really suck at them.
     
106. I’m anal retentive about a lot of things.
     
107. I love Eddie Bauer clothes.
     
108. My favorite sneakers are Under Armour.
     
109. I used to be painfully shy.
     
110. I have acid reflux disease and can’t eat roughage (iceberg lettuce and popcorn are the worst for me).
     
111. I love Gulden’s spicy brown mustard.
     
112. I think OJ is guilty.
     
113. Aside from medical procedures, I’ve only been unconscious once … when I was 12, I tripped at the top of a flight of stairs and landed on my chin on the concrete platform at the bottom of the stairs. I still have the scar underneath my chin.
     
114. I have a birthmark on my left bicep.
     
115. The most I’ve even bench pressed is 190 pounds.
     
116. If I could do it all over again, I’d get a degree in something that has to do with fixing/building things, like an electrician or construction.
     
117. My favorite adult cereal is Wheaties … kid’s cereal is Capt’n Crunch.
     
118. I never missed an episode of Pee Wee’s Playhouse on Saturday mornings.
     
119. I think Dane Cook is way overrated.
     
120. When I vote, I try not to vote party lines, but I just can’t bring myself to vote for a Republican given the GOP’s intolerant, ultra-Christian conservative platform.
     
121. I’ve never listened to an entire “book-on-tape”.
     
122. I’m not much of an amusement park person … they just don’t amuse me.
     
123. I’ve been to Disney World twice and Disney Land once.
     
124. Edward Hopper is my favorite American artist.
     
125. I think full-figured women are more attractive than thinner women.
     
126. I once cut off the tip of my left index finger. It grew back.
     
127. I can recite word-for-word many skits from Monty Python’s Flying Circus.

Light of Doom

I don't watch the show, but I had to share this after a friend sent me the YouTube link.

Remember this band's name ... I'd be shocked if we don't hear from them in the future ... seriously. May not be your kind of music, but you gotta admit that for only 12 and 13 years old, these kids have great stage presence and polish.



UPDATE: Ok, I made the first post then saw THIS ... wow.

Van Halen

Have you seen this latest tour? Wowzers ... worth every penny (and man, is it expensive to go to a show these days!) ...

Diamond Dave put it best when he said, "This here is the new Van Halen ... three-quarters original, one-quarter inevitable!"

The music was amazing ... "Mean Streets," "Hot for Teacher", and "Everybody Wants Some!!" were worth the price of admission alone. Eddie was at his best and Wolfgang was better than expected on bass.

Speaking of concert pricing, I really wanted to get a t-shirt (for old time's sake) but was in NO WAY going to pony up $40+ ... are you kidding me?!?