Monday, January 29, 2007
Yeessssssssssssss.
Blogger is new and improved, which means non-technical people (like me) can make their blogs look different by pushing buttons.
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Top 5 U2 Songs Ever
If I had to select 5 (and only 5) U2 songs to put on my iPod, these are the ones I would choose:
Pride (In the Name of Love). If somebody who lived in a cave for the last 30 years asked me, "What does U2 sound like?" this is the song I would play for them. The song makes me want to stand up for things that matter, to love more deeply and sacrificially.
City of Blinding Lights. This is an amazing song. Incredible harmonizing between Bono and the Edge. Powerful guitar riffs. Classic U2 sound with a progressive edge. And if that weren't enough, the introduction has a great building feel to it that puts goosebumps on my arms.
Mysterious Ways. This song is just funky and cool. I used to cruise around in my VW Bus with the windows down, cranking this song. Adam Clayton's bass guitar totally carries this tune.
Where the Streets Have No Name. There are a couple different ideas floating around out there about what inspired the writing of this song. Was it Bono's response to the poverty he witnessed after a trip to Africa? Or was it the streets of Ireland--streets segregated by religion and socio-economic status--that led to its inception? In either case, the lyrics and arrangement of this song are among the band's best.
40. Mostly I like this song because it comes from the book of Psalms in the Bible, chapter 40. It really personalizes the human soul's cry for God and celebrates his redemptive work. It's also a great song live because the chorus is easy to sing--almost a camp song effect for the crowd. Watch the end of their Vertigo/Live in Chicago DVD to see drummer Larry Mullen lay down the beat while the crowd sings the song a capella.
Honorable mention. Here are the tunes that didn't quite crack my top 5: Beautiful Day, One, New Year's Day, Yahweh, Bullet the Blue Sky, and The Sweetest Thing.
Pride (In the Name of Love). If somebody who lived in a cave for the last 30 years asked me, "What does U2 sound like?" this is the song I would play for them. The song makes me want to stand up for things that matter, to love more deeply and sacrificially.
City of Blinding Lights. This is an amazing song. Incredible harmonizing between Bono and the Edge. Powerful guitar riffs. Classic U2 sound with a progressive edge. And if that weren't enough, the introduction has a great building feel to it that puts goosebumps on my arms.
Mysterious Ways. This song is just funky and cool. I used to cruise around in my VW Bus with the windows down, cranking this song. Adam Clayton's bass guitar totally carries this tune.
Where the Streets Have No Name. There are a couple different ideas floating around out there about what inspired the writing of this song. Was it Bono's response to the poverty he witnessed after a trip to Africa? Or was it the streets of Ireland--streets segregated by religion and socio-economic status--that led to its inception? In either case, the lyrics and arrangement of this song are among the band's best.
40. Mostly I like this song because it comes from the book of Psalms in the Bible, chapter 40. It really personalizes the human soul's cry for God and celebrates his redemptive work. It's also a great song live because the chorus is easy to sing--almost a camp song effect for the crowd. Watch the end of their Vertigo/Live in Chicago DVD to see drummer Larry Mullen lay down the beat while the crowd sings the song a capella.
Honorable mention. Here are the tunes that didn't quite crack my top 5: Beautiful Day, One, New Year's Day, Yahweh, Bullet the Blue Sky, and The Sweetest Thing.
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
My Hero
Last weekend my wife went away with some friends for their annual girl trip, leaving me home alone with the children. Historically, this is a stressful weekend for me for at least three reasons:
1. I can't cook.
2. I have three little kids who know I can't cook.
3. I'm a slug getting ready in the morning and am usually late wherever I'm going. Needless to say, making sure everybody gets their cereal eaten, teeth brushed, and mohawks gelled slows things down even more.
So on Sunday morning we were getting ready for church and things were really humming. While the kids were eating their Captain Crunch, I decided to use the bathroom in an effort to use the time most efficiently. But when I went to flush the toilet, bad stuff started happening. The thing started to back up, and as the water surged to the top I remembered spotting two empty TP rolls on top of the same toilet the day before (kids use a lot of TP). I scrambled to find a plunger and began working frantically to remove the clog, but nothing was happening. There was a monster wad of TP fouling up the works, probably a couple of tree's worth.
