4 songs and several years ago…

I can’t believe I didn’t use that one sooner.

KKCK:

Leona Lewis “Happy”
Surprise!  That leaked song of hers with Justin Timberlake isn’t the first single from her new album.  It reminds me of “I Will Be” in spots, but not enough for a direct comparison.  If you’ve liked Leona’s other stuff, there’s nothing about this song that will make you like her any less.

Foo Fighters “Wheels”
I’m a bit surprised more stations aren’t jumping on this track.  This is about as radio-friendly of a song I’ve ever heard from the Foo Fighters.  I like it more every time I hear it, which is good.  If pop radio gives this song a chance, we’ll be hearing it a lot.

Nickelback “Never Gonna Be Alone”
When “Mutt” Lange produces a power ballad, he makes sure you know he produced it.  I hear bits and pieces of this song that remind me of songs like “Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad” by Def Leppard, “Do I Have to Say the Words” by Bryan Adams, and “Still the One” by Shania Twain.  If “Mutt” Lange was a football coach, he’d be that guy who moved from job to job with the exact same playbook that always worked, regardless of the players on the team.  By the way, if you dislike Maroon 5 you might want to look into going deaf, as Mr. Lange’s next CD is their next one.

David Guetta w/Akon “Sexy Chick”
It sounds like Akon got in a fight with a drunken Daft Punk and it was a draw, but I mean that in the best way possible.

Pick to click: Nickelback

Since last week, things have been going incredibly well.  The only real downside to life of late is a lack of sleep, but that’s due to just not being able to stay asleep.  I wish I could roll on just five or six hours of sleep like I did in college, but those days are way gone.  Also gone are my days of being able to sleep past 10 AM.  This has taught me both that there’s very little that’s watchable in the morning, and that DVR might be the best invention of my lifetime.

I’ve developed a love/hate relationship with the new Marvel “Super Hero Squad Show” on Cartoon Network.  It’s aimed at little kids, much of the humor is quite childish, and most of the time the show tries to hard to be funny.  However, the theme song is stuck in my head, sometimes the show floats a joke only adults will pick up on, and the show has a great grasp of the possibilities of humor with the characters (Hulk being stupid, Thor being vain, Cap being a senile old man, Silver Surfer being a surfer ‘dude’, etc…).  This show is not for everybody, but if you’re looking to laugh with Marvel when they’re laughing at themselves, check it out.

After hankering down on my new writing project, I’ve reached the point where the rough draft is 3/8ths done.  I know that’s an odd fraction, but that’s based on word count.  I know, I know…word count is a horrible way to track progress on a book.  I feel the need for benchmarks and a way to track my progress, and that seems like the best way.  I’ve heard that once a book is done, the real work begins.  I’m trying to keep that out of my mind, because if I don’t get it done I’ll never have to worry about the next part.  I am concerned about my ending…or lack thereof.  I have an ending in mind, but I really don’t like it.  I keep thinking that if I just keep writing, the ending will come to me.  To quote a William Shatner song, “It hasn’t happened yet”.

I’d write more, but I have a few other irons in the fire that need my attention.  September was a pretty spiffy month, so I’m hoping for more in October.  That isn’t too much to ask, is it?

Three songs that are chat-worthy?

So, let’s chat.

KKCK:

Sean Paul “So Fine”
This song is more of what Sean Paul does well, and at a pace that suits him.  It probably won’t be another “Get Busy”, but it could at least be a “We Be Burnin”.

Parachute “She Is Love”
This song tries to mine for some “Hey There Delilah” fans looking for the next song they can play on acoustic guitar to impress the ladies/gents/whatever.  Every summer needs a jam, but every summer also needs an “Endless Summer Nights” kinda song.  Yeah, I just went to the Ricard Marx well.  Even though it don’t mean nothin’, I should’ve known better.

Okay, I’m done.

Wait wait, I shouldn’t hazard a chance to hold on to the nights?

Okay, that was reaching.

Jet “She’s a Genius”
Simply put (and I’m behind so simply putting is a good thing), this song takes all that was good about Jet’s first album, and nothing from their wince-inducing second album.  That is behavior that should be rewarded, so we’ll bring ‘em back.

