It's the most wonderful, scratch that, CRAZY time of the year

Okay, it has only been a few MONTHS since I posted here, but I figured it was time to get back in the groove and post something, not that anyone is reading. But catharsis has no price so I will keep on truckin. But Christmas is right around the corner and of course, there are items to be bought. Last year it was the hop and ride pony that we had to get for the little Munchkin and it took a long ride to the ghetto of Philadelphia to find one. This year, it's even worse. Trying to find the hot ticket item that every child wants and no supply available. And what is it that that every child wants, Zhu Zhu Pets! What the fuck is a ZHU ZHU PET you ask??? It's a little stuffed animal, usually a gerbil or hamster that that walks around and makes noise like the real thing. Without the pet shit all over the place. Oh don't get me wrong, there's plenty of crap, you just have to buy that too. In the form of play areas, hamseter wheels, rolling balls that you put your ZHU ZHU in and it acts like a regular pet. The only piece I have found is a play area at Toys 'R Us. So hopefully Santa will locate them in time for his little boo. I don't care how far I have to drive to make my girl's dream come true.

So in honor of my ZHU ZHU Hunt, I am choosing "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" by U2 as my blog comeback song of the day.

These are the days

There comes a time in a father's life when he realizes his baby isn't a baby anymore. Could be when they say their first word, or hug you for the first time. But really, it's the day they start to walk. And for my one year old son, that day is today. Unfortunately, he couldn't wait one day till I had the day off and could see it for myself. Though that really doesn't matter. My little boy is walking finally and I couldn't be happier about it. He's looking so much like a little boy now instead of the baby I wanted him to be. Pretty soon he will be running the bases, skating down the ice, throwing a touchdown, and dunking a basketball. Okay, so like his daddy, he is very white and will NEVER dunk a basketball without a trampoline's help. But you get the idea. SO today's song of the day is "Walk Like a Man." Way to go Moose, Daddy is so proud of you!

Ok, so my hatred grows

Yes, the Wings lost the other night and the Penguins won the Cup. But as I said before, Cindy "Crybaby" Crosby did not deserve to hoist Lord Stanley's donation. This was evidenced by his lack of respect for the Wings, specifically, Captain Niklas Lidstrom, by not shaking Lidstrom's hand as per hockey tradition. I don't care how excited you are Sid-Knee, funny you looked like your leg was fine skating with the Cup, you make the beeline for the handshake line and respect the team your teammates, NOT YOU, just beat. This was a disgusting display by the so called "Face of the Game" and "Hope for the Future of Hockey." The Wings were a tired and injury ridden team the entire playoff and still came within inches of winning the Cup. To bad the first goal Pittsburgh scored was further than inches away from NOT BEING ICING. But I digress. So in honor of the 21-year old punk captain of the Penguins, today's song of the day is "Loser" by Beck.

"In the time of Sid Crosby, he is a monkey!"

This one is for you Cindy

Well, tonight it all happens. Game Seven. Joe Louis Arena. The Cup will be skated with, and all I ask, is "Dear God, don't let them hand it the little whiny bitch." Yes, I am referring to Crybaby, I mean Cindy, oops, I mean Sidney Crosby. I know the NHL wants to push this bastard as the face of the league. But I don't understand why. He hasn't impressed me at all. When his team needed a boost, it was Malkin that challenged Zetterberg who has owned Crosby all series. How many points did Cindy have in must-have game 6. That would be ZERO. How many shots, ONE. He has not earned the right to hoist the Cup. He whines to the refs all the time and I pray, PRAY they do not hand out cheap calls for PowerPlays to the Penguins like they did in game six. If Datsyuk had been healthy from the start of the series, this is already over. The parade would have been this week down Woodward. So dear god, let Zetterberg continue to change Cindy's diaper. Let Datsyuk get his first goal of the series. Let Franzen dominate the boards and the front of the net. Let the booming shots from Lidstrom, Rafalski, Ericsson, and Stuart find the back of the net behind Fleury. Let Kronwall bury Crybaby into the second row behind the Penguins bench. And let Ozzie capture his fourth Cup and punch his ticket to the Hall of Fame. In your name we pray.

So in honor of Cindy Crybaby, today's song of the day is, "I Hate Everything About You" by Ugly Kid Joe.

Faces come out in the rain

The one thing I both love and hate about the cell phone generation is that nothing is private anymore. I love being able to take a picture of something unique and different at the drop of a hat because I have my phone with me. But then again, if I do something stupid in public, chances are somebody is going to tape it. Thank god I was born when I was because nobody had cameras at the Male Hot Body contest in Cancun back in '99, or when I was wheeled out of Foxwoods Casino at my bachelor party. Actually, somebody might have video of that, but thankfully I have never seen it. But that is why today I am choosing "People are Strange" by the Doors as my song of the day. How did it take me this long to use a Doors song??? No idea. But in defining how people are strange, I provide visual evidence.

Trust me, this car looked worse in person. I saw it in my rearview when I was taking my mom to the airport this week. I immediately stopped the music playing and snapped a quick shot. Isn't it just "Ghetto Fabulous?"

This is my new favorite Chinese Place in Exton, Pa. We used to go to Nice Chinese Restaurant, yes that was its name. Then we went to Super Wok. But now we go to HOT WOK, always have to say it with some gusto. Who would have thought Paris Hilton would open a chinese place.

Ok, aloe. I have dry skin. I have used aloe for it. I get that. What I don't get is why I would want to drink it. Do my insides need moisturizing? Someone needs to enlighten me on this.

Till next time, ciao.

after a brief hiatus

Here we are, back at the grind after a weekend celebrating the Mini-Guinea's marriage. Now the bastard is in Tahiti. Yes the green eyed monster is running rampant in Pennsylvania. But I wish him nothing but the best. Don't know what song I should use today, so in honor of Dave and Jessica, I guess I will use, "There is Love" by Peter Paul and Mary. It was their wedding song. Have a fabulous Honeymoon, enjoy Moorea and Bora Bora, get the Mako Shark at Bloody Mary's, and never forget the color of the water there in the lagoons.

The Great American Pastime

No, I am not referring to baseball, or as some would say football now. Although like baseball, I am referring to something well connected to the summer. I am actually referring to the the great american roadtrip. And with gas prices rapidly escalating, it is surely coming time for many people to grab their car keys and hit the open road. While I myself prefer "Fall Foliage" roadtrips, the summer is a great time to drive. Today, I am really just going to show you some funny things I have seen while driving my car around. But I will choose a song, and it is "Life is a Highway" by Tom Cochrane. But the pictures mean more today. Here they are:

This picture is in the dictionary under "Car Safety"

I'm cool, I like to tell everyone where I have been

Holy Hair Batman!!!

What's in a name Part Deux

Today's song might just be the most common wrongly named song in history. Not that I can blame them as the chorus features this line over and over again. It would have to be the name of the song right??? Wrong, the real name of the song comes from an Indian Mystic and a minimalist composer. Apparently, the band took the vital statistics of the mystic and put them into a computer that synthesized the information into music. I don't know how it works but it sounds fucking awesome. I want my own personal song from my vitals. Would it sound different as I age. Is it more uptempo if I lose weight??? Inquiring minds want to know. But nevertheless, "Teenage Wasteland" is not the name of the Mystic, his name was Meher Baba, and the name of this rock classic by The Who, is "Baba O'Reilly."

