My Boring Little World

Dwight Yoakam Dwights Used Records Contemporary Country Music CD Review

2007-11-19T06:51:00.001-08:00

Not certain what's happening with me on this one, but it looks like the more than Iodine listen to it, the better Dwights Used Records gets. Dwights Used Records simply set is one of Dwight Yoakam's best CDs to date.

Dwights Used Records literally catches your attending right from the very beginning with Stop The World and doesn't allow travel until the very last short letter of the very last song I Said, which by the manner is another great track.

Contemporary Country music fans will acknowledge some of the well known subscribers on the undertaking including Gabe Witcher and Dave Roe plus a few other luminaries as well.

If you're a Dwight Yoakam fan this is a cadmium your aggregation level cannot be without. In fact, this is one of those CDs that you don't even have got to be a fan of Yoakam, or even Contemporary Country to cognize is good. It's just good music. Period.

While this full record album is really very good the truly standout melodies are path 1 - Stop The World, path 2 - Down Where The River Bends, and path 2 - Understand Your Man.

My Bonus Pick, and the 1 that got Sensitive [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is path 5 - Some Dark Holler. Great track!

Dwights Used Records Release Notes:

Dwight Yoakam originally released Dwights Used Records on June 29, 2004 on the Robert Koch Records label.

CD Path List Follows:

1. Stop The World (And Let Me Off)

2. Down Where The River Bends

3. Mercury Blues

4. Waiting

5. Some Dark Holler

6. If You Were Me

7. Little Chapel

8. Loco-Motion

9. Miner's Prayer

10. Understand Your Man

11. Wheels

12. I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide

13. Paradise

14. I Said (Paradise Reprise)

Personnel: Dwight Yoakam (vocals, guitar, percussion); Deana Carter, Heather Myles, Ralph Francis Edgar Stanley (vocals); Keith Gattis (electric guitar, barytone guitar); Michael Witcher (dobro); Gabe Witcher (mandolin, fiddle, background vocals); Jump Jonathan Edwards (piano, Rudolf Wurlitzer piano, percussion); Dave Roe (bass instrument, background vocals); Mitch Devil Dog (drums, percussion); Kay John Walker (background vocals); Nitty Farinaceous Soil Band.

President Colbert, Welcome!

2007-11-16T16:07:00.001-08:00

Stephen Colbert, the popular comic and host of Comedy Central's The Colbert Butter Butter Report announced his one-half serious purpose to go a campaigner for the Presidential elections of 2008. He filed in North Carolina, his native state and, amid the jocular remarks by an amused public and a lingua in cheek media, in the end had to withdraw.

But, what if he had been elected president of the United states?

President Colbert, Welcome!

Jan 2009 - It was warm this morning time when Sir Leslie Stephen Colbert Butter Butter was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States of America. The stairway of the Memorial were full of guests, as expected, and from a distance they appeared like a teeming mass as the 500 servers specially hired for the event, were busy serving hot chocolate, donuts, hot domestic dogs and an occasional Gin and Vodka to everyone in sight including guards, tourers and uniformed soldiers.

It had been an unbelievable ocean trip for the newly elected president and also for a state eager to set an end to a bad episode in its history. Few modern times in the history of our state people had rejoiced in such as intense manner, not upon electing a new president but having the departing one leave of absence the working capital the nighttime before. The corporate suspiration from 300 million Americans and about 5 billion world abroad, heard some years before when the election consequences were announced , National Aeronautics and Space Administration claimed, was felt in the full solar system and caused aeroplanes in flight to rectify their flight features as the turbulency caused by the suspiration resembled a monumental burp.

President Colbert Butter cut the ceremonial short. There was no luxuriant address by the new resident of the White Person House. A single phrase defined the reaching of a new epoch in political relation in our country. "Those who voted for me can have got another hot dog, same as those who didn't!" In that short phrase President Colbert Butter Butter had distilled an entirely new set of rules and a philosophical outlook; new and radical societal and political mentalities were born at that very moment.

Stephen Colbert had never ceased to astonish me and many others. Days before the startup I asked him about his political platform, his vision of the state and the major political and societal inquiries that demanded contiguous attention. You see, during his political campaign he had not devoted any clip to speak about what he planned to do; instead, he concentrated strangely on the Fundamental Law which he blamed for every thing incorrect in the country.

Not once did he oppugn or impeach any of the other candidates, nor asked them directly about anything. Not once did he turn to the issues that kept the full state wondering about the current and the adjacent crisis. Best of all he had no venom toward anyone; it was just supreme indifference to the other aspirant pols, justified by his celebrated sentence "this is not a confessional festival and I make not care about the sinfulnesses of others; I am happy with mine!"

Only once he deplored the sad and tragical end of the 43rd presidency. Only once he made a remark about it: "This have been a simple lawsuit of an onion being served as a truffle!"
Jokingly he used to state that he would be happy to larn of one single positive and good enactment that could be traced to the former disposal and he would inquire Jesse James Roger Fry to compose a book about it.

With a hot domestic dog in his manus he entered the Ellipse Office for the first time. Helium agreed to present for the traditional exposure and allowed the mass media a time period of two minutes, at the end of which he asked everyone in the business office to leave, except me.

He looked around approvingly, took off his necktie and jacket and sat down in presence of the presidential desk. I could not assist saying:

"Steve, this is a rare and cherished moment. State something"

He smiled at me with that familiar glistening look and replied:

"Do you believe I could acquire another hot dog?"

Celine Dion Taking Chances Tour

2007-11-13T18:56:00.001-08:00

Tickets for Celine Dion's Taking Chances circuit travel on sale Friday November 16. Come see a adult female that have risen from low beginnings to go a international superstar.

Blessed with one of popular music's great voices, Celine Dion have crossed all barriers. Migrating from a Gallic state in Canada she have even crossed over the barrier of linguistic communication - with her thrilling series of international hits. It would look like Celine would not have got clip in her agenda to give to anything but her music, with her breakneck gait of recording, picture shoots, touring and appearing on television shows and awardings specials. That is not the lawsuit when it come ups to an of import issues or causes.

Celine Dion will carve clip out of her agenda to back up the cause. This is apparent in how she have used her endowments to additional the cause of the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Being touched emotionally by the lose of her niece, Karine, who was taken by this disease, Celine released one of here most emotional songs ("Vole," from the 'D'eux' album, later translated into English Language as the song "Fly," which looks on the 'Falling Into You' album) as an commemoration to her niece.

Celine Dion's current undertaking D'elles is a conception undertaking that observes womanhood. Influential female writers wrote the words for the full 13 paths from French Republic and Quebec.

The Tracklist includes:

1. Et s'il n'en restait qu'une (je serais celle-là)

2. Immensité

3. A cause

4. Je cherche l'ombre

5. Les paradis

6. Lanthanum prima donna

7. Femme comme chacune

8. Systeme International D'Unites j'étais quelqu'un

9. Je neon suis pas celle

10. Lupus Erythematosus temporary workers qui compte

11. Lettre Delaware Saint George Sand à Aelfred Delaware Alfred De Musset

12. On s'est aimé à cause

13. Berceuse

Come hear these and many other hits during Celine's concert the "Taking Chances Tour".

Fear of Lakes, er, of Toe-Eating Monsters

2007-11-09T02:17:00.001-08:00

Years ago I went to Volcanic Crater Lake, in Oregon. This is the deepest lake in the United States and it rests at the underside of a volcano. The full clip Iodine was there, all I could believe was, "If I fall in, I won't ever acquire out, and if I make acquire out, I won't have got any toes." Not a very cheering idea as I stood looking over the edge. I wasn't afraid of falling in, but more than afraid of my toes being eaten off if I did autumn in. Please allow me explain.

This fearfulness started when I was a child swimming in a lagoon. I swam out to the center and this dense child swam over and said, "So, did you cognize there are things in here that volition catch your legs? Sometimes they just eat your toes off." Eat off my toes? Oh lordy, I got out of there quicker than a hurrying crayfish running from a boiling pot. I was so scared and truly freaked out. That is the minute my fearfulness was born, all thanks to the dense kid.

When I was a small older, I was playing in the ocean. Things seemed good until something got caught on my foot. I just knew it was one of the submerged creepy toe-eating things wanting some toes for lunch. If ever I have got walked on water, that was the time, people, that was the time. My friends might have got believed me about the submerged creepy thing grabbing me except for that piece of seaweed that had decided to lodge to my foot. Curses to seaweed.

