Dan's blog

Has it really been 8 months?

2011-12-15T09:20:00.003-05:00

Someone I know died recently. I didn't know her well but I liked her. Thinking of her makes me smile. Someone from work who was part of "management". But unlike many, she was able to be tough without bullying or demeaning others. This is too rare a management skill and should be valued highly.
I'm in my 50's, so any unexpected death of an acquaintance always bothers me and instantly becomes all about me. I just have difficulty with the idea that you're alive one day, dead the next, and forgotten the day after that.
Yes, I know. Live each day as if it could be your last, value and treasure your loved ones, do your best to make a difference to somebody, etc.
But sadly, it ends up the same for us all.
I hope you weren't looking for wisdom here, because that's all I've got.
Anyway, goodbye Carol. I'm glad I knew you.

Back for a bit

2011-03-29T20:58:00.005-04:00

No more Songs of the Day. Awww. But even better, sort of. My own radio station: DanPop. Access it at http://www.live365.com/stations/dtodd_411. Or just look to your right and click on the DanPop widget.

I've been thinking of doing some more blogging. Seems like Facebook has killed blogging and Twitter is killing Facebook. What next? Can we communicate in less than 140 characters? But I'm gonna try more blogging as I think its good therapy for me.

Anyway, give the radio station a try. I'm keeping it fresh and play all kinds of music. It's fun. If you listen and like it, send me a message (bottom of the station page) and click on the star near the small picture of Homer Simpson on the left and give the station a good rating.

Musical Memories

2011-01-29T11:04:00.002-05:00

My IPOD played "Space Oddity" by David Bowie today. Strange how memories work. Because it brought me back to about 1973 when I was a freshman in high school. One night I was in my room listening to Roanoke Virginia's WSLQ on my clock radio when they played "Space Oddity" followed immediately by "Walk on the Wild Side". First time I had heard either and I was awed. These were the 2 coolest songs EVER! I wasn't the only one because the next day it was a major discussion point with several of my classmates.
They're still pretty cool songs.

Sad Day for Me

2010-10-11T14:04:00.001-04:00

Today is a very sad day for the blogging me. Although I haven't been posting many songs of the day over the past year, often I would hear a song and tell myself to post it. I went to vox.com to upload the song "Everlasting Love" done by Robert Knight and was greeted with this message:
Vox is now closed.
Thank you for your love and support of Vox over the years.

All I can say, is thanks Vox for letting me store and post all that music over the past 4 years. Loved it.

Anyway, looks like no more songs for awhile. Hope you enjoyed it while it lasted.

Sunday Song(s) of the Day

2010-08-29T08:17:00.003-04:00

Got Your Heart by Anders Osborne
The Joker by the Steve Miller Band

Continuing the New Orleans theme, a brand new song by New Orleans native Anders Osborne. And because I'm old, every new song reminds me of an old one, and this time its the Joker by Steve Miller. Don't you worry!

03 Got Your Heart from http://hotplate.vox.com/

08 The Joker from http://hotplate.vox.com/

Saturday Song of the Day

2010-08-28T10:42:00.007-04:00

Louisiana by Randy Newman
In commemoration of the 5th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. This song was actually written in about 1975 and references a flood of 1927 but still seems mighty apt. Its from Randy Newman's somewhat profane and irreverent concept album about the South "Good Old Boys". I remember first hearing it at a record store in Tanglewood Mall in the big city, Roanoke, when Ricky Alcorn and I skipped school and hung out in Roanoke for the day. Its a great album but contains much to offend just about everyone. In fact, when Aaron Neville covered this song, he used the word "farmer" instead of Newman's original "cracker". Which basically nullifies the entire point of the original lyric which shows the casual contempt toward the common folk by the President (Coolidge or Bush or whomever happens to be in office) and the official world of Washington.

Louisiana from http://hotplate.vox.com/

Saturday Song of the Day

2010-08-21T08:30:00.002-04:00

Why They Call It Falling by Lee Ann Womack

Why They Call It Falling from http://hotplate.vox.com/
Lee Ann Womack? Are you kidding. But as my friend Chas says about music tastes "never apologize, never explain". I'll explain anyway, though. I don't know why I've got Lee Ann Womack in my music collection. I think the wife bought it. And I really kind of hate "I Hope You Dance" (personally, I hope you don't). But this one popped up on the ipod last week and its a darn pretty song! Nuff said.

Monday Song(s) of the Day

2010-08-16T17:02:00.003-04:00

Something new and something old today. My daughter skates a routine to "Sweet Disposition" and recently won a first place at the ISI "Nationals" competition to it. So the song will always bring images of her grace on the ice to me.
And because I'm old, every new song sounds like some old song to me and "Take On Me" is the one here. Its the high voice in both I guess. Both are good. Enjoy.

Sweet Disposition by The Temper Trap

08 Sweet Disposition from http://hotplate.vox.com/

Take On Me by A-Ha

10 Take On Me from http://hotplate.vox.com/

More on the Song of the Day list

2010-08-14T14:31:00.004-04:00

I recently posted the list of the 375 or so songs that I have posted as songs of the day. As I was looking at the list, I realized that I had seen quite a few of the artists perform live. So from the song list, here are the artists that I have seen perform at some point during my life. Caveats, I saw David Byrne as a member of Talking Heads. I have not seen the Who or the Allman Brothers Band, but have seen Roger Daltrey and Gregg Allman. I did not see the Graverobbers, but saw their core member, Karl Straub. I also have included the venues that I can remember where I saw the act.
Skip Castro Band – Mineshaft, Sound Cellar, 117 South Main, Alumni Hall, Bayou, Wax Museum
Paul Kelly – Rams Head Tavern
Last Train Home – Rams Head Tavern, Kennedy Center Millenium Stage
Billy Bragg – Warner Theater
Wilco – Merriweather Post Pavillion as part of Newport Folk Festival
Leon Russell – Va. Tech Cassell Colliseum
GraveRobbers * (Karl Straub) Some cafe in Del Ray section of Alexandria
Rodney Crowell – Merriweather Post Pavillion (Newport Folk Festival), Rams Head Tavern
Paul Thorn – Rams Head Tavern
Jonell Mosser – some club in Nashville
Billy Price – Mineshaft, Rams Head Tavern, Rod n Reel,
Grateful Dead – Capital Center, RFK Stadium
Dave Edmunds – Warner Theater, Lisner Auditorium
Paul Westerberg – Ritchie Colliseum (University of MD)
Blue October – a club in Charlotte, 9:30 club
Elvis Costello – Burress Hall (Va. Tech), Prince Georges County Equestrian Center
Marshall Crenshaw – Rams Head Tavern, Wolf Trap
Fountains Of Wayne -McDonough Arena (Georgetown U), Rams Head Tavern
Los Lobos – Wolf Trap, Barns of Wolf Trap
Cheap Trick – Rams Head Live (Baltimore)
Van Morrison – Constitution Hall, Merriweather Post Pavillion
Bonnie Raitt – Wolf Trap
John Prine – Wolf Trap
Graham Parker – The Bayou, Lisner Auditorium (GWU)
Wanda Jackson – The Black Cat
Houston Calls – McDonough Arena (opening for Fountains of Wayne)
Lori McKenna – Rams Head Tavern
John Hiatt – Wolf Trap, Barns of Wolf Trap, Constitution Hall, Pier Six Pavillion (Baltimore), State Theater (Portland, Maine), 9:30 Club, Birchmere, Rams Head Tavern, Rams Head Live,Lisner Auditorium, Warner Theater
David Byrne *- Merriweather Post Pavillion (as part of Talking Heads)
The Who * (Roger Daltrey) - Oracle Open World conference, San Francisco
Bruce Springsteen – Capital Center, Fed Ex Field
T-Bone Burnett – Merriweather Post Pavillion (Newport Folk Festival)
The Subdudes – Rams Head Tavern, some club in Tampa
Prince - Capital Center, Verizon Center
Stevie Wonder - Verizon Center
The Iguanas – Rams Head Tavern
The Pogues- Wolf Trap (opening for the Violent Femmes)
The BoDeans – Wolf Trap (opening for NRBQ)
ZZ Top – Capital Center
Trout Fishing in America – Winchester, Va town square, Cambridge, Md., Strathmore Hall, a club in Tampa
Lucinda Williams – Johns Hopkins University
The Smiths – Warner Theater, Smith Center (GWU)
The Kinks – Constitution Hall
Karla Bonoff – Rams Head Tavern
Lone Justice – Capital Center (opening for U2)
Lyle Lovett – Birchmere, Wolf Trap, Rams Head Tavern, Naval Academy (Alumni Hall(?)), Rams Head Live, Lisner Auditorium
Good Humor Band – Maxx (Charlotteville, Va)
Kelly Clarkson - Constitution Hall
Patty Griffin - Johns Hopkins University (opening for Lucinda Williams)
Marti Jones – Warner Theater (opening for Dave Edmonds, opening for Marshall Crenshaw), Barns of Wolf Trap
Squeeze – Burress Hall (Va Tech) opening for Elvis Costello, Constitution Hall
The Like – some club in Birmingham opening for Kings of Leon
Bob Dylan – Wolf Trap, Prince Georges County Stadium, RFK Stadium
The Allman Brothers Band * - (Gregg Allman) State Theater, Falls Church, Va.
Willie Nelson – Roanoke Civic Center, Merriweather Post Pavillion, Prince Georges County Stadium
Nanci Griffith – Birchmere, Georgetown University auditorium, Rams Head Tavern, Wolf Trap
The Bangles – Warner Theater
Richard Thompson – Wolf Trap, Pier Six Pavillion, Citadel Center
Loretta Lynn – Salem, Va. Civic Center
Dire Straits – Merriweather Post Pavillion
The Cure – Capital Center
Marc Cohn – Rams Head Tavern
The Eagles – Roanoke Civic Center
Paul McCartney – Verizon Center
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – RFK Stadium (opening for Bob Dylan)
Bill Kirchen - “rock the boat”, Annapolis Maryland
Alison Krauss – Naval Academy (opening for Lyle Lovett)
Asleep At The Wheel – Rams Head Tavern
NRBQ – Wolf Trap, a club in Richmond, Rams Head Tavern, Bayou
The Hooters – The Bayou, Smith Center
Bruce Cockburn – Wolf Trap (opening for Shawn Colvin)
Amy Correia – Rams Head Tavern (opening for Marc Cohn)
UB40 – Merriweather Post Pavillion
The Beach Boys – the Mall at DC 4th of July celebration
Joe Jackson – Merriweather Post Pavillion
The Rolling Stones – RFK Stadium
The Ramones – the Bayou
Lou Reed – Warner Theater
The Youngers – Rams Head Tavern (opening for Last Train Home)
U2 – Capital Center, RFK Stadium
Lesley Gore – Hershey Park
The Byrds * - Roger McGuinn at Wolf Trap
Hanson – Rams Head Live
Robert Earl Keen – Wolf Trap (opening for Lyle Lovett)
Everybody Else – Rams Head Live (opening for Hanson)
The Psychedelic Furs – Warner Theater
Paul Simon – Capital Center
Mike Viola – Rams Head Tavern (opening for Fountains of Wayne)
Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories – Merriweather Post Pavillion (Newport Folk Festival)
The Proclaimers – Radio Music Hall, Rams Head Tavern
Kings Of Leon – a club in Birmingham
Mary Chapin Carpenter – Wolf Trap, 9:30 Club
R.E.M. - a club in Newcastle, England, Constitution Hall, Capital Center
Ballyhoo – The Whiskey Annapolis
Rosanne Cash – Warner Theater
Nick Lowe – arena in El Paso opening for the Cars

Tuesday Song of the Day

2010-08-11T19:17:00.002-04:00

16 One Step Over the Line from http://hotplate.vox.com/
One Step Over the Line by Rosanne Cash and John Hiatt with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

Here's another hard to find Rosanne Cash duet. This one's with my personal fave, John Hiatt and comes from the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's Will the Circle Be Unbroken 2 album. The NGD Band's "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" album came out somewhere around 1970 and brought together then current "alt-country" hippie artists with country music pioneers such as Mother Maybelle Carter (Rosanne's step-Grandmother)and the Carter Family with the goal of bridging the generation gap with the common language of music. In the '90s, they put together a follow up that contained many interesting duets such as this one. Its a good song if you are a fan of one or both of them.