See, I just went to try and find a video of this song and there are like 50 listed under "Teenage Wasteland" hahahaha, I love it when I'm right, here's the song, enjoy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HD5NrkqYntI

What's in a name???

So I was thinking this weekend of what songs I could use for a posting this week and while driving with tunes blasting off my phone, it came to me. I needed to get the Led out! But it wasn't just enough to have some Zeppelin on the blog. I needed a hook. And with my favorite Zep song eminating from my speakers it hit me. What the Hell is a "Dyer Maker"???? Why is the song called that?? And there it was, there's my hook for the week. Songs that have no business being named what they are. Or songs that people frequently mis-name on sites like Limewire or Napster. Not that I condone or have done that sort of thing in my life. This is going to be fun. But for now, check out the favorite Led Zeppelin song of mine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4g1WHqQKEfc

I still don't get it, "Dyer Maker"???

Obscuring sequels

Now that the summer movie scene is upon us, we are inevitably innundated with a phenomena called "Summer Sequel Season." This year is no different with the new Star Trek (Star Trek 11?), Terminator Salvation (T4), Angels and Demons (technically happens before Da Vinci Code), etc. Normally, there is one sequel in a series that is good, though not as good as the original. But yet, somehow they keep cranking them out. Are there no original ideas left in Hollywood? Well, today I am choosing and obscure song, from an obscure sequel. And it just happens to be the sequel to the last movie I used a song from, Iron Eagle. The song is "Chasing the Angel" from Iron Eagle 2, the inferior but entertaining sequel where Doug Masters, our first movie hero, is killed inside the 10 minute mark. I think I am safe to say, he ends up not dead in Iron Eagle 4, but that's beside the point. This movie is more like Rocky 4 though as the Americans and Russians have to team up to take out a rogue middle eastern country that has, yep you guessed it, acquired nuclear weapons. And who can lead this charge, well, not Doug, since he is supposed to be dead. But the retired Colonel from the first movie, Chappy Sinclair is up to the challenge. There is a ridiculous subplot of a rogue American General who handpicks a bunch of losers for the mission because he really wants to just bomb the country back to the stone age. Now it all falls into place, a retired AIR FORCE colonel picked to lead ground and air assault against an entire country. But none of it matters, because the movie is awesomely bad. And so is this winner of a song from a gentleman known as Mike Reno. Here's "Chasing the Angel"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3g0I6wZxLLo&feature=related

Enjoy!

We now return to our regularly scheduled programming

Today, I'd like to talk about one of my favorite obscure songs that happens to be from a movie. The movie has often been referred to as "The Poor Man's Top Gun." That film is called "Iron Eagle" and unlike Mr. Scientology's film, spawned multiple sequels. The second film was ok, and I did have it on VHS. But the first is still the best. It is the picture of believability as a high school kid, who was denied entry into the Air Force Academy, is able to take on an entire Middle Eastern Country's fleet of jets to rescue his dad. Does he lead an entire squadran of jets and correlated ground troops? No, he and a retired Lou Gosset Jr. fly two F16's, only to have Gosset shot down in the first part of the attack. But the beauty of the film is that none of this matters. It is an awesomely bad movie. And the song I like the best, the only reason I bought the soundtrack on casset tape, was called "The Road of the Gypsy" by a long forgotten band called Adrenalin. And you can really find anything on Youtube now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGF_R8wtgvA

Might not be an official video but worth watching. A great song.

Now a break in our regularly scheduled programming

Over the weekend, I saw a story on ESPN that really moved me which is why I am not obscure movie songing today. It was an update on a former hockey player out of Detroit named Vladimir Konstantinov. It was 1997, the Red Wings had just won their first Stanley Cup in 42 years. They held the parade in downtown Detroit and the day after the team would never be the same again. I believe it was after a team golf outing that some of the russian players were riding in a limosine that hit a tree. The limo driver had a suspended license. Whenit was over, one other player had minor injuries, the team masseuer was paralyzed, and Konstantinov had extensive brain damage. This is a man who was a beast on the ice. The runner-up for the Norris Trophy that year (Best Defenseman). He was a leader and a key reason the Wings were champions. Flash forward to the following summer, the Wings won again, and there was Konstantinov, sitting in a wheelchair on the ice with the Stanley Cup on his lap. He was smiling like a child because unfortunately that was where his mental capacity was at the time. A proud man, beaten down by a freak accident. ...Flash forward to the present. ESPN followed Konstantinov through a couple days showing what his life is like now. He has regained much of his comprehension but his speech has lagged behind. They even showed him playing Uno with his wife. He can walk with the help of a walker but still needs 24 hour care. They even showed him on a golf course where he said that his short game is good. But the part that really got to me, was the scene of him watching the Wings practice, and watching a game from the press box, and just remembering. Remembering the life he had and that was so horribly taken from him. But yet he doesn't shy away from his past, he embraces it, and embraces his life as it is now. Taking the time to walk through the concourse of Joe Louis Arena during a Wings game. Meeting and greeting fans who say, "We love you Vladdy," "You were my idol growing up," etc... He lives his life as it is now, choosing to move forward, but yet respecting his past and the life he should have had. Truly an inspirational story. So in honor of the player Mr. Konstantinov was, and the human being he is today, I am choosing "The Warrior," by Patty Smyth as my song of the day.

"You run, run, runaway
It's your heart that you betray
Feeding on your hungry eyes
I bet you're not so civilized
Well isn't love primitive?
A wild gift that you wanna give
Break out of captivity
And follow me stereo jungle child
Love is the kill
Your heart's still wild

Shooting at the walls of heartache
Bang, bang!
I am the warrior
Well I am the warrior
And heart to heart you'll win
If you survive the warrior, the warrior

You talk, talk, talk to me
Your eyes touch me physically
Stay with me we'll take the night
As passion takes another bite, oh
Who's the hunter, who's the game?
I feel the beat call your name
I hold you close in victory
I don't wanna tame your animal style
You won't be caged in the call of the wild

Shooting at the walls of heartache
Bang, bang!
I am the warrior
Well I am the warrior
And heart to heart you'll win
If you survive the warrior, the warrior
I am the warrior

Shooting at the walls of heartache
Bang, bang!
I am the warrior
And heart to heart you'll win
If you survive the warrior, the warrior"

Hulk Hogan eat your heart out!

Today's song comes from more of an obscure movie than song. The movie is called "Rad." Here's a big shock, it came out in 1986. One of those movies that looked to capitalize on the success of the 1984 gymnastics team by casting a gymnast in a regular movie. Thankfully this movie didn't involve rings or a pommel horse in an unrealistic setting like some other flicks. Those included "American Anthem" and "Gymkata". This movie actually packed a little star power with Adrian from the Rocky Movies, Talia Shire, as the mother of our hero, and a young Lori Laughlin years away from her stint on "Full House". It's a BMX movie with enough cool stunts to keep you interested and falls in with many an 80's movie theme with the "Small town boy makes good and gets the girl". The song however, is a downright 80's classic by the band called Real Life and the name of it is "Send Me an Angel". I was even able to find the scene itself where our illustrious hero and Miss Laughlin perform a BMX ballet to the song. The only words I can use to decribe this is, Pure Genius.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZ5GWgcZfvI

Who even needs lyrics when you have a scene like this......

