Please insert four songs to reboot system

Boot ‘em up.

KKCK:

Flo Rida w/Ne-Yo “Be On You”
Mr. Rida was way overdue for a slow-jam hit.  Adding Ne-Yo all but insures this as a top ten single.

Jason Derulo “Whatcha Say”
He’s new on the solo scene, but he’s been behind the scenes as a songwriter for some time.  It sounds like he spent all  his royalty money in shares of the company that sells auto-tune equipment, and/or on auto-tune equipment.

Rise Against “Savior”
Rise Against has never quite clicked with me.  I don’t know why.  They’ve been chipping away at me one song at a time, and this song takes out a sizable chunk.  I’m curious to hear from Rise Against fans as to what song they’d recommend as essential Rise Against listening.

D.K. “About My Bread”
Marshall’s very own D.K. offers up his second single, and it sounds a lot bigger than a song that was self-financed and recorded on a home studio.  Lyrically, I liked “Gettin’ to the Guap” better, but there’s nothing about this song that should

Pick to click:  Flo Rida w/Ne-Yo

Things at the casa de Russ have been great…if your name is Braeden.  If not, the hurt locker is a popular destination.  I tripped on the steps going into the house last week, resulting in a doozy of a shin bruise, along with doing something to my knee.  I haven’t seen anyone about it, but stairs hurt like the dickens.  I bought a knee brace at Kmart, which is helping quite a bit.  The last few nights, my knee hasn’t even hurt after I’ve taken it off.  I’ll just keep doing that for a while and hope that works.  The only bonus is that I mentally pretend I’m putting on a Delta-6 accelerator suit from the new G.I. Joe movie.  Kate has it a lot worse than me right now.  She’s had this back that’s been acting up off and on for months, and recently it acted up worse than ever.  After muscle relaxers didn’t do the trick, she had an MRI which revealed two herniated discs in her back.  We’re waiting for a referral on a back specialist, and after that it’s more drugs and physical therapy…or surgery.  The worst part of it is she’s not allowed to lift over 20 pounds (and she can’t), which means she’s not allowed to pick up her own son.  I know the pain is hard enough on her, but not being able to pick up Braeden is really taking a toll on her.  I’m trying to help as much as I can, but we’re having to bring in a sitter to help during the day so I’m not missing as much work.  Hopefully we can see a specialist soon and get her feeling better as quickly as possible.

In better news, I really enjoyed the G.I. Joe movie.  Countless reboots to other franchises all turned out to be the perfect preparation for me to buy into one for a movie version of G.I. Joe.  The ending could have been better, but I can live with it since it should lead right into a sequel (should one get made).  The real surprise in this movie for me was Arnold Vosloo as Zartan.  I’ve been skeptical of that casting choice since it was announced, but I’m glad to be so wrong.  Vosloo’s Zartan came across as dangerous, heartless, and very much his own man who wasn’t about to totally throw in with Destro’s plans.

I’ve been somewhat oblivious to music for the last month or so, no thanks to G.I. Joe and a few health issues.  I’m looking for any good album suggestions, so suggest away.

Four songs for an album to be named later

SwingbattabattabattaSWING

KKCK:

Beyonce “Sweet Dreams”
I honestly don’t know what to make of this one.  I’m usually more keen on non-ballad Beyonce songs, but this song is a bit on the odd side.  Normally, I like that too.  Maybe it just needs to grow on me some more, because right now I’m just not hearing it.

Miley Cyrus “Party in the U.S.A.”
“The Climb” crossed over and gained her a few new fans, and this song won’t necessarily squander them.  However, it is really aimed more at her built in (and younger) core audience.

Take Cover “Resolution”
A co-worked said they sounded like old school Panic at the Disco.  I agreed, especially since Panic at the Disco sounds more like “Mild Unrest at the Local Bar” nowadays.  Anyway, the sound is tight and they’re from Minnesota.  What’s not to like?

Madonna “Celebration”
Do I detect a bit of nostalgia creeping into Madonna’s Europop sound?  Madonna has always been looking ahead, but a look forward after a quick glance back is what I get out of this one.  I have a hunch the other new song on her best of package will do a wee bit better, as it has a wee bit more Lil’ Wayne.