Sunday Song of the Day

2010-08-08T11:05:00.003-04:00

September, When It Comes by Johnny Cash and Rosanne Cash

There was a glowing review for Rosanne Cash's forthcoming autobiography in today's Washington Post. Apparently and somewhat surprisingly to me, she does not sound bitter toward her parents. I've always admired Ms. Cash's music and talent and certainly think her Dad was brilliant. This is a lovely duet between the 2 of them that I found on a
This Is Americana compilation at the late Olsen's Books and Records in downtown DC. It really is great. The book comes out on Tuesday and I do believe that I will buy and read it. I also remember my daughter, just 9 or 10 at the time, being captivated by this song. Random memory perhaps, but I viewed it then and now, as a her possessing a certain sophistication in her musical tastes.

September When It Comes from http://hotplate.vox.com/

Saturday Song of the Day

2010-08-07T10:29:00.004-04:00

All My Friends by LCD Soundsystem
LCD Soundsystem is one of the "current" bands that I have discovered as a result of having free satellite radio with my new car. I've been listening to Alt Nation and Sirius-XM U channels and they play some by LCD Soundsystem. One thing about them is that I think they have a pretty cool sound, but that the songs are too long. This is one of the coolest and doesn't drag on forever. I'm not sure the deal with the Franz Ferdinand reference and know nothing about the band. Anyway, here it is.

01 All My Friends (Franz Ferdinand Version) from http://hotplate.vox.com/

The lighter side or should I say amusing side of diversity

2010-08-06T17:22:00.004-04:00

Living in a diverse county is interesting and often requires an amusing restraint in language. Case in point is a flyer above that we received in the mail for a new hair salon. Notice the pictures and the phrase "Specializing in All Types of Hair".
They have a message to send, that's inclusive and nice and not the least bit offensive. But they can't come right out and say it. Would you be offended if they simply said "We want to cut hair for people of both races"?
Me, I'm gonna head over there for my next haircut.

Friday Song of the Day

2010-08-06T15:51:00.009-04:00

Scissor Runner by Jenny and Johnny

Jenny and Johnny -- Scissor Runner from http://hotplate.vox.com/

Jenny and Johnny are Jenny Lewis and her husband, Johnny Somebody or Other. Jenny's "The Charging Sky" was one of my earliest Song of the Day posts and was/is a very cool song. That was from a great solo album, "Rabbit Fur Coat" done with the Watson Twins and she also performs in the band Rilo Kiley. All excellent stuff. Now comes an album with her husband, soon to be released (the album, not the husband). This is a good song available from the Jenny and Johnny website for free download. You can also order the album there. I haven't had the opportunity to see Ms. Lewis perform live yet and sadly, the upcoming DC show is already sold out. Would love to see her in concert.

Song of the Day, the List

2010-08-02T18:16:00.005-04:00

I started posting songs of the day in 2007 and was pretty diligent about it for quite awhile. Guess we've all moved from blogging to Facebooking and something is lost I think. Anyway, here's the definitive list of all (or most anyway) the songs of the day that I've posted. They don't have that much in common except for 1 thing: I like each and every one of them. Which is your fave?
Thanks to Vox.com for hosting all of these songs for me. I keep expecting a message saying that I've use up all of my space, but its never happened. To listen to any of these, click here. Wish I could link to each song individually, but it would take days. But they're all over there on Vox. Just click on "view more of my audio" and keep going
If there's still anyone out there, I'll start doing a better job of posting.

Bewitched, Bothered, And Bewildered Ella Fitzgerald
I Don't Want to Work Skip Castro Band
Just Another Night Ian Hunter
The Charging Sky Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins
Redmen And Their Wives Guided By Voices
Saturday Night And Sunday Morning Paul Kelly
Last Good Kiss Last Train Home
It Ain't The Wind, It's The Rain Mary Gauthier
What'd I Say Parts I & II Ray Charles
Panic Song Green Day
What Are You Afraid Of West Indian Girl
Heaven 11 Big Circle
Hesitating Beauty Billy Bragg & Wilco
Alcatraz Leon Russell
Donna Everywhere Too Much Joy
Tired Of Being Alone Al Green
Twin Cinema The New Pornographers
No Miracle, No Dazzle Blue Rodeo
Sleeping On The Moon The GraveRobbers
She's Got A Way The Smithereens
Do You Remember Roller Coaster
I Know Love Is All I Need Rodney Crowell
San Antonio Rose Merle Haggard
Where Was I? Paul Thorn
Resurrection Day Jonell Mosser
Keep Your Hands To Yourself The Georgia Satellites
Where Have All The Rude Boys Gone? Ted Leo & The Pharmacists
Eight O'Clock In Love The GraveRobbers
Red Line Train Rhodes Tavern Troubadours
Dark End Of The Street Eva Cassidy & Chuck Brown
Earl Weaver Rhodes Tavern Troubadours
Rehab Amy Winehouse
East End Avenue Billy Price
Saint John Cold War Kids
Down To Zero Bettye LaVette
Stronger Love Joan Armatrading
Cocaine Blues Johnny Cash
End Of The Day Beck
Girls Talk Dave Edmunds
Why Do I Love You? Jim Lauderdale
Things Paul Westerberg
Here I Am (Come And Take Me) Al Green
Know Distance The Hank
I Who Have Nothing Jordin Sparks
All I Want (Is Everything) Boo Hewerdine And Darden Smith
Everlasting Friend Blue October
Slate Uncle Tupelo
Gimme Little Sign (Brenton Wood) Brenton Wood
Welcome To The Working Week Elvis Costello
Southern Manners The Watson Twins
Secret Agent Man Johnny Rivers
Nowhere Again The Secret Machines
Julie (live) Marshall Crenshaw
Julie Bobby Fuller Four
Hey Julie Fountains Of Wayne
Tears of God Los Lobos
Ball & Chain 'Big Mama' Thornton
You Give Love a Bad Name Bon Jovi
Eight Miles Low Cheap Trick
Crazy Face Van Morrison
Shelter Cheap Trick
Him Or Me - What's It Gonna Be? Paul Revere & The Raiders
Angel From Montgomery Bonnie Raitt And John Prine
Wind Of Change Bee Gees
Woodchopper's Ball Woody Herman
Life Gets Better Graham Parker & The Rumour
I Gotta Know Wanda Jackson
Bob And Bonnie Houston Calls
I'll Change The Meows
Baby's Got New Plans Alejandro Escovedo
Blue Dan Danny Beirne
Bible Song Lori McKenna
Undone (The Sweater Song) Weezer
Family Portrait P!nk
Your Dad Did John Hiatt
20 Million Things Lowell George
Addicts Of Communication Randy
Civilization David Byrne
5.15 The Who
One Of God's Dropped Toys Mark Roebuck With Noonday Ruin
Mary's Place Bruce Springsteen
Meet Me At Mary's Place Sam Cooke
Annabelle Lee T-Bone Burnett
Beautiful World Colin Hay
How Can I Be Sure The Rascals
I Know The Subdudes
Flame On The Iguanas
Johnny Too Bad The Slickers
Blue (The Jayhawks) The Jayhawks
Just Got Lucky JoBoxers
What You Don't Want To Hear Sam Phillips
I've Just Seen a Face The Beatles
The Bleeding Heart Show The New Pornographers
A Pair Of Brown Eyes The Pogues
See Willy Fly By Waco Brothers
Oh Claudine Betty Drake
Anniversary Graham Parker & The Rumour
Rockin' In Rhythm Duke Ellington
Tuesday Evening Girl The Broken Hearts
It's Over Boz Scaggs
Lean On Me Bill Withers
My Sweet Annette Drive-By Truckers
Someone To Love Fountains Of Wayne
Amazing Grace (Used To Be Her Favorite Song) Amazing Rhythm Aces
The Things We Do For Love 10 CC
Ash Wednesday Blues Anders Osborne
Closer To Free The BoDeans
Jackie Wilson Said Van Morrison
La Grange ZZ Top
Changed The Locks Lucinda Williams
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Miranda Lambert
Big Train The RTTs
Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now The Smiths
What Goes Around...Comes Around (Radio Edit) Justin Timberlake
Lies The Knickerbockers
Cynical Girl Marshall Crenshaw
Someday, Someway Marshall Crenshaw
C'mon Junior Senior
Days The Kinks
Rebel Rebel David Bowie
Hard Headed Woman Elvis Presley
Barrier Reef Old 97's
I Can't Hold On Karla Bonoff
Fingerprint Mysteries Of Life
Soap, Soup And Salvation Lone Justice
Mission Temple Fireworks Stand Paul Thorn
Float On Modest Mouse
Well ... All Right Buddy Holly
Nobody Knows Me Lyle Lovett
She's Late Good Humor Band
The Dance at the Gym Broadway Casts
Elaine The Smithereens
Still Beating Josh Ritter
I'm Blue (The Gong-Gong Song) The Ikettes
Paradise By The Dashboard Light Meat Loaf
The Spirit Of Radio Rush
Yeah Kelly Clarkson
Mama, Baby, Mama Let Me Jump In Your Pajamas Kinky Friedman
Fantasy Earth Wind & Fire
Freedom Of Choice Devo
Chief Patty Griffin
Night In My Veins The Pretenders
Jackson (with June Carter Cash) Johnny Cash
See You At The Lights 1990s
No Regrets V-Roys
If I Can Love Somebody Marti Jones
Wuthering Heights Kate Bush
Gimme Some Lovin' The Spencer Davis Group
The Tears Of A Clown Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
Annie Get Your Gun Squeeze
What I Say And What I Mean The Like
Lily, Rosemary And The Jack Of Hearts Bob Dylan
Words And Music Paul Kelly
There She Goes Again The Velvet Underground
Girl Next Door Nervous Eaters
Jessica The Allman Brothers Band
Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground Willie Nelson
Once In A Very Blue Moon Nanci Griffith
Goin' Down To Liverpool The Bangles
Walk Away Renee The Left Banke
You're No Good Linda Ronstadt
Silas, Please Come Home The High Dials
Runaway Del Shannon
Shoot Out the Lights Richard & Linda Thompson
Let It Ride Bachman-Turner Overdrive
Cinematic The A-Sides
Bullets Fever (original version) Nils Lofgren
Van Lear Rose Loretta Lynn
Brian Wilson Barenaked Ladies
Then She Kissed Me Derailers
Hand In Hand Dire Straits
Friday I'm In Love The Cure
The Weight The Band
Listening To Levon Marc Cohn
I Won't Grow Up The Fools
Riot Van Arctic Monkeys
Lawyers, Guns & Money Warren Zevon
Name Goo Goo Dolls
Airline To Heaven Billy Bragg & Wilco
Ol' 55 The Eagles
Fooled Around And Fell In Love Elvin Bishop
We Gotta Get You A Woman Todd Rundgren
Heeby-Jeebies Little Richard
Don't You Just Know It Huey "Piano" Smith & The Clowns
Part Of The Plan Dan Fogelberg
Reasons I Cheat Randy Travis
On The Other Hand Randy Travis
You Shook Me All Night Long AC/DC
Eldorado Cafe Billy Price and the Keystone Rhythm B