Obscure movie songs, Part 1

Going to start a little series of postings here, obscure songs from movies and movie soundtracks. Today, I'm going to use a song from one of my favorite movies, the very underrated Girl Next Door. Now the premise of a porn star moving next door to a geek screams "Guy Movie" and it is, especially in the Unrated Version. But it is also a tried and true "Chick Flick." Starring Emile Hirsch (Into the Wild, Milk, Lords of Dogtown) and Elisha Cuthbert (heaven itself ;)), the movie is funny, warm, and endearing. It also holds up over multiple watchings which isn't easy for a comedy like this. But the song I am choosing comes near the end of the movie. It is called "Hail Atlantis" by Donovan. It's a funny little folk song musing on the Atlantean Legend. Something I started to do myself way back when with a poem and when I had the idea of writing a big budget Atlantis movie that I was going to adapt from the lesser known Shakesperean play of Coriolanus. But that's beside the point because the poem was never finished, and the screenplay was never started. Anyways, if you want to hear the song itself, you can check out this Youtube link:

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

Enjoy the song, and if you haven't seen The Girl Next Door, it is definitely worth seeing.

Higher, and Higher Straight Up We'll Climb

Last night, thanks to shotty fielding the good guys lost. No not my softball game, which was a 20-5 victory. I am talking about my beloved Red Sox. They came in with an 11 game winning streak, but committed 3 errors to blow the game to the Indians. What does this have to do with the song of the day??? Well, one song reminds me of my first Red Sox game ever at Fenway Park. It was part of our fall orientation at the College of Communication of Boston University. And it just happened to be the game where the Red Sox clinched the American League East Championship. Not bad for a first game on the Fens. Little did I know that I would come to love the Sox and become a full fledged member of Red Sox Nation. But what was the moment that sticks in my mind the most from that game, it was rotund Mo Vaughn perched on top of a horse during the postgame celebration. The horse looked like his back was going to give out under the weight of the large and in-charge first baseman. And what song was playing at the time, well, it was "Dreams" by Van Halen. A great choice for song of the day:

"World turns black and white
Pictures in an empty room
Your love starts fallin' down
Better change your tune
Yeah, you reach for the golden ring
Reach for the sky
Baby, just spread your wings

We'll get higher and higher
Straight up we'll climb
We'll get higher and higher
Leave it all behind

Run, run, run away
Like a train runnin' off the track
Got the truth bein' left behind
Falls between the cracks
Standin' on broken dreams
Never losin' sight, ah
Well just spread your wings

We'll get higher and higher
Straight up we'll climb
We'll get higher and higher
Leave it all behind
So baby dry your eyes
Save all the tears you've cried
Oh, that's what dreams are made of'
Cause we belong in a world that must be strong
Oh, that's what dreams are made of

Yeah, we'll get higher and higherS
traight up we'll climb
Higher and higher
Leave it all behind
Oh, we'll get higher and higher
Who knows what we'll find?
So baby dry your eyes
Save all the tears you've cried
Oh, that's what dreams are made of

Oh baby, we belong in a world that must be strong
Oh, that's what dreams are made of
And in the end on dreams we will depend
'Cause that's what love is made of"

Touch em all

So after two consecutive rainouts to start the season, my company's softball team will take the field tonight. Of course it is over 90 degrees out today and basically taken 10 swings all spring. But nuthing like getting into game shape in an actual game. So today's song is "Centerfield" by John Fogerty.

"Well, beat the drum and hold the phone
- the sun came out today!
We’re born again, there’s new grass on the field.
A-roundin’ third, and headed for home,
it’s a brown-eyed handsome man;
Anyone can understand the way I feel.

Oh, put me in, coach - I’m ready to play today;
Put me in, coach - I’m ready to play today;
Look at me, I can be centerfield.

Well, I spent some time in the mudville nine,
watchin’ it from the bench;
You know I took some lumps when the mighty casey struck out.
So say hey willie, tell ty cobb and joe dimaggio;
Don’t say "it ain’t so", you know the time is now.

Oh, put me in, coach - I’m ready to play today;
Put me in, coach - I’m ready to play today;
Look at me, I can be centerfield.
Yeah! I got it, I got it!

Got a beat-up glove, a homemade bat,
and brand-new pair of shoes;
You know I think it’s time to give this game a ride.
Just to hit the ball and touch ’em all -
a moment in the sun;
(pop) it’s gone and you can tell that one goodbye!

Oh, put me in, coach - I’m ready to play today;
Put me in, coach - I’m ready to play today;
Look at me, I can be centerfield.

Oh, put me in, coach - I’m ready to play today;
Put me in, coach - I’m ready to play today;
Look at me, I can be centerfield.

Yeah!"

Spring is in the air

Well, this weekend it will feel more like summer. Expected temperatures are around 90 degrees. It's not even May yet, let alone June. But for me, it means sunblock and a hat. No need for any moles to come back. I did go to the dermatologist this weekend and they offered a free skin cancer screening. So I figured what the hell, and took it. Thankfully, I am clean. No small feat considering the levels of sunburn I have had in my near 32 years. We're talking blisters, and basically resembling a resident of Hiroshima. But I learned my lesson. So in honor of the glorious day today, and expected perfection of the weekend, I am choosing "Sunshine," by Aerosmith. A newer song from the Beantown Boys, but like the rest of their newer stuff, it is overlooked.

"I sold my soul for a one night stand
I followed Alice into wonder land
I ate the mushroom and I dance with the queen
Yeah we dancing in between all the lines

I followed daylight right into the dark
Took to the hatter like a walk in the park
But then I met her yeah she felt so right
No child of the night yeah was she

They call her sunshine
The kind that everybody knows
Yeah yeah
Sunshine
She's finer than a painted rose
yeah yeah
Sunshine
Yeah

Her kind of love is what I adore
What kind of trouble am I in for
My kind of heaven lies in hells back door
And I got more than I need

Cause I need sunshine
The kind that everybody knows
Yeah yeah
My sunshine she's finer than a painted rose
Yeah yeah sunshine yeah

I got the karma but it don't come free
I chased that rabbit up her bodi tree
That caterpillar's tryin to cop a plea
But the smoke ain't got nothing on me

I got to have my sunshine
The kind that everybody knows
Yeah yeah
My Sunshine
She's finer than a painted rose
Sunshine the kind that everybody knows

My sunshine she's finer than a painted rose
yeah yeah
Sunshine
Sunshine yeah"

Reminiscing

So I was on the phone with a prospective author who may contribute to a book I am working on getting off the ground. It would focus on Stadium and venue design since my company is very good in that realm. I have had this idea in my head for a little while and to finally see it start to gain some momentum is very gratifying. But the gentleman I was talking to today got me reminiscing. No, I am not using "Reminiscing" by the Little River Band as my song of the day. The guy I was talking to was calling from London. And it got me thinking about my trip across the pond 2 years ago. I remember being so dead from the overnight flight to gatwick, but not caring. The city energized me completely and it was fun to just grab a map and explore on my own. So today, I am using one of my favorite songs, "Werewolves of London," as my song of the day by Warren Zevon.