Not too long ago, my children and I were at a lake and I was a nervous wreck. What if I drop in? What if I got pushed in? What if I stuck one toe in and whatever was under there grabbed it and took my toes? No manner was I going near the edge, much too unsafe even to believe about what might be lurking. My children were with me and it isn't cool to be made merriment of by 7 and 9 twelvemonth olds. It was existent cunning when they took off their place sticking just one small toe in the H2O saying, "Oh, no, mom, something spot off my toes." I am guessing they don't have got this fear. Cockamamie kids, what make they know?

I ski a batch during the wintertime and I have got to drive by a lake on the side of the freeway. I detest it. It is the creepiest lake I have got ever seen, well, besides Volcanic Crater Lake. It is little and filled with tree stumps. One of my friends said it is called Stump Lake. It isn't really, but he thought it was amusing to messiness with me and give it a chilling name. Hour Angle ha. I don't cognize what the tree stumps are doing in the center of the lake, but it is awful to see them poking out of the water. What is under those stumps? I am certain you were wondering about that and that's ok, I inquire that too. When I drive by, I look consecutive ahead and won't halt my auto for anything. Flat tire? Too bad, maintain going. No manner am I getting out and walking by that thing. No way.

Anyhooo, I am terrified to the point where I about interruption out in a perspiration at the idea of swimming in a lake even though I cognize in "real life" nil will acquire me. When I state that to my brain, it just express joys at me and states me to set one toe in and then we will see who is right. Iodine stop up believing my encephalon and I am not sticking one toe in, or any other portion of me. I am keeping all my toes and keeping them on dry land. Oh, and away from Volcanic Crater Lake, that topographic point gives me the shivers.

A Uniform Code of Mobile Conduct?

2007-11-07T21:30:00.001-08:00

As the ring-ring sing-song cells or Mobiles are threatening to outnumber the miserable people of this planet Earth certain behavioural forms are fast emerging on the scene drive you almost to your wits' end. Times are changed. Once upon a clip a individual walking talking to himself/herself inch the street was called a lunatic, now he/she is a proud high-end user.

The said behavioural forms can either be amusive or annoying or apparent intruding. We are more than concerned for the distressing patterns. We have got tried to enter some forms here a few of which may be part peculiar and so can be ignored or just enjoyed by frequenters not belonging to that particular region.

Situation one. You are traveling in a autobus or in a train. The rider next suddenly blower into his/her bantam instrument. You are roughly wrung out of your nice ideas or quiet off-guard or absorbing reading or peaceful brooding. Till that noise defiler Michigan you endure helplessly.

Situation two. Again you are in a autobus or a railroad train or in an air ride. You are now exposed to erotica. The individual next just makes not desire to maintain away his/her instrument. He/she fondles it, caresses it, busses it and even salt licks it urging it on to explosion into its tuneful climax. It's up to you if you acquire titillated or disgusted.

Situation three. You are in a film house and you are instantly aware of the proud proprietors who would halt at nil to travel on flashing their prized possessions. You'll see numerous pools of luminous visible light all around. Some of the proud proprietors would not even cognize how to maintain their instruments in soundless mode. Some of them would even make bold answering the phone calls not knowing how to maintain their voices low. It's entirely up to you if you can still bask the film in Ray M. Dolby stereo system with all those added tracks.

Situation four. You are in the thick of a most fruitful constructive discussion. Suddenly the instrument of one of the grouping would explosion out singing. That user would reply it, base up, walking away and maintain tempo up and down endlessly. You'd begin thought how to continue, end, re-start Oregon trek the discussion.

Situation five. We have got here the syndrome of the missed calls. Some people maintain on giving missed calls. They beat out you squarely in the enactment of answering even if you are very speedy i.e. you just cannot reply such as calls. You may cognize some of them, but you are at a sum loss what they anticipate from you. Maybe they desire to impart something in a word form like the District Attorney Vinci code. Maybe they desire to avoid inflating their ain mobile measures and so just desire to go through on the load to generous frequenters like you. In any lawsuit we cannot propose what you should ideally do.

Such thorns are only likely to increase over time.

So why not acquire together and political campaign for a uniform codification of mobile conduct.

Smith Ballew - The Best Male Singer You've Likely Never Heard Of

2007-11-06T10:36:00.001-08:00

This is the true narrative of a great singer, a "crooner" from the 1920's, whose music I would hope, after I state you about him, you will state "I've got to hear his recordings, especially if he's as great as the cat authorship this article states he is." My view, a prejudiced one, is that he is the best forgotten male vocalist who ever sang with a large set orchestra. It's also the narrative of the unseeable togs of "coincidence" that caused three lives to touch each other.

In 1964 an devouring music aggregator from Temple, Texas, mailed a little short letter hoping to reach one of his favourite set vocalists from the 1920's and 1930's. What resulted was an inter-generational friendly relationship that would change the lives of both men. My life was changed when I contacted this adult male about doing a narrative on his Bing Bing Crosby aggregation for our Central Lone-Star State Live at Five Show and, while there, he played Ian Ian Smith Ballew vocalizing a song called Deep Night.

Depression epoch sweethearts, despite the crashing blare from Wall Street, spooned by the moon to 78's of balladeer Truncheon Smith with Duke Duke Ellington and His Cotton Baseball Club Orchestra, Buddy Blue, Gary Dawson, Woody Herman Heigle, Sturgis Anderson, John Ford Britten, Tony Ballard, John Ross Colby, or Prince Charles Roberts. A discerning ear, however, could observe Ian Ian Smith Ballew's vocal chorus on each, his name mysteriously replaced by these and other anonyms on the labels.

Contracts with Columbia River and O.K. labels prohibited Smith Ballew to utilize his name for any other New House Of York recording sessions. Far from his small-town Texas place of Palestine, young, married, a new father, and wanting all the work he could get, a matter-of-fact Ian Smith Ballew devised tons of aliases. In all, Ian Ian Smith Ballew recorded over 2,500 agreements from the 1923 "Jimmie Joys," a set formed while at the University of Lone-Star State in Austin, to crooning under tons of name calling known today only to his little batch of collectors, myself among them.

When the Wall Street clang of 1929 flattened Smith Ballew's ain investings to the melody of $200,000, the never-bitter Ballew brushed it off and simply worked harder. Commanding top money for recording sessions, often booking respective in a day, with all the "name" orchestras plus appearing nightly at New York's swankier dinner baseball clubs and broadcast media his ain Ian Smith Ballew Orchestra on the NBC Radio Network, Ballew and his household rode out the Depression in expansive style.

Orchestra leadership such as as Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey and composers like Individual Retirement Account Ira Gershwin chased down the versatile Ballew for vocal work. Ian Smith navigated the most composite wind scores, dignified poor words and mounted the high scopes of many songs with an easiness other vocalists of the twenty-four hours were not able to reach. The great John John Glenn Glenn Glenn Miller collaborated with Ballew for about eight old age and eventually took over Smith's set and fashioned it into the Glenn Miller Orchestra.

Unpublished biographical stuffs I've read state of a professional battle when Bing Bing Bing Crosby requested that his friend Ian Ian Smith Ballew fill in for him on a sing with a pesky high short letter beyond Crosby's ain register. The brace were known for hailing New House Of House Of House Of York City cabs and vocalizing spur-of-the-moment couples while the cabbie drove around the streets of New York.

In 1936, summoned by Film Industry for his Gary Peter Cooper good expressions and manner, the 6'3" Ian Smith Ballew pulled out of New York and headed Occident for a new start in Tinsel Town. He had previously appeared in three musical short pants and his voice can be heard in the background, if ever so faintly, of the Herbert Marx Brothers 1929 movie Cocoanuts. Ian Smith dubbed over a cowpuncher vocal for Toilet John Wayne in the image Randy Rides Alone, and he eventually starred, mostly in westerns, usually as a vocalizing cowboy, in over 20 films.

In 1936 when Aluminum Al Jolson left his top-billed NBC radiocommunication assortment show, Shell Chateau, of which I have got the first programme with invitee star Judy Garland, Ballew stepped in as host and occupant crooner. Celebrity wires poured in. Dick Kenny's New House Of York Daily Mirror characteristic said: "Smith Ballew sang "We'll Wait at the End of the Trail" and added that Ballew did so "from Los Angeles the other nighttime in a manner that sent icinesses up this old sailor's spine."