As I was doing my best impersonation of a plumber, my youngest child came running down the hall exclaiming, "Daddy, I need to go potty."
"Hold on a second" I said, wiping the sweat off my brow.
Apparently, he took what I said literally. Before I knew it, he was whizzing his pants right beside me.
A minute or two later, my daughter came in and said, "Daddy, I don't have any clothes to wear."
I think she might have walked through the pee, but at that point it didn't matter. I was in a daze, wondering at what point things had gone so terribly wrong.
My wife deals with this sort of thing everyday, plus all the mundane chores like dishes and laundry. She manages our home with a smile on her face and rarely raises her voice, even though she feels like screaming several times a day. And she even finds time to stop by my office when she's in the area to give me a kiss and a cup of coffee.
Kathy, you're my hero.
1. I can't cook.
2. I have three little kids who know I can't cook.
3. I'm a slug getting ready in the morning and am usually late wherever I'm going. Needless to say, making sure everybody gets their cereal eaten, teeth brushed, and mohawks gelled slows things down even more.
So on Sunday morning we were getting ready for church and things were really humming. While the kids were eating their Captain Crunch, I decided to use the bathroom in an effort to use the time most efficiently. But when I went to flush the toilet, bad stuff started happening. The thing started to back up, and as the water surged to the top I remembered spotting two empty TP rolls on top of the same toilet the day before (kids use a lot of TP). I scrambled to find a plunger and began working frantically to remove the clog, but nothing was happening. There was a monster wad of TP fouling up the works, probably a couple of tree's worth.
As I was doing my best impersonation of a plumber, my youngest child came running down the hall exclaiming, "Daddy, I need to go potty."
"Hold on a second" I said, wiping the sweat off my brow.
Apparently, he took what I said literally. Before I knew it, he was whizzing his pants right beside me.
A minute or two later, my daughter came in and said, "Daddy, I don't have any clothes to wear."
I think she might have walked through the pee, but at that point it didn't matter. I was in a daze, wondering at what point things had gone so terribly wrong.
My wife deals with this sort of thing everyday, plus all the mundane chores like dishes and laundry. She manages our home with a smile on her face and rarely raises her voice, even though she feels like screaming several times a day. And she even finds time to stop by my office when she's in the area to give me a kiss and a cup of coffee.
Kathy, you're my hero.
Monday, March 13, 2006
Rock Band Photo Rant
I was flipping through some music reviews in a magazine recently and was paying special attention to the different photos of each band. "I wonder if that guy's dog got run over by a car right before this photo shoot," I thought to myself as I looked at one gaunt, depressed-looking band member. Thing is, everybody was sporting the same dreary look.
This bugs me. I mean, what motivates every band (I'm painting with a brush here) to sport the life-is-crappy-for-me-all-the-time look every time they get their picture taken? Here are a few possible factors:
1. The cool factor. Nothing says cool like looking depressed or pissed off. Nothing.
2. The artist factor. We're talking about artists here. That explains at least part of it.
3. The Coldplay did it and so should we factor. It seems nobody has a better idea than lining four guys up in front of a camera and saying, "pretend like you're a heroin addict" right before the picture is taken.
4. The self-absorbed factor. It's apparent to me that some of these people might be taking themselves a wee bit too seriously.
5. The keepin' it real factor. I can just imagine these people cracking jokes and laughing before the photo shoot, then wiping the smiles off their faces in an effort to be "authentic."
How about this for a change, band guys? Try smiling. Pull each others' finger and then take the picture. Remember who you are and where you came from. Watch The Office or go to the zoo before you get your pictures taken. And by all means, put your creativity to good use and come up with something different.
This bugs me. I mean, what motivates every band (I'm painting with a brush here) to sport the life-is-crappy-for-me-all-the-time look every time they get their picture taken? Here are a few possible factors:
1. The cool factor. Nothing says cool like looking depressed or pissed off. Nothing.
2. The artist factor. We're talking about artists here. That explains at least part of it.
3. The Coldplay did it and so should we factor. It seems nobody has a better idea than lining four guys up in front of a camera and saying, "pretend like you're a heroin addict" right before the picture is taken.
