Finding Nemo

The other night I made my first voyage into the pool at the gym and I must say it exceeded expectations.  It was a fantastic and oddly calming workout.  I absolutely knew that I had done something my arms, shoulders, chest etc were on fire and my heart was going a 100 miles an hour, but it was almost enjoyable unlike lifting and running (not quite at the point where I find running "enjoyable", it's more a necessity considering my love of good food and good beer).  Anyway, swam laps for 30 min and by the end was finally starting to get the rhythm back so I didn't either swallow half the pool or pass out from lack of breath during my freestyle laps.  I will be adding swimming 2 - 3 times a week to my weekly routine hopefully it'll change things up a bit and it will for sure be a good thing to do come July.  I do need to figure out flip turns and get a different set of trunks so I look a bit more legit out there.  Gotta at least look like I know what I'm doing.

30 Day Music Challenge

Day 13: Song from Your Favorite Album

I've covered this one 100 times... my favorite album (at least to date) is Eminem's Recovery.  Picking just one song from it is the challenge.  I'll go with Cinderella Man, but really I feel like the whole album is one song.

Megamind

Today perhaps the greatest and most diabolic political scandal of all time has been resolved.

A bit of back story...  This plot began August 4, 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii.  Convinced that her unborn child would once be in a position to lead the USA as president, the mother and doctor of one Barack Hussein Obama II drafted a Hawaiian birth certificate; thus ensuring that his rise to power 5 decades later would not be thwarted by something as trivial as citizenship questions about eligibility for office.

Fast forward to April 27, 2011.  After much posturing by both sides the rumored and mysterious "long form" birth certificate was presented to the public.

My reaction:  So what.  Who cares.  How much time was wasted on this while the country flounders in nearly all areas that, I don't know, "matter."

As I've said before, I'm not pro Red or pro Blue, I'm pro common sense, so lets go with Purple since colors seem to be way to go these days.  But this whole "Birther" thing is/was an embarrassment to the country.  In this day of 24/7 media and everyone knocking their own grandmother to the ground for the chance at their 15 min. is it really plausible to believe that humanity in general is capable of the type of massive cover up that would be needed to fake a president's citizenship status/eligibility for the office of the president?  I mean think about... this plan would have had to have been hatched 5 decades ago, how many people would have had to have been paid off?  Politicians and celebrities can't hide anything... at all, no matter how personal.  Affairs, drug use, slips of the tongue, slips of the nipple, you name it it is a headline 5 seconds after it happens.  For that reason I never gave much traction to the whole thing, if there was evidence to prove he wasn't eligible someone would a have rolled over long long ago.  Plus if he was declared ineligible, that leaves us with Biden and who really thinks that would be a better option at this point?  

I just sincerely hope that this thing is now put to bed and the government can begin work on things that are actually important.  I hope they stop the petty bickering and fighting and do their job, which contrary to many of their beliefs is not to rile people into a frenzy and play partisan only games.  Both sides are at fault and these past years have been an absolute train wreck of uncooperative behavior that should have all politicians on both sides of the aisle embarrassed.  

As an aside, with this all important issue now seemingly resolved potential presidential candidate Donald Trump has now moved to questioning the president's college records... come 2012 is Trump is given any legitimate consideration whatsoever I seriously may move to another country for a while. 

30 Day Music Challenge

Day 12: A Song That Relaxes You/Puts You to Sleep

For this one I went instrumental.  While there's lots of songs out there that are pretty relaxing, few things are more soothing and relaxing than a well played piano.  I love the piano and wish I could play.  When it comes to piano there are too many greats to even begin sorting through them, but for me my favorite piano solo comes from a punk band... which is very odd but it just further proves that even though their "main" form of music may not sound "talented" to some, most are very musically talented.  For example Corey Taylor can scream with the best of them while belting out most of Slipknot's heavy hits, however switch gears and check out Vermilion Pt. 2 and his smooth vocals, you'll never believe it's the same guy.  Anyway, I digress, for my favorite piano solo I'm going with the hidden track on Pennywise song Bro Hymn Tribute.  The song is buried a few minutes after the last track.  I actually bought the Full Circle album in college just for this song, but lost it... and I don't think you can download just the piano solo on iTunes.  It's very long, but very good.