Maybe it was Smith's trustful nature, his country-bred manner of seeing only the good in others that undid him in Hollywood. Some mightiness placed the incrimination the bungled agenting of his movie calling by Herbert Marx Marx, who rejected moneymaking western film offerings without consulting Ballew, on the fact that he eventually walked away from show concern and because of that determination -- a fiscal 1 -- his name is now all but forgotten. Maybe the last straw was the black 1940 New United Mexican States excavation strategy that left Ballew penniless again. He needed work and he needed it badly to go on support of his family.

His natural nationalism and the wartime attempt influenced the timing of his declaration to seek a more than practical calling than show business. Ballew chose the air power industry. A way led him from Northrup to Ted Ted Hughes Aircraft, owned by old familiarity Leslie Howard Hughes, to Convair, which became General Dynamics in Garrison Worth. By 1952 Ballew establish himself back home, at last, in Lone-Star State and out of the national spotlight.

Justine, his college sweetie and married woman of 35 years, passed away in 1960.

And yet, despite these alterations in Ballew's life, he was destined -- even though now a corporate executive director -- to re-live his amusement calling through the generousness of a adult male who was determined that Ian Smith Ballew's bequest would not die.

Olin George Washington Carver contacted Ballew from Temple, Texas, in 1964. Carver, aggregator of music and music memorabilia since a disabling railway hurt in 1943, had managed to make one of the biggest gatherings of records and memorabilia in the West Saxon United States. I cognize because, as a characteristic narrative television reporter, I was so flooded by Carver's aggregation that I probably did over a twelve narratives with him for our Live at Five show.

"I was looking for a manner to go through the time," George Washington George Washington Carver told me. Astatine the clip of his disabling accident "I was immature and fidgety and disabled. Once I discovered Ian Smith Ballew's early records, I kept collecting him like crazy. Oh yea, he was great! And he sang with the best sets of his era. Then, when I establish out he was living in Garrison Worth, I had to compose him. I was thrilled when he responded and wanted to acquire together."

By 1964 Ian Smith Ballew had lost path of most of his recordings and was eager to turn up anything he could acquire his custody on. Carver, Ballew, and Virgin Mary -- Smith's 2nd married woman -- met regularly in Temple or Garrison Worth to play Smith's old songs. Ballew, now 62 and visibly moved by the music, would stand up and direct his orchestra again, tracing the vocal chorus in his compelling baritone. After old age of silence about his famed past, Ian Ian Smith would maintain Olin George Washington George Washington Carver up into the early morning time hours recounting favourite New House Of House Of York and Film Industry stories.

Carver, who had go like a little brother, enjoyed playing the function of military volunteer populace dealings adult male to Smith, often stopping frequenters in restraints and asking, "Do you recognize who this adult male is? He replaced Aluminum Al Jolson on the radio." A few mightiness vaguely remember this balladeer whose calling had embraced the best of the New York recording scene from the 1920's to the center 1930's. A few would nod and smiling as they glanced at the histrion who they thought they remembered but couldn't place.

Carver was there to offer encouragement to a blasted Ian Smith Ballew when his married woman Virgin Mary died in 1972. He maintained the concluding bedside vigil, at Smith's request, in Longview, Texas, May 1984 as Ian Ian Smith passed on. An 82-year-old Ian Ian Ian Smith Ballew slipped quietly from the human race as his friend, Olin Carver, whispered softly into his ear, "Smith, you were a great man."

Thanks to Olin Carver's generousness during my television old age in Central Texas, he recorded for me and I have about 1200 of Smith Ballew's recordings from the 1920's until about 1936 when he basically stopped recording. Shortly after I moved on from television to begin new career, I received word that Olin George Washington Carver died. I lose Olin, I lose his friendship, and I give thanks him for introducing me to the recordings of Ian Ian Smith Ballew the twenty-four hours my photographer and I were at his place tape a narrative on his Bing Bing Crosby memorabilia.

A little figure of Smith Ballew's recordings are on CD, having been re-mastered and you can probably happen them on Amazon.com Oregon Ebay.com If you haven't heard the music of the 1920's and early 1930's you owe it to yourself to make so. Amazingly, there are respective Ballew vocals on YouTube. I'd propose you begin with the recordings of Ian Smith Ballew, Bing Crosby, Annette Hanshaw -- who retired before the age of 30 -- and who is my favourite female singer of all time. Her vocals are amazing. How I wish this incredibly diffident immature adult female not retired from the music concern so early in life.

The English sets of that epoch are also incredible, especially Bert Ambrose and His Orchestra, Jack Hylton, Jack Payne, Beam Noble, Lew Rock and His Orchestra, and the Roy Fox Orchestra. Find the vocals of Aluminum Bowlly. You will love them. These are songs you will not, it's likely, ever hear on your local radiocommunication station but, thankfully, they still be thanks to the ardor of a few record aggregators like Olin Carver.

Baggy Gang Attire Also Acts As An Accomplice - The Get Away Parachute

2007-10-31T14:35:00.001-07:00

Have you ever wondered why gang-bangers wear those large trousers and they have got to catch them when they begin falling down? Well, the existent ground that they started wearing them in the first topographic point and the ground this craze got going is these short pants had a specific use. If a pack banger got into a pursuit in Chicago, Detroit, NYC or other high-rise downtown area, they could have got the police force pursuit them up the edifice and then merely leap off with their trousers acting as a parachute.

Actually that is not the whole story, there really was a parachute hidden in their trousers and this scheme worked for quite a while. Unfortunately, owed to the dummying down of pack bangers many did not recognize that it only worked when you had a existent parachute tucked into your short pants between them and their boxers. Eventually, there were deceases of children and new pack bangers who did not cognize this small secret.

Several gang-banger recruits were lost attempting to leap from police force onto the streets below, making their concluding tagging grade on the sidewalks. It is astonishing that this craze have reached epic poem proportions, but since everyone is wearing baggy short pants and planetary heating is coming which intends they can have on them all twelvemonth around.

Now the children are getting fatter and able to conceal their fleshiness and although they can no longer sky dive away from police force these children might be able to drift way. For case a child on a skateboard could easily travel to allows state the lanthanum River and drift down away from police force without worrying about drowning, then simply acquire out of the river and draw his skateboard out of his short pants and skate away. Brilliant!

Trick or Treat; Smell My Feet

2007-10-30T11:47:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow is Halloween. It'll be clip for fast one or negotiators to drove by your doorsill in hunt of the ever so sugary treasure...candy.

Apartmentites must be prepared!

The best manner to set up yourself in your flat for the onslaught of costumed visitants necessitates three of import steps:

1) Be costumed yourself- This tin be a ambitious requirement. Determination the right costume takes hours and hours of consideration and concentration. You must choose something that volition give your visitants a bantam spot of fright, but doesn't do them run screaming from your doorstep. A shade or a graverobber is always a safe bet, but if you allow your creativeness tally free, I'll stake you can come up up with an unbelievable costume idea.

2) Rich Person a Huge Bowl Of Candy- This is a must. You necessitate to have got a bowl of some type of dainty to give the critters as they weirdo by your door. Don't scant on the candy either. Kids will herb of grace you as the awful neighbour if you give them a cheap, no-name candy or something that they don't hold with. Giving out something dainty and popular volition guarantee you instantaneous celebrity amongst the fast one or treating clans. Be very very careful though. I retrieve getting a axial rotation of pennies 1 year. That was awful and detrimental to my development as a immature child. Please make NOT give out the alteration from your couch.

3) Rich Person Fun- You must take every knocking at your door as an chance for humor. Laugh will acquire your done the night. Although it may be exacerbating to have got got people coming by after your 9 Prime Minister bedtime, you have to retrieve that it will only go on once a year. Enjoy yourself and allow out your inner-kid. If you don't, it's going to be a long night!

Being the twenty-four hours before Halloween, often, the expectancy of trick-or-treating have us overlook the fantastic facts about the 30th of October. Today in history...Did you know...

1938 - Orson Orson Welles broadcasts his radiocommunication drama of H. G. Wells's The War of the Worlds, causing a countrywide panic. 1974 - Elijah Muhammad Muhammad Ali fought Saint George Foreman in Zaire, in a Heavyweight boxing event known as The Rumble in the Jungle.