Pick to click-click-BOOM: Miley Cyrus?  This week it could really be any of the four songs.

After some thought on the subject, I’d like to make a blog-related announcement.  I will NOT be doing my annual MTV VMA blog this year.  I know a few people look forward to it every year, but I just can’t deal with another three hours with Russell Brand.  At least the categories make sense again this year, after MTV abandoned giving the categories new names and such.  I look forward to going to work that night and just reading the results.

Tomorrow night I’ll see the midnight showing of G.I. Joe, and all my friends will be happy that I’ll stop talking about it.  It’s so surreal to see it finally hit the big screen.  I remember discussing casting with friends back in the day about who should play Duke, Scarlett and Wild Bill.  I remember not being interested in G.I. Joe until one fateful morning the day after Thanksgiving.  WGN ran “The Revenge of Cobra” as a movie and I was hooked.  I found my first figure, Zartan, at the Pamida in Wapheton (my first Joe was Torpedo, purchased at a Ben Franklin in Britton).  I remember my mom picking up issue #34 of the Marvel run at a drug store in Sisseton for me.  Even today, I could probably tell you where I bought almost each figure that I own, and what adventures they may have had while in my collection.

I don’t need an Oscar winner.  I don’t need anything deep.  I just want a G.I. Joe movie that is at least as fun to watch as any of the old five parters.  As long as I don’t leave the theater feeling ripped off, I’ll call it a success.

Tune in next week for my take on it.

Four musical cylinders…which ones are firing?

I’ll let you decide.

KKCK:

Kelly Clarkson “Already Gone”
Uptempo/uptempo/ballad is a time honored tactic.  Kelly Clarkson has played it perfectly so far.  While “Already Gone” should do very well, in the grand scheme of KC’s career, this song might be one of the more forgettable successes.  I’ve heard it a bunch and I couldn’t tell you the chorus due to the fact it’s so…bland.

Michael Franti & Spearhead “Say Hey (I Love You)”
On the other side of bland, we have this fun track that almost sounds like something KKCK would have played in the more free-for-all days of the mid to late 1990s.  The funny part about us adding this song is that some anonymous posters at a radio board have been on our case for playing this song for months (I have no idea what station they were listening to).  If the song ends up becoming a big hit, that would amuse me to no end.

Pitbull “Hotel Room Service”
When the “super extra clean” version still warrants a daypart, I know the kids will go nuts for it.

Rita “Love Has Begun”
It’s been a while since we spun an indie record, so we decided to give this singer a go.  Her info indicates she’s big in Israel, and I can’t remember playing an artist who had that claim to fame before.

Pick to click: Pitbull

Looking back over some recent entries, I get the impression I’m really rushing through these things.  I remember when the Wednesday MySpace music blog was the reason I looked forward to Wednesdays (now the big deal on Wednesdays is a new Zero Punctuation review).  I’m not sure if it’s because I’m writing other stuff elsewhere, or because MySpace’s struggles and diminishing popularity.  I’m still trying to figure out how I ended  up more busy at work and yet it seems like I get less done.  Age?  Incompetence?  Bad luck?  Farkle?

Pure speculation.

I don’t talk about albums I’ve heard lately, but I haven’t heard too many lately.  I had mixed feelings about the Dead Weather, but if the Raconteurs are any indicator, I’ll really like their second album more than the first.

I’m starting to wish I’d started a savings account just for the deluge of G.I. Joe related stuff coming down the pipe right now.  The fact I bought G.I. Joe shirts at ShopKo still blows my mind.

Here’s the problem with writing late at night.  I tend to get sleepy, and then I just awkwardly wrap things up with no real warning.

That’s all for this week.  Comments on the new songs are always welcome, or on songs you think we’re lacking.

Wednesday? Has it been that long?

Hey there.  How the heck are you?