Things I Learned This Weekend...

• My new KC church gets EXTREMELY full on Sundays of note and thus minimally early arrival will result in standing room only.
• After: 3 weeks with no caffeine (detox), a general cut back in coffee intake, a sacrifice of soda and energy drinks (lent), downing a Rockstar will result in jitters and a trembling of the hands.  NEVER had that happen before, I guess that means that my blood is actually blood and not Taurine and Caffeine 
• Game of Thrones on HBO continues to get better.  Pretty sure next week's episode is going to be amazing.
• If you aren't wearing a mini-dress in P&L you're just going to feel out of place... even if you're a dude.
• The new Rockstar Energy/Juice drinks are not good... Monster is still the king of energy drinks.

30 Day Music Challenge

The weekend was full of errands and cooking so no posts, so to make up for it I put a couple on this one and they both have to do with the radio.  Radio has been dead to me for awhile now, mainly because I'm pretty sure most stations have a standard 12 song play list and anyone that listens longer than 40-60 min is just S.O.L.  With the invention of Pandora and it's gloriously customizable bounty of musical awesomeness I have little use for the radio, with the exception of AM radio which gives me my sports talk for a few hours a day.

Day 10:  A Song You Hear Often on the Radio

It seems like every time I turn on the radio this song is on, it's catchy and I used to actually kind of like it.  But now I find it annoying and even hearing just a few bars of it gets the hook stuck in my head for hours.  Rihanna, S&M

Day 11: A Song You Wish You Heard on the Radio

I'm going independent on this one, Borrow Tomorrow's, Wake Up.  Great song from a band I had the privilege to see many times in Chicago, I also hung out many a night with the lead singer Chris Jerles.  Anywho, I've written about these guys and I like their sound a lot.  This is a live version of one of my favorites, if you like it, you should absolutely check them out on iTunes.

30 Day Music Challenge

Bonus Day 8b (Day 9): A Song That Reminds You of a Certain Event

Sticking with my High School days, easily one of my favorite things about High School was camping and this song was one that got a lot of air time at our camp sites.  Not sure why, I mean it is a great and lessor known Smashing Pumpkins tune, probably because it was buried on the soundtrack to a failed move, Lost Highway.  Anyway, the song is really good and we hit repeat and just let it go... so much so that I haven't heard it for probably 10 years and I still knew most all of the words.  So if you like the Pumpkins this is one that is absolutely worth downloading.

30 Day Music Challenge

Day 8: Song You Know All the Words To

It was the High School ski trip to Keystone when I first hear this song on the radio and from that moment on it was nonstop.  I think in the year that followed I probably heard this tune roughly 7,543 times and after that much air time trust me when I tell you... a song sticks with you.  The video is also hilarious, but point of order... old man crashing through a sky light like that would have shattered both hips, and elbow, and possibly his coccyx.  Kryptonite, by 3 Doors Down. 

30 Day Music Challenge

Day 7: Guilty Pleasure

No contest this one goes to Taylor Swift.  Much like yesterday's song and the one before, my love for Taylor's music may come as a surprise.  But it's there and I like it.  A lot.  She's just a good singer, no bones about it.  And you can really feel what she's singing about, she sounds like she cares.  Anyway, my go too guilty pleasure song of hers is December.

GoT

Link above has some scribbles on Episode 1.

Busy Weekend

Weekend came and went entirely too fast, went to the homeland for an early Easter celebration.  Despite the fact that there were snow flurries on the drive... snow flurries have no place in the month of April, that's just nonsense.  All was well, good beers to sample, good times with everyone, the kiddos are getting big fast.