I trust everyone have a very safe 30th...31st of October. Remember to have got fun, but always be careful!

Dixie Chicks Fly Country Music CD Review

2007-10-23T10:29:00.001-07:00

Fly is the up-to-the-minute release from Confederacy Chicks, and I can only believe of one word to depict it… AWESOME!

It's a rare twenty-four hours indeed that I acquire a cadmium from an creative person that I can truthfully state makes not have got a bad path in the bunch. I'm more than happy to denote that's exactly what I must state about this one. There simply isn't a bad 1 in the bunch. No fillers here at all, with each song standing tall on it's own.

Fly is a pleasantly varied, premix of 14 paths that are very well written and brilliantly performed songs by these clearly talented musicians. With many of the songs displaying a batch of the sort emotion that brands for a really great listen. Seemingly drawing from what I can only conceive of are their ain existent life experiences. At different points touching on the most existent emotions of love, heartbreak, pain, failed human relationships and unachievable romance. They're all here.

Overall Fly is a solid release. Quite possibly Confederacy Chicks's best to date. Really sensational from beginning to end. If you're level mildly into Country music you'll bask this CD.

While the full cadmium is really very good some of my favourites are path 2 - If I Fall You're Going Down With Me, path 7 - Don't Waste Your Heart, and path 10 - Some Days You Gotta Dance

My Bonus Pick, and the 1 that got Sensitive [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is path 11 - Hole In My Head. This is a great track!

Fly Release Notes:

Dixie Chicks originally released Fly on August 31, 1999 on the Memorial Records label.

CD Path List Follows:

1. Ready To Run

2. If I Fall You're Going Down With Me

3. Cowboy Take Me Away

4. Cold Day In July

5. Adieu Earl

6. Hello Mr. Heartache

7. Don't Waste Your Heart

8. Sin Wagon

9. Without You

10. Some Days You Gotta Dance

11. Hole In My Head

12. Grief Town

13. (untitled)

14. Let Him Fly

Dixie Chicks: Natalie Maines (vocals, manus claps); Emily Robison (acoustic & lap steel guitar, banjo, dobro, manus claps, background vocals); Martie Seidel (fiddle, viola, background vocals).

Additional force includes: Alice Paul Worley (acoustic guitar, background vocals); Randy Scruggs, Truncheon Joe Toilet Walker Jr, Adam Steinberg, William Jennings Bryan Sutton, Dennis Linde, Marcus Hummon (acoustic guitar); Pat Buchanan, Saint George Marinelli, Microphone Henderson, Keith Urban (electric guitar); Harold Lloyd Maines (steel guitar); John Mock (tin whistle, concertina, bodhran); Steve Conn (accordion); Steve Nathan, Flatness Rollings (Hammond B-3 organ, keyboards); Michael Cecil Rhodes (bass); Greg Morrow (drums); Uncle Tom Roady, Dame Ellen Terry McMillan (percussion); William Blake Chancey, Charlie Robison (hand claps, background vocals).

Principally recorded at Westwood Sound Studio, Nashville, Tennessee.

Chris LeDoux Horsepower Contemporary Country Music CD Review

2007-10-18T13:01:00.001-07:00

Horsepower is the up-to-the-minute release from Contemporary Country Artist Chris LeDoux, and I can only believe of one word to depict it… AWESOME!

One of the refreshingly nice things about this cadmium is the manner all of the participating people look to be really enjoying themselves. Compound that with the overall presentation and you've got one of Chris LeDoux's most impressive releases ever.

Overall Horsepower is an outstanding release. What I name must have got music. I give it two pollexes up and is most definitely a worthy improver to any Contemporary Country collection. Truly an outstanding Contemporary Country CD. One of those that is completely invalidate of any wasted time, arsenic each path is simply superb.

While the full cadmium is outstanding the truly standout melodies are path 4 - A Cowboy Was Born, path 7 - Feels Like I'm Gettin' Into Something Good, and path 10 - Between The Rainbows And The Rain.

My Bonus Pick, and the 1 that got Sensitive [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is path 5 - Smack Tap In The Middle. Wow!

Horsepower Release Notes:

Chris LeDoux originally released Horsepower on July 22, 2003 on the Washington / EMI Records label.

CD Path List Follows:

1. Horsepower

2. One Less Tornado

3. All Wound Up

4. Cowboy Was Born, A

5. Smack Tap In The Middle

6. American Bison Grass, The

7. Feels Like I'm Gettin' Into Something Good

8. Ride, The

9. Rodeo Moon

10. Between The Rainbows And The Rain

11. Base On Balls My Hat

12. Blue Bonnet Blues

Personnel: Chris LeDoux (vocals); Macintosh McAnally (acoustic & electrical guitar, mandolin, accordion, Hammond B-3 organ); background vocals); Jack Pearson, Brant Rowan, Brant George Mason (electric guitar); Larry Toilet Hope Franklin (fiddle); Mark Netherlands (wood flute); John Jarvis (keyboards); Paddy Bukins (percussion); Jo-El Sonnier (squeezebox); Wes Hightower (background vocals).

Recorded at Treasure Isle, 17 Grand, and Dan William Carlos Williams Music, Nashville, Tennessee; Lanthanum Lanthanum Land, Muscle Shoals, Alabama.

Creed Weathered Rock Music CD Review

2007-10-15T09:54:00.001-07:00

Not certain what's happening with me on this one, but it looks like the more than Iodine listen to it, the better Weathered gets. Weathered simply set is one of their best CDs to date.

These years it's a very rare cadmium on which every single song is good or better than the 1 before it. This cadmium is certainly one of those rare CDs.

Overall Weathered is an outstanding release. Quite possibly Creed's best to date. Really dramatic from beginning to end. If you're level mildly into Rock music you'll bask this album.

While this full record record album is really very good some of my favourites are path 2 - Freedom Fighter, path 5 - One Last Breath, and path 10 - Don't Stop Dancing

My Bonus Pick, and the 1 that got Sensitive [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is path 7 - Stand Here With Me. Wow!

Weathered Release Notes:

Creed originally released Weathered on November 20, 2001 on the Wind-Up Records label.

CD Path List Follows:

1. Bullets

2. Freedom Fighter

3. Who's Got My Back?

4. Signs

5. One Last Breath

6. My Sacrifice

7. Stand Here With Me

8. Weathered

9. Hide

10. Don't Stop Dancing

11. Lullaby

Creed: George C. George C. Scott Stapp (vocals); Mark Tremonti (guitar, bass); Scott Philips (keyboards, drums).

Additional personnel: Bo Deems Taylor (spoken vocals); Toilet Kurzweg (keyboards); Amie Stapp, Capital Of Sunshine State Boys' Choir (background vocals).

Producers: Toilet Kurzweg, Kirk Kelsey, Creed.

Engineers: Toilet Kurzweg, Kirk Kelsey, Creed.

Recorded at J. Francis Edgar Stanley Productions, Ocoee, Sunshine State and Transcontinental Studios, Orlando, Florida.

"My Sacrifice" was nominated for the 2003 Grammy Awards for Best Rock Performance By A Couple Or Group With Vocal.

Keith Urban In The Ranch Contemporary Country Music CD Review

2007-10-12T10:17:00.001-07:00

The exceptionally talented Contemporary Country creative person Keith Urban have released him cadmium entitled In The Ranch. I am very confident and happy to denote that I believe Keith Urban fans, and Contemporary Country fans alike will be pleased with this one. With the release of In The Ranch Keith Urban's artistic excellence is on full show as Urban have got once again delivered a superb aggregation of paths that could very well be him best work to date.

It's a rare twenty-four hours indeed that I acquire a cadmium from an creative person that I can truthfully state makes not have a bad path in the bunch. I'm more than happy to denote that's exactly what I must state about this one. There simply is NOT a bad 1 in the bunch. No fillers here at all, with each song standing tall on it's own.

In The Ranch is a pleasantly varied, premix of 14 paths that are very well written songs by this clearly talented artist. With many of the songs displaying a batch of the sort emotion that brands for a really great listen. Seemingly drawing from what I can only conceive of are him have existent life experiences. At different points touching on the most existent emotions like love, heartbreak, pain, failed human relationships and unachievable romance. They're all here.