4. The self-absorbed factor. It's apparent to me that some of these people might be taking themselves a wee bit too seriously.
5. The keepin' it real factor. I can just imagine these people cracking jokes and laughing before the photo shoot, then wiping the smiles off their faces in an effort to be "authentic."
How about this for a change, band guys? Try smiling. Pull each others' finger and then take the picture. Remember who you are and where you came from. Watch The Office or go to the zoo before you get your pictures taken. And by all means, put your creativity to good use and come up with something different.
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Favorite 80's Cartoons
Here are some cartoons from the 1980's that stand out to me.
Scooby Doo. I don't know why it always took Fred, Scooby, and co. 30 minutes to figure out that the spooky swamp creature or scary ghost was always a regular guy dressed up in a costume. That said, I was glued to the T.V. every episode.
The Road Runner. There's just something about watching Wily E. Coyote fall off a cliff that never gets old. Throw in an anvil and some ACME T-N-T, and you've got the makings of a fine cartoon.
Transformers. It still brings tears to my eyes when Optimus Prime, in the heat of the moment, called his Autobot army to battle with the cry, "AUTOBOTS, ROLL!"
GI Joe. The Ninja guy was awesome. So were the evil twin brothers, Tomax and Xamot. But my favorite was Gung-Ho. Nobody screwed with Gung-Ho.
Other than these, the only other 80's cartoons I remember right now are Star Blazers, Mask, and GoBots. Star Blazers was on at like 6:00 a.m., which meant I was busy drooling on my pillow. Gobots was just a lame ripoff of Transformers. And to be totally honest, Mask looked so pathetic that I never watched it to see what it was about.
Got a favorite 80's cartoon? Post it here!
Scooby Doo. I don't know why it always took Fred, Scooby, and co. 30 minutes to figure out that the spooky swamp creature or scary ghost was always a regular guy dressed up in a costume. That said, I was glued to the T.V. every episode.
The Road Runner. There's just something about watching Wily E. Coyote fall off a cliff that never gets old. Throw in an anvil and some ACME T-N-T, and you've got the makings of a fine cartoon.
Transformers. It still brings tears to my eyes when Optimus Prime, in the heat of the moment, called his Autobot army to battle with the cry, "AUTOBOTS, ROLL!"
GI Joe. The Ninja guy was awesome. So were the evil twin brothers, Tomax and Xamot. But my favorite was Gung-Ho. Nobody screwed with Gung-Ho.
Other than these, the only other 80's cartoons I remember right now are Star Blazers, Mask, and GoBots. Star Blazers was on at like 6:00 a.m., which meant I was busy drooling on my pillow. Gobots was just a lame ripoff of Transformers. And to be totally honest, Mask looked so pathetic that I never watched it to see what it was about.
Got a favorite 80's cartoon? Post it here!
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Tsunami Warning
We were totally dialed into our campsite on the Oregon coast. The fire was blazing. The tent trailer (rental) was all set up and looking spiffy. And the wife and kids and I had just busted out a bag of marshmallows when I got a call on my cell phone. It was my sister in law.
"Hey, you guys are on the Oregon Coast, right?"
"Yeah," I said, feeling pretty smug about the whole scene, like Mr. Hot-Shot, Eagle-Scout-Wannabe camping dad.
"I'm watching the news and there was an earthquake off the coast of California. There's a tsunami warning for the Oregon coast."
My initial reaction to this type of news is always a bit curious. On the inside I play it cool, but on the outside I talk a lot. I seriously can't shut up. So I told my wife what was going on and she immediately started putting the kids' coats on. I went looking for a ranger, and sure enough, she had already begun the process of evacuating the camp. After talking her ear off, I zoomed back to the site and loaded the kids in the van.
As we headed for high ground, I couldn't keep from wondering if my insurance covered tsunami damage, as I fully expected to return to find the tent trailer lying upside down, covered in seaweed like some scene from The Perfect Storm. I also worried momentarily about the campfire we'd left going, but figured that large a wave would probably pretty much take care of it.
So we sat up on the hill for a half hour or so, listening to the radio. When we got word that the warning was cancelled, we headed back down to our campsite and went to bed, happy to be alive, but kind of bummed that our fire had fizzled out.