Pick to click: Sean Paul

Until it ended a while ago, I read a webcomic called “June Sux”.  This year I lived the name (thankfully not the strip…I think all the main characters died).  June did have some ups, and those ups were big.  However, there were enough downs of the small and medium variety to put a dampener on the month as a whole.  July started out rather iffy, so I’m worried this is a summer thing.  I always liked Autumn better anyway.

I realize the word is overused, but the new Transformers film gets a solid “meh” from me.  If you were to hear this word from me, it would sound more enthusiastic than my “meh” for the first movie, so in that sense I liked it more.  Just a little over a month until the G.I. Joe movie.

Braeden said his first word today.  Rather than “mama” or “dada” he took the odd route and went with “cat”.  It makes sense, since cats outnumber people in our house.

I’m in a bit of an odd mood tonight.  I set my iTunes to just play Ani DiFranco, and next I’m working on my next 52 Cards blog.  It’s a not quite living.

A solo singer, a duo, and a four piece. What’s missing?

The number three!  Oddly enough, we have three new songs this week.

KKCK:

Jordin Sparks “Battlefield”
This song is in no way a remake of Pat Benetar’s “Love is a Battlefield”.  I wonder why no one remakes Pat Benetar songs?  I can’t remember any recent hit song that was a cover of Pat Benetar, although numerous other 80s artists have been covered, and some very successfully.  I think Jordin could easily have done that song, or maybe “Shadows of the Night”.  Anyway, this new “Battlefield” song is pretty average as far as pop ballads go.  Jordin kind of goes for it on the chorus, but I think she held back, probably at the suggestion of the producer.  That’s not how I would have gone, but I’m not a record producer.

The Fray “Never Say Never”
Remember the first Fray album’s first two singles?  We all thought “Over My Head” was mellow piano rock until the next single made it sound like a bawlz out rocker.  While their new album took everything The Fray was and amped it up, they relapse into a similar single pattern.  “Never Say Never” takes the tempo down a notch in hopes of scoring with the same crowd that shrugged at “Over My Head” but lapped up “How to Save a Life”.  Will the same thing happen on album number three?  If it does, I think we’ve found the Hot AC version of AC/DC, which isn’t a bad thing.

MGMT “Kids”
While I’m happy to see another single from these guys, I was hoping it would have been “Electric Feel”.  Now THAT is one funky jam.  “Kids” is weird but only as weird as “Time to Pretend”.  “Electric Feel” might have been a bit too out there. 

Pick to click: The Fray

Last night I went to Terminator Salvation.  It was better than T3, but not by much.  McG should stick to Charlie’s Angels movies.  If there’s a movie franchise I can list as a “guilty pleasure”, it’s the Charlie’s Angels one.  Hopefully Drew isn’t stringing me along with those rumors that she wants to do a 3rd one.

The new Tori Amos CD was decent.  It wasn’t as adventurous as her last, but it does what it does well, which is sound like a Tori CD.  I’m still hoping to pick up the new Carbon Leaf soon.  I never thought a Rooney song would get stuck in my head, but their theme song for “Iron Man: Armored Adventures” is way catchy.

Speaking of “Iron Man: Armored Adventures”, has there ever been a better point in time for comics-inspired cartoons?  “Iron Man: Armored Adventures” is really winning me over.  “Wolverine and the X-Men” might be the best X-related series ever.  “Batman: The Brave and the Bold” has somehow made a fun Batman show without making Batman himself a campy character.  New episodes of “Spectacular Spider-Man” start up in a month or so, and that show is arguably the best Spider-Man show ever made.  I can’t think of the last time that many good comic-inspired shows were on at once.  The early 90s came close, but I don’t think the old Fox versions of “Spider-Man” and “X-Men” hold up as well, and the first season of “Iron Man/Fantastic Four” was awful.  Luckily “The Tick” made up for that.

Braeden is close to walking!  It’s crazy to see him starting to stand on his own.  Even though it is way earlier than I’d like, it’s always a treat to find him standing up in his crib, waiting for somebody to free him for the day.  He’s been such a happier baby since he started being able to get around and do some things himself.  I’ve never understood why parents said “they grow up so fast” until now.  Just thinking about the last eight months makes my head swim.  Even after saying that, I wish he’d grow a bit faster.  I have so many games to teach him, cartoons to share with him, and action figures that need more action.  I was going to sell all my old Toy Biz figures on eBay, but now I think I’ll save them to see if he takes an interest in super-heroes.  I have a mostly complete collection of the Transformers “Robot Heroes” and G.I. Joe “Combat Heroes” still in their packaging, but I’ve told Braeden on several occasions that when he’s three he can open them all up if he wants to.