Listen to this cadmium and I believe you'll happen there's not much to dis-like astir it. The songs are inspired, the production is simply outstanding, and Keith Urban is clearly in top form. So much so that if you're level mildly into Contemporary Country music you'll bask this album.

While the full record record album is outstanding the truly standout melodies are path 2 - Homespun Love, path 4 - Some Days You Gotta Dance, and path 8 - Hank Don't Fail Me Now.

My Bonus Pick, and the 1 that got Sensitive [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is path 11 - Man Of The House. This is a great track!

In The Ranch Release Notes:

Keith Urban originally released In The Ranch on February 10, 2004 on the Autonomy (USA) label.

CD Path List Follows:

1. Walkin' The Country

2. Homespun Love

3. Just Some Love

4. Some Days You Gotta Dance

5. My Last Name

6. Desiree

7. Freedom's Finally Mine

8. Hank Don't Fail Me Now

9. Tangled Up In Love

10. Clutterbilly

11. Man Of The House

12. Ghost In His Guitar

13. Stuck In The Middle

14. Billy

Personnel: Keith Urban (vocals, guitar, banjo, keyboards); Kraut Flowers (bass, background vocals); Simon Peter Clarke (drums, percussion).

How To Download Music Online - Your Useful Guide

2007-09-18T09:20:00.001-07:00

Ever thought of how to download music online instantly? Since the innovation of iPod and other MP3 players, cadmium gross sales have got been olfactory organ diving event and heading down towards the underside of the pit. This first started in 2001. In fact, by the clip we hit 2005, online music download gross gross sales have got tripled and more than than 85% of the sales volumes came from iTunes. However, nowadays, when people like us desire to download music online, we are given many options. A big figure of them are manner cheaper than downloading music at iTunes.

Online music download supplies are popping up rather quickly. At some of these stores, you are required to pay a fee per download just like at iTunes. There are some supplies that actually supply a monthly rank or subscription fee system. Yet there are others that follow a one-time lifetime rank model. Wage per download land sites are what we name "Buy Sites" while those that offering ranks are called "Rent Sites". As an illustration, I am just going to depict two of such as land sites so that you can see the comparing with iTunes when we speak about where to download music online.

1. All of MP3

This music download land site complaints music downloads according to information transportation volume. Each megabyte of download costs $0.02. In other words, a song can be approximately $0.09 which is really inexpensive by today's standards. Music quality is moderate but they make let you to download music online of other formattings as well as those of the high-grade quality. People like this land site because the pilotage is user-friendly and is affordable.

2. Real Number Rhapsody

This is a front-runner stalk of folks who make not ain an iPod to download music online. They offer one of the biggest music choice around. The user interface is surprisingly easy to utilize and perhaps quite a neat one. But it is not the cheapest service to utilize for your music download needs. It bes you $0.99 per piece of music and this is really the same terms as iTunes. Like what I said, this is a good option for non-iPod owners.

The fantastic thing about these music supplies is that they often transport a immense choice of music pieces, both old and new for you to take from. Not only that, they make supply music genre of all types that tin ran into every user's taste. However, with so many picks today, it is challenging to make up one's mind which one is the best topographic point to download music online. Bash not worry about it as you can happen out more than inside information from my music blog as I steer you along before you decide.

Britney's MTV Performance - Disaster or Opportunity?

2007-09-13T11:05:00.001-07:00

Hey, did you hear that Britney Spears' rejoinder public presentation at the MTV Awards didn't travel as she expected and was a complete fiasco? Unless you've been life on the space shuttlecock in outer space for the past few weeks, of course of study you heard the news. In fact, how could you NOT hear about it when so many critics from around the human race are having so much merriment crucifying her day-to-day about it; giving them enough stuff to utilize against her for the adjacent few months.

It's hard to believe by the manner that she's being ripped by the mass media hourly that she was the hottest female dad star a few old age ago. Part of me experiences bad for her because no 1 should have got to travel through the maltreatment she's endured over the past week. Then I believe about the fantastic chance that's been presented in presence of her and wonderment if she'll take advantage of it or go on a downward calling spiral to the enjoyment of her critics.

The manner I see it right now, Britney is standing at a pitchfork in the route and have a determination to make:

Going to the left of the pitchfork agency that she can move like that bad awarding show public presentation was the worst thing that ever could've happened to her and virtually impossible to retrieve from it. She can take the topographic point that the human race have got turned against her and travel on her slow descent to becoming another illustration of a music icon turned tragical figure with a dying calling that the yellow journalisms study on weekly until person else supplies them more than calamity to expose for amusing alleviation purposes.

Going to the right of the pitchfork agency that she can confront the fact that she wasn't at her best the at the awarding show, listen to all the critics to see if there's any gold nuggets of utile advice hidden within the abuses and hatred that's being thrown in her direction, figure out which way she would wish her calling to go from this twenty-four hours forward (forgetting her past accomplishments), program a rejoinder that volition do the critics bury about the last clip they saw her perform, pattern her border off until she's cook for her "second comeback", and do her fans retrieve why they loved her and do her critics have to buss her border for forgetting how she got to be so popular in the first place.

Truth is, Britney's no different than the remainder of us when it come ups to dealing with failure. We've all suffered from bad performances, whether it was getting the dirt beaten out of us during a preparation match, a tourney or giving a bad presentation at work or school. And as badly as most of us felt after we bombed miserably, those of us that had the courageousness to acquire back up and seek it again usually succeeded the adjacent time.

That's exactly what Britney have to do...get ready for the adjacent time, while using the last public presentation as motive to do those critics eat their words. And if she's can make that, she'll acquire her calling back on path and tax return to the top of the music world.

Music on Yahoo - Learn About The Popular Yahoo Music Unlimited Service Now

2007-09-11T15:32:00.001-07:00

In looking for music on yahoo choices there are over two million songs available to you. They offer an limitless music plan, which norm out to six dollars a month.

They will even allow you take a trial tally with the service before getting involved in a commitment, to see if you like what they have got to offer. You necessitate to be aware that there is a difference in the services though. The music on Yokel is available to you to salvage to your computing machine for $5.99 per calendar calendar month if you pay it in one hunk sum, other wise it is $8.99 per month.

You'll have got entree to full length songs, and the Yokel Music Unlimited service will give you individualized music recommendations based on your likes. They supply instantaneous entree to all new releases and you maintain the music as long as you desire as long as you go on to subscribe.

The music land site also have the 24 hours a twenty-four hours commercial message free radiocommunication stations for you to listen to, you can share your music with your friends by creating drama listings together. If you desire to fire the music though to a cadmium it will be you .79 per song, this is not included in your monthly fee.

It is also good that you cognize that the music on Yokel service doesn't let you download to your portable device with out you paying more than money per month. For $11.99 (again if one twelvemonth is paid in full) or $14.99 per calendar month you can then download to your mp3 player. Furthermore Yokel music downloads are currently not compatible with an iPod player.

The songs that you have got downloaded will no longer be available to you if you halt paying for the service. There doesn't look to be an added fee on top of the further fee that you will pay to download music to your portable device. And I am certain that once the songs are on there they will stay on your device until you acquire quit of them.

The best stake for your money with getting music on yokel then is to acquire the Unlimited Service To Go, so that you are paying on hunk sum of money per calendar month to acquire the music that you desire on your portable. The portable participants that are compatible with Yokel music downloads are the Scandisk, Samsung, Zen, Dell, iRiver and so on. The website makes offering and extended listing of the mass media devices that are compatible.

In order to utilize the music service there are certain system demands for your computing machine as well. These include Microsoft Windows XP or Vista, a broadband connection, the up-to-the-minute Windows service battalions and Windows Media Player 11 is recommended. Also, Yokel music limitless is only available to U.S. residents.

In this twenty-four hours and age, there are very few people who aren't looking for more than economical ways to acquire the music that they want, when they want. This lets people to fire their ain CDs to listen to or update their portable mass media player.

We have got all spent clip on the nett trying to happen the 1 topographic point that offerings that most music for the best price. One popular topographic point that you should really see is the popular music on Yokel service.

The Most Important Secret to Becoming a Monster Jazz Musician

2007-09-06T11:28:00.001-07:00

Let's human face it, you didn't acquire into music because your best friend told you about this hip new thing called "practicing scale of measurement patterns" or "ear preparation time interval drills." You got into music because you heard something that made you halt dead in your paths and say, "Damn that sounds good." It made you desire to dance, shout, and leap around your room like a sap (or am I just weird?). There was something different about this music. You connected with it. It lit a fire in your belly, which, despite the world's best attempts to snuff out it, is still burning, or else you wouldn't be reading this email.