Picturing Changes Danny Beirne
Brown Eyed Handsome Man Paul McCartney
Don't Do Me Like That Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Life with the Lions Billy Bragg
Other Side Of The Bed Dulcie Taylor
I'm Into Something Good Herman's Hermits
Look So Fine, Feel So Low Paul Kelly
Stood Up John Hiatt
I'll Never Be Free Bill & Louise Kirchen
The Hardest Button To Button The White Stripes
Fields Of Gold Eva Cassidy
When Doves Cry Prince
Unglamorous Lori McKenna
It Makes No Difference (2000 Digital Remaster) The Band
Heroes From Our Past Dropkick Murphys
Love Match Buddy Miller
I'll Take You There The Staple Singers
Hollow Radio Nationals
Watch Your Step (Acoustic) Ted Hawkins
Baby, Now That I've Found You Alison Krauss
Gimme Some Truth Sam Phillips
Back Of My Hand (I've Got Your Number) The Jags
Cry Yourself Dry Jackie Greene
Celebrate Three Dog Night
Choo Choo Ch'Boogie Asleep At The Wheel
Captain Lou NRBQ
Girls Just Want To Have Fun (Album Version) Cyndi Lauper
Blood From A Stone (Album Version) The Hooters
Every Line Of A Long Moment Roddy Woomble
California Sun Rivieras
Emily Says Michael Carpenter
One Of The Best Ones Bruce Cockburn
Pleasant Valley Sunday The Monkees
I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry Hank Williams
A Lover's Concerto (LP Version) The Toys
Shake A Tail Feather (James & Bobby Purify) James & Bobby Purify
Hallelujah John Cale
Baby Let's Go Downtown Kevin Johnson
A Better Man Keb' Mo'
Places That Are Gone Tommy Keene
I Can't Seem To Open My Eyes Big Circle
Deacon Blues Steely Dan
Love Is Amy Correia
The Boys Are Back In Town Thin Lizzy
Who Am I Trying To Fool Wynonna Judd
Blacks Ball J.B. Butto and The New Hawks
Higher Ground UB40
Don't Worry Baby (Single Version) The Beach Boys
I Always Was Your Girl Everything But The Girl
Down To London Joe Jackson
Summertime Blues Eddie Cochran
Crazy Patsy Cline
What A Wonderful World (Album Version) Eva Cassidy
If You Wanna Get To Heaven The Ozark Mountian Daredevils
I Don't Wanna Lose The Feeling The Pranks
Suffer To Sing The Blues David Bromberg
Killin' Down in Dillon Terry Anderson
1952 Vincent Black Lightning Richard Thompson
No Expectations The Rolling Stones
I Wanna Be Sedated The Ramones
Walking With You Jeremy
Carrie-Anne The Hollies
Sweet Jane Lou Reed
Everyday People Sly & The Family Stone
wonderful world Sam Cooke
Mayor Of Simpleton XTC
Strange Magic Electric Light Orchestra (Elo)
Frankie's Gun! The Felice Brothers
Bo Diddley / Bo Diddley Bo Diddley
Someday I Suppose The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
Runaway The Youngers
Faithful And True Billy Price
Alabama Getaway Grateful Dead
Left Behind Jeremy Fisher
Don't Think Twice, It's All Right Bob Dylan
We're Not Gonna Take It Twisted Sister
Your Dad Did John Hiatt
40 U2
The Easy Way Old 97'S
Maybe I Know Lesley Gore
Chestnut Mare The Byrds
Risque Cute Is What We Aim For
Leaving Las Vegas Sheryl Crow
Minnie the Moocher - Cab - Calloway Cab Calloway
Amie Pure Prairie League
Make A Circuit With Me The Polecats
Symphony Music Goose Creek Symphony
Watch Over Me Hanson
Wish Someone Would Care Irma Thomas, Marcia Ball, Tracie Nelson
Don't Pay The Ferryman (live) DeBurgh, Chris
That Girl Was Yesterday 20/20
Ooo Baby Baby Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
Rain on the Roof The Lovin' Spoonful
Dancing With Myself Billy Idol
Stupid Anne McCue
Soul Finger (The Bar-Kays) The Bar-Kays
Friday Night (Is Killing Me) Bash & Pop
How To Save A Life The Fray
Feelin' Good Again Robert Earl Keen
Santeria Sublime
She Blinded Me With Science Thomas Dolby
The Breeze Dr. Dog
Ain't Ever Goin' Back John Hiatt
Time To Pretend MGMT
Lost Without You The Backroom
Look Me Up Georgie James
We Are The Champions Queen
U Don't Know How Much I Hate U Rodney Crowell
The Girl I Can't Forget Fountains Of Wayne
Radiation Vibe (LP Version) Fountains Of Wayne
Rich Girls, Poor Girls Everybody Else
Devil Town Tony Lucca
Thinking About You Michael Carpenter
Smilling Faces Sometimes Undisputed Truth
Peace Stories Jonell Mosser
Will The Wolf Survive? Los Lobos
Up Around The Bend Creedence Clearwater Revival
Breathless Jerry Lee Lewis
Grandpa (Tell Me 'Bout The Good Old Days) The Judds
Little King Robbie Fulks
Days The Kinks
They Can't Take That Away From Me Fred Astaire
Tip Of My Tongue John Hiatt
If I Could Start Today Again Paul Kelly
Must Be Love Stacey Earle
Merry Christmas From The Family Robert Earl Keen
I Got You Babe Sonny and Cher

A Better Man Keb' Mo'
Pretty In Pink The Psychedelic Furs
Fins Jimmy Buffett
In My Life The Beatles
In My Life Johnny Cash
Hendersonville Last Train Home
Last Thing I Needed First Thing In The Morning Willie Nelson
Be Careful Patty Griffin
Too Lazy To Work, Too Nervous To Steal BR5-49
Mother And Child Reunion Paul Simon
The Things We Say THE　BEAGLES
I'll Go To My Grave Loving You Statler Brothers
Michael And Heather At The Baggage Claim Fountains Of Wayne
What Have You Got Planned Tonight Diana Merle Haggard
This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) (2003 Digital Remaster) Natalie Cole
Maybe, Maybe Not Mike Viola
Alone Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories
Sunshine Jonathan Edwards
It's Only Make Believe Conway Twitty
Behind Closed Doors Charlie Rich
Midnight At The Oasis Maria Muldaur
One Red Rose John Prine
Pump It Black Eyed Peas
Who Needs the Kwik-E-Mart- Homer Simpson and Apu
Get It On CHASE
I Want You Back The Hoodoo Gurus
Funeral For A Friend (Love Lies Bleeding) Elton John
Touch Of Grey Grateful Dead
Passed Over Paul Kelly
Angel Of The Morning Merrilee Rush
To Sir With Love Lulu
Tell That Girl To Shut Up Holly & The Italians
Anticipation Carly Simon
Pictures Of Matchstick Men Status Quo
Sunshine On Leith The Proclaimers
Kind Of A Girl Tinted Windows
Messing With My Head Tinted Windows
In A Little While U2
Dream Lover Bobby Darin
Day Old Blues Kings Of Leon
Places That Are Gone Tommy Keene

Girl Of My Dreams Bram Tchaikovsky
Summer War
Shut Up And Kiss Me Mary Chapin Carpenter
Reasons Why Nine Times Blue
So. Central Rain (I’m Sorry) R.E.M.
Cheers Ballyhoo

Friday Song of the Day

2010-07-16T21:31:00.005-04:00

Cheers by Ballyhoo

07 Cheers! from http://hotplate.vox.com/

Ballyhoo is a band that I happened upon when I met my friends Mike and Mike at a bar (the Whiskey) in Annapolis. This band was playing and was pretty good for a mere $10 cover charge. This is the title song to their cd and is an excellent sing-along live show song. I like the idea of thanking all the folks whose couch you've slept on in the past. Oh to be young again. On second thought, I prefer a hotel to "crashing" at a friend's. To purchase music by Ballyhoo on Amazon visit here.

Wednesday Song of the Day

2010-07-14T20:28:00.003-04:00

South Central Rain (I'm Sorry) by R.E.M.

So. Central Rain (I_m Sorry) from http://hotplate.vox.com/

This is one of those boring "they were a lot better before they became popular" stories. I became an R.E.M fan based on their second album, titled "Reckoning". I loved the jangly guitars and enjoyed Michael Stipe's mumbled singing. I've continued liking them even as they became popular and successful. So its not really one of those "they were a lot better before they became popular" stories, but truth be told, I prefer their early stuff. One cool thing I once did was see R.E.M at a club in Newcastle, England in the summer of 1985. I also saw them at the 3000 seat Constitution Hall here in DC and at the late 20000 seat Capital Center. On a separate note, today is my lovely daughter's 15th birthday. She's into music and knows far more about 21st century stuff than I do. I gave her cds by Thirty Seconds From Mars and the Arctic Monkeys for her birthday. Hope she enjoys them and lets me know if she thinks I'd like them. Cause I'm too old to listen to anything new unless I have a guarantee that I'll like them.

Tuesday Song of the Day

2010-07-12T21:29:00.007-04:00

Wow, its been a long time. Here's one I love from a power pop collection I got from Not Lame. The collection name is International Pop Overthrow, Volume 11. I'd love to have the previous 10 volumes. This one is from a band named Nine Times Blue whom I believe is a band from Atlanta. I love this one. Order their disc from amazon here.

Reasons Why by Nine Times Blue

Fine Dining

2010-04-28T20:52:00.005-04:00

Well, my lovely wife took me out to the Chef's Table at Volt Restaurant in Frederick, run by Top Chef star Bryan Voltaggio. It was excellent and you can read about it here. But for those of you local to the Bowie area, I just had the finest meal that Bowie has to offer, a pound of pulled pork(I didn't eat it all. Some is for lunch tomorrow) and a side of mac and cheese from KBQ Barbecue in the new Fairwood shopping center off of Rte 450. Be sure to order a side of green beans as well. Excellent! So give KBQ a try. Its the finest dining our city has to offer and you don't have to wear a tie.

Saturday Song of the Day

2010-03-06T08:12:00.002-05:00

Shut Up And Kiss Me from http://hotplate.vox.com/
Mary Chapin Carpenter is one of the artists my wife and I enjoy together. She's (Mary) local to the DC area here and we've probably seen her perform at least a half dozen times. She's never let us down. This in one of "our songs".

Sunday Song of the Day

2010-02-21T11:08:00.005-05:00

Summer by War
Well the snow's been on the ground here for over 3 weeks but I saw some grass peek through in my back yard. Plus, I just bought a new set of irons, so I'm getting a bit antsy for some warmer weather. I know this is the year I'll break 100. Anyway, this is one of my favorite summer songs. I know its a summer song by the title. Hope the song transports you to a warmer place. For those under 50, "rapping on the cb radio" refers to a primitive form of instant messaging.