"I saw a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand

Walking through the streets of Soho in the rain

He was looking for a place called Lee Ho Fook's

Going to get himself a big dish of beef chow mein

Werewolves of London

If you hear him howling around your kitchen door

Better not let him in

Little old lady got mutilated late last night

Werewolves of London again

Werewolves of London

He's the hairy-handed gent who ran amuck in Kent

Lately he's been overheard in Mayfair

Better stay away from him

He'll rip your lungs out, Jim

I'd like to meet his tailor

Werewolves of London

Well, I saw Lon Chaney walking with the Queen

Doing the werewolves of London

I saw Lon Chaney, Jr. walking with the Queen

Doing the werewolves of london

I saw a werewolf drinking a pina colada at Trader Vic's

His hair was perfect

Werewolves of London

Draw blood"

Here are some pics:

Yes, my name is Jeff and I am a disco addict

Last night, was "Disco Night" on American Idol. So after my admission of being a disco addict, I guess I should admit that I am an Idol watcher as well. So watching the disco songs, some good, some bad, it did bring back a lot of memories. Going to school in Boston and then living there for 7 years after school was fun. And the place I had the best time was Polly Esthers down by the Garden. If I had back all the money I dropped in that place, I'd be a rich man. I wish I had some pictures of me there. But then somebody had to go and murder the manager of the place and it was shut down for a long time. It reopened as the Dance Plex. But it was never the same. I now think it is a Coyote Ugly actually. So in honor of Polly Esther's and Disco Night on Idol. I am going to use a disco song as my song of the day. But what to choose? I thought of using "Born to Be Alive," by Patrick Hernandez. A great, lesser known disco anthem. But in the process of remembering my times there at PE's, I remembered bringing in my Definitive Disco Compilation for the DJ, so he could play one song. And that song is, "Everlasting Love" by Carl Carlton. Not the horrendous Gloria Estefan rendition, or the passable U2 edition. Here we go, get the disco ball rollin:

"Hearts go astray

Leaving hurt when they go

I went away

Just when you needed me so

Filled with regret

I come back begging you

Forgive, forget

Where's the love we once knew

Open up your eyes

Then you'll realize

Here I stand with my

Everlasting Love

Need you by my side

Girl to be my bride

You'll never be denied

Everlasting Love

From the very start

Open up your heart

Be a lasting part of

Everlasting Love

Where life's river flows

No-one really knows

'Till someone's there to

Show the way to

Everlasting Love

Like the sun it shines

Endlessly it shines

You always will be mine

It's eternal love

Whenever loves are gone

Ours will be strong

We'd have our very own

Everlasting Love

Open up your eyes

Then you'll realize

Here I stand with my

Everlasting Love

Need you by my side

Girl to be my bride

You'll never be denied

Everlasting Love"

Doing it all for my babies

There is nothing in my life that brings me more joy than my two kids. Becoming a dad is a daunting task. They say that anyone can be a father, but not everyone can be a dad. Now I know what that means. It means that anyone can biologically produce a baby, but it takes a real man to be a dad and love and care for your children unconditionally. My experiences as a dad have had a profound effect on me. There is nothing I wouldn't do for them. I'd starve so they could eat, I'd take a bullet so they could live. So today's song goes out to my two lovely children. It's a song called "Kama" by the Sammy Hagar.

"Today, love takes on a whole new meaning

In a face, I know I've seen somewhere before

Somehow, the mystery is over

Yet, just begun

To see the most perfect thing

Together, we've ever done

So what do we call this miracle we've made

And how can I find one word to say it

When all I'm feeling, here and now, is love

So that will always be you

Kama

Today, I just wrote a song about you

The words, they flow just like the air I breathe

The closest I've ever been

To truly understanding

The closest we'll ever be

To the meaning of life so sacred

So what do we call this miracle we've made

And how can I find one word to say it

When all I'm feeling, here and now, is love

So that will always be you

Kama

And every language has a word

But the meaning is always the same

Love is all you've got, to start out in the world

And love is all that remains

Oh yeah

So what do we call this miracle we've made

And how can I find one word to say it

When all I'm feeling, here and now, is love

So that will always be you

Kama"

Whatever happened to????

So I was driving to work today and playing music on my phone, windows down because it is finally warm and "Kiss Me I'm Shitfaced" by the Dropkick Murphy's comes on. I got it blasting and then it occurred to me. The kids aren't in the car, so I can turn it up even louder, and well, I can actually listen to it. And it made me think, remember the day when I could play whatever music I wanted to at home? Like when I was a teenager and blasted Aerosmith, Van Halen, or even during my rap phase (what can you say, I grew up near Detroit!). Well, nowadays I find myself singing the Backyardigans or Little Einsteins songs. Or any of the songs they play on Noggin. Yes, I know that you're going to say, "Wait, your daughter laughed for the first time to Eminem, you blogged about it." And yes that is true, but she is also in the repeating phase now and though has yet to drop an F-bomb yet, she has said crap a few times. So today, in honor of my little munchkins and in mourning of my own stereo that no longer blasts rock and roll. I am choosing "Willy Was a Whale" by somebody named Justin Roberts (thank you internet) as my song of the day. And I even have the video for you.

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

"Willy was a whale and he walked on the water
And he tried to be wough and he tried to be tough
But Willy wasn’t weally wough he wasn’t wough at all
He was a willy white whale and he walked on the water, oh yeah
One day Willy went a walking on the water
Well he wasn’t weally walking, yes he was, yes he was
He went walking all the way down to Weno, Nevada
And he walked into the desert and that’s where he sat-a
Then he watched, then he waited, then he wondered, then he was

CHORUS
Willy why you want to walk awound Nevada
Well he wasn’t weally walking, yes he was, yes he was
And Willy why you want to wive all awone in the desert
When Willy the fact is you’re a whale not a cactus

Willy why you want to waste away in Weno, Nevada
When all your underwater friends are wondering where you’re at-a
Then he watched, then he waited, then he wondered, then he was
CHORUS

The underwater singers:
Ooo, wah, wah, ooo, wah wah
Ooo, wah, wah, ooo, wah wah
The underwater singers feeling kinda silly
Didn’t want to dilly dally sang to willy wally
And willy heard a sound, so willy stepped out
And he dove on in, and he swam on out
And he swam all night to the bottom of the sea
And that’s where willy sang
Once I was a whale and I walked on the water
And I tried to be wough and I tried to be tough
But Willy wasn’t weally wough he wasn’t wough at all
He was a willy white whale and he walked on the water, oh yeah"

Bowing to the sports god's for a dose of Humble Pie

There comes a time where you get humbled so badly, that you take a step back, and just eat your slice of humble pie. This happened to me in the worst way over the weekend.

My alma mater, the Boston University Terriers were playing for the National Championship in hockey. And anyone who knows me knows that any sport would be better, if it was hockey. But I digress. So I broke out my home white BU jersey, put it on the entire day and by the time I had the chance to sit down in front of the TV, a family member HDTV no less, the game was about 10 minutes in. Score, 0-0, hadn't missed much. I sat there in awe of the HD glory and beer in hand, started reliving my college years. BU goes up 1-0, feeling good. Miami of Ohio ties it up, still confident. Third period starts tied 1-1, beginning to get antsy. Dinner is being served, screw it, I'm watching the game. Miami scores. With 3 minutes remaining they score again. Damn, they blew it. The TV goes off. Is there any food left? Here is where the gods threw me on the ground and stomped on my groin, but I didn't know it till the next day when a text comes in from a college buddy. I run back to the hotel and turn on ESPN for confirmation, because I still didn't believe it. One minute remaining. Scrum in front of the net, backhander to the short side, 3-2. Just 20 seconds left in the game. Cross ice pass, one timer. BEDLAM ON THE BEANTOWN BENCH. A miracle comeback. Then in overtime. Was there anyway they lose this game after a comeback like that? Of course not. Shot from the point. Defenseman goes to down to block it, hits him in the leg, pops in the air over the goalie and into the net. DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES? Ok, maybe it is not on par with the '80 Olympic team, after all, BU was the clear favorite. But two goals in the final minute??? As I sat down with my plate of food after everyone else was finished, I distinctly said, "It'll take a miracle for them to come back. The game's over." And I witnessed the miracle a day later from a text, to the score on the ESPN crawl, to highlights. Thank you sports gods for my taste of humble pie. SO in honor of my beloved Terriers, I am choosing "Atomic Dog" as my song of the day.