Then a few old age later—while trying to simultaneously larn to voice lead, drama Trane's solo on "Giant Steps," transcribe the caput to "Ornithology," channel in 7, swing at 350 BPM, understand the Lydian Chromatic Concept, drama a bossa nova, memorise scale of measurement forms #1-76 from your chain-smoking, coffee-chugging teacher's book and larn to play a 2nd instrument—you realized that something wasn't working. And to do substances worse, you haven't seen your girlfriend/boyfriend inch a month, done your wash or paid your electrical measure (hope you play an acoustic instrument). If this sounds familiar, then your values may be out of whack. In fact, you might have got no thought what a value is, allow alone what yours might be.

Your values are your precedences in life. They find what's important to you. They find what you believe, who you are and, most importantly, what you do. All great instrumentalists (and great people in general) cognize who they are and what they want. Their actions reflect it. They pattern the of import things, take the right chances, ran into the right people and experience success and great achievements.

For instance, believe about Thelonious Monk. Was he known for his ability to play at breakneck tempos? How about virtuosic pianoforte technique? Then he must have got been known for his beautiful voicings, right? Wrong. He wasn't known for any of those things. He was known for his completely original sound and approach. Cipher played beat like Monk, composed like Monk, or played as "colorfully" as Monk. He knew what he wanted his music to sound like and he played it that way. Imagine if Monk thought he had to have got chops like Art Tatum, improvise in 5/4, or drama funk. Luckily for us he didn't. He played "his thing" only and he did it better than anyone else.

Whether they thought about it or not all of the Masters played with great unity and an intense codification of values. Just believe about Ornette Coleman, Miles Davis, Prince Charles Mingus, Duke Ellington, Eric Dolphy, Lester Young, Charlie Parker, Elvin Jones, etc. They all stuck to their values and played the music that was of import to them, even in the human face of intense unfavorable judgment from the audience, the fourth estate and their peers. And in doing so they became monster wind musicians. They created and transformed the art-form of jazz.

Here's a athletics analogy for you. Rich Person you ever heard of an jock who was a pitcher, catcher, outfielder, 1st baseman, shortstop, quarterback, center, goalie, fullback, gymnast, sprinter and a square dancer? Yeah, me too. We name them simple school gymnasium teachers, not human race social class athletes. Now, don't acquire me wrong. Gymnasium instructors have got a solid profession. But they don't suit into the world-class athlete category. Or the "monster" category, for that matter.

Disclaimer: it is very of import to expose yourself to a broad scope of music, drama different styles and larn different concepts. But you come up to a point where you must concentrate more than than and more on music that's truly of import to you.

"But I've only been playing wind for a year," you might ask. "How can I take my values?" Very good question. Your values will change as you larn and progress. Determining your values is an in progress process. It never stops. Your values—and then your goals, and then your actions—become clearer and clearer as you go. And when this haps you advancement faster and faster and go more than than and more productive. Choosing your values now conveys focusing to your practicing, listening and all of your musical activities. You'll change and rearrange them over and over again, each clip picking up velocity and progressing faster.

To cite the great twentieth century Negro spiritual maestro Mr. Rogers, "You're special." He was right. You are. Each of us have a alone set of experiences, dreams, ends and values. If you are true to yourself, and unrecorded by your ain codification of values, you are destined to go a truly individual and original voice in jazz. Faster than you ever thought possible.

Action Measure 1:

Write down the name calling of your favourite players. What make you like about these players? What qualities in their playing are you drawn to? What could you make to develop those qualities in your ain playing? Your replies will give you some large hints as to what's important to you. Use these replies to make up one's mind what to practice, who to analyze with and who to play with.

Action Measure 2:

Plan out your drill session before you begin to pattern (more about that in a few days). Then, as you travel down the list, inquire yourself, "Is that the most of import thing I could be practicing? Are that accomplishment of import to me? Volition it assist me do the music that's of import to me? Or is it something I believe I'm supposed to practice?" Again, usage your replies to do picks about what to practice, who to play with.

Soon your practicing will be more than than than focused, much more productive, and you'll be sprinting to the drill room with a smiling on your human face (not to advert that you'll also acquire more gigs).

Rent a Bridal Party?

2007-08-28T11:40:00.001-07:00

Have you ever been in a wedding ceremony party? You probably have got in some aspect. How about an out-of-door wedding? Let me give a small spot of background on my up-to-the-minute "wedding" experience this past weekend. Of course of study this wedding ceremony was all planned out.

Whatever.

If I am anywhere near anything, everything changes. I just have got that effect. Kind of like a clotted lavatory with no plunger. My married woman plant with this immature lady who was getting married. I have got met her once or twice and my married woman is not really that stopping point at all to her.

My married woman was to be a bride's maidservant (bride's matron for you politically rectify knuckleheads). Somehow within a hebdomad of the wedding, my married woman became the Maid (Matron)of Award and somehow I became an usher! The bride-to-be sent a ~txt monosodium glutamate 2 my wfe normality axed her to degree Centigrade if I wud B normality ushr.~ My married woman asked/told Maine to be an Ussher and I said, "Why, who died"? Then my married woman explained that they only have got one other Ussher and they necessitate another so I said, "no". Why is no a incorrect answer? I acquire told "NO" all of the time!

Women have got a manner of whipping there work force into entry without throwing a single poke or kitchen utensil (had a doughnut thrown at me once). It is called the "cut-off tactic". Every married individual reading this cognizes exactly what I am talking about. Women shaking there head up and down saying, "That is right, that is right"!

Men don't lie to yourself. Sitting there saying, "I acquire it when I desire it"! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA---Wake up man!
The cruelest word form of torment ever known to man. Sol I very reluctantly said YES. I will be in any stupid freaking wedding ceremony because I am not giving up my vittles!!!!

Do you cognize how much dirt costs for weddings? It was not even our wedding. We hardly knew them. I asked my married woman if we were renewing our vows because we hadn't spent that much money since our ain wedding. She told me to "pipe it" (feisty she is---me likes). I felt like I was handing out money like free "runaway bride" bobble caputs at a baseball game stadium.

We purchase all of this material and I have got issues of course, mainly with this frock my married woman will have on only once! I asked her, "Why don't they lease frocks like they make lawsuits and dinner jackets for men"? You would just believe that I had said the most atrocious statement any individual could utter. She said, "That is a no-no. Women make not like to have got on something other women have worn". "Why not"? My married woman gives me this expression I have got never seen before and says, "I don't believe so. I am not wearing some frock after some hoochie mama had it on. No give thanks you". I told her that it must be because women farting in it and don't desire to absorb another woman's fragrance!

The Rehearsal

The program for dry run is make the walking through and then everyone travel have got dinner. We acquire there and everyone is standing there watching the bride's dada planting a tree. We were told that it would be a semi-formal dinner. We acquire there and everyone is in blue jeans or short pants and t-shirts! Here I am in a necktie and it is 88 grades outside?! So I lose the tie, just seize with teeth my tongue, and follow the crowd. As you can state my overload metre is starting to climb. I have got only been there 15 minutes.

We head down this nerve pathway about 400 paces to the country where the wedding ceremony is to be held. There is a tree lined way which I would wish to term "mosquito alley". We acquire there the Curate is ready to go, but conjecture what? 200 chairs necessitate to be set out. So I begin carrying chairs. Why didn't they have got this done already? So I am perspiration my butt end off as I look over and the bride and groom- to-be are standing there watching!! Everyone is carrying these chairs, even the Pastor! I will assist anyone with anything, but this was ridiculous.

Why can't I be quite?

I said, "Hey! I have got at least 10 old age on both of you and I barely cognize either 1 of you. So I propose you drop the googly eyes and acquire over here and help". I told them my "temporary worker license runs out in 5 minutes. You work today and base and expression pretty tomorrow". I seek to refrain, I really do. Just at modern modern times it is soooo difficult not to.