This past weekend we spent a chunk of the weekend with Kate’s family in Iowa.  I had a good time like I always do, but I always feel out of place.  They’re very outdoorsy, and I’m not.  The odd thing is, I could have been that way if my dad hadn’t passed away.  He was a big-time hunter and fisherman, while my mom and step dad were only into fishing (something I have no skill at whatsoever).  I know Kate’s family wants him to get involved with all of that, and I don’t have a problem with it.  It’s just I don’t know how into it I’ll be, and I hope that doesn’t color how he feels about it. 

I think this is a good place to stop.  Have a great rest o’ the May.

Who listens to the listeners?

Us? Uh…yeah. Of course we do. Sure. Right.

KKCK:

Ciara w/Justin Timberlake “Love Sex Magic”
A few months ago, we played a leaked “new” Justin Timberlake song called ”Magic”.  That song is now back, but with a lot more Ciara, and a bit more thump.  Adding Ciara doesn’t take away from the song, and it keeps just enough Timberlake to force it up the charts, but not enough to make it a top ten smash.  Ciara is at her best when she’s using her breathy, light delivery.  She pushes her voice a bit to hard on the chorus, which I think will hurt this song in the long run.

Keri Hilson w/Lil’ Wayne “Turning Me On”
A few months ago, we played a leaked “new” Justin Timberlake song called ”Magic”  a lot of Lil’ Wayne.  That song artist is now back, but with a lot more CiaraKeri Hilson, and a bit more thump robotic voice work.  Adding Ciara robots doesn’t take away from the song, and it keeps just enough Timberlake Lil’ Wayne to force it up the charts, but not enough to make it a top ten twenty smash.  CiaraKeri Hilson is at her best when she’s using her breathy, light delivery produced by Timbaland.  She pushes her voice a bit to hard sings too much on the chorus, which I think will hurt this song in the long run unless Timbaland can remix it.

Asher Roth “I Love College”
I have no idea how this guy was found.  It blows my mind that he has a record deal.  The rap is slow and almost lazy.  The music is right out of the book of average music beds.  The content is racy enough to make the MD and I worried about angry parents calling.  Yet, I can’t help but love this song, even if my college experience was a lot different.  Catchy and naughty?  That makes the next part of this blog easy.

Pick to click: Asher Roth

In fact, let’s retool Asher Roth for my college life.  I think would still be a hit…on some chart somewhere.
(apologies to Mr. Roth)

im nice right now
i, i feel good
if you have  dice
would you please put ’em on the table
(chorus)
that session last night was awfully crazy
i wish we taped it
i fought orcs off and had this one spell completely make it
drink my jolt and eat my chips
but my good DM is all i need
pass out at 3 wake up at 3
order pizza then do it again

(verse one)
i wanna go to college for the rest of my life
play D&D  and run super-hero fights
on RPG friday and Sunday night dice
and i can get pizza a dollar a slice
so fill up my cup
lets get equip’d up
Vampire next on the table
who want what
i am champion at dungeon crawl
forbidden scrawl bar room brawl
don’t ever fail, not with chain mail
better hope you stake it
otherwise a new character, you make it

time isnt wasting when youre level raising
woke up today and all i could say is

(chorus)
that party last night was awfully crazy
i wish we taped it
i jumped my ass off and had every coin completely taken
drink my coke and squeeze my cheese
but my NES and crackers are all I need
pass out at 6 wake up at 1
hit that Konami code then do it again

(bridge part)
man i love college
and i love gaming
i love women
2 out of three will do

(verse two)
i cant tell you what i learned from school
but i think I got a degree or two
um yea of course i learned some rules
like dont warp whistle unless you can go on
and dont leave the dorm til the caffeine’s gone
and dont wait for anyone if cartoons are on
when it comes sleep wait until dawn
then tomorrow night find a new game
play some Techmo Bowl
nothing wrong with some fun
even if we did go to much to Bo

no watchin’ clocks when playing Star Fox
woke up today and all i could say is

(chorus)
that party last night was awfully crazy
i wish we taped it
we watched all those movies and one had that one girl almost naked
drink root beer and eat pop tarts
because food service causes farts
pass out at 5 wake up at Noon
those night classes come too soon