"Bow-wow-yippie-yo-yippie-yeah

Bow-wow-wow-yippie-yo-yippie-yeah

Bow-wow-yippie-yo-yippie-yeah

Just walkin' the dog

Oh, atomic dog

Futuristic bow-wow

Ruff

Leader of the pack

Wild dog

Why must I feel like that

Why must I chase the cat

Just the dog in me

Nothin' but the dog in me"

The true sense of the economic crisis

The downturn hit Bo and Luke hard!

"Just two good old boys, never meanin' no harm....

Beats all you never saw, been in trouble with the law

Since the day they was born.

Straightenin' the curves, flattenin' the hills....

Someday the mountain might get 'em but the law never will.

Makin' their way, the only way they know how...

That's just a little bit more than the law will allow.

Just two good ol' boys, wouldn't change if they could,

Fightin' the system like two modern-day Robin Hoods..."

My ode to narcotics

Finally, the Jeff has come BACK, to blogging.

A week, and several medications later, I am back and up and running at the office. Also with a three day, excruciating detour to New York City in between. Let's just say, it was a tough recovery process. Let's start at the beginning. Last Wednesday morning I head into the dentist's office, sit down, and immediately hear the recovery process for another patient who was about to leave. Next thing I know I am whisked into the back and am fed laughing gas right away. Didn't seem to do much for me until they started to put the IV in and I started to crack a joke about driving in Boston. Who knows why but check out the bruise the IV gave me and this is 8 days after.

Next thing I know, I am super groggy and in a ton of pain. Wait, is it over, dear God tell me it's over. I have a whacky ice pack contraption wrapped around my head, sorry, no picture of that, that I know of! And I am out the door. Took no more than an hour and a half. I informed my wife she was driving too fast on the way home and she enlightened me that we were sitting at a red light. Good times. Spent the next few days whacked out on Super Percocet. Stronger than what they give C-section patients. Next thing I know, it's the weekend and I am still not feeling well. Called the doctor and the doctor said, no more monkey's jumping on my head. Not exactly, but they did give me a clove paste to inject into the gaping holes in my gums which started to help and gave me a prescription for my new best friend Mr. Vicodin.

Monday roles along and I had to drive to Manhattan for the Publishing Business Expo and Conference. Of course the hotel couldn't get my companies credit card to work and check in took two hours. But I did have this fabulous view from my hotel room:

The conference was interesting and thanks to Mr. Vicodin again, and the clove paste, I was able to survive and do my job. So today, I am choosing "Sweet Pain" by Blues Traveler as my song of the day. Because with my drugs the pain became somewhat sweet and tingly, at least part of time.

"Can you feel what I feel?

So we can establish that the pain is real

Don't be afraid and I'll do the same for you

And we'll just hang on and we'll make it, make it through

There's got to be a reason it works out this way

And there's something deep inside me

That makes me have to play

For you

For you

In no position to give advice

My heart it spoke and I wrote it down

And you know every wisdom has its price

My head up in the stars

And my feet planted firmly on the ground

When will I embrace this life I see?

I've been wondering for so long

Thinking back, the truth may be

I've been unaware but I've been living it all along

And it didn't cost a dime

And it did not come for free

It just would not let me be

But it never conquered me

Just a doorway and a key

And I think that we both agree

Sweet pain

Is sometimes what you need

Sweet pain

It allows the blood to bleed

Sweet pain

From the moment of your birth

Sweet pain

You know it keeps you here on Earth"

Ode to Steve Martin

Ok, so today will be the last post for a while as tomorrow I am going to have all my wisdom teeth out. Not looking forward to it as I have gotten so many opinions on how it will feel afterward. From "You'll be fine," to "It's excruciating," to "At least you'll have good drugs." Well, I do know the last one is true as the prescription for Percocet is already in my possession. So today I am going with the Little Shop of Horrors classic, "Dentist"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOtMizMQ6oM

[ORIN]
When I was younger, just a bad little kid
My mama noticed funny things I did
Like shooting puppies with a B.B. gun
I'd poison guppies and when I was done
I'd find a pussycat and bash in its head
That's when my mama said

[CRYSTAL, RONETTE, CHIFFON]
What did she say?

[ORIN]
She said, "My boy, I think someday
You'll find a way to make your natural tendencies pay
You'll be a dentist

You have a talent for causing things pain
Son, be a dentist
People will pay you to be inhumane
Your temperament's wrong for the priesthood
And teaching would suit you still less
Son, be a dentist
You'll be a success

Let's hope my Doctor is a little bit better than Mr. Martin. Wish me luck.

What kind of parent am I???

I'll never forget it. It was August of 2006, right around my birthday. Driving down to the Jersey shore. My daughter was only 2 and half months old. We pulled off into a McDonald's to change her diaper. I have her on the drivers side seat and who but Eminem comes on the mix CD playing. Not the nicest song, but it had a good beat. Lyrics? Hell, I wouldn't play the song in front of her now, but back then it didn't matter. So I am changing her diaper and Marshall is rapping about chicks and hos and all kinds of unmentionable things. What does Avery do?? She starts cracking up. Yes, my daughter laughed for the first time to f-bombs and sexually explicit lyrics. What does this all have to do with today? Well, I am choosing to use Eminem's probable masterpiece of a song, "Lose Yourself." Let me make a quick tangent here, 8 Mile, the road, not the movie. I know it well. I grew up right off what should have been named 3 Mile Road, instead it was Joy Road. I played golf on 8 Mile Road far, far down from the slums of the movie. But the movie itself, was surprisingly good. I mean Eminem did a respectable job acting. Maybe it was just Curtis Hanson's direction, but the movie is worth seeing and should definitely not be dismissed. But now to the song:

"Snap back to reality,
Oh there goes gravity
Oh, there goes Rabbit, he choked
He's so mad, but he won't give up that Easy, no
He won't have it , he knows his whole back's to these ropes
It don't matter, he's dope
He knows that, but he's broke
He's so stagnant that he knows
When he goes back to his mobile home,
that's when it's Back to the lab again yo
This this whole rhapsody
He better go capture this moment and hope it don't pass him

You better lose yourself in the music,
the moment You own it, you better never let it go
You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow
This opportunity comes once in a lifetime yo "

This song is really an inspirational song that speaks to me. It's all about taking control of your life and seizing the day. Not to go all "Dead Poet's Society" on you, but that is what I really need to change in my life. Hopefully I have started taking those steps with entering this screenwriting contest next month and entering the 48 Hour Film Project as well. In the past, I was too afraid to go after the things I wanted, I just let them pass, figured I wasn't good enough or worthy of these things. It is ok to fail at things, but you have to keep trying. Here's to trying to reach your dreams, again and again, until you make it happen.