After one-half an hr of rearranging the chairs 5467 times we begin the walking through. Or so I thought. They have got the chief aisle where the bride, etc. volition walk up all laid out, but the fancy flower pots are not lined up. So they confer with each other for another 20 proceedings until I finally walk over and pick one up and bend it. "Perfect", the bride's ma finally says. Why was that so hard, I kept asking myself? 10 people trying to acquire one flower pot straight! For the love of all acquire out!

The Curate finally walks us through and then it is clip to eat. Eat + me in the same sentence is a good thing! (No, not eat me)

Not so fast hungry man. "Can you assist me a minute", states the bride's mom. You ever heard a king of beasts growl? That was me. Iodine was sweating, losing 5 pints of blood to mosquitoes and now she desires me to assist topographic point tapers out. They have got 17 estate and there are topographic points for tapers over one-half of that. I have got never seen so many taper holders in my life. You would believe a Home Interiors airplane had crashed in their yard. We acquire the taper statistical distribution done and then travel eat. Finally.

The bridegroom have a surprise Bachelor political party come up up and his small fiancé is fuming! She just glared at him with the "I will kill you" look. Seen it many modern times so I cognize what I am talking about. I asked him if he had life insurance, because he would probably not do it another hebdomad pulling that sort of material on her. I told her, "Isn't matrimony grand! You haven't seen anything yet. You necessitate to larn the cut-off tactic." Then, my married woman punched me in the arm. What did I do?

Wedding Day

They desire us there at 3:30PM. 2 hours before to take pictures?!? I thought those were taken after the existent wedding? Whatever. This wedding ceremony was eldritch adequate anyway. Remember the candles? Ma desires them all lit. Guess who acquires the honor? So, as I am wandering the 10 estate that these tapers are covering, I fire the fluid out of trade name new lighter. The drawn-out sort you light a grillroom with! That is how many tapers there were. That took me 45 minutes.

After I light them all her ma come ups out and says, "Did you light them all"? GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! "Yes". She says, "These did not light. Can you light them again, please? I will acquire you another lighter". I told her, "They blow out because of the breeze". Did I acquire the response thanks for trying or that volition be mulct or oh well we tried? Ummmm NO! So, I re-light the 5 billion flipping tapers that have got blown out and then acquire ready to begin ushering people to their seats.

I really wanted to state to the invitees "just sit down where you want". Don't acquire me wrong, everything was beautiful and they had the right ideas, but it was too hot and tapers don't remain lit too well in a zephyr in the center of the day! I went through 2 grillroom igniters that carry a couple gals of lighter fluid and most of the tapers were out when the ceremonial started anyway. Go figure.

They brought the invitees down in a Equus caballus and carriage. Nice touching except the Equus caballuses did not have got a bag on the crap deck if you cognize what I am saying. Everyone marks the guestbook (should have got set my website in there--shoot!), catches their wedding ceremony ceremony thingy, and wait in the shadiness because it is very hot and humid.

Finally (the crowd travels wild) the wedding acquires started and everyone is seated, baking in the 90 grade heat energy with no shadiness and now barbed flies are out. My married woman had one masticate off half of her arm because she had to throw 2 corsages and could not travel because of the ceremony. Felt so bad for her, but I could not walk up and smack her on the arm in presence of 200 people. It would have got made good television though (just kidding).

People are getting chewed up, sweating, and on top of that there is an opera singer. It is manner to hot and humid for ear piercing notes. Not one wedding ceremony song. Not 2. 4 songs! It seemed every clip the Curate finished a sentence, there would be a song. I wanted to decease of heatstroke.

The best portion was near the end when they had a reading of a supplication by the bride's grandparents. They had them on these coils that you could read with them. Then the groom's grandmother wanted in on the action. She sweeps her wheelchair into full velocity and nails the best adult male who had his backed turned. She wanted under that summerhouse for the reading and knocked his feet right out from under him! I don't believe the Great wall would have got stopped her. That made my twenty-four hours a batch better for a little moment.

They complete the ceremonial and then the Equus caballus passenger car takes the espousal political party up to the response tent. There is a catch though. Everyone is asked to transport their chairs the 400 paces up the hill to the response tent. Guess who assists if they can't transport their chairs? GRrrrRRrrrrrRRRrrrrRRR... So, I carried about 30. Most people walk through flower flower petals at weddings. We had fresh Equus caballus poo to walk through because the crap deck bags were not on the horses!!.

We acquire up to the response collapsible shelter and my caput is fire redness from the heat energy and they desire more than pictures. Fine. The newlyweds cut the bar and convey their piece they cut together over to the espousal political party tabular array to salvage it. As they walk away, one of the bride's aunties or something come ups over and negotiation to my wife. She was lit up on something. No 1 is that droopy eyed and happy all at once. She begins eating the piece of bar they wanted to save! I almost drop on the land with laughter. This lady was going at that bar like there was no tomorrow. She says, "That was good cake" and acquires up and go forths with icing all over her fingers and face. LOL!!! What is it with me and cake?

I believe I will begin a espousal political party lease service. Might as well acquire paid for being volunteered next time. So, if you or anyone you cognize have a wedding ceremony coming soon name me at 555-you-wish and go forth a msg. Anyway, it was a beautiful wedding ceremony and response overall. It is just the inside information that acquire to me, as usual.

Adios until my adjacent adventure

Jazz Guitar Amps - Optimizing Your Sound

2007-08-23T13:11:00.001-07:00

While many experts take a firm stand that there is nil called wind guitar amperes – there certainly is something called a preferable wind guitar amp! The chief mathematical function of guitar amperes is to do your guitar sound great, so much so that even with an ordinary guitar and a good quality ampere your public presentation can sound fantastic. Popular makers of good wind guitar amperes are Mesa Boogie, Fender, Marshall, Crate, etc.

Kinds Of Guitar Amps

Guitar amperes come up in three types – tubing amps, crossed amperes and solid-state or analogue amps. You also acquire digital amps. Bass participants prefer the solid-state amps because of the end product delivered. The tubing amps, the first amperes to be made, bring forth a richer heater sound. Crossed is a combination of tubing and solid-state type amps. Here, the powerfulness behind the sound come ups from the solid-state ampere while the tone of voice is from the tubing amp. Power end product is an of import factor when choosing guitar amps. When you compare a tubing ampere and other amperes with the same wattage, tubing amperes sound louder. Tube amperes utilize glass tubings while solid-state amps utilize transistors. Some participants happen solid-state amps more reliable. Digital amperes bring forth their sound through digital processors and are quite voguish these days. Tube amperes are quite heavy when it come ups to portability and also can be quite expensive in footing of cost and upkeep. The tubings necessitate to be replaced periodically. Makers of tubing amperes like Fender, E. G. Marshall and Mesa Boogie usage Chinese tubes, which are mill fitted.

While selecting the guitar amp, you can acquire jazz bands where you have got the talker and ampere in a single cabinet. Many participants prefer a separate ampere and talker as it gives them the flexibleness to utilize any talker with the ampere and also making them more than portable during gigs. Speaker size is also a factor to see while choosing a guitar amp. Of course, the best thing to make is to seek out different ampere theoretical accounts before actually buying one since you desire to cognize which one presents the sort of sound you desire to hear.

Different wind participants utilize different styles, and therefore take their amperes based on how they desire their music to sound. The thing is, some wind guitar participants prefer a warm kind of sound since wind guitars are traditionally acoustical arch top models. This do them seek 'tube' amperes as they experience that this heightens their music in the right manner devising it more than life-like. But, as mentioned earlier, it is not mandatory to travel in for lone a tubing ampere when it come ups to choosing your wind guitar amps. The great participant Microphone Stern utilizes a solid-state amp, while Scofield utilizes two tubing amps. Henderson had his tubing amperes made to order.

Ultimately, we cannot disregard the fact that the chief sound arises from the wind guitar player. We must also retrieve that the related to equipment, namely pickup trucks and talkers play a major function in the concluding sound output. While purchasing the amp, preferably take your guitar along so that you can choose the right wind guitar ampere by trying out assorted theoretical accounts at different volume degrees and different channels so that you settle down on the 1 that lawsuits you best.

The Magic Numbers - The Hardest Working Band in Music?

2007-08-21T11:12:00.001-07:00

This happy hippie styled quartet have been scarey the airs for two solid years. Since the introduction of self-titled introduction in June 2005, they have got been touring and recording endlessly.