(bridge part)
man i love college
and i love gaming
i love women
2 out of three will  do

now if everybody would please
put their drink as high as they can
as high as they can
and repeat after me

UP DOWN UP DOWN LEFT RIGHT LEFT RIGHT (B A)

HIT POINTS HIT POINTS LEVEL LEVEL

SUPER MAR-I-O SUPER MAR-I-O D-AND-D D-AND-D

STAR TREK MARATHON ANIME RENTAL

yea
that party lastnight
man i love collge
i love it
that party lastnight
goodnight everybody i gotta go to class like I usually do
(chorus in background)

but after that
you know whats goin down
my room and dominos
see you there
youre all invited
bring your dice
bring your cartridges
do i really have to graduate
or can i just stay here the rest of my life

***

On that note, have a great rest of the week.

To celebrate a new theme…

…enjoy what I consider to be the B.T.O. song ever. Ever? EVER!

Four artists but just two songs?

It isn’t even an even split.

KKCK:

Eminem w/Dr. Dre and 50 Cent “Crack a Bottle”
Let’s take a look back at initial hits from Eminem CDs for a moment.  The first album gave us “My Name Is…” which was a fun mid-tempo bouncer that had some naughty moments.  The next album stuck “The Real Slim Shady” in our heads for months.  It picked up the pace, had a decent beat, and was utterly quotable.  We’ll skip the 8 Milesoundtrack, but I’ll touch on it in a second or two.  Eminem reached his zenith of wacky but randy lyrics on “Without Me”.  “Just Lose It” wasn’t bad, but it sounded forced in a few spots.  Encore changed things up by dropping a different kind of song from Curtain Call.  “When I’m Gone” was the darker, moodier kind of song that was usually saved for a second single.  The new Eminem CD’s lead track tries to play it both ways in my head.  The chorus sounds like one of his faster songs, but slowed down to fit into one of his darker, slower, moodier songs.  The vibe of the bulk of the song strikes me as one of his slower songs, which I’ve never been a fan of.  That opinion has me in the minority.  Eminem’s darker songs, like “Superman”, “Cleanin’ Out My Closet”, “Lose Yourself” and the rest are the songs that are requested 99 % of the time here.  I often wonder why his less fun songs seem to stick longer and get more attention here, or is it that way everywhere?  The guest stars on the song don’t add much, especially when after being away so long Eminem turns over close to half of his song to people who aren’t Eminem.  I’d argue this is probably the weakest first hit single Eminem has ever had from an album, but it did (temporarily) set a record for most first week downloads, so what do I know?

Utada “Come Back to Me”
At long, long last, Utada is starting to break through.  I’ve been a fan since her first English CD, and I liked it enough to pick up a few of her Japanese CDs on eBay.  Her American releases lean towards a lower vocal delivery and punchier beats, and they don’t make her sound like she’s watering down her sound (take notes on that Shakira).  Her album is a few weeks away, but if you like this check out her last English CD Exodus.  I think you’ll agree there’s just something about her voice that’s…alluring.

Pick to click: Eminem

Sorry for the late posting.  I’ve been borderline-slacking on my 52 Cards blog, so I usually end up writing those the night before they go up.  I’ve also been wrapping up Cliffhanger Theater which is taking a break after a year of daily updates.  There were times I thought I was wasting my time, and other times I wondered if anyone was even reading it.  The views have been lower than I had hoped, but over the course of a year writing it has taught me a lot about writing, and a lot about myself.  I plan to take the story and hack-n-slash it half so it’s about regular novel length, plus I need to clean up a lot of the early entries.  Before then, I plan to start writing something else I can hopefully finish by the end of the year.  I won’t be posting that online, at least not right away.  I might let a few things slip here and there at my recently un-privated-blog 13 Shots (I explain the name in the first entry).  Right now I’m wondering how much I’ll write in March.  Part of me wants to take some time off, and part of me wants to write more.

BSG was BRG last week, as in boring.  Jane Espenson wrote the episode, and she’s the head writer of the upcoming spin-off “Caprica”.  She is way more space opera than science fiction.  I can feel the show building towards a resolution, but I’m not sure yet what that will be, so I’ll give RDM credit for that. 