Deep Cuts

So next week, I am going under the knife again, with four wisdom teeth being extracted. Not exactly a fun time, but hey, at least I'll get good drugs. So today, I am quoting Cat Stevens, not Rod Stewart, or the horrendous Sheryl Crow version of "The First Cut is the Deepest"

"I would have given you all of my heart
but there's someone who's torn it apart
and she's taken almost all that I've got
but if you want, I'll try to love again
baby I'll try to love again but I know

The first cut is the deepest, baby I know
The first cut is the deepest

'cause when it comes to being lucky she's cursed
when it comes to lovin' me she's worst
but when it comes to being loved she's first
that's how I know

The first cut is the deepest, baby I know
The first cut is the deepest

I still want you by my side
just to help me dry the tears that I've cried
cause I'm sure gonna give you a try
and if you want, I'll try to love again
but baby, I'll try to love again, but I know

The first cut is the deepest, baby I know
The first cut is the deepest

'Cause when it comes to being lucky she's cursed
when it comes to lovin' me she's worst
but when it comes to being loved she's first
that's how I know

The first cut is the deepest, baby I know
The first cut is the deepest"

Where's my island?

So I am a full fledged LOST geek. I love the show and have since it debuted on television. Definitely one of the most intelligent and articulate shows ever created. But it isn't on tonight for some reason. So I am going back in time, much like the Losties, and bringing the J Geil's Band out of retirement with their classic, "Musta Got Lost."

"Never thought about tomorrow
Seemed like a long time to come
How could I be so blind, baby?
Not to see you were the one

I let you slip on from me, honey
I let you walk on by
I refused the love you had for me
I refused the love and let it die

I must of got lost, I must of got lost
I must of got lost somewhere down the line
I must of got lost, I must of got lost
Give away the days you're mine

Love can be a sweet thing
I just don't understand
I made a game of lovin' you
And now I hold the losing hand

So I must of got lost, I must of got lost
I must of got lost somewhere down the line
I must of got lost, I must of got lost
Give away the day that you were mine

I just can't understand it
I just can't understand it
I just don't understand it

And I must of got lost, I must of got lost
I must of got lost somewhere down the line
I must of got lost, I must of got lost
To give away the day you were mine

I must of got lost, I must of got lost
I must of got lost somewhere down the line
I must of got lost, I must of got lost
Give away the day, you were mine, oh yeah

Well, I must of got lost, I must of got lost
I must of got lost somewhere down the line"


So I may have chosen this song because of my favorite TV show, but it definitely applies to my life right now. I got lost from myself and now I am trying to find my way again. I am not a cardplayer, but right now I am definitely holding a losing hand. But as they said in Good Will Hunting, "You gotta have the sack to ante up again." I'm ready to be dealt a new hand.

Under the knife

So anyone who knows me knows that I am about the whitest person on the planet. And as such, if I make it out into the sunlight, I turn as red as a tomato. Through the years I have been burned, blistered, and beaten up by the sun. And over time, I had some moles form on my back that were becoming larger and more annoying by the day. So today, I finally went and had them removed by my doctor. So my song for today will be the classic 80's track, "Cuts Like a Knife" by Bryan Adams for the three moles that were removed. Speaking of Mr. Adams, what was the last hit song he released. I mean, are we talking "Everything I do, I do it for you?" The guy was a hit machine and then just died. I think we need to come up with a new classification of artist. He definitely wasn't a One-Hit Wonder, but he just fizzled out completely. Maybe we should just call artists like this, "The Fizzlers." Anyway, here are the lyrics to the song.

"Drivin home this evening
I coulda sworn we had it all worked out
You had this boy believin
Way beyond the shadow of a doubt

Then I heard it on the street
I heard you mighta found somebody new
Well who is he baby - who is he
And tell me what he means to you

I took it all for granted
But how was I to know
That youd be letting go

Now it cuts like a knife
But it feels so right
It cuts like a knife
But it feels so right

Theres times Ive bin mistaken
Theres times I thought Id bin misunderstood
So wait a minute darlin
Cant you see we did the best we could

This wouldnt be the first time
Things have gone astray
Now youve thrown it all away

Now it cuts like a knife
But it feels so right
It cuts like a knife
But it feels so right"

And ideas for other "Fizzler's" out there???? Yes, I am trolling for some comments.

The power of music

So I am still feeling like crapola today and decided to take a "Work from home" sick day that actually doesn't use one of my sick days. But I did venture out to my local pizza joint for some lunch, and while I was there a song was playing. A song that will forever be linked in my mind and the minds of many to a single movie. The song is "Tiny Dancer" by Elton John and that movie is Almost Famous. For those uneducated folk who have never seen this film, you are definitely missing out. But the scene takes place after a huge fight within the band and the "Charismatic Guitarist with mystique" runs off and gets totally wasted on booze and drugs. Needless to say, the band finds him and puts him back on the tour bus. Nobody wants to talk about the fight or discuss anything that was said. But the power of song, and particularly Elton's crooning in this melody, brings them all back together.

So why is this so prevalent in my mind? Well, I signed up for a screenwriting competition yesterday, and I am forming a team to compete in the Philadelphia 48 Hour Film Project, and maybe, just maybe, I'll get back to working on my screenplay.

"Hold me closer tiny dancer!"

Feelin

So I am officially under the weather. I have a sinus cold going on probably from the up and down weather we had. 20 degrees, then 60 degrees, then 6 inches of snow, and 0 degree wind chills. And for the fact that talking to my mother the other day, I mentioned that I hadn't been sick in a long time. Next day it starts. Fate is a fickle bitch. So today I am using a little known Van Halen, or Van Hagar song if you will, called "Feelin":

"Outta touch most the time
Got a lotta things on my mind
Kickin' down, but where to start
It's the hardest thing, oh Lord
Grow it long, shave it off
Life is hard, never soft
I need a change, I need it quick
Before it makes me sick
That's what's on my mind
(Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
Now pay attention, watch your back
Pay your dues and stay on track
Got no room to second guess
Puts me under stress, oh Lord
(Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
If I were you, if you were me
Wonder who I'd wanna be
With just one wish ya can't refuse
I wouldn't know what to choose
Yeah! Feelin'
No I don't like what I been told
I'm feelin'
Feelin', what no one else will ever know
I'm feelin'
Ohh, now! Black is white and white is black, ah!
Got politicians smokin' crack
And John Paul's all bullet proof
And it puts me through the roof, and yeah!
If I were you, and you were me
I wonder who I'd rather be
And if I had one wish I, uh, I'd take it
Feelin', oh I don't like what I been told
I'm feelin'
And I'm seein' what no one else will ever know
I'm seein'
Come on! Feelin', hey I don't understand these things
I'm feelin'
Nooo!
Yeah!
(Guitar Solo)
Yeah!
Oh, yeah!
Oh, yeah!
Uh!
Outta touch most all the time
Got too many things on my mind
Shuttin' down, I gotta stop this thing
Yeah! Feelin', no I don't like what I been told
I'm feelin'
And I'm bleedin', like no one else will ever know
I'm bleedin'
Whoa! Dealin', I'm dealin' with these things
I'm feelin'
Oh, I'm dreamin', I'm dreamin', I'm dreamin' things that show me
What I'm seein'
Yeah! Seein', I'm seein' things that don't know
What I'm feelin', yeah
Lord, I've been feelin', I'm feelin', I'm feelin' things thatI don't, I don't know, I don't know!
Lord, what I'm seein'"


Yeah, this song really does it all for me right now. Feeling sick, feeling lost, don't know what I'm dreamin' of. "Shuttin down I gotta stop this thing!"