Summer by War from http://hotplate.vox.com/

My political post

2010-02-20T21:57:00.001-05:00

Over the past 20 years or so, I've pretty much become a political agnostic. Or perhaps contrarian is a better description of me when it comes to political discourse. I don't like to discuss politics and I become offended if someone assumes that I have identical views as them or becomes offended to find that I don't. As an analytical person, I don't think either side does a good job of identifying the actual problems nor providing solutions to those problems. When surrounded by a “consensus” from either side, I tend to analyze and become sympathetic to the other point of view, if only for the duration of the conversation.
Anyway, one thing that I have noticed from political junkies on both sides is that the great majority of their attention and energy are spent on the words and actions of the other side. They are not looking for answers and solutions. They are simply looking for reasons to become indignant and angry. They are more interested in politics than government. There's no discussion from these political junkies about what to do about Iran or North Korea, or the actual causes of the health care crisis, the goals that we should set when trying to improve or replace the current system. Instead, its “Did you hear what O'Reilly and Rush said? “ and “That Olberman needs to shut up. And what about Obama's pastor?”
So I have a request for all of you political junkies on both sides out there. Next time you speak or write about politics, ignore the other side. Say nothing about the opposition and their backward and offensive beliefs. Don't question their motives. Instead, address the issue(s) at hand as you see them and offer positive solutions/commentary. Tell me your viewpoint without referring to those “idiots” who disagree with you. Explain your reasoning and how it will solve the given problem. Don't worry about explaining to me how stupid and offensive the other side is. I'll be able to figure it out. Believe me, this is more likely to persuade me to your side than an attack on the intelligence of those who disagree with you will. Isn't that what governing is supposed to be about?

Saturday Song of the Day

2010-02-20T18:32:00.001-05:00

Girl of my Dreams by Bram Tchaikovsky

Yes, I'm back and I have a new song of the day. Well, not new. Just more of the '80s power pop I love. Dedicated as always to the girl of my dreams, my lovely wife, Karen.

OK, Here's the video

2010-02-14T18:07:00.001-05:00

The annoying little league Dad voice is mine. Just trying to do a little coachin'.

Special Olympics Time

2010-02-14T17:21:00.003-05:00

After a half a season of watching the Washington Wizards, I finally got to see some good basketball today. I'm speaking of the developmental 3 on 3 Special Olympics competition at Georgetown Prep High School today, starring my personal Special Olympian, Kevin.
I'm gonna attempt to post a video here, but in the meantime, here are some pics:

Christmas / Snowday Baking

2009-12-19T18:34:00.002-05:00

Another Twitter Length Post

2009-11-20T19:55:00.000-05:00

Has anyone seen the ads for the Robin Williams/John Travolta movie "Old Dogs"? Does anyone want to see the movie after seeing the ads? Yuck, it looks awful.

Holy cow, twitterman!

2009-11-07T08:50:00.002-05:00

My latest postings are really just tweets.

Do I look fat in this?

2009-11-07T08:47:00.002-05:00

Its a strange mixture of shame and relief that comes when you go clothes shopping and finally say to yourself in an angry fashion, "Alright, fine! I'll go to the next size up!!"

You Know What I Hate?

2009-10-26T09:16:00.001-04:00

Styrofoam!

Monday Song of the Day

2009-10-18T20:33:00.003-04:00

More '80s. My favorite Clash Song: Straight to Hell

Straight To Hell from http://hotplate.vox.com/

Sunday Song of the Day

2009-10-17T20:29:00.002-04:00

OK, I'm old and I get nostalgic for the music of my musically formative years, in my case, the '80s. Here's one of my all time favorites from that decade. Buy anything by Split Enz or Crowded House. Good stuff!
I Got You by Split Enz

01 I Got You from http://hotplate.vox.com/

List Mania

2009-10-17T11:47:00.005-04:00

While in San Francisco, I visited 2 used cd/record stores. My purchases:

Live - Throwing Copper ($3.95)
Lou Reed - Between Thought and Expression: the Lou Reed Anthology, Disk 3 ($7.00)
Rick Springfield - VH1 Behind the Music, the Rick Springfield Collection ($3.95)
Jason Ringenberg - Empire Builders ($8.00)
Minnie Riperton - Only When I'm Dreaming ($7.00)
The Pogues - Pogue Mahone ($8.00)
Split Enz - History Never Repeats: the Best of Split Enz ($5.95)
John Wesley Harding - Who Was Changed and Who Was Dead ($5.95)
Kim Lenz and the Jaguars - The One and Only ($5.95)

I've never heard of Kim Lenz and the Jaguars but liked the CD cover.

Here's a sample:

12 Stick Em Up Honey from http://hotplate.vox.com/

You Want Change? Really?

2009-10-17T10:25:00.003-04:00

In light of the political situation over the last couple of years, a lot of people have clamored for "change". Me, change terrifies me. I want no part of it. My son will turn 17 years old next week. He's autistic. Although he's over 6 feet tall now, he's still child like in many ways both good and bad. On the good side, he is the happiest kid I know. He gulps life in. He still has the child like enthusiasm for just about everything. Watching him eat a giant cheeseburger is watching pure happiness. On the negative side, he doesn't communicate well and probably never will. He will always need a sympathetic person nearby to guide him through the day. Right now, we have the school and a fantastic Prince Georges County Park and Planning Special Population Department to help us. But the school system will only be there for him for another 4 and a half years. And the park and planning department is one budget cut away from leaving us adrift. Kevin is no longer a child even though I treat him as such. What will he be like as an adult? How will he be received as an adult? What will he do as an adult? I'm scared to find out.
My daughter is 14 now. She's generally well behaved, has friends, a good attitude, and plenty of common sense. But I'm scared for the changes that will come along for her over the next few years as well. I'm hoping she doesn't fall into bad habits, bad attitudes, teenage depression and angst. Signs are good, but I'll always be a bit nervous. Plus, I have so little control. She's a good kid who stays out of trouble and is not difficult to live with. But I don't know what her mom and I did to bring about that outcome (if anything). The only thing special that I can think of that we've done as parents is just to be there. Every other parenting trick we've tried on either kid has ended exactly as all of my diets have. We have a diligent week or 2, only to lose energy and enthusiasm for the project shortly thereafter. So there ends the chore lists and the study schedules and the incentive programs and we go back to muddling through. So I have no Plan B if a crisis hits on the parenting front.
Change at work also terrifies me. I can't stand it. The only thing worse than my current boss is the prospect of a new one. I'm a boss of a couple of people myself. Boy I hate it when things change with them. People get more experienced and want promotions and new responsibilities. Reorganizations occur. People suffer losses of parents and much worse, children and have to make it through. They have to be dealt with. Oh my gosh, do I want to apply for that promotion? What if I got it? As if. Friends have health issues. My parents are both still alive, but one day that phone call is going to come. What will I do then?
One of the ways I have been able to cope with my son's autism is to consciously avoid looking at the future and imagining hundreds of various "what if" scenarios. We long ago accepted the fact that he was autistic and moved away from fighting the diagnoses and toward an attitude of trying to make Kevin's experience as an autistic person as positive as possible. But its time to think of the future a little bit for him. No not by implementing weird gluten free diets or bizarre chelation therapies. There's still no cure for autism nor is the cause even known yet. So we have to negotiate Kevin's future path with the assumption that Kevin will remain autistic and will need help from others besides us. Believe me, this is terrifying.
Anyway, although I'm quite often dissatisfied with the status quo, I am incredibly frightened at the prospect of change.

Concert Review

2009-10-15T03:44:00.004-04:00

40 years ago, Roger Daltrey played Woodstock as a member of the Who. One might say his career has come full circle now as tonight he played Nerdstock, aka the Oracle Corporation Open World Conference Appreciation Night. The 60 something Daltrey played to an audience of 40 and 50 something IT specialists. And he rocked! The guy looks good and sounds good. The show was set in a large tent on the Treasure Island complex just outside of San Francisco. Aerosmith was booked to play the larger amphitheater at appoximately the same time. After catching about half an hour of Steven Tyler and the boys including "Dream On", I moved over to the Daltrey show and arrived just at the start. Roger opened with "Who Are You" and said that the Oracle folks had asked him to sing a lot of Who songs and since they were paying his wages, he'd accommodate their request. Actually, the advertising for his current tour emphasizes that he will be singing Who music. Daltrey seems to have made peace with singing songs written by someone else and why not? Daltrey's vocals were an integral part of making those songs great. Daltrey is amongst the greatest ever rock singers. And wow, they are great songs he's singing. So even though the guy was singing 40 year old songs to an even older audience, the concert had a real vitality to it. Daltrey mixed in a couple of his own songs with the Who songs and the vibe didn't suffer. He included a cover song named "I Want to Be Your Rider" that has me wanting to track it down on Amazon. He sang most of the classics including Behind Blue Eyes, Baba O'Reilly, and Won't Get Fooled Again complete with fabulous scream. A highlight for me was "The Kids are Alright" and a bluesy version of "Young Man Blues". Daltrey finished off the night with rock and roll classics "Summertime Blues" and "Shaking All Over". And oh yeah, Townshend was there. Not Pete, but his brother Simon who played guitar and did an outstanding job of backup vocals.
I'm old and I was tired. But I found myself trying to get as close to the stage as possible during the show, finally ending up about 20 rows of people back. That hasn't happened in awhile. In short, great show by a great musician.

PS - Is it just me or are people nowadays more concerned with recording the moment than living the moment? Cameras, cameras everywhere. Makes me yearn for the old days when picture taking was subject to a long jail term. Well, it was strictly forbidden anyway. Of course, I'm guilty too. Try as I might, I couldn't get a good picture from my cellphone, so have to use a pic a found on the web.

Saturday Song of the Day

2009-10-03T11:36:00.003-04:00

Just read a mini-review of the movie "On the Waterfront" which made me think of this song. You'll see why as soon as it reaches the chorus. I've never seen the movie, but the review has made me want to. I'll put it on my list. I really like the song by the way. The missus and I saw Lloyd Cole play solo several years back at the Rams Head Tavern. Pretty good show.

Rattlesnakes by Lloyd Cole and the Commotions from http://hotplate.vox.com/

I prefer generalists to specialists

2009-09-15T21:17:00.003-04:00

Saturday Song of the Day

2009-09-04T21:39:00.003-04:00

Who's Gonna Mow Your Grass by Buck Owens
This is kind of an amazing power pop song from an unlikely source. Don't be a snob, give it a listen. I assume this was released sometime in the '60s and it has a very unique sound to it. Definitely not Hee Haw and definitely does not sound dated.

19 Who's Gonna Mow Your Grass from http://hotplate.vox.com/

Sunday Song(s) of the Day

2009-08-29T21:56:00.002-04:00

Here's an original plus a cover. Both are excellent and worth listening too. I love to sing backup on the chorus.

When I Write the Book by Nick Lowe from http://hotplate.vox.com/

When I Write The Book by Jonell Mosser from http://hotplate.vox.com/

You're a Redskins fan? I'm sorry, I'll have to boycott you!

2009-08-27T20:51:00.005-04:00

So, what makes you so mad that you would boycott a company? Immoral or illegal behavior? Sure. Abusive treatment of their employees? Absolutely! High prices and bad service? Yup. Their CEO has a different opinion than you about a political issue? A high level employee of the company made a semi-joking mildly sexist remark? Well...
This week featured in interesting set of events that got me to thinking. First, I don't shop at Whole Foods. Its not convenient, its too expensive, and I dislike the inherent snobbiness of the store and its customers. The CEO of Whole Foods, John Mackey, wrote an article in the Wall Street Journal in which he opposed President Obama's health care bill and outlined several principles that he felt were important for revamping the current system. If you read the linked article, you will see that it is an informed, thoughtful opinion from someone who is obviously knowledgeable about the issue. You may not agree with all of it, but you have to agree that it is neither offensive nor inflammatory. Yet many folks disagree with that and there were some protests and boycotts of Whole Foods.
Event number 2 was the opening of this year's version of one of my favorite reality shows, Top Chef. For the first time, I've actually eaten at one of the restaurants of a competitor. Mike Isabella is a chef at the downtown Washington, DC restaurant "Zaytinya". Its a very popular place that specializes in "small plates". I'm not a fan of small plates (probably the subject of another post sometime), so have only eaten there once. Anyway, the food is good. During the show, Isabella was in a clam shucking competition. The competitor to his immediate right was a female chef who was keeping up with him. In an after the fact comment, Isabella said,

I look next to me and Jennifer has the same amount of clams and I'm like 'I'm doing something wrong', there's no way, no offense, but a girl shouldn't be at the same level that I am.