There were other reasons for this blog being late, but I don’t want to talk about them.  Everything is fine now, and if I want to talk about it, I’ll write about it next week.

General question for any PC gamers out there.  Has anyone reading this used Valve’s Steam service?  How does it work?  How well does it work?  I’m looking at getting Xcom for five bucks, but I’d like to hear from someone who has used the service.

I’m a bit short on time today, so I need to wrap up.  I’ll be around online if you know where to look.

Two new songs for the price of none

You can’t find a better deal! Well, you could…but stick with me here.

KKCK:

Lily Allen “The Fear”
I remember all the hype behind Lily Allen the last time around, and her album, at least to me, was a bit “meh”.  I’ll check out the new one because this song changes up her formula in a way I like.  That and Mr. Dewey liked the album, and more than half the time I’ll agree with him.

Carolina Liar “Show Me What I’m Looking For”
This song reminds me of another time in music, but I can’t think of when.  Maybe it was earlier days of Coldplay, when we were all over Travis songs.  The song is pretty nondescript, but the added bells in the chorus take it to another time and place.  They almost sound British at times, which isn’t a bad thing.

Pick to click: Carolina Liar

Today I was working on a commercial for HyVee, and a Bjork song popped up on my iPod.  It sent me right into a “Bjork mood”.  I haven’t had one of those in a while, and I never know what they mean or why I get them.  Right now I’m listening to my favorite Bjork CD, Post.  The song that put me in the mood was from Medulla, which used to be my least favorite Bjork CD, but over the last year it has really grown on me.  For my money, Postis best listened to one of two ways: on headphones or in a car late at night.  A third way might be while playing “Golf” on the NES in a dorm room, but that’s more a college flashback.

Battlestar Galactica crammed so much information in last week’s episode I felt like taking notes.  Seriously, we want answers BUT NOT ALL AT ONCE.  Damn.  In BSG’s defense, with only five more episodes something like this was bound to happen. 

I’m late to the party, but I’ve found myself hooked on the show “Making Fiends”.  It was a quick hook, since there are only six episodes Nicktoons is showing (supposedly they have 20 done, but aren’t showing the rest for some reason).  The show is based on a web-toon, and I’ll probably start watching those soon.  I never imagined liking anything from a Nickelodeon network, as I’ve been a big Cartoon Network guy for years.  Lately, CN’s new shows haven’t grabbed me.  Nicktoons runs the hell out of a show called “My Life as a Teenage Robot” that I’m borderline hooked on.  Their new “Wolverine and the X-Men” show is turning into the best X-Men show yet, and their new Iron Man show starts in April.  CN gets points for their new Batman show, and for renewing “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”.  This winter they’ll have the new “Marvel Super-Hero Squad”, a show based around those highly stylized action figures you can find in a two pack that look like they’re made for three year olds.  I’m curious to see how that works, and if they use Punisher and Ghost Rider (I have their Super Hero Squad figures guarding my computer). 

Baseball is starting to fire up again.  I could write a rambling screed about A-rod, but I’m trying to focus on the actual playing of the game.  It should be an interesting year around the league.  MLB Network is making me a bit more of a fan, if that was possible.  This weekend they’re rerunning a bunch of games from the 1980s, when my card collecting was at its peak.  One of the games is Ryne Sandberg’s two-homer game against the Cardinals in 1984.  I really hope they use the WGN feed for that. 

I’m starting to worry I’m developing acid reflux.  I’m waking up at night on the verge of vomiting, even when my stomach is empty.  My throat actually hurt this morning, and the feeling was akin to a burning sensation.  I shouldn’t be surprised, as this ol’ bod has 35 years on it.  Things are bound to start going wrong.  I swear I only drove it on Sundays.

I finally watched Joss Whedon’s new show last night, and it left me with a bit of a “meh” feeling.  I’m curious to keep watching, as the episode got better as the show went on.  I’m trying not to get attached, as FOX has it on a Friday night, which is pretty much a death slot.  I’ve started hoping that the guys behind the Terminator show wrote their season finale as a series finale.  The show was down almost two million viewers in the show’s new Friday night slot.  I’d go on a rant like I used to when I was trying to save Veronica Mars, but the demise of that show left me a bit jaded.