Cool as ice

Ok, I am going there. I am using "Ice, Ice, Baby" by the one and only Vanilla man today. There are a lot of reasons to use it. The NHL Trading Deadline being tomorrow. The fact that it was so slick driving to work this morning that it took me twice as long to get here. That my laptop screen died on me yesterday and I wanted to throw my computer out into the storm. But mainly, I am using this classic schlock of a song because I took my daughter ice skating for the first time this weekend.

Now the thing you have to know about my little girl, is that she is not so little. She's in 5T clothes and isn't even 3 yet. And well, she kind of has some chubby feet. I wanted to have her in hockey skates, but they didn't have small enough skates that would still support her ankles. I put her in figure skates and had to move up three sizes just to get her piggies into the boot properly. Needless to say, it took forever and we only got around the ice a couple times. Sidney Crosby she is definitely not, but hopefully I can have her back on the ice soon.

In honor of my week

So the past three days were spent in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. My family decided to do one of those come look at our timeshare property and get a mini vacation out of it dirt cheap. We even found the trip on Great Mini Vacation.com. We had a nice time.

We took my daughter tubing at Shawnee Mountain, which she loved. Her constant request after every run was a resounding, "AGAIN!!!" It wasn't until later in the session that I realized I had to be sitting in front for us to stay facing forward the entire way down the track. Because let's face it, I weigh a helluva lot more than my 2 1/2 yeard old daughter.

Here is a quick video of one of our runs down the hill

And we took her to a fun little tourist trap called Crystal Cabin Fever. Just imagine a giant barn in the middle of February with refrigeration units running to keep the whole place even colder than it was outside. There were ice sculptures, and a cabin made out of ice. But the highlight was a 50 foot ice slide. You can guess where my daughter spent most of her time.

Though I must say, the highlight of my trip was the little climb I took to the top of a waterfall right behind the place where we had our timeshare presentation.

It may have only been like 30-40 feet tall, but still it was fun to no end. I wish my family had done more outdoorsy type things when I was growing up. Thankfully, I won't make that same mistake with my kids. I felt alive climbing to the top of that waterfall. Unfortunately, my ultimate destination in the Pocono's was closed for the season. But Bushkill Falls will be on my travel destination list this year. If only to tell them that they have it backwards there. Sorry, couldn't help but take a shot at our former Commander-in-Chief.

So in honor of my trip to the Pocono's, I am choosing one of my favorite songs of all time, "The Mountains Win Again," by Blues Traveler.

"I pick up my smile put it in my pocket

Hold it for a while try not to have to drop it

Men are not to cry so how am I to stop it

Keep it all inside

don't show how much she rocked ya-

Chorus:Ooh can you feel the same

Ooh you gotta love the pain

Ooh it looks like rain again

Ooh I feel it comin' in

The mountains win again"

Those of you who have read any of my posts know that this song is near and dear to the topics I have been writing about recently. But I guess I can expand on it yet again. The line about taking a smile and putting it in your pocket hits home for me. I lost track of the things that made me happy and just plain stopped doing them. And that is not right.

"A pocket is no place for a smile anyway

Someday I will find love again will my mind

Maybe it will be that love that got away from me

Is there a line to write that could make you cry tonight"

Nah, it's totally different see

I have tried and tried and tried to find the interview. I have seen people online writing comments about it, but I just can't seem to find the interview itself but it is proving elusive. But basically it was Vanilla Ice trying to prove he isn't a plagiarist. Here's my own dramatic recreation of the "Iceman's" brilliance.

"See, their song goes `dun dun dun da dadun dun, dun dun dun da dadun dun.' My song goes, `dun dun dun da dadun dun, dada, dun dun dun da dadun dun.' See, it's totally different."

One of the highest of high comedy moments. But today I am not choosing "Ice Ice Baby" as my song of the day, but the original classic by Bowie and Queen, "Under Pressure."

"Pressure pushing down on me
Pressing down on you no man ask for"

Talk about pressure, I don't know if I have ever lived without it? Maybe in Cancun on spring break where the only thing I worried about was drinking and having fun was there zero pressure in my life. Pressure leads to stress, and stress leads to death so I have made the decision to try and let it all go.

"Insanity laughs under pressure we're cracking
Can't we give ourselves one more chance
Why can't we give love that one more chance
Why can't we give love give love give love give love
give love give love give love give love give love
'Cause love's such an old fashioned word
And love dares you to care for
The people on the edge of the night
And loves dares you to change our way of
Caring about ourselves
This is our last dance
This is our last dance
This is ourselves
Under pressure
Under pressure
Pressure"

Maybe one of the greatest endings to a song ever. And the day you get your bonus and tax return on the same day, relieves a lot of pressure!

Hello Universe

I truly love, love, love, having the universe speak to me. I was trying to figure out what I would use as a song today, and I was struggling. I couldn't think of anything to write about. Then, as I went to my neighborhood Giant, a grocery store for the uneducated readers out there, it hit me like a ton of bricks. I opened my door to walk in to get batteries for my son's swing, and yogurt and frozen fruit for breakfast shakes (the new craze in my house), and the wind grabbed hold on my door and tried to slam it into the "Mommy Missile" minivan parked next to me. So I am choosing "Wind of Change" by the Scorpions as I am hoping for massive change in my life.

"Walking down the street
Distant memories
Are buried in the past forever"

This is my ultimate goal right now. To turn the page on the past, and remove the bad memories and guilt forever. Learn my lessons and cast the pain aside. Focus on the good memories, the laughter, the conversations with the universe, and move forward to a future unhindered by any ghost. I feel incomplete right now, but I am learning that it is ok. Because it is that feeling that catapults you into the world, to experience life and truly live.

"The world is closing in
Did you ever think
That we could be so close, like brothers
The future's in the air
I can feel it everywhere
Blowing with the wind of change

Once you cast aside the past, take everything you can from it, then you have limitless possibilities. You become open to the world and the future is in the air. I can sense my future again, and it is a great feeling. Especially that it is my own, and not confined or constrained by anyone anymore. Everything that comes from now, will come from my decisions and choices.

Take me to the magic of the moment
On a glory night
Where the children of tomorrow share their dreams
With you and me
Take me to the magic of the moment
On a glory night
Where the children of tomorrow dream away
in the wind of change
The wind of change
Blows straight into the face of time
Like a stormwind that will ring the freedom bell
For peace of mind
Let your balalaika sing
What my guitar wants to say

To me the "Wind of Change" is really the breath of the Universe, constantly blowing, but asking you to live in the now. To be content that the future lies ahead of you but to cherish every moment and not let it slip away. So thank you Universe, I hear you, I am doing my best to listen, and I appreciate your messages every single day.

Healing

When I started this, I always wondered what artist would be the first to get a second song. I really never thought that it would be the "Red Rocker" Sammy Hagar. Today's song, "Amnesty is Granted"

"Love's an hourglass
Goes out wide, comes in closer
Time ticks away, it drips away
Leaving empty, sanded shoulders
But who said that love would last forever
I'm growing tired of feeling like I do
All those simple little secrets
Have come between us
And they're pushing me away
And I feel comfort in the distance

And you said that love would last forever
I'm growing tired of feeling like I do
Oh yeah
And there's a time, there's a place
A change of heart, about face
It's about love, it's about forgiveness
It's about our destiny
Tell me now, tell me like it is
No one has to give
Amnesty is granted
And what's done is done for everyone
Come on baby I want to start again
Right now
Amnesty is granted

This song I am dedicating to myself. It's time to forgive myself for the mistakes I have made and focus on the things that make me happy. Taking care of myself will allow me to make sure my kids are happy and healthy. I am hoping to keep in a space where I can focus on me and evolve into the person I was inside all the time. No more garbage will be internalized. I am granting myself Amnesty.