Throughout the episode, Isabella appeared to be a talkative, confident, and brash person. We've all met guys like that. I didn't think much about it until I read today's chat with Washington Post restaurant critic Tom Sietsema. Wow, there were at least a dozen posts indicating outrage at Isabella and declaring that they would never visit his restaurant again.
Here's what I think:
In the Whole Foods controversy, please. The guy expressed an opinion. Nothing that he wrote was offensive in any way. His end goal is exactly the same as the President's. He just disagreed about the most effective way to reach that goal. This is exactly the type of dialog and discussion that we need in order to come up with a good solution. How can anyone be offended by what he wrote? Disagree? sure. Become offended because he has a different view? Umm, no. Remember, we value diversity and difference. This includes opinions.
The Zaytinya case is a bit different. The comments he made were obviously sexist. I would say that it was mild sexism and said in a somewhat joking manner. But it contained more to be offended by than Mackey's column. Still, does this comment warrant any action more than a wince? People are free to boycott and I would never try to stop them. But if a single sexist comment forms the basis for a boycott, then a lot of things need boycotting. Plus, that same standard can be applied to ourselves. So we really need to make sure our own houses (and our jokes) are clean. And what about all of the other restaurants we frequent? Can we really be comfortable not knowing what type of offensive comments might be being uttered back in the kitchen? Should we interview the chef at each prospective restaurant to make sure we are comfortable with their attitudes? Me, I'm going make my decisions based on the food, price, and service.
What do ya think?

Friday Song of the Day

2009-08-27T20:23:00.005-04:00

Billy Gray by Robert Earl Keen
Wow its been a long time. So long that I shouldn't call it "song of the day". But I'll try to do better. This song makes me wish that I were more musical. Because its the type of song that I'd love to play and sing. Its a very nice one by Texas songwriter Robert Earl Keen

Billy Gray from http://hotplate.vox.com/

long time gone

2009-08-26T13:30:00.008-04:00

I'm doing a test message here testing something new I saw on Vox. This was song of the day on Feb. 16, but I noticed it while I was surfing and just listened to it twice. Gosh, I love this song by Staunton, Virginia's Statler Brothers.

12 - I'll Go To My Grave Loving You from http://hotplate.vox.com/

Cool, now I can embed the songs!! Yay!

Tuesday Song of the Day

2009-07-07T14:17:00.003-04:00

Anniversary by Graham Parker (click to listen)

This is a repeat from 2 years ago on this date. In honor of our 19th.

Saturday Song of the Day

2009-06-27T22:02:00.004-04:00

Sweet Emotion by Aerosmith (click to listen)
Wow its been awhile. Goin' on vacation Monday. Maybe I'll keep posting, but ideally I should stay away from the internet. Here's my favorite Aerosmith song. I like singing the chorus. It fits my range.

Hey, in other news, I watched my daughter play Mrs. Bucket in a local production of Willie Wonka and was very proud. She can sing also. All the kids were good.
Took my son to the pool. It was float night, so pretty crowded. Being autistic, he doesn't interact much with the other kids, but he loves being near them. There's a kid that I've seen the past several years who seems to be one of those naturally cool kids. I've noticed that each time he sees Kevin, he makes it a point to say hi. It happened tonight. He passed Kevin and said "Hey, Kevin". Nothing more, no big deal, but I'm always touched when I see that.
Its interesting that my daughter likes discipline somewhat. Our pool has hired a new management company and they run a much looser ship than the previous group of lifeguards. This bothers my daughter quite a bit. She dislikes kids swimming where they're not supposed to be, running on the pool deck, etc. She actually prefers the more orderly, disciplined environment. Who knew?
Kids are off to camp, so the wife and I get our annual 4 days on our own. We're heading to Punta Cana for a couple of days of nothing at all. I may be tempted to ruin it with a round of golf, but even so, I'm looking forward to the trip. Maybe I'll post photos.
Adios!

common dream

2009-06-15T10:23:00.004-04:00

So I posted the following on facebook yesterday:

Just woke up from a nap where I had the "Uh oh, I just realized I've been signed up for a class for months without attending and its too late to drop and too embarrassing to talk to the prof, and oh no what am I going to do ..." dream. What's it mean? I have it every so often.

and had 3 people commented that they have the same dream. Guess I'm not totally weird or unique. How about you?
I've figured it out. Check the first comment for the answer to "What does this dream mean?".

Thursday Song of the Day

2009-06-10T21:33:00.002-04:00

Day Old Blues by Kings of Leon (click to listen)

I first heard of Kings of Leon when I visited my friend Mike in Birmingham. He brought me to one of their concerts. They were ok. I got a copy of their album but rarely listened to it. Heard this one this morning and liked the wordless chorus.

Thursday Song of the Day

2009-06-03T23:15:00.002-04:00

Dream Lover by Bobby Darin (click to listen)
I like Bobby Darin and its nice to see that his music is still appreciated even if its kind of old fashioned. Both my kids love the song "Beyond the Sea", but I picked a different one.

Mailing Lists

2009-06-03T22:30:00.003-04:00

So who do you get email from?
Not spam per se, but the random stuff you've signed up for over the years. I'm looking at my yahoo email (dtodd1959@yahoo.com) and have mail from the following folks:

the Onion
Costco
La Quinta
Vacations to Go
Kayak
JC Penney
Travelzoo
Macys
KMart
Vacation Express
BJs
Facebook
Vox
Paul Kelly (aka "the brilliant Paul Kelly")
Jenny Phillips (last minute travel)
Airtran
Landmark Resort (in Myrtle Beach)
Capon Springs Inn (an inn located in a 1950s time/space warp, near Winchester, Va)
Maryland Science Center
Autism Society of America

well, that's some but by no means all. You'd think I travel a lot more than I do.

And in my weekly Fountains of Wayne mention, they somehow managed to work a Costco and a La Quinta reference into one of their songs and even made it rhyme. Maybe they read my mail.
New Routine by Fountains of Wayne (click to listen)

You'll Thank Me

2009-06-03T21:40:00.003-04:00

or you should. Here's a link to all of the online songs of the brilliant Karl Straub. You've never heard of him, but he's a great singer/songwriter from the DC area. He led a band in the '90s called the Graverobbers. They released 3 great CD's. It took some searching but I have procured all 3. I never heard of Straub or the Graverobbers until a couple of years ago when I went to a Last Train Home show at the Rams Head Tavern in Annapolis. The band feature 2 former Graverobbers and band leader Eric Brace mentioned that a couple of the songs (that I liked a lot) were Graverobbers songs. Well that got me searching and I discovered that Straub wrote some of the prettiest pop music ever. I even wrote my first and only fan email ever to him. Surprisingly he answered back. I've only seen him perform once, in the tiny upstairs room of a restaurant/bar in the Del Ray area of Alexandria. Most of the folks there were there for a beer and conversation rather than music and were unaware that there was a great musician playing at the front of the room. So it wasn't the most inspiring show.
I've been on Straub's email list and it seems that over the past year he's gone digital culminating with the blog site listed over there on my link list. I don't visit it as much as I should, but today I found this convenient page with links to all of the songs he has online. Just listened to "Chick Flick On Acid" and while its a humorous look at chick flicks, its also sweet and sensitive.
And the songs are accompanied by Straub's commentary. For me its a revealing look at the creative process (something quite foreign to me).
Karl Straub Song Title List

Also, there's a link to his blog over there on my list of links.
If you're looking for something new to listen to, head on over.

My place in the world

2009-05-31T11:17:00.002-04:00

When my son grew taller than me, I was less thrilled than you might think. I sort of took it as "Move out of the way, old man" message. Now my daughter's doing a blog and its better than mine: Techno Sunshine. Guess I'll just crawl off and huddle in the corner.

Saturday Song of the Day

2009-05-29T23:14:00.001-04:00

In a Little While by U2 (click to listen)

No reason for this one. I just saw it on the list and remembered that I liked it.

Friday Song(s) of the Day

2009-05-28T21:51:00.003-04:00

Kind of a Girl by Tinted Windows (click to listen)

Messing With My Head by Tinted Windows (click to listen)

Loyal readers of this column know that I love power pop. They know that I like Hanson and that I love Fountains of Wayne. So imagine my excitement when I read that Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne was collaborating with Taylor Hanson, the cutest of the Hanson Brothers. Well, I had to have the album. They call themselves Tinted Windows and the band also includes James Iha from Smashing Pumpkins and Bun E Carlos, drummer from Cheap Trick. I obtained it and its excellent. Every song is a pop gem. Here are 2 samples.

Thursday Song of the Day

2009-05-20T23:05:00.002-04:00

Sunshine on Leith by the Proclaimers

Holy Cats!! Chris won Idol??? I figured that Adam had things pretty much under control, so I went out to see the Proclaimers rather than watching the results show. Well, it just goes to show you, I can't take a night off. Make no mistake, Chris is likeable and talented, but Adam's a star. Its a stunner that he didn't win. But he'll do great. And now at least he doesn't have to sing that awful Idol penned song that's gonna be the first single.

The Proclaimers were very good, appearing at the Rams Head Tavern in Annapolis. No band, just the 2 of them. They sang this one which is the title song of one of the early albums. Very pretty ballad.

Sunshine on Leith by the Proclaimers (click to listen)

Monday Song of the Day

2009-05-18T09:17:00.001-04:00

Pictures of Matchstick Men by Status Quo (click to listen)

This song is one of those great "epic" songs where you say "Great song! Who does it?". "Bittersweet Symphony" by the Verve Pipe is another. And Status Quo is one of those bands where when one of their songs comes on my IPod, I say "Good song! Who is this?" Thanks to my friend Chas for turning me on to them.

Friday Song of the Day

2009-05-15T08:53:00.002-04:00

Anticipation by Carly Simon (click to listen)
Sadly, at my age and my advanced level of cynicism, I rarely feel anticipation anymore. Dread still exists for me (got a dentist appointment next week and next time I get a physical the doctor's going to suggest a colonoscopy) but when the hint of anticipation reaches my brain, my mind tells that hint "Don't get your hopes up". Ah well, I've always loved this song, and happily there have been many moments in my adult life where I do take a second and say, "these are the good old days". Life's good!

Monday Song of the Day

2009-05-11T08:39:00.002-04:00

Tell That Girl to Shut Up by Holly and the Italians (click to listen)

Some classic '80s style new wave power pop.

Sunday Song(s) of the Day

2009-05-09T23:42:00.002-04:00

Song of the month is more like it. I'm fresh from seeing the Bowie High Chorus Pops concert. The theme was the "British Invasion". It was nearly all Beatles songs, but they sang this one by Lulu, which I realized, is another oldie that I love. Title song from the movie starring Sidney Portier. And as a bonus here is another song from that era, Angel of the Morning by Merilee Rush. The interesting thing about this song is that it is written by the same guy who wrote "Wild Thing", Chip Taylor. And the real interesting thing is that he's Jon Voight's brother, which means that he's also Angelina Jolie's uncle!
This info, courtesy of allmusic.com.