Things are going swell at home.  Braeden is starting to wake up more at night, which we’ve read can happen at this age.  He decided to arise at 6 AM this morning, after a nice few weeks of 7:30 AM sleep.  He’s laughed a few times in front of me, and he almost slithered this morning for me.  My brother and I walked before we could crawl, and Braeden looks like he isn’t getting the hang of crawling as much as he loves being in a jumper.  Kate has been such a stellar mom for the little guy.  He reacts to her in ways he never does for me.  Sometimes I still look at him and think to myself I have no idea what I’m doing.  For a long time I’ve wanted children, but at the same time I spent quite a few formative years without a father figure in the picture.  I know I whine about this about once a month on the blog, but I’m still nervous about the situation. 

Has anyone who reads this written a novel or something similar?  My year long blog project is set to end next week, and after that I’ll take about a week break and then start working on a novel I’ve been plotting out.  I don’t have any really specific questions.  Just some general comments about how other people have approached the subject would be helpful. 

On that note, I’ll call it a day.  Have a good rest of the week everyone.

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!]

Thursday is not the new Wednesday (4 & more)

I’m a day late.  Decide my punishment in the comments.

KKCK:

John Legend w/Andre 3000 “Green Light”
I was all about this song about a month or two ago.  The song was huge, and now CHR is giving it a run so it can live once more.  The more I hear John Legend the more I want to hear more John Legend.  Quite frankly, I’d call it a crime this song wasn’t pushed harder and wasn’t a big CHR hit last year.  If not for the lull in new songs it might have never made it for some reason.  I’m not sure why CHR hasn’t given John more love over the years. 

Lady Gaga “Poker Face”
A few days ago I linked to a story about Lady Gaga lighting her thongs on fire.  I’ve had a hard time focusing on this song since then.  Why did it take this long for a song about poker to make it?  I bet Lady Gaga has a great poker face.  Even if she doesn’t, she lights her thongs on freakin’ fire.  Who’d look at her face when anytime a fire may start in her nether regions?

Jason Mraz & Colbie Caillat “Lucky”
After a confab with the co-workers, it was decided that if Jason and Colbie had covered Britney’s “Lucky”, that would have been comedy gold.  GOLD I tell you!  Anyway, instead we get a nice duet that should nuzzle up to the top ten on the AC chart for months, and maybe a top twenty spot on CHR.  Then again, I didn’t think Jason had a #1 in him, and “I’m Yours” proved me wrong.

Kelly Clarkson “My Life Would Suck Without You”
On Kelly’s last CD, she wrote her own material and did things her way.  Now that the music business has beaten those dreams down, she embraces the American pop music machine once again, and takes on a song that should be a big hit, thanks to a combination of name recognition and solid production.  Is it just me or does she sound less than enthusiastic on this track?  Even her album cover conveys a message of “well, my way didn’t work, so back to the grind” with the way she’s pulling on her jacket, and the forced look of interest.  I could be reading into it too much, but I will probably never know.

Pick to click: Kelly Clarkson.  Congrats.  Now get back to work.

I do apologize for being late this week.  I had to catch up on a few other blogs, and we’ve had some doctor visits mixed in.  Kate’s got something kinda odd going on with her abdomen, and the doctors are so far stumped.  The ultimate frustration came yesterday during the ultrasound.  The tech couldn’t tell us what she was seeing, and her doctor won’t be able to tell her the results from the lab until Friday.  There’s a small chance it could be serious, but it most likely isn’t.  We’re just hoping it doesn’t affect her knee surgery next week.  Her meniscus is completely torn, and this seemed like as good a time as any to get it fixed.  She’s been trying to keep her spirits up, but she often claims she’s “falling apart”.  I just hope I can continue to help hold her together. 

The final ten BSGs start this Friday.  I’m not getting as excited as I thought I would.  I keep thinking of how Ron Moore ended DS9, which leads me to think it will be bittersweet at best.  I just don’t know how they’re going to wrap everything up, and I know I won’t like it.  I wonder if BSG will get re-imagined again someday in a totally different way?  Hopefully not the Knight Rider way, even though I’m enjoying the show for the sheer fact I can’t believe it’s still on.  The upcoming fight between KITT (as a Mustang) vs. KARR (now some kind of ATV/robot transformer) should be a highlight of the first (and probably only) season.