Got home Sunday and watched Game of Thrones premier, which was awesome.  Just as good as I'd hoped, episode 1 was a bit slow, but I think it set things up nicely and is doing a pretty good job of painting the scenes.  Can't wait for more.

The long whirlwind of a weekend meant taking Monday afternoon off to tend to the lawn, which grew a ton over the week.  But I got it wrangled back to a manageable length and got the first round of fertilizer on so hopefully, the lawn will improve this year... the joys of home ownership.

Week ahead is one of menu planning, hosting our first holiday meal this weekend as the inlaws come up for Easter.  Should be as fun as last weekend, so that'll make for two solid weekends in a row.

30 Day Music Challenge

Day 6: A Song From A Band You Hate

Hate is a pretty strong word when it comes to music I think all music has merit and I can honestly say that I can find an appreciation for any artist or song, I may not like it, but I can generally find redeeming qualities for about anything.  That being said there are artists that I'm not a big fan of, bottom line they are just not my cup of tea.  Katy Perry fits in this category.  I just find her to be a bit overly "gimmicky" for lack of a more eloquent way of describing it.  It's this distinction that makes me a bit uneasy about the fact that I really kind of like her song ET.  I have no idea why, lyrically it's ... well... disturbing, really disturbing.  But still, like it or not, I'm drawn to it, it has a solid beat and is catchy, it's hooked me in, and I really don't like that it has done that.  Anyway if you haven't heard it, here it is...

30 Day Music Challenge

After a week of sickness and banking school projects last week the blog fell to the back burner, which was needed particularly since it was one of the things I did instead of working on my GSB paper so it was done early.  But the projects are done, I'm not as sick so the song challenge continues...

Day 5: A Song That No One Would Expect You to Love

I'm jumping around a bit here, but I had some song finders block so figure, it doesn't really matter the order all that much...  This one I have to thank Mr. James Reyes when I first heard him playing this I thought he was nuts and was wondering when the strobe light, fog and glow sticks would come into play (sadly there were no glow sticks) anyway I digress... The song is Take over Control by Afrojack.  It's techno or trance or electronic dance, whatever you wanna call it, it is not a song that would normally grace an iPod comprised largely of alt rock(ish) bands, but it is there and is played more often than you would probably think.  Trace music is very good to run too which is how the whole thing started, but then I made a Pandora station based on Afrojack and just listen to it randomly during the work day.  A bank examiner, listening to techno while working, figure that one out...

Break

No blog posts this week, but will be back with the music challenge next week. 

I'm onsite for work in Omaha, NE and between work and frantically trying to finish my Banking School project there is little time for song searching, although song searching is far more fun than evaluating bank funding strategies.  It seems that I am older than I was in college, but not any wiser, I've still managed to wait until the last minute and will be burning the midnight oil, 5 Hour Energy, coffee and sunflower seeds tonight to finish my project which is due by 11:59:59 PM on Friday.  I'd like to say I learned my lesson this year and will get my projects done in a more timely fashion next year... but I'm more a realist than an optimist.

Blog will return on Monday.

Waaasaaa.....bi

A couple of weeks ago when traveling to DC we went to a pretty unassuming little place, it was Monday night so I was tired from dealing with travel and NOT getting my Great American Bagel.  Anyway, I figured a quick burger and some water and I'd be good to go (water) cause I was trying to conserve funds.  However, I walk through the door and I'm immediately slapped across the face with 'Special: Bell's Two Hearted Ale, American IPA Pints' well so much for conserving funds, I could not in my right mind pass this draft up.  It's okay, we'll make up for it on the menu, sandwich or burger, keep it simple, keep it cheap.  I was all set on a delicious sounding (and healthy Turkey burger, to those who scoff, travel as much as I do, eat as much take out and restaurant food and you'll go turkey too every once in awhile).  It sounded good had some roasted red peppers and other things to spice it up a bit.  At this point I should have put the menu down, but curiosity and a being board of waiting on the waiter got the better of me and I took a look at the rest of the menu.  And thats when I saw: Wassabi Crusted Meatloaf.  The battle was lost before a shot was fired.  This was such a unique and intriguing menu item that I could not say no. 