To Sir With Love by Lulu (click to listen)
Angel of the Morning by Merilee Rush (click to listen)

Saturday Song of the Day

2009-04-18T09:33:00.004-04:00

Passed Over by Paul Kelly (click to listen)
This is about a week late I think. Its probably the only Passover song in my entire collection. By the brilliant Paul Kelly of course. This is from his collection of free alphabetic downloads. He's up to the letter P and has released over 75 free live versions of his songs. He's great. Buy his albums. Songs from the South is a greatest hits collection and a good place to start.

My daughter's goals

2009-04-18T09:00:00.004-04:00

My daughter's homework assignment from this past fall on setting goals. Guess you'll need to zoom in by clicking on it. The first 2 are ice skating goals.

Report from Camden Yards

2009-04-12T18:31:00.002-04:00

I had the pleasure of attending my first Orioles game this year with my daughter on my birthday. It was a good game from an O's fan standpoint as they jumped off to a 5-0 lead on a Melvin Mora grand slam home run in the first inning and never let up. I've got great seats thanks to my friend Peter's season ticket plan. 5 rows up from the first base coach.
Observations:
1. Uncle Teddy's Pretzels has been replaced by Noah's Pretzels. We first found Noah's in the Verizon Center on the first floor near the escalator. The reason this is interesting to me is that Noah's is dedicated to promoting autism awareness. So I'm happy for the change.
2. First basemen, first base coaches, and first base umpires tend to be quite talkative. Former O's first base coach Rick Dempsey used to bring bubblegum out for the kids in the stands. Last night, Tampa Bay coach George Hendrick gave a young girl in the front row a baseball. He was rewarded the next inning when she gave him a handful of cotton candy which he ate enthusiastically.
3. Former Congressman and NAACP leader Kweisi Mfume sat 2 rows in front of me. I know that because he was wearing an Orioles jacket with his name stitched nicely in front.
4. You're still allowed to bring food and drink into the stadium with you.
5. I love it that they play "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" for the seventh inning stretch (and they have for as long as I've be going to O's games). It makes no sense in the context of the city and the game, but its neat.
6. The crab shuffle has gotten harder.
7. Mustard was the winner in the hot dog race (against catsup and relish). I root for mustard, so I was happy.

Friday Song of the Day

2009-04-10T09:05:00.003-04:00

Touch of Grey by the Grateful Dead (click to listen)
This one's deadicated to me as I celebrate(?) a milestone birthday tomorrow.

American Idol Report, April 7

2009-04-07T21:24:00.001-04:00

This week's theme is songs from the year you were born. We're down to 8 contestants now and soon some of the good ones are gonna leave.

Danny Gokey 1980 Stand By Me (Mickey Gilley's version?) No fair. That's not a 1980 song! I don't think they should let him sing it. I do not like the start of the song. Danny's obviously changing the melody a little here. It s not an improvement. The original was great so why is he remaking the melody. I hate Danny's arrangement here and I'm really distracted by it. His singing is only mediocre so far also. I do not like this performance at all. It wasn't a 1980 song and it wasn't the same song. Grade: C
The judges seem to like it though. Maybe Simon will be the voice of reason. Nope, he gives Danny a good review too.
I don't know. Danny is starting to grate on me. He's got a voice and some stage presence. But he's not sincere.

Kris Allen – 1985 All She Wants to Do Is Dance by Don Henley
A different style for Kris. Lets see if he can pull it off. He's off to a bit of a slow start. The song and arrangement is not highlighting his vocal ability. I don't think it is a good song for this venue. Just mediocre (I'm sorry to say), I like Kris but I have to give him a C.
Paula calls him likable, which is sort of a kiss of death. Randy makes a good point when he says that he lost Kris in the arrangement, which I agree with.

Lil Rounds – 1984 What's Love Got To Do With It by Tina Turner
Amazing, I was just thinking that she should sing this song. Good song for her voice but her dancing is really bad. Like she's not used to wearing heels that high. She handles the chorus much better than the verses. Its her best performance in several weeks. B
I am thinking that Lil is close to maxing out. Poor thing. She really took a beating from the judges.

Anoop Desai 1986 True Colors by Cyndi Lauper
Anoop apologizes for being irritated by Kara's comments last week about being a frat boy playing at R&B. I don't know. I think he had a reason to be irritated. It goes to the touchy issue I was talking about last week. So I don't think he needs to apologize.
Sitting on a stool this week sounding sincere. I think he sounds good. His voice is solid and full. The arrangement is pretty basic, which I like. I think I like better as a balladeer than as a hip hop performer. And he caps it off with a little falsetto. Very good. B+

Scott McIntire – 1985 The Search Is Over
Scott chooses a sappy tune and is accompanying himself on electric guitar. 1985 is my wheelhouse in terms of music and I can't say that I remember this one. Maybe its by REO Speedwagon. Once again, I just don't think much of Scott's voice nor his music sensibilities. His performance is ok, but essentially its a generic performance of a generic song. Grade: C
Simon is spot on in his assessment of Scott's song and performance. Scott is annoying in his talking back to the judges.

Please Adam, save the show tonight, because there hasn't been a good performance yet.
I think the judges should switch up their seating arrangements from week to week.
Paula is really annoying.

Allison Iraheda – 1992 I Can't Make You Love Me by Bonnie Raitt
Don't do it Allison! Over the years, the judges have hated most every performance of a Bonnie Raitt song. Don't say I didn't warn you when its over.
Allison does have the husky voice that could cover Bonnie Raitt. But I'd prefer a bluesy Bonnie number to a ballad. The song is a little too low key for Allison to shine. If she sings it perfectly, it will just add up to an ok job. In diving terms, the degree of difficulty is not high enough. She sang it fine though. Grade: B

1985 (again) Matt Giraud – Part Time Lover by Stevie Wonder
Ooh, fashion Matt with the leather jacket and fedora. So far, its a nice controlled performance. Lots of times, the Idol contestants get lost and out of control singing Stevie. There hasn't been opportunity for many big notes, but there's some falsetto and some riffing. Very nice overall. I like it and think its the best so far tonight. B+
The judges agree and give Matt raves. One more to go. I haven't taken inventory yet to figure out the bottom 3, but its going to be tough to predict.

Adam Lambert – 1982 Mad World by Tears For Fears
At last, an interesting song choice. I like Adam's voice. Its unique but very solid. Adam's doing it all with his singing this week. No gimmicks. Like Matt, its a very controlled performance (in a good way) and even though he's not going off on any fancy vocal runs, he's demonstrating excellent vocal skill and technique. Excellent job this week. A-
Wow, Simon gives Adam a standing ovation! Thats a first.
I'm rating based on my favorites, not on how I think they stand.
My ratings:
1. Adam
2.Kris
3.Matt
4.Anoop
5.Allison
6.Danny
7.Lil
8.Scott

Bottom 3: Lil, Allison, Scott
Who should go home: Scott
Who will go home: Lil

April is Autism Month

2009-04-02T20:06:00.003-04:00

So, I'm watching the NBA pregame show on TNT and I'm noticing that Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, Ernie Johnson, and former NBA star/current mayor of Sacramento Kevin Johnson are all wearing puzzle piece lapel pins. I'm touched.
April is autism awareness month so please be aware. I've been composing a mental letter to my Congressman and Senators that I hope to actually commit to paper soon. My message for this month is that while most of the national autism groups focus on early intervention and on medical research, those of us living with an autistic child need services. Karen and I are blessed to live in a county with good programs and wonderful staff working with teenaged handicapped kids. Kevin has a great aftercare program and tons of recreational opportunities available to him through the park services. But I worry. We don't need much. but if the aftercare program were canceled we would be in trouble. So please remember that we need more than research. We need aftercare programs and recreational services. They don't cost much and they are absolutely essential. So a special shout out to the Prince Georges County, MD park and planning agency. They make a difference.

Thursday Song of the Day

2009-04-02T09:05:00.001-04:00

Funeral For a Friend (Love Lies Bleeding) by Elton John (click to listen)
Its difficult to believe but yes, this song is the evidence, Elton John used to be able to rock.

American Idol Report 3-31

2009-03-31T21:31:00.006-04:00

Well I'm back with another American Idol report. I missed doing my report last week but would have been accurate with my guess of who would be eliminated. Michael Sarver seemed like a nice enough guy, but not talented enough. I was off on the second to last. Matt was too good to be down there. You know the drill. My comments and grades are made before I hear the judges' comments. Its some tough typing but I'm up to the task. So buckle up, hear we go. PS, I hope the pictures show up but I think the IdolOnFox page is messed up.

Allison's wearing purple poodle hair and I like it.

Anoop Desai Caught Up by Usher
Uh oh, too new for me. Not sure if Anoop is really an R&B singer or just a poser. That said, he sounds good. He's got a solid voice and seems to be hitting most of the notes. OK, but not great. It wasn't that challenging a song, but he did ok with it. Grade: B-
I'm watching with closed captioning and its cool because the vocals are showing as they're singing.
Anoop is a bit touchy with the judges' comments. Its a touchy subject and no one is actually going to say it out loud. Should an Indian guy from North Carolina be singing R&B? I'm fine with it and think the performance should be judged by the quality of the singing not by any sort of dues paying or street cred perceptions.

After the break, Megan singing Bob Marley. That sounds like it might be a most delightful train wreck.

Megan Joy - Turn Your Lights Down Low by Bob Marley, slash Lauren Hill.
Megan seems to make every song into a kids song with her gestures and expressions. Her voice does not sound good tonight and she's pitchy as Randy would say. It seems like an 8 year old's attempt at sultry. Pretty bad. Grade: D

Danny Gokey - What Hurts the Most by Rascal Flatts
Oooh, sincere song. Violin intro. 5 seconds in and my daughter says she doesn't like. OOh, I'm not liking the chorus and I think the arrangement is too much. He needs a simple acoustic guitar arrangement. I like Danny, but I didn't like this performance. It was too orchestral for me, both the arrangement and the performance. Grade: C+
Well, the judges disagree with me. But you know I'm right. Wow, Simon was effusive with his praise. Maybe I was wrong. Nah.

Allison Iraheda - Don't Speak by No Doubt
Cool, cool hair. Sounds good on the intro with just her guitar. But I like stripped down arrangements. Voice isn't great, but she commands the stage. I really like her and am amazed that she's only 16. She's not the best singer, but is one of the best performers. The first half was better than the second and the part with just Allison and her guitar were the best part of the performance. Grade: B
Hey Randy, her clothes are fine. She's 16! And is dressing like a 16 year old. Good for her.

Scott McIntire - Just the Way You Are by Billy Joel
I just don't like Scott's voice. It doesn't have enough depth. I saw a Billy Joel "Behind the Music" interview and after several years, even Billy hated this song. Scott's trying too hard on this. Its not winning me over. The song is too simple for me and it was too calculated of a performance. It shouted "Love Me, Love Me!" Sounded kind of desperate to me. Grade: C+
Once again, the judges are disagreeing with me. Well I'm prejudiced against Scott, but stand by my commentary.

So far, I haven't been bowled over by anyone yet. But most of the better contestants have yet to sing.

Matt Giraud - You Found Me by the Fray
Bottom 3 for Matt last week? That wasn't fair. He's good.
I know this song. I like the Fray.
Kind of cool, playing the piano out amongst the crowd. His performance of a current song is completely credible. He sounds just like the singers on my wife's radio station. It was pretty good, but was formulaic, like the songs on Mix 107. Grade: B-
Well the judges are being tough and actually kind of mirror my comments. It was more of a cover than his own performance. I hope Matt stays around. I like him.

Lil Rounds - I Surrender by Celine Dion
Well I don't really like her glamour look. She's prettier in the film clip than in the performance.
I'm not fond of this. Her voice doesn't sound good on the song and she's shouting it (as Simon would say). She's got a big voice, but doesn't have great control over it. I like Lil, but I have to say, C+. Just not great.