After reading all the hype, I downloaded the new Animal Collective CD.  I’m not feeling this “album of the year” buzz.  Besides, would that be some kind of record?  If an album came out that mind-blowingly awesome in January, how excited would you be to drop a CD in June?  Or even March? 

I’m going to clear out my Last.FM data later today, and re-import it.  It bothers me that I had a bunch of artists misspelled or incorrectly labeled.  The one that burned me the most was Tripping Daisy.  I had that song on my first iPod, and all this time the song was marked “Tripping Dasy”.  Granted, it is only one song, but “I Got a Girl” is worth the proper spelling.

Time for another Hot Pocket.  Have a swell post-Wednesday.

Three flavors of new in 2009 so far

I wouldn’t lick any of these artists.  Just sayin’.

KKCK:

Akon “Beautiful”
This is one of the few five minute radio edits one will see.  A few guest stars spice up the track, which is a pretty common Akon track.  I’m actually a bit surprised at how much it reminds me of his last track.  I’m always up for more Kardinal Offishal guest spots, and this song helps in that category.  It is impossible for an Akon song to do poorly around here, so this will be big here, and probably top ten nationwide before it’s all said and done.

Leona Lewis “I Will Be”
I spent some time with this song in hopes of being inspired to write something about it.  Really, there isn’t a lot to say about it.  Leona Lewis came out of the gate with music that couldn’t be more mainstream and radio friendly.  Sure, it’s a bit bland and it doesn’t stray far from her last single, but “I Will Be” has a more uplifting title than “Better in Time” and “Bleeding Love”.  Leona is running the show now, so we might as well get used to it.

Theory of a Deadman “Not Meant to Be”
Even when my favorite cranky cannuck rockers go for the ballad, they can’t stop being bitter.  If Chad Kroeger wrote the lyrics to this music, we’d get another “How You Remind Me” or “Photograph”.  Instead, we get Tyler Connoly’s lament about a dysfunctional relationship.  Nickelback and Theory of a Deadman couldn’t be more similar and different if they tried. 

Pick for clicks: Akon

With all the hype building up for the re-release of the 1989 Beastie Boys record Paul’s Boutique, I dug out my first print cassette tape and listened to the album for the first time since probably 1990 or 1991.  When I heard it back then, I was wanting more Licensed to Ill raps about rhymin’ and stealin’, girls, party right fights and not sleeping until Brooklyn.  What I heard was not even close to another Licensed to Ill.  I gave it a few tries, but songs like “Eggman” (though I loved “Hey Ladies”) were just a bit too off the wall for my brain, which was living on a steady diet of Motley Crue, Dangerous Toys, Warrant, and ZZ Top just to name four.  This weekend I popped in the album, and I enjoyed it so much I listened to it twice.  It actually freaks me out a little bit to think about how much I didn’t like it then, compared to how much I like it now.  Sometimes I think about all the old cassette tapes and CDs I have, and how many of them I didn’t like back then that I might like now.  Has anyone else rediscovered an album that they didn’t like at first?  I know I’ve written about this sort of thing before, but will there ever be a point where it doesn’t weird me out a bit? 

Too much f***in’ perspective man.

2009 is going pretty well so far.  No complaints on my end.  Kate and I are hoping to hit Sioux Falls this weekend.  We could use the day to ourselves (big thanx to grandma for watchin’ Braeden) so hopefully the weather cooperates.

Sunday I packed up my NES, SNES, and PS1 and moved them upstairs for quick assembly if the mood hits.  I can’t even remember the last PS2 game I played.  I received Lego Batman for my birthday, and I haven’t even opened it yet.  Kate thinks this means I’m growing up or some such nonsense, but I tend to go in streaks for video games.  This off streak has been a lot longer than most.  A lot of my part-time hobbies are falling away as more of my time is spent with Braeden and Kate, or I’m working on my writing.  It’s coming up on five years since I started writing here, and almost a  year since I went a bit wordpress nuts.  If anything, it’s making me want to do it more.  I wonder if SMSU will give me a do-over for a degree.

Yeah, probably not.  Good thing I like what I do for a living.

Have a good rest of the week.  Comments are always welcome.