KKCK:

Soulja Boy w/Sammie “Kiss Me Through the Phone”
It is now official: Soulja Boy has been upgraded from “one hit wonder” to “two hit wonder”.  This song will be top ten by next week if trends continue.  After “Crank That” I didn’t want to like a Soulja Boy song, and I don’t really like this one.  That being said, I don’t dislike it.  In fact, as far as rap/R&B songs go, it might be slightly above average.  I’d say more, but the whole bit about kissing through the phone is a bit odd to my ears. 

The Killers “Spaceman”
After a single that tried to straddle Sam’s Town and Hot Fuss, we have a single that puts both feet on the Hot Fuss side.  It also has a bit of something new to it.  My enjoyment of the song is somewhat ruined by Chris Parnell and Tracy Morgan.  When I see this song I think of Tracy Morgan as Tracy Jordan on “30 Rock” yelling “CALL DOCTOR SPACEMAN!” who is occasionally played by Chris Parnell (and if you don’t watch “30 Rock”, all the characters besides Tracy pronounce Spaceman “spa-CHem-en”).

HiFi “She’s My Girl”
If young Everclear got in a time machine and jumped to 2009, got signed to a small label, spent some studio time with a slick pop producer, and tried to write a hit pop-rocker for CHR, this would probably be the result.  If the sound of that appeals to you, check it out.  I think it’s pretty keen.

Pick to Tell ‘em: Soulja Boy

Things are going well at the household.  Last week things were a bit on edge.  Before Braeden was born, we invested in what’s called an AngelCare monitor.  It’s both a monitor and a movement sensor that detects the slightest movement, including breathing.  Last week during one of Braeden’s naps, it went off (an alarm sounds after 20 seconds of no movement).  Kate rushed in and Braeden appeared not to be breathing, but once she picked him up he let out a gasp, and all was well again.  The next day during another nap, the warning (10 seconds w/o movement) chirp sounded.  I rushed in, but he appeared to be breathing normally.  We took him in, and their best guess was that it might be sleep apnea.  Some dear friends of ours lost their little girl to SIDS a few years ago, so for a few nights we didn’t sleep all that well.  It has been a week, and so far the alarm hasn’t gone off again.  If I never hear that alarm again I’ll be beyond happy.

Last Saturday I had the day off.  I was in a great mood.  Things were going all the right ways.  I put Braeden down for a nap, and fired up the cathode ray tube.  After browsing the selections on the DVR box, I watched the newest episode of Battlestar Galactica, “Someone to Watch Over Me”.  The rest of my day was pretty much ruined.  I’m not saying I hated the episode or the direction it took.  The episode was good and the directions (mostly) made sense.  What happened on the episode actually bummed me out.  I found myself worried about the characters on the show, and it made me think about things I’d rather not think about.  If turning your mood around for those reasons doesn’t indicate quality television, I don’t know what would.  In happier TV times, I’m still loving Terminator, and I’m glad to see viewership is going up (because of the hype about the new movie perhaps)?  I’m a few episodes behind on Dollhouse, but from reading my Twitter feed I’m not missing too much. 

It is probably too late, but I was thinking of doing a post called the “russ-cars” since I skipped the Oscars this year.  My awards would be easy to do because I only saw five movies at the theater last year.  There’s a movie challenge if I ever heard one, especially considering the five movies I saw:
Iron Man
The Dark Knight
Wall-E
Quantum of Solace
X-Files: I Want to Believe
Like it or not, the X-Files film probably has to win at least one of ‘em.  I remember doing year end movie top ten lists, back when there were ten movies a year I wanted to see.  The motion picture industry is losing me, but this year I might actually see at least six:
Star Trek
Terminator: Salvation
Transformers 2
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Up
Am I forgetting any?

I’ve really been into Twittering lately, which means that it probably isn’t cool anymore.  If you follow me at http://twitter.com/russ4life, I’ll probably follow you back.  I haven’t written much blog wise lately.  After a few days, not posting to Cliffhanger Theater isn’t as weird as it was the day after the story ended.  I’m hoping to get to some other blogs about music here, about South Dakota over at russ4life, and maybe do a few Facebook “iTunes on shuffle” survey-things I’ve been putting off.