Coming up next, Adam gets funky with Wild Cherry. Well that can only be one song. I never see them on the list of one hit wonders, but I'm not aware of any other hit for them. Its a way cool song though.

Adam Lambert - Play That Funky Music by Wild Cherry
Its always scary when they talk about taking the song and "changing it up"! Let's see how it goes. Daughter likes his "awesome hair". She says she's going to marry him. I try to subtly tell her that nothing personal, but I don't think he'd be interested. Not really liking it so far. His voice doesn't sound so good. Ah, there are the changes. I think the song is carrying him rather than the other way around. As Simon would say, quite indulgent. I like Adam and even on his bad perfomances he's good. But this one to me is only a B-. The song has so much funk, that it makes you move even without vocals. So it wasn't great in my eyes. Still Adam's got star power.

KrisAllen - Ain't No Sunshine by Bill Withers
Keep the arrangement simple! I like it so far. His voice is very powerful tonight and its a very powerful song. This is the best performance of the night. In contrast to the Danny's number, the orchestration (violin and cello) was tasteful. I think it was the best of the night and Chris is low key, but one of the most talented of this group. Grade: A-

My ratings:
1. Adam
2. Kris
3. Danny
4. Allison
5. Lil
6. Scot
7. Matt
8. Anoop
9. Megan

Bottom 3: Matt, Anoop, Megan
Who should go home: Meganl
Who will go home: Megan

Maturity

2009-03-29T16:37:00.002-04:00

My definition of reaching maturity is the time when you realize that just because you think it, you don't HAVE to say it.
What's yours?

Sunday Song of theDay

2009-03-29T16:34:00.003-04:00

I Want You Back by the Hoodoo Gurus (click to listen)
This is a great song from the '80s that I've always loved.

Saturday Song of the Day

2009-03-28T08:26:00.002-04:00

Get It On by Chase (click to listen)
This is my tribute to the NCAA basketball tournament, aka March Madness.
Typically, friends and I arrange to meet at one of the sites during the first or second weekend of the tournament to attend the games. I counted and I've attended the tournament 10 different times now. Attending the first day of the tournament is a grueling endurance test and should only be attempted by the fittest of basketball aficionados. 4 full games. And more importantly for this post, 8 different pep bands. I always get a kick out of observing the bands and the bandleaders (who appear to be arrested adolescents attempting to relive their college days) and I do enjoy the music somewhat. But there are only so many marching band songs and by the 4th game, you've heard a lot of repeats. But I can never hear this one too much!
This song came out during my high school days and is a band classic. Its a very cool song with a dramatic tension that builds in order to be released by the cool nuh, nuh, nuh,nuh, nuh musical chorus.
Love it.
By the way, I have no idea who's gonna win it all.

Friday Song of the Day

2009-03-26T22:49:00.004-04:00

Who Needs the Kwik-E-Mart? by Homer and Apu (click to listen)
In honor of the 20th year of the greatest show ever on TV!

Monday Song of the Day

2009-03-22T17:32:00.002-04:00

Here's one my daughter likes and I have to agree that it has an infectious beat. Its probably got filthy lyrics, but I can't hear them and probably wouldn't understand them anyway. Also, I'm trying to figure out what surf song the intro comes from. I know I've heard it a dozen times before.
Pump It by the Black Eyed Peas (click to listen)

Special Olympian

2009-03-20T22:12:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow, I'm taking my autistic son to a Special Olympics basketball competition in Forestville, Maryland, just 5 miles down Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House. Think the President would like to join me? He might get a lot of laughs out of it.

I know, I know, too political. But he should know better. Quite a stupid thing for him to say.

American Idol Report

2009-03-17T21:28:00.007-04:00

Well, its back after nearly a year away. My first American Idol report of the season. As always, these observations are made as I watch the show live. I try to type my impressions and give my grade before I hear the judges. My first thought is that I've grown to respect the job that Ryan Seacrest does. Its not easy being poised on live TV. Ryan reminds me of a young Pat Sajak, and that's quite a compliment in my book.

Michael Sarver - Ain't Going Down by Garth Brooks
We can barely hear him sing. His vocals are lost in the arrangement and the harmonica is actually the focal point of the song. The song itself isn't a "singer's song". It doesn't have any big notes or chances for the vocalist to really belt. So bad choice of song for this type for a singing competition and Michael's vocal was ordinary at best. Grade: D+

Allison Iraheta - Blame It on Your Heart by Patty Loveless
Based on last week, I like Allison and can hardly believe she's 16.
Her vocals aren't perfect but she's doing great as a "performer". She just looks at home on the stage. I'm glad to see someone pick a country rocker song. As a country fan, I fear that people pigeon-hole the "sound" and style. And I'm glad to see someone rock. Like I said, her vocals aren't text book but for her style, attitude trumps text books. And she's got attitude. Grade: B-

Kris Allen - To Make You Feel My Love by Garth Brooks
Confession: Although I like country music, I don't know any Garth Brooks. This one is a ballad and Kris is displaying a very solid voice. He's doing a good job of singing with emotion and he has not hit any bad note. He finishes with a falsetto which you all know I like. Grade: B.
I'm trying to start the year as a tough grader. I don't want to give a top grade too soon just to see someone else top it.
Kris got good reviews from the judges but Cara's comment that "I couldn't even tell it was opry" really bugs me. There is so much more to country music than big hair and twang, and if people would just keep an open mind, they would hear that at its core, its just music.

Lil Rounds - Independence Day by Martina McBride
I've liked Lil thus far this season. There's no reason for her to be apprehensive about singing this style song. Its not so much country as it is a pop ballad and I think she does a good job of it. She does a nice job of the big notes of the chorus. Randy is being tough on her, but I think the fact that they have so little time this week works against her. She can do better, but overall not bad. Grade: B-

Adam Lambert - Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash
Umm, I'm not a fan of changing the arrangement of a great song like Ring of FIre. It stands on its own and is kind of insulting to change it too much. That being said, I like Adam's vocals very much. He's singing the hell out of it. Very nice singing and very good performing. Still don't like the arrangement. Adam's good. He should be around for awhile. Grade B+.
I am tired of the "its so tough because its country music week" lament. There are tons of songs to choose from that will meet all of their styles and I also become annoyed by the contestants lack of musical knowledge. They, of all people should be more open minded.

Scott McIntire - Wild Angels by Martina McBride
I'm not a Scott fan thus far. He wasn't among the very worst last week but was in the bottom third as far as I'm concerned. I'm not familiar with this song. His voice is ok, but I don't think its outstanding. He sounds a little thin on the big notes. But you know what, the last 45 seconds of the song sounded quite polished. I've got to be careful not to be biased since I'm inclined to dislike him. Grade: B-

I'm a big fraud. I make it seem like I'm this huge and knowledgeable country music fan, and I have barely heard any of the songs selected. Just like pop and rock, I'm better with the older stuff.

Alexis Grace - Jolene by Dolly Parton
Good song selection I think. Vocals are ok. The bigger, louder notes are better than the quiet parts. Nice atmospheric vibe. I think its pretty good but see room for improvement. Grade: C+

A word on the commercials: a talking baby telling an old golfer "look at the rule book, shankapotomous" is hilarious.
Danny Gokey - Jesus Take the Wheel
Come on, can't you pick something a little older and less obvious. I like Carrie Underwood, but show some respect to the elders. Does your music knowledge only go back 3 years? He's good on the quiet part though. He's poised and a very solid performer. He sounds excellent on this one. I would say best so far tonight. B+ (A-?)
Cara's wrong about the front half of the performance being weak. He did a good job on the quiet early parts. Scary, but I'm agreeing with Paula.
I hate the white coat Danny's wearing. I was typing that last comment when Simon commented on the wardrobe.

Anoop Desai - You Were Always On My Mind by Willie Nelson
He's probably doing a wise thing doing a ballad in a respectful manner. He sounds good. He's not going "over the top" and is doing a nice job of crooning. Much better than last week. Grade: B

Meghan Joy - Walking After Midnight by Patsy Cline
Kelly Pickler sang this a couple of years ago, but lets see. Not many people know how good Patsy Cline was.
I'm not a fan of the "flirty" style of her performance. Very Betty Boop. UGGH. This is bad. She's doing some sort of Bette Midler style vocal that is a terrible mismatch to the song. Bad, bad, bad. Grade: D-

Matt Giraud - So Small by Carrie Underwood
Same criticism as Danny's song selection. Doesn't your musical knowledge go beyond previous years' episodes of Idol?
Nice suit, but a real man keeps his top button buttoned when he's wearing a tie. I think the vocal is only ok. The piano kind of disguises the weakness of the vocals. Well, I guess it wasn't so bad, but not as good as the judges think. Grade: B-

My ratings:
1. Adam
2. Danny
3. Lil
4. Allison
5. Kris
6. Matt
7. Scott
8. Anoop
9. Alexis
10. Megan
11. Michael

Who should go home: Michael
Who will go home: Michael

Wednesday Song of the Day

2009-03-17T20:45:00.001-04:00

A beautiful song by the brilliant John Prine.
One Red Rose by John Prine (click to listen)

Tuesday Song of the Day

2009-03-17T08:41:00.003-04:00

Midnight at the Oasis by Maria Muldaur (click to listen)
Another lost oldie that I've always loved.

Monday Song(s) of the Day

2009-03-15T19:29:00.006-04:00

Its Only Make Believe by Conway Twitty

Behind Closed Doors by Charlie Rich

These are a couple of old-timey country songs that I love. If I ever had the nerve to do kareoke, I would definitely do these two songs. Take my word for it, I sound pretty good singing along with them. Click on the pictures to listen.

Sunday Song of the Day

2009-03-14T22:16:00.003-04:00

Sunshine by Jonathan Edwards (click to listen)
If you're as old as I am, you remember this song.

Another Important Question

2009-03-13T08:39:00.002-04:00

Do elevators within the same cluster argue with each other about who does the most work?

Friday Song of the Day

2009-03-13T08:31:00.001-04:00

Wow, I'm running behind on my songs. Here's one I like by Lisa Loeb. I like the duh,nuh-nuh-nuh-na-nuh guitar backing.
Alone by Lisa Loeb (click to listen)

Internet Age Question

2009-03-08T18:51:00.002-04:00

Do you still write down every checking account transaction in your checkbook? Do you "balance" your checkbook?
As of today, I've stopped writing it all down in the checkbook register. What's next? Giving up my newspaper home delivery? I'm getting close to that also, which is horrible news for the newspaper industry, cuz I've always been a newspaper guy.

Tuesday Song of the Day

2009-03-03T18:49:00.003-05:00

Maybe, Maybe Not by Mike Viola (click to listen)
Mike Viola opened for Fountains of Wayne last week when I saw them. He was accompanied by a female bass player/back up singer named Kelly Jones. They were excellent. One of my "things" is that in order to support live music and musicians, that if the warm up act is decent, I buy their cd. So I bought both that Mike Viola had for sale that night. This is a very cool song. It sounded better live because Kelly Jones did a great job of back up vocals, but this version is still darn good.

Monday Song of the Day

2009-03-01T19:32:00.002-05:00

This Will Be (an Everlasting Love) by Natalie Cole (click to listen)
So I was a little down the other day as I was stretching for my 5 AM exercise class. Why? #1 It was 5 AM, #2 I was at exercise class. But this song came on the radio and cheered me right up. Wow, its some type of pick me up song.