I am happy to say that i chose wisely, this was amazingly delicious, but LOTS of wassabi so if you are not a fan then, stay away from this dish because it is full on wassabi, but it all worked and was very very good.  It is something that I really want to try to replicate, although I've never actually done anything with wassabi in my own kitchen.  And to be honest this was the first time I'd had it in a dish outside of sushi.  

30 Day Music Challenge

Day 3: A Song That Makes You Sad

I don't like this day, mainly because music is suppose to be an escape and is suppose to make you happy, motivated, really any emotion but sad.  But I suppose that that being said there are a lot of songs out there are touching and have heart wrenching lyrics, May Angels Lead You In by Jimmy Eat World comes to mind.  Another song that I find sad, although it doesn't really "sound" sad musically but if you listen to the lyrics it is pretty sad, Inside the Fire by Disturbed.  I've talked about this one before, but it's about the lead singer for Disturb's battle with depression and thoughts of suicide after finding his girlfriend had committed suicide in their home.  Song is twisted in a way, but lyrically it is gripping and pretty genius way to express feelings, thoughts, and emotions on such a topic.  Alas, though in my mind there has been only one song that independent of an event, meaning I just heard it on the radio, got me a bit misty eyed.  It's an amazing combo of a touching topic and heart tugging vocals the original was done in 1961 by Wayne Cochran and it was good... but add the angsty voiced Eddie Vedder combined with those lyrics and this is a guaranteed heart grabber.

Pearl Jam, Last Kiss

30 Day Music Challenge

Day 3: A Song That Makes You Happy

This one was another tough one, because really if you're listening to a song it should make you happy, with the exception of Cowboy Troy.  Since me and my friends all have a pretty deep love and appreciation of music it's tough to pin point just on song to pin with a smiley face.  My first instinct immediately went to Bobby McFerrin, Don't Worry Be Happy, but I thought that I should maybe put a bit more thought into it because that seemed to be a bit too obvious (although it is a happy little tune).  This has added difficulty because a lot of music I frequently listen to has darker undertones to it, sadder, desperate lyrics, not EMO... I don't go that far.  But to quote a friend there's a lot of "Angst."  At the end of it all, the dust settled and there was one that ended on.

O.A.R., Crazy Game of Poker, I had the good fortune of seeing O.A.R. in a free mini-set in downtown Chicago a couple of years ago.  The set was fantastic and just when I thought it was over they unmistakable intro to this song... and they rocked it.  The beat, the tempo, you can't help but smile and sing along.

It's My Turn to Play with Batman

The clock is ticking and if a deal is not reached by midnight Friday the Federal Government of the United States of America will shutdown due to no budget....  I'll repeat that,  the Federal Government of the United States of America will shutdown due to no budget.  We aren't talking about a Pizza Hut closing because the owner bungled the budget and they had no operating capital for the year.  We are talking about the federal government, the governing body of the great US of A.  How is it that an organization can not reach an agreement or *gasp* a compromise?  I whole heartedly believe that the problem lies squarely on the shoulders of the political party system and the machines that they drive.  The pendulum of democracy now swings so far to the right AND left that common sense and the interests of the country at large, and more to the point the constituencies of the elected officials, has gone by the wayside.  

This budget squabble is just one example of many:  the Federal Government is one of the largest employers in the country, so effectively the members of Congress are the Board of Directors do they honestly think it is in the best interest of the people they represent (employees) to shut the government down?  Absolutely not.  But the members of congress, in their infinitely increasing pettiness, are essentially holding the budget hostage to propel their own partisan agendas.  Too far apart on budget cuts... and all agree the deficit is out of control, split the difference and agree to revisit additional cuts/spending in 2012.  Problem solved.  Have a nice vacation.  I know it sounds overly simplistic, but seriously how/why is it any harder than that?  Is it worse than not cutting enough?  Is worse than cutting too much?  Both sides get 50% of what they want, they tie, and American Government (Democracy) is not further elevated as a potential laughing stock.