Everyone's theme song today!

50 Years ago today, a great tragedy occurred in the world of music, immortalized by the Don McLean classic "American Pie."

"But february made me shiver
With every paper I'd deliver.
Bad news on the doorstep;
I couldn't take one more step.
I can't remember if I cried
When I read about his widowed bride,
But something touched me deep inside
The day the music died."

The deaths of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper were unprecedented. If such an event were to happen today, what would be the equivalent? Justin Timberlake, Miley Cyrus, and Garth Brooks? I don't know. What I do know is that the original plane crash robbed the world of music of three terrific talents that still have many fans today. But what is the song truly about? A quick search of Wikipedia leads to no answers really, even from McLean himself. So I will offer my own interpretation. I feel it is about the loss of innocence. Rock Stars and Movie Stars appear larger than life to us simple folk, but they are not immune to tragedy. And if three celebrities like this could die so suddenly, then our own mortality is heightened. In a song filled with wide open lyrics, this verse illustrates this point the best.

"And in the streets: the children screamed,
The lovers cried, and the poets dreamed.
But not a word was spoken;
The church bells all were broken.
And the three men I admire most:
The father, son, and the holy ghost,
They caught the last train for the coast
The day the music died."

Searching

I don't know how prepared I am to talk about the events of the past few weeks. So I am going to talk in abstract with my song. 80's idols Duran Duran made a comback with an opus called "Ordinary World" that the more I look at the lyrics, the more it resonates with me.

"Passion or coincidence
once prompted you to say
"Pride will tear us both apart."
Well now pride's gone out the window
cross the rooftops run away
left me in the vacuum of my heart

What is happening to me?
Crazy, some'd say
Where is my friend when I need you most?
Gone away

But I won't cry for yesterday
there's an ordinary world
somehow I have to find
and as I try to make my way
to the ordinary world
I will learn to survive"

To me, this song is about perseverence. Taking what life has thrown at you, and just dealing with it. Don't look back at the mistakes you have made, or live in the past for any reason. There is a normal life out there for you, and you have to keep moving forward to it. And the lessons you learn on that Journey are how you learn to survive what the future holds.

Reaching for the sky

The past few months have been difficult for me to say the least. Struggling with the economy, wondering about my job security, and the dangers of both affecting my family. I have felt beaten down and dragged through the mud. But I think I have turned a corner, I made a vow to bring about change and it feels so good to be back in control of my destiny, instead of letting destiny control me. So for today, I am choosing Eagles Fly by Sammy Hagar as my song of the day.

" Now I'm alive, I can breathe the air
feel the wind, smell the Earth in the air.
I watch an eagle rise above the trees,
project myself into what he sees.

Hey, take me away
Come on and fly me away,
Take me up so high
Where eagles fly"

It is a great feeling to cast aside the fears and doubts that you have and just live. Trust in yourself and your power to get where you want to go. My childhood was marred by both fear and doubt and it really held me back. This pattern followed me into adulthood, but no more. I am taking control of my universe back. That way, sink or swim, it is on me, and no regrets!

"I often dream I sail through the sky
I've always wished I could fly.
The simple life of a bird on a wing
Oh Lord, I can sing."

It's time for me to sing again....

Gettin Spiritual On You

For today, I'd like to talk about spirituality a bit. Now I am not an overly religious man, but I do believe in a higher power. I just don't succumb to the dogmas of many organized religions. And for that, I am choosing "Bang a Drum" by Jon Bon Jovi today. A little known classic that resides on the excellent, Young Guns 2 soundtrack. Now most people know "Blaze of Glory" which was a smash hit, but many of the other songs on the album are much larger in depth and meaning. From "Santa Fe" (my personal favorite on the album), to "Miracle" and "Dyin Ain't Much of a Living," good ol JBJ really hits on some true human dilemnas. So how does this apply to spirituality you ask? Well with the opening verse of the song:

"I went to the see the preacher,
to teach me how to pray.
He looked at me and smiled
and that preacher turned away.
He said, `If you wanna tell me something,
you ain't gotta fold your hands.
Just say it with your heart, your soul and believe it,
and I'll say Amen!'

This completely describes my take on religion. In my world, god is all around me, and if I need to rap with the all mighty, I don't need to go to a specific bulding to do it. Come on, he's god, don't you think he has a cell phone? Why do we need a landline like a church to reach him? Maybe I am being too existential here. But indulge me, because I am going to go even more off the beaten path. Some people even believe that there is a gospel out there, written by noneother than JC himself. And in that gospel, he wanted his ministry set up in the same fashion as my belief structure. Now, if you buy into the conspiracy fully, the Vatican found this gospel long after the church was solidified as an institution and they refuse to release it to the public. And who can blame them? If Christians everywhere realized that Jesus himself didn't want to have a strict regimented religion, the whole foundation of the church would collapse. But for me, I'll stick with my hotline to heaven and as long as I say what I mean, and mean what I say, then we be cool!

Sorry by Buckcherry

This song could easily be the theme song to my life.

"I'm sorry I'm bad,
I'm sorry you're blue
I'm sorry about all the things I said to you
and I know,
I can't take it back"

Throughout my 31 years on this blue and green marble, I have always been a worrier. I would take on everyone I knew's issues and apologize for everything. I have been told saying sorry too much is a sign of weakness, but growing up, I didn't know better. It easily carried over into my adult life and is still prevalent to this day. But the problem with saying sorry all the time is that when you really mean it nobody will know.

So today, I am making a blanket apology to anyone I ever hurt or wronged in any way. I'd like to think I am a good person and any pain I may have caused you was unintentional. I'd also like to apologize to myself. For putting other peoples needs and desires ahead of my own far too often. It is an admirable quality to have but you have to know your own limitations and that is something I am working on.

"Every single day,
I think about how we came all this way
the sleepness nights and the tears you cried,
it's never too late to make it right."

Don't Stop Believin'

Those who know me probably were surprised it took me this long to get Journey on here, but hey, day 2 is not bad. This song is just a classic. To me, it is about dreams. Finding a dream and working toward it, believing in it, and never giving up on it. Dreams are all about hard work and achieving.

"Workin hard to get my fill,
everybody wants a thrill.
Payin anything to roll the dice
just one more time."

I have many dreams, some are within reach, and some are long term goals. But the point is never to give up, keep working toward them, even if it is baby steps at a time. There will be setbacks and obstacles, and people who will try to bring you down. But you need to keep moving forward. Because as they said in The Girl Next Door, "The juice is worth the squeeze."

Today's Theme Song, A Beautiful Day by U2

It is a beautiful day as President Obama begins four years of service. It was amazing to see the outporing of emotion from nearly 2 million people lining the mall for the Inaugauration yesterday. It seems like the passion of the 60's has returned. But this time, instead of being against the government, it is in hopes for the government. I'll be the first to say that he has a long and difficult road ahead and the naysayers are everywhere. But there is hope everywhere as well. Good luck Mr. President.