Sunday Song of the Day

2009-02-28T17:52:00.003-05:00

What Have You Got Planned Tonight Diana by Merle Haggard (click to listen)
I'm not ashamed to admit that this one brought a tear to my eye when I heard it the other morning.

Saturday Song of the Day

2009-02-20T23:51:00.003-05:00

Michael and Heather at the Baggage Claim by Fountains of Wayne (click to listen)

I'm just back from seeing my favorite band, Fountains of Wayne, playing at the Rams Head Tavern. Great show. These guys are very unassuming geniuses. Great melodies, great lyrics. Love 'em if you couldn't tell. They've got so many great songs that I had a tough time picking one today, but here's one they didn't play. Just one of the sweetest songs ever!

Valentines Day Notice

2009-02-16T12:47:00.004-05:00

I found this today in the disorganized mess that is my living room (undergoing window and furniture replacement). I thought, "better scan it before we lose it". Highly appropriate for the Valentines Day weekend. Click on it for a better view. From the Winchester (Va) Star, Aug. 20, 1990

Monday Song of the Day

2009-02-16T11:59:00.002-05:00

I'll Go To My Grave Loving You by the Statler Brothers (click to listen)

When I was a junior in high school, Ricky Alcorn and I were darn close to being best friends. This was pretty strange because he was WAY, WAY cooler than I was. We had known each other since 5th grade and were friendly during all that time, but in 11th grade we had almost all of our classes together and for some reason, it all clicked. Anyway, Ricky was very cool but the unusual thing was, HE LIKED COUNTRY MUSIC. And he was unapologetic about it. He actually made fun of me for not liking it. One of his albums at the time was the Statler Brothers Greatest Hits, which as it turns out was damn good. Especially this song, which is beautiful. Alas, we lost touch over that summer and didn't have any classes together senior year, so we drifted apart and I was unable to channel his coolness on my own. But he was (and probably still is) a great guy.

Sunday Song of the Day

2009-02-08T10:22:00.003-05:00

The Things We Say by the Beagles (click to listen)
This is a song from one of the power pop collections that I have procured from Not Lame Records. But in attempting to find some information, this is all I could come up with. The only reference to a group name the Beagles is a mid 60's animated dog group that appeared on CBS for a short time. Their musical style fits the power pop bill, so maybe its them. But then again maybe not.

Saturday Song of the Day

2009-02-06T22:31:00.002-05:00

Mother and Child Reunion by Paul Simon (click to listen)
The story I heard was that the title came from a menu with a chicken and eggs dish with that name.

Beauty Tip #1

2009-02-05T11:16:00.003-05:00

Let yourself go. Really. Its the best thing you can do to attract compliments and boost self esteem. Explanation: I used to feel that I was fat and disgusting at weight A. Well now I'm at weight A + 15 lbs.
If I lose those 15 pounds to return to weight A, I will feel like I have achieved a major accomplishment and people are likely to compliment me on my weight loss and improved appearance.

In Defense of WalMart

2009-02-01T07:30:00.007-05:00

I'm disappointed in Bruce Springsteen. Not that he cut a deal for WalMart to be the exclusive retailer for his new album. But for the fact that he's apologizing for it now. Hey, you took the money from them. Now own up to your end of the deal.
The deal has been heavily criticized lately, presumably because of WalMart's unprogressive employment policies. I'm not terribly familiar with these specific criticisms but I do know that the average WalMart employee is currently in better shape than the average Circuit City employee. Also, whenever I visit WalMart I noticed that much of their customer base are working class folks both minority and not. They seem to think that the prices are better! Bruce should just say "Hey, I sing about the common folk and the common folk shop at WalMart".
Over the years I have seen some pretty wild criticism of the WalMart corporation. Things such as "They're destroying downtowns!". Huh? Downtowns have been in decline for nearly 50 years and in areas that have never seen a WalMart. Demographic trends and the creation of the interstate highway system had far more to do with the decline of the traditional downtown area than the arrival of WalMart stores. And "they put small mom and pop retailers out of business!". And Target and Costco don't? Is it just me or didn't Best Buy and Circuit City virtually eliminate the small (what we used to call) "stereo shop". Lowes and Home Depot haven't eliminated the old fashioned hardware store?
My own feeling is that much of the anti WalMart sentiment is classist in nature. I think that it stems from the fact that WalMart emerged from the rural South and that its customer base does have a lower than average income. They had a CEO named Bud and for years were the only major retailer willing to make a major investment in mostly rural Southern communities. Turns out that they were very innovative in their industry and by the time the other retailers noticed, WalMart was far and away the leading retailer in the nation. But still they were perceived as a "redneck" operation. After all, many of their execs spoke with a Southern accent.
Yes, they are a tough employer and a tough customer. But people forget the other side of the coin. Walmart's presence lowers prices overall and that helps those with lower incomes. Two years ago, WalMart lowered the price for several common prescriptions to $4. Is it strictly coincidence that Target and CVS just happen to now have $4 specials on those very same drugs?
I'll close this post with a personal anecdote. Several years ago I had to take a business trip to Melbourne, Florida. When I awoke at my hotel and got dressed, I noticed that I had forgotten to pack any ties. So I looked out the window and saw that a WalMart was across the street. And it called to me! I immediately made the short journey and bought 2 ties. I was ready to look my best for the rest of the trip. It was seven in the morning! And I thought to myself "What a great country this is, that I can buy myself a couple of ties before breakfast!"

Sunday Song of the Day

2009-01-31T21:27:00.003-05:00

Too Lazy to Work, Too Nervous to Steal by BR5-49 (click to listen)
I had heard of BR5-49 but didn't know anything about them. Then I found out the "BR5-49" was the phone number that Junior Sample would give in the used car dealer commercial bits from the Hee Haw show. Now I'm not a Hee Haw viewer (believe it or not) but I love, love, love the idea of naming your band after an obscure reference like that. I love the title of this song. Kind of sums me up.

Songs I like

2009-01-31T21:09:00.001-05:00

I like any song that uses the word buss as a synonym for kiss and I love any song that mentions coffee. Its just me I guess.

Friday Song of the Day

2009-01-30T07:41:00.002-05:00

Be Careful by Patty Griffin (click to listen)
Wow, this is a pretty song. Nuff said.

2009-01-23T08:34:00.002-05:00

Last Thing I Needed, First Thing This Morning by Willie Nelson (click to listen)
I was driving in the car with the missus when this song came up on the IPod. She said "He has such a nice voice". I love Willie, but I wouldn't say that. I will say that I think that he is a GREAT singer despite having a less than perfect voice. Also I love the wordplay of the title.

Monday Song of the Day

2009-01-19T08:39:00.001-05:00

A Change is Gonna Come by the great Sam Cooke (click to listen)

Sunday Song(s) of the Day

2009-01-17T17:09:00.004-05:00

In My Life by Johnny Cash (click to listen)
In My Life by the Beatles (click to listen)
Hendersonville by Last Train Home (click to listen)

To compensate for my inconsistent posting of the Song of the Day, here's a triple. First is the original: In My Life by the Beatles. Then is a cover of the same song that Johnny Cash did late in his life. Although his voice doesn't have the range of his youth, Cash's interpretation shows that a cover version can contain just as much emotion and sound even more personal than the original. You can just imagine him singing this to his wife June. The third song, Hendersonville, is Eric Brace's tribute to Johnny and June, which is quite touching.

Sunday Song of the Day

2009-01-11T10:07:00.001-05:00

Fins by Jimmy Buffett

I'm in Florida. The weather's perfect. So here's my favorite Buffett song.

We don't win, but we look good

2009-01-10T20:05:00.002-05:00

Its rare for 2 of my favorite interests to converge but this week the Washington Wizards and Project Runway were joined together in the media and the results were spectacular. Check it out here. Brilliant.

Saturday Song of the Day

2009-01-03T08:41:00.003-05:00

Pretty In Pink by the Psychedelic Furs (click to listen)
first heard this song done by my favorite early '80s Blacksburg, Va. band Nasty Habits (later named the Twist). They introduced me to several excellent new wave bands and songs back then such as U2 (I heard their version of "I Will Follow" long before the "real" one) and Billy Idol. This was the one number that the bass player got to sing. Later on, John Hughes made a movie with this title and I think included the song on the soundtrack. That movie featured Molly Ringwald (of course) and Andrew McCarthy as the hunky love interest. Jon Cryer played the nerdy friend. He now plays the nerdy brother on "2 and a Half Men". Word is that the original ending had Molly ending up with the nerdy friend, but test audiences didn't like that, so they had her go with the hunk.
Anyway, this is a good one by the P-Furs and Nasty Habits/the Twist were a wonderful band back in the day.

Thursday Song of the Day

2009-01-01T12:18:00.001-05:00

A Better Man by Keb Mo (click to listen)

This is a repeat from March but entirely appropriate for New Year's day. "A Better Man", yup thats me in 2009!

My 2008 Report Card

2009-01-01T12:08:00.000-05:00

My 2008 Report Card
One of the only things I miss from my school days is the sense of renewal the beginning and ending of each school year brought. Adult/work life is just one big blur without the chance to stop and reflect. I guess new year's day is a grown up chance to reflect. Although January 2 isn't that much different than Dec. 30 to most of us. Anyway here's my own personal report card for the previous year:

weight - D-, I'm 5 pounds heavier than January 1, 2008, having been unable to sustain any sort of diet for longer than 1 week. Once again, I'm starting one. This time, its the Weight Watchers approach. Write down everything you eat, eat whatever you want but keep your total consumption less than a particular "point" amount determined by your present weight. Each food is assigned a point value and you have to be aware of it. Veggies are zero points so are highly recommended. Anyway, we'll see how long it lasts this time.

exercise: C+ I was better here. In August, I signed up for a 5 AM boot camp class at the local community center. I have actually been fairly consistent about attending over the past 5 months. I aim for 3 times a week and this coming year hope to average 4 times a week attendance. Wow, 5 AM is tough but there are no other schedule conflicts (excepting sleep). It does kind of put a damper on the evenings knowing that I've got to be up in 6 hours or so. I can do 25 push ups and can run more than a mile, so the exercise has "taken" to a certain extent.

husband: B- I was ok, but can do much better maintaining a positive outlook on a daily basis.

dad: B+ I did ok with the kids this year. I needed to adjust my approach as my daughter became a teenager and as my son grew taller than me. As a parent of a special needs child, I carry constant doubt/guilt that I'm not doing enough to improve the prospects for my son. Am I too accepting of his condition? Should I be doing more, pushing more, demanding more? The medical profession still knows next to nothing about autism and my own view is that to attempt to discipline or modify some of my son's autistic quirks would be like yelling at someone with a broken leg for limping. I could be wrong and I could just be lazy. Or I could be doing the right thing. I'll never know though. With my daughter, I consciously changed my dealings with her to treat her more like a young almost adult. We had a couple of rough patches but are doing pretty well imho.

Handyman: D I did a good job in trimming my trees and improved the appearance of my back yard. But thats all I did. I've got a broken fence panel and 2 gates that need hanging. Not sure when those will get done.

Work: C- I don't want to dwell on it but my work situation has been less than ideal. I now work for a micromanaging boss who doesn't particularly trust me. I often feel like a misbehaving school kid. But its a good secure job and I'm still ok at it. So the positives far outweigh the negatives.

person- C I feel like I've become more self-centered and introverted. I can do better.

golf - B This is a good one. I didn't break 100 this year, but came close a couple of times. I did break 50 for 9 holes a couple of times. And best of all, my partner and I won the 2 man team league championship at our workplace. First place out of 36 teams. Of course, we had high handicaps that greatly aided us, but still: "WE DID IT!"

Here's to 2009 and being a better person.
Happy New Year.