B instead of working to a logical compromise, the two sides (now three if you count tea party) are more focused on winning this game of chicken, they are like pre-school children fighting over a Batman action figure, the country.  The country and its well being are not a pose-able figure with kung fu chop action and a spring loaded grappling hook.  It is a land made up of hard working men and women who at the end of the day just want what is fair, what needs to be done, and bottom line what makes sense.  Heaven help us if there is a "real" problem in the near future that requires Government action.  Because with this current group's inability to work together for the greater good, I have serious concerns about how any material problem would be handled, or  ... not handled.

30 Day Music Challenge

Day 2: Least Favorite Song

Wow... another fast ball down the middle.  Least favorite song is a tough one because I like a lot of music spanning many all types, rock, rap, country, you name it.  But the more I thought about it if you like a lot of music you probably dislike a lot as well because you start to listen more and more critically so that you don't a) go broke mortgaging your house to Steve Jobs and iTunes or b) go to jail pirating music from some corner of the internet.  So with that I will say I have my fair share of songs that get the dislike button in Pandora, many of these though aren't "bad" they're just bad for me.  But there are some artists that I really don't care for, as much as I wanted to put Bieber or Rebecca Black on here I just couldn't because they are catchy and I get the appeal, I mean, I won't be downloading any Bieber anytime soon, but I'm not ruling it out in the future if he manages to pay someone to put together a good tune.  I think gimmicky artists are the ones that annoy me the most and fall into the unsavory or least favorite category.  The perfect example of that is crowned my least favorite... 

Cowboy Troy, I Play Chicken With The Train

Now embedding was disabled for the video apparently they don't want just anyone to be able to stream this chart topper from their website all day for free.  The guy took a chance I'll give him that, but I can't take you seriously when you brand yourself as a "hick-hop" artist.  I mean certain things do not mix.  Oil/Water, Politicians/Logic, etc.  So I put a link here if you'd like to check out the calamity that is known as "hick-hop".  But warn you... it was the least favorite so I won't have hurt feelings if you don't watch, but for every person that didn't watch Audience of One, I flicked Dublin's ear... how does that make you feel?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUPK9z59yUc

The Beer List

Check the page bar above for a new list - this list is going to document my beer travels no commentary, just a list of what I've had, (brewery - beer).

Would love to hear suggestions for beers I should try and comments on beers you've tried from the list that you liked.

GoT

New post on GoT page about the preview that was on HBO on Sunday... less than 2 weeks until the premier.

30 Day Music Challenge

Stole this from a friend and fellow blogger Tina Johnson, author of 'But Anyway...' and since I've been doing a horrible job of posting lately... I'll give the series approach a try.  Basically, 30 questions, 30 days all about music.

Away we go...

Day 1:  Favorite Song

They really aren't screwing around here, kind of kicked this one off with one of the hardest questions on the face of the planet.  I've written about music on here a lot and have substantial evidence to support the fact that my favorite song changes with the breeze.  As my fellow blogger did, I retreated to iTunes in hopes of getting an easy answer, Wake Up by Three Days Grace occupied the top spot based on number of times played.  But honestly I don't think that would be it, at all, frankly I can't believe that's my top played song, that's very odd.  I think my iTunes lies.  With iTunes failing me I ran to Pandora for a hope of salvation.  Based on a perusal of my many Pandora stations one band and one song came up time and time again as the 'seed' selection for nearly all of them.

Rise Against, Audience of One.  I know this is a newer song and thus is likely to get some scrutiny as being elevated to "favorite" status, but really it came down to one song lyric that I just find brilliant and is one reason I love this song and this band:  


We're all ok, until the day we're not.  


Enjoy.