For some reason I woke up extra tired today.  I’d better save some energy for my show.

We’re just three new songs and one DJ…

…stealing Beastie Boys lyrics without delay.

KKCK:

Flo Rida “Right Round”
This song borrows a bit of Dead or Alive, and his style of rapping on the verses reminds me of some old pop/rock song I can’t think of.  All I can remember is that some store in Fargo used it in a jingle for something, or I saw it on a Fargo TV station growing up.  I’d enjoy the song a lot more if I could remember what old song that is.  I’m not even just saying that, because I am enjoying this way more than any other Flo Rida song I’ve ever heard.  With any luck, it might erase the spectre of “Low” from my memory.

New Kids on the Block “Dirty Dancing”
A band successful in the 80s doing a song that shares its name with an 80s movie, AND the song even rhymes “Patrick Swayze”?  That might just be crazy enough to work.  If you don’t know it’s NKOTB, you might not even recognize it as NKOTB.  I’ve never been a huge fan, but this one isn’t too bad.

My Chemical Romance “Desolation Row”
First, like Usher once did, these are my confessions.  I’ve never read “The Watchmen” so I have no idea what the movie will be like.  I’ve never heard the original version of this song by Bob Dylan.  It wasn’t on the “Essential Bob Dylan” CD I ripped into my iTunes.  So, I can only approach this as the three minutes of My Chemical Romance that I hear on my speakers.  Of those three minutes, I like them all.  I hope they don’t dilly dally too long before their next CD.

Pick to click: Flo Rida

Say, that was a pretty good week.  Dare I say it was our best week so far in 2009. 

No show as ever made me delirious with spoiler fever as Battlestar Galactica.  I had a spoiler window open, and I was ready to scroll down…but I just couldn’t do it.  I just want to know if my favorite character bit it.  It sure looks like the character did, and from the next week teaser at the end they even said the character was dead.  That’s why I’m holding hope actually.  Ron Moore never tips his hand like that, unless he has another plan up his sleeve for said character.  So, I’ll patiently wait for that character’s official fate (I’m trying so hard to not spoil anything for those who may be waiting for the season to finish before watching/buying/downloading).

After tonight there will only be two new episodes of Knight Rider, and then we wait for NBC to put a bullet in it.  I hope they don’t, as the show has shown some promise, and the producers seem willing to do whatever it takes to make the show work.  The show has gotten a lot better since the first episode, but it has a long way to go. 

Things at home are going really well.  Braeden is getting bigger, stronger, faster, and smarter by the day.  Kate’s knee is almost all the way back from her surgery.  Our cats continue both amuse and annoy, as cats are born to do.  We’re talking about where we might like to go for a long weekend once the weather warms up, but so far we don’t have any concrete plans.

Just since I started writing this week’s MySpace/WordPress/Last.Fm blog, Kate called to tell me Braeden was laughing.  We’ve been trying to get him to laugh for over a month, as he was at the age where he should start laughing.  What got him to laugh?  Mac the cat meowing at him.  If cats amuse him, he’s in for a fun filled life.

That wraps things up for this week.  Before I go, I was recently tagged by several people on Facebook to do one of those “25 Random Things About Me” deals, so I thought I’d cross post it for anyone who cares to read it but isn’t a Facebook friend.

1. I would still rather watch a well done cartoon than an above average live action show.

2. When I’m walking my son around to calm him down, I talk about baseball, philosophy, Battlestar Galactica, work, or whatever else is on my mind. Some days I swear he’s actually paying attention.

3. I think I drink way too much soda pop.

4. I might be addicted to the internet.

5. In college, I wanted to work anywhere but in Marshall. I’ve worked in Marshall over ten years, and I’ve really enjoyed it.

6. I bottle up feelings rather than talk about them. I am working on this.

7. When I think back to High School, I remember a lot of good times and quite a few things that make me wonder “what was I thinking?” (mainly my hairdo). I wouldn’t trade my time at VHS for anything though, and I’m really happy to see so many Veblen-ites (Veblonians? Vebleners?) popping up on Facebook.