Gotta love a tsunami warning.
"Hey, you guys are on the Oregon Coast, right?"
"Yeah," I said, feeling pretty smug about the whole scene, like Mr. Hot-Shot, Eagle-Scout-Wannabe camping dad.
"I'm watching the news and there was an earthquake off the coast of California. There's a tsunami warning for the Oregon coast."
My initial reaction to this type of news is always a bit curious. On the inside I play it cool, but on the outside I talk a lot. I seriously can't shut up. So I told my wife what was going on and she immediately started putting the kids' coats on. I went looking for a ranger, and sure enough, she had already begun the process of evacuating the camp. After talking her ear off, I zoomed back to the site and loaded the kids in the van.
As we headed for high ground, I couldn't keep from wondering if my insurance covered tsunami damage, as I fully expected to return to find the tent trailer lying upside down, covered in seaweed like some scene from The Perfect Storm. I also worried momentarily about the campfire we'd left going, but figured that large a wave would probably pretty much take care of it.
So we sat up on the hill for a half hour or so, listening to the radio. When we got word that the warning was cancelled, we headed back down to our campsite and went to bed, happy to be alive, but kind of bummed that our fire had fizzled out.
Gotta love a tsunami warning.
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
Top 5 All Time Movies
Here are my top 5 movies in no particular order.
The Shawshank Redemption. I like movies that matter, and this movie matters. It makes me ask the question: Will I settle for a predictable, comfortable, caged-up life, or will I be driven by the hope that something greater lies ahead? Add the cool cinematography, a killer performance by Morgan Freeman, and a brilliantly written script, and you've got a top 5 movie.
Fletch. With respect to Eddie Murphy, Steve Martin, John Belushi, Bill Murray, Adam Sandler, Will Farrell, Chris Rock, Chris Farley, Martin Short, and John Candy, nobodody was funnier in his prime than Chevy Chase. The only tricky part here is picking Fletch over Christmas Vacation. Fletch gets the nod for its year-round appeal.
The Usual Suspects. Every guy needs a solid guy movie on his list, and this one is by far my favorite. Kevin Spacey is totally convincing. The supporting cast is amazing. The story is completely unpredictable. And there were times when I laughed my head off.
Forrest Gump. With an intellect rivaled only by garden tools, Gump isn't the smartest guy of all time. But has any Hollywood character taught us more valuable lessons than Forrest? He is loyal, determined, and brave. There's not a phony bone in his body. He's the epitome of a friend who loves at all times. He keeps his promises. He's a shining example of compassion that leads to action. And to top it off, the guy can grow a sweet beard.
The Endless Summer. Could there possibly be anything more cool than a couple guys chasing the sun, warm beaches, and perfect waves around the globe in the 1960's? I think not.
The Shawshank Redemption. I like movies that matter, and this movie matters. It makes me ask the question: Will I settle for a predictable, comfortable, caged-up life, or will I be driven by the hope that something greater lies ahead? Add the cool cinematography, a killer performance by Morgan Freeman, and a brilliantly written script, and you've got a top 5 movie.
Fletch. With respect to Eddie Murphy, Steve Martin, John Belushi, Bill Murray, Adam Sandler, Will Farrell, Chris Rock, Chris Farley, Martin Short, and John Candy, nobodody was funnier in his prime than Chevy Chase. The only tricky part here is picking Fletch over Christmas Vacation. Fletch gets the nod for its year-round appeal.
The Usual Suspects. Every guy needs a solid guy movie on his list, and this one is by far my favorite. Kevin Spacey is totally convincing. The supporting cast is amazing. The story is completely unpredictable. And there were times when I laughed my head off.
Forrest Gump. With an intellect rivaled only by garden tools, Gump isn't the smartest guy of all time. But has any Hollywood character taught us more valuable lessons than Forrest? He is loyal, determined, and brave. There's not a phony bone in his body. He's the epitome of a friend who loves at all times. He keeps his promises. He's a shining example of compassion that leads to action. And to top it off, the guy can grow a sweet beard.
The Endless Summer. Could there possibly be anything more cool than a couple guys chasing the sun, warm beaches, and perfect waves around the globe in the 1960's? I think not.
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