What It's About

Welcome to my blog! I ruminate on random thoughts rattling around in my brain. Subjects range from reality TV to current events and everything in between. Whether you agree with me or not, I welcome your comments. God gave you the ability to think for yourself, and this country was founded based on the right to have your own opinion. Who am I to question that? Hope you enjoy! And, if you like to shop on the internet, or have always wanted to try, please feel free to click on one of the banners on the left. Do admit I get a small commission for anything you buy through the links. Appreciate it if you do decide to buy something!

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

More Music Stuff

As some of you know, started posting song lyrics on Twitter and Facebook every morning.  Some have specific meanings, some are just for fun.  So, been thinking a lot about music lately (not that I ever really stop).  Got a few things thought I’d share with y’all.  Maybe you’ll agree, maybe you won’t.  Don’t really matter.  That’s why there’s lot of choices on your radio dial.  But, if you’re curious what’s in the deep, dark recesses of my mind, let’s get started, a-one, and-a two, and a-three:

  • Know I’ve said this before and it really sounds a little crazy, but think The Police are really underrated by a lot of folks.  Every time I post lyrics from them, always get a reply from someone, usually bout how much they love The Police and their songs.  Yet, whenever a best-of list comes out, you rarely see their name on there, or, if you do, it’s way down the list.  They are the only band who’s elicited a response every time I’ve posted a lyric by them.  Just seems odd that they rarely get mentioned in the rarified air of the all-time greats;
  • Whenever I hear “Eruption/You Really Got Me” by Van Halen now, always think about our trip to Sea World last year.  They played this song during their finale in the Saturday night show.  Actually had a live guitarist play Eddie’s parts and he was purty awesome.  That was one of the best vacations we have ever taken and probably ever will.  These songs will bring back warm memories for me from now until I can’t remember no more;
  • A Twitter friend of mine, @sharongooner, took a poll for the best frontman and frontwoman in rock history.  Freddie Mercury won for the men with 21 votes.  Next closest person was Morrissey with 10.  And, just to prove my point on The Police, out of 145 votes cast for men, no one, and I mean NO ONE, voted for Sting.  Ironically enough, means I didn’t either.  Voted for Freddie and Bonn Scott (who tied for 5th along with David Byrne, Mick Jagger, and Michael Stipe with 5 votes each.)  Debbie Harry won the female vote.  Out of over 75 votes cast, she received 24 of them.  Next closest was Karen O (?) with 6 votes.  I voted for Debbie and Chrissie Hynde, who was alone in third with 5 votes.  Can’t argue with the overall results.  Thought they turned out pretty well.  Did show me there’s a lot of singers I’ve never heard of.  Reckon I need to branch out more.  If you’re interested in reading the blog, you can click on this link: sharongooner.  She also has the results of a poll she took on best guitarist ever.  Oddly enough, the two people I voted for in that poll also finished first and tied for fifth.  Strange…;  
  • The Deadliest Catch team played some awesome music during the whole Captain Phil saga.  Thom Beers’ choice to play Johnny Cash’s “Redemption Day” during the montage representing Captain Phil’s death was flat-out pure genius.  His choice of “All Roads Lead Home” by Golden State for the memorial sequence was awesome, too.  Can’t say I’d ever heard either song before then, but each was the perfect choice for the situation.  The episode where the crews find out about his death is on right now.  Getting goosebumps and this is the third time I’ve seen it…anyway, I digress ;
  • On the subject of depressing things, every time I hear a Nirvana or INXS song, think about how sad it is that both lead singers are no longer with us due to their own hands.  Don’t think anyone was surprised to find out Kurt Cobain had some real demons circling around in his head.  Imagine most folks were surprised at how he decided to silence them, though.  Have heard several theories about Michael Hutchen’s death.  No matter what led to it, it’s still sad such a talent ended that way;
  • On a happier note, read that Roger Waters and David Gilmour had a on-stage reunion the other day.  Needless to say, the crowd was stunned when Mr. Gilmour walked out on stage.  They were the classic yin and yang pair of musicians.  Roger knows how to tell a story with lyrics and David can weave quite the tale with the guitar.  Not sure how long the reconciliation will last this time around, but hope it sticks this go around.

Well, that’s all I got this time.  Appreciate you taking the time to read it, especially if you made it this far.  If you know who Karen O is, would appreciate if you’d drop me a note about her.  Will leave you with this: 

Take your time, hurry up.  The choice is yours.  Don’t be late.  Take a rest, as a friend, as an old memory….

Until we meet again… 

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

I’m Back

Howdy, y’all.  Don’t know bout you, but it’s been pretty dang hot everywhere I’ve been this summer.  Definitely glad God gave someone the smarts enough to invent A/C.  Know it’s been a few weeks, but have been a little busy and haven’t really had anything just felt the need to talk about.  Now I’m all rested and recharged. Got a few things on my mind this week so here we go:

  • Travelled out to Summerlin, NV last week.  Trip was great until got ready to fly home.  They loaded us on the plane then decided to fill the empty seats.  Trouble was, the computer was broken down so they had to fill the empty seats by hand.  As a result, we were 45 minutes late leaving the gate.  Now, besides the fact it was 116 outside, what’s really aggravating is they held up a plane with about 300 folks already on board just so they could put 10-15 more folks on it.  This resulted in about half of us missing our connecting flights in Atlanta, and seeing as how we got to ATL after 11 pm, there were no other flights until the morning.  Did I mention they were also out of hotel rooms and most of the restaurants were closed?  So, they inconvenienced about 150 people for the sake of 10-15 people.  Wonder how they thought that was providing good customer service?  And they wonder why people get are so angry at the airline industry all the time;
  • Best part of my trip was getting to meet fishing legend Bill Dance.  He was on my flight out to Nevada.  He’s every bit the nice guy you see on TV.  If you know who he is, you know he always wears a University of Tennessee ball cap.  He had it on and even had one attached to his brief case for some reason.  Have watched his show since I was a kid.  It was a real thrill to meet him even though it took me a long time to build up the courage to talk to him; 

          Vegas 2010 012                                         

  • Went to Gulf Shores, AL, a couple weeks ago.  Great time to go.  Hardly anyone on the beaches, free parking everywhere you went, and a short wait at Lambert’s.  Media reports of the oil are greatly exaggerated (imagine that).  There was some oil there but it was just a thin coat.  You would think there was oil about a foot deep the way the media’s been carrying on.  If you enjoy the beach, but not so much the water, you can still enjoy yourself.  Many rooms have reduced rates right now, too.  005    004   003 (2)
  • Speaking of oil and the media, the local news in Mobile started each night with about 10 minutes of oil coverage.  One station even had “breaking news” about every hour just in case you somehow forgot the oil was still out there.  Think the worst story I saw was a 5 minute piece on a dead turtle found in the Intercoastal Waterway.  At the end of the piece, they quickly mumbled something about no one knows if it’s death was related to the oil or not.  Good grief.  Talk about stretching for a news story.  But, now that the oil has apparently been capped, the media will be able to focus on something new now…I hope.  Love how President Obama took 42 days to address the nation while the oil was still flowing, but it took him less than 24 hours to speak out after it had been capped.  Just sayin’…;
  • Mid-term elections are coming up.  Wonder how many Dems will continue with the “It’s-all-Bush’s-fault” theme?  Pretty sad that’s all they really have to fall back on after two years.  Think the biggest disappointment to folks is the perceived lack of jobs being created as a result of the big stimulus package which was passed last year.  Part of me wonders if the jobs are out there but they aren’t the ones people want.  When the New Deal was passed, it created blue collar jobs.  Nowadays, folks want to tell others how and where to dig the ditches instead of using the shovel themselves.  Would think it’s hard to create white collar jobs out of nowhere.  But, the perception is out there that the Dems are more interested in handing out unemployment checks than creating jobs.  Americans always talk about being free.  Have to wonder how much freedom we are giving up when we always have our hands out to the government looking for our “free money?”  Got news for you, Folks, ain’t no such thing as free money.  Now, there are always some folks who actually need a helping hand.  Ain’t talking ‘bout them.  Talking about those folks who can be independent but choose not to.  And, in my mind, every time you take a handout from the government or give up a freedom to the government, you are becoming less independent.  Maybe I’m wrong, though;
  • Anyone else watching Big Brother this summer?  Pretty funny they had this big “twist” all planned out by having someone play the part of a saboteur.  Bad thing was they were voted out the first week.  What’s even funnier is only one person even had a notion as to who the saboteur was, but the whole group took credit for getting them voted out.  Hmmm, folks taking credit for blind luck.  Sounds like a bunch of politicians, don’t they?  These House Guests are just about as interesting, too.  We have Showtime 2 now and get to watch Big Brother After Dark this year.  They haven’t really been all that interesting during the times we’ve sat down to watch them.  Almost like watching C-SPAN.  Hours of mindless blathering with a few good nuggets thrown in every now and then.  But, still feel the need to watch although I don’t know why…;
  • Last week’s Deadliest Catch was the episode where Captain Phil passed on.  Thought the production team handled it about as well as they could.  Definitely proved why they’ve made this show as good as it is.  Have said it before, but it’s hard to believe how empty people have felt for a guy (and his family) they’ve never met in person.  Another sign of a great production team cause they’ve managed to let the real guy through without any embellishments.  Hope you’ve pulling up lots of full pots in Heaven, Capt Phil;
  • Well, another real American icon passed last week, Mr. George Steinbrenner.  Whether you loved him or hated him, have to admit he changed the game of baseball forever.  And, you might not have liked his tactics, but he was an owner who was all about winning.  Too many owners out there nowadays who only care about the bottom line.  Mr. Steinbrenner also inspired one of the greatest comedy characters of all-time on Seinfeld.  RIP, Big Guy…

Hope everyone is doing well out there.  Appreciate you taking a few moments out of your day to read my thoughts.

Y’all have a good one!

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Happy Independence Day!

Below is one of the greatest speeches of all times.  Even though it has been over 11 score now and it is about one specific event, the meaning behind it is just as important now as it was back in 1863 when Mr. Lincoln gave this speech.  Please think of those who are fighting for us now, have fought for us in the past, and especially those who have sacrificed all so that we can enjoy the food and beverage of our choice on this day which celebrates our birth as a nation and the freedoms we continue to enjoy.

 

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived, and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met here on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of it as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But in a larger sense we can not dedicate - we can not consecrate - we can not hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here, but can never forget what they did here.

It is for us, the living, rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they have, thus far, so nobly carried on. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us - that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here gave the last full measure of devotion - that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation shall have a new birth of freedom; and that this government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.  - Gettysburg Address, Abraham Lincoln, 1863

 

May God bless you, your family, and the United States of America along with our allies worldwide!