8. On my iPod, I have almost 200 traditional Native American songs, over 500 Spooncat songs, every They Might Be Giants album, over eighty songs by Glenn Miller, most of my old hair rock, every 10,000 Maniacs, AC/DC, Metallica, ZZ Top, Fiona Apple, Bowling for Soup, Megadeth, Sheryl Crow, No Doubt, Dangerous Toys, Weird Al Yankovic, Daft Punk, and Reverend Horton Heat (those are just the ones I thought of now) album, and about 14,000 other songs. Of the 15,900 + songs, not one is in the genre “country”.

9. Some days I obsess about death, but not mine. I worry about my parents and my old cat, and I can’t stop thinking about how one day they won’t be here.

10. If I could go back to college, I’d major in Creative Writing and History.

11. I’m worried I’ve hit that age where I stop caring about playing video games. However, I still love to watch X-Play.

12. I like to think I’m a knowledgeable music fan. Yet, when other fans who I think knowledgeable gush about Radiohead, I feel I totally missed something. I just don’t hear the big deal. Same for TV on the Radio.

13. I still collect GI Joes and Transformers, but not as much as I used to.

14. In my bookmarks, I have almost 200 webcomics bookmarked and separated into tabs of “daily”, “M-W-F”, “sporadic”, “once a week” and “rarely”.

15. As a kid I refused to wear anything with a hood. Now I wear hooded sweatshirts almost every day.

16. I’ve had the same 1989 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme since 1992. It looks like hell, but it still gets me where I need to go.

17. A great friend of mine tried to get me to socialize more because “I’d never meet the right girl in my apartment.” I met Kate for the first time…wait for it…in my old apartment.

18. The best sleep of my life was when I was working an overnight shift. No joke.

19. I really wanted to name our first son “Ichiro Ernest” but Kate didn’t like that idea for some reason.

20. In high school, my dream was to work at ESPN. During college I realized I just didn’t care enough about football, basketball or hockey (among other sports) to really make a go of it. Baseball is it for me.

21. I might be a borderline pack rat, but my mind really associates memories with objects, and I fear I’ll start forgetting things I don’t want to if I get rid of a few things I don’t need anymore.

22. Kate and I have only been out of the United States once, and that was to Canada. We liked it so much we half-joked about moving.

23. The only “bad” habits I picked up in college were comic books and AD&D (and other RPGs of that nature).

24. While I still collect some GI Joe and Transformers stuff, there are several things I used to collect that I no longer do. Some forgotten collections include baseball cards, matchbox police cars, Red Owl stuff, Super Soakers, and Star Trek stuff.

25. I would really like to be closer to my brother, but we’re 20 years and hundreds of miles apart. I don’t even know how to begin.

BONUS FIVE:

26. Lately I’d rather write than play video games or watch television.

27. My favorite book is There’s Adventure in Meteorologyby Neil P. Ruzic.

28. The first board game I learned to play was Monopoly, and the first card game I learned was draw poker.

29. I used to think I was good at poker, until the Texas Hold ‘Em craze. Whatever happened to draw poker?

30. I saved the best one for last. The night Kate and I got married, I had to go to the lobby for extra shampoo. For the first time, I uttered the phrase “my wife” and I realized I had been at my happiest since Kate and I were engaged, and being married has only made me even happier.

[oh, before I forget...Happy Birthday Alice Cooper!]

Three songs for the ages?

Notice I didn’t say what ages?

KKCK:

Nick Lachey “Patience”
While Nick and Jessica were the toast of MTV, I had no idea that Nick would still be getting songs onto CHR while Jessica went to country music.  Mostly I just wanted them to go away, but Nick is proving himself to be quite resilient.  Since Take That don’t do well in the States, why not take a big song of theirs and bring it over?  It sounds like a plan with no drawbacks, and for Lachey fans it is a song with few drawbacks.  For those of us who don’t hang on Nick’s every move, it’s a passable pop song with a bit more guitar that we’re used to hearing on Nick’s singles.

Kings of Leon “Use Somebody”
We toyed with the idea of playing “Sex on Fire” but instead opted to wait for a single with a slightly less racy title.  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind the song or the album it’s from.  KoL are just one of those bands I can’t get into for some reason.  Why can’t science solve that problem, or at least explain it?  I feel so out of the loop when, for example, musicians/music fans I respect start talking about Radiohead.  I just don’t get it, and I feel: a bit stupider/less refined/out of some kind of loop that I cannot penetrate/all of the above.  So…I do like how the song starts.  Is that a start?

K’naan “If Rap Gets Jealous”
As far as rappers go, this one probably knows more about mean streets and death than anyone with Dr, Lil’, Young, or Cent in their name.  If you don’t know, K’naan grew up in Mogadishu, Somalia, and got out on the last flight in 1991.  I had no idea who he was until we added the song, and the more I read and listen the more interesting his story and music become.  We’re probably early, but that never stopped us before (like when we played a track from M.I.A.’s Arular back in the day).  It’s worth checking out, but if you’re in listening range don’t expect to hear it until a bit later.  Even the radio edit is a bit on the “night only” side.

Plork to clork: Kings of Leon

I saw a story this week that Facebook had passed MySpace in total users, or something like that.  Facebook seems to be a lot more happening these days, but my blogs are only on MySpace and WordPress.  I had feed to Facebook, but it was turned off by FB for some reason.  Maybe I’ll hook it back up one of these years.

Battlestar Galactica has been so frakin’ good during the “final episodes” run.  During the first half of season four I was of the mind it was time, but now it’s really making me want more.  Good thing SciFi wants them to do a few movies, and maybe that prequel series.  Then, there’s Knight Rider.  I want NBC to bring it back, just because it might be one of the more undeserving renewals of all time.  The fight between KITT and KARR last week should have been the high point of the season, but it was over in about three minutes.  Plus, the filming was inspired way too much by the Bourne movies AND the fight was in the dark no less.  I had to watch parts of it three times on the DVR just to see what the heck happened.  The cast is really doing their best with a bad show, and it could be a show that finds better footing if given more time.  The next (and last) four episodes of the season were made in hopes of courting fans of the original show.  We’ll see how that goes.

Nicktoons was on this morning, and I found a new cartoon to list among my new favorites.  “My Life as a Teenage Robot” had snappy jokes, heart and I really liked the overall look of the show.  I don’t think new episodes are in the cards, but I have plenty of reruns to catch up on.  This really is a good time for cartoons, especially superhero/scifi cartoons.  “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” is getting better every week.  “Batman: The Brave and the Bold” has been pure win every week, especially last week with an appearance by the Blue Beetle (I’m talkin’ Ted Kord, not the new guy…no offense kid).  “Wolverine and the X-Men” looks like an interesting take on the characters, and “Iron Man: Armored Adventures” starts up in April.  “Spectacular Spider-Man” has new episodes coming back in March, and so does “Transformers Animated”.  I didn’t even mention the DTV “G.I. Joe: Resolute” that’s on the way.  Safe to say Braeden won’t have a problem finding a cartoon to watch with his old man in a few years.

Things in the old town are going mostly okay.  The Schwan Food Company has been shedding management everywhere, including some people I know.  Quizno’s closed up shop, and I got freaked out at Kmart because damn near everything was on clearance (no worries…that I can find out about).  The station’s home show should be a good barometer of how bad the area is doing.

I don’t have a lot else on the brain, other than what I’m going to write in a few other blogs.  We’ll reconvene here next week, or maybe sooner.  I know I say that a lot, but maybe this is the week it happens.

Clouds and rain? Here are three songs that won’t change that.

[It is time for this week's MySpace blog simulcast]

I wouldn’t want to anyway.  Seattle weather for the block!

KKCK:

Plies w/Ne-Yo “Bust It Baby (Part 2)”
This summer…get ready…for the ultimate hip-hop big budget team up.  Plies…Ne-Yo…in a sequel so big..it…okay I’m done.  I’m not watching any more summer movie trailers.  I have a hard time believing that the busting was such that a sequel was really necessary.  The good thing about this song is the copious amount of Ne-Yo in it.  To me anyway, Plies sounds like he’s had too much syrup or booze or some mix of both.  I expect to hear drunk-sounding vocals in concert, not in the studio.  Heck, Dave Mustaine can’t remember recording a few of the early Megadeth albums and he at least sounds sober on them.

Safetysuit “Someone Like You”
I get the safety angle here.  The song is equal parts mid-90s power rock and mid-00s power rock.  I don’t like to bust a band’s balls for not being original, but these guys bring nothing new other than their name.  Even their wikipedia page is boring.  Now, the suit angle would be different, but not really that different thanks to the Hives.  On the plus side, the song is doing well, and there isn’t anything about it that’s bad.  It’s a vanilla cone of alt-rock, and some people like those.  I prefer my vanilla cones to be the real kind, but that’s just me.

Adele “Chasing Pavements”
Some have called her the next Amy Winehouse.  Amy, if you’re still alive and they’re looking for the next you, they don’t expect  you to live very long.  I hope Adele avoids flashing the camera, getting arrested, addiction, racist rants, more addiction, stumbling through concerts, and more addiction.  She still lives with her mom, so unless her mom is Amy Winehouse she’ll be okay.  I don’t disagree with the comparisons to Amy Winehouse, but she owes her music more to the style of Duffy with less of the slick production of Duffy’s slower songs. 

Pick to click: Plies with Ne-Yo

If  you pick one show to catch up on via DVD and/or torrenting, make it Battlestar Galactica.  Sure, some episodes, like the first chunk of season four, are a bit slow and nothing seems to happen.  Then you have episodes like last week that take all the slow plot threads and give them a yank that leaves you with a threadbare Colonial uniform.  [minor spoiler alert...stop if you don't want it NOW]When Adama and Roslin saw each other again, after what they had each realized each other, it was one of the most real, heartfelt, emotional moments of any TV show I’ve ever seen.  Of any movie I’ve seen.  Of any anything I’ve ever seen.  I’m not ashamed to say it almost made me tear up a little.  Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell will probably not win Emmys because the show is science fiction, and that is damn, damn shame.

I wrote another blog about my feelings on AC/DC going the Wal-Mart route, but I posted that here.  I revised and reread it a lot, but I’m still not sure I’m happy with it, nor am I sure it says everything I want to say.  This is what happens when I get the idea to post something I whipped up with a font download and MS Paint before figuring out what I’m going to write about.

Things at the household are going well.  Almost all the stuff I had in the nursery room is now elsewhere, and the few things that are left won’t take up much room.  We’ve finally got Mac off to the vet to get fixed, so we’ll be dodging the loud heat-meowing from now on.  Eileen hasn’t been fixed, but she’s easily distracted(aided by the fact she’s not as smart as her dad, who won’t win any “smartest cat” awards) when she’s in heat.  Since both boy cats have already been clipped, there’s not a kitten concern.

Kate has been packing for her eventual hospital stay in a few months.  I’ve been thinking about what to pack as well.  I know that there will be some time for me at the hospital to hold and comfort the new arrival, and I know the mom suites at hospitals these days have a DVD player.  So, I’ve been debating what to imprint on the young un’s psyche at an early age.  G.I. Joe or Transformers (I’m leaning “Revenge of Cobra” unless I get some of the new show on DVD)?  Batman or Superman (I’m leaning towards Supes here, since his show actually has an origin story, where the Bat-show didn’t)?  Star Trek or Star Wars (probably Trek)?  I’m pretty sure one of the first things he’ll get is “The Trouble with Tribbles”, since that is widely regarded as a Trek classic, and it doesn’t have any awkward moments where Kirk gets it on with anyone.  Also, he’s due in September, so I won’t be watching the baseball playoffs alone this year.  I wonder if he’ll be drawn to the World Series winner when he’s older.  Oddly enough, one of the first baseball teams I liked, when I was old enough to buy one or two packs of cards, happened to be the Oakland A’s. 

I sometimes think I’m going to talk to the little guy so much his first words will be “shut up”.

Speaking of shutting up, I’ll sign off for the week here.  Write at’cha later.