Indie in all of its guitar-laden form and Jonny Borell soaked mental attitude have taken over British People music yet again. Newer oversupplies of sets are being tipped as the adjacent great thing. Razorlight, The Enemy, The Twang. Each have their charm. Each have a devoted fan base. But none have got had the end product of the Magic Numbers. The set of sibs have got released two record albums in two years, been on at least 3 major tours, played all the festivals, Glastonbury twice, Travelled Europe, Japan, supported Brain Wilson, played MySpace and AOL Sessions, and appeared on cast tons of shows, radiocommunication Sessions and dad quizzes advertisement awarding shows.

I saw them in November of 2006, and a very passionate crowd sang along with presence adult male Romeo Stodart's dear words and fake American speech pattern with enthusiasm. His voice may sound heavily Beach Boys influenced, as it is, but even though he talks with an English speech pattern the swing of his vocalizing voice doesn't irritate like it makes from Joss Stone. It soothes. The gig in Hammersmith Phoebus was not a disappointment; they did look to play their better most noteworthy songs nearer the start of the set however. Most of the paths from 2nd record album Those The Brokes didn't elicit much joyousness from the audience. Pleasant as these songs may be, Those The Brokes is a much deeper record album but makes have got some filler, they didn't acquire the children and couples up to dance and smack like Love Me Like You and Forever Lost.

And at this old age Glastonbury they played safe again with their hits from the debut. As much as they circuit and advance Those The Brokes, the chart places will go on to let down (their last single hit 36 and got no higher,) the audiences desire to hear their much more than radiocommunication friendly introduction record album tracks. Which is sad, but understandable. As Romeo Stodart acquires deeper with his lyrics, he is jump to lose most of the fans that tagged onto them for their happy chilled windiness of Forever Lost. Ask Keane, Kasabian and Kaiser Chiefs who lost a batch of impulse with more than through and profound offerings. But the difference is the Magic Numbers cognize what delight the crowds, they now what do the festival audiences bounce. Maybe that volition be their Jesus and the adjacent record album may be less rushed and derivative and much more than like the cheerful Ealing children we came to love during 2005.

History of House Music

2007-08-17T11:49:00.001-07:00

House Music in it's first word form was Disco. So for the true History of House Music we necessitate to begin back in 1977 when Saturday Night Fever came out. Yes that bum film with Toilet Travolta is one of the chief grounds that you and I can bask house music today, and should be written in the History Books as so.. It's strange how things work out sometimes.

Saturday Night Fever was an blink of an eye hit and because of it people started hitting the discotheque clubs. Disco at this clip as a blend of 70's Funk, Soul Music, and Rock. Most of the Disco scene was in New York, and the locales where making a killing. A small future around 1979 or 80 it distribute to the belowground storage warehouses of the Windy City and detroit.

Chicago & Motor City Created House Music

There was huge invention and competition between the current DJ's. As you cognize "Necessity is the female parent of invention", and the DJ;s in effort to acquire the hearers hooked introduced new techniques to the manner the music was being presented. This concerted with its separation from New House Of York discotheque helped it germinate into its ain genre. House music was more than than raw, edgier, and integrated more diverse sounds. Electric keyboards, Beat Boxers, as well as Beat Machines like the TR-808, TR-909, TB-303 helped polish it into what it is today.

This is why if you go out to the Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, and Ioway there is such as a immense House Scene to this day. That was the place of birth and they still 20+ old age later love that House Music Vibe.

Sub Genres of House Music

* Acid House Music

* Latin House Music

* Disco House Music

* Hard House Music

* Progressive House Music

* Deep House Music

* Hard House Music

* Funky House Music

* Windy City House Music

* NRG House Music

* Technical School House Music

* Electro House Music

* New House Of York House Music

I'm sure I've missed a few points on the listing but that is most of the bomber genres.

I trust this article have informed and possible motivated some of you House heads out there.

How To Learn To Play The Piano? Choose From These 5 Methods

2007-08-14T13:32:00.001-07:00

How to larn to play the piano. Choose a method that's right for you from the many options available.

Private lessons.

This is the traditional route. It works for children, but not always so well for busy adults. The advantages are that the lessons are tailored just for you and you develop a stopping point human relationship with your teacher.

How to take a teacher? Get recommendations from friends or person who cognizes about music--the music instructor at your children's school, the choir manager at church, or from a local music store.

Ask if the instructor will learn an introductory lesson so you can acquire to cognize each other. If you don't acquire a good vibe from the teacher, there is no clumsiness in fillet the lessons.

Group classes.

This is a new conception that is becoming more than popular. This tin also be a batch of merriment as social classes integrate games, improvising, composing, and learning musical theory along with pianoforte technique. Many social classes are offered later in the eventide to suit working adults. If you're looking for a merriment environment, this is for you.

Where to happen grouping pianoforte classes? Look in the yellowish pages, expression on-line, inquire the enlightened music people listed above.

Learn by yourself with a book.

This is the least expensive method of how to larn to play the piano, but probably the hardest. Without the construction of weekly lessons or classes, it's easy to acquire sidetracked when tired or busy, or even give up entirely.

What method book to buy? Ask at your local music store. The staff is familiar with pianoforte lesson books and can urge one that volition work for you.

Watch a picture or DVD.

The method for the new millennium. Take a lesson at your convenience and only pay for it once! You can watch the picture or DVD over and over, when your agenda permits. Downside? You can't inquire a DVD a inquiry and acquire an answer.

How to happen one? At your music store, but your best stake is searching on line.

Purchase an on-line course.

Perhaps the best combination of all the options for adults. You acquire work at your ain pace, on your ain schedule, and drama the pictures as much as you want. A instructor is often available via e-mail for questions.

Again, hunt on line for a course. The best 1s usually have got a free prevue or a free e-mail pianoforte lesson course.

How to larn to play the pianoforte is merriment and creative, especially when the method is just correct for you!

Learn Guitar Chords the Effective Way

2007-08-10T19:13:00.001-07:00

The Need to Learn Guitar Chords

You must be able to larn guitar chords to be able to play songs. You cannot drama an full song on a single string; you must cognize chords for that. Single twine drama is what children who have got no thought about playing guitar do, not person who cognizes how to play the guitar.

In this article, we will discourse what guitar chords are. We will also discourse some of the jobs you may confront as a novice when you larn guitar chords, and how to defeat these problems.

What You Must Know Before You Learn Guitar Chords

As a beginner, you must be wondering how hard it would probably be to larn guitar chords. You also must be having numerous inquiries running in your mind. 'Where make I start?' is a very common question. The reply is obvious: start at the beginning; larn what a guitar chord is.

The lexicon states that a chord is the sound that emanates from a musical instrument when you hit a lower limit of three pitches simultaneously. For person who is learning the guitar, what this agency is you necessitate to hit the twines together with the fingers of the strumming hand, while holding down the twines at specific places on the fretboard with the fingers of the other hand, to bring forth the needed sound.

There are a figure of guitar chords - simple and complex. When you begin to larn guitar, you larn the easier chords first. These chords are called simple guitar chords, or beginners' guitar chords. The easiest chords to larn are Gram Major, Degree Centigrade Major, and Vitamin D Major. Once you larn these chords, you can travel on to work on the more than composite ones.

Problems You Will Face When You Learn Guitar Chords

When you larn guitar chords, you have got to be able to throw down the different twines of the guitar across strategical locations on the fretboard. Each chord have a specific placement of specific fingers. This gives rise to three basic problems:

- Acute hurting in the fingers arising from holding down twines with fingers stretched.

- Pain, numbness, and sometimes even blistering of the soft tegument on the fingers.

- Inability to switch over chords rapidly.

The jobs mentioned above are cosmopolitan to everyone when they pattern chords for the first time. As with all problems, these too have got solutions.

The acute hurting in the fingers originates primarily because they are not used to being stretched thus. A good manner of overcoming this job is to make a set of finger exerts before you pattern each day. Practice stretching your fingers over the frets, playing single twines as you make this. This exercising stretches your fingers, while also enabling you to increase the velocity with which you travel the fingers across the frets.

The numbness and acerb of the soft tegument is because of the tegument rubbing against the sharp-edged twines for long clip periods of time. You can counter this by rubbing methyl group alcoholic beverage over the tegument of the fingers prior to practice.

The stiffness of the fingers and inability to change chords rapidly is because you have got never done something like this ever before. Learn the proper finger places for the different chords. Once you are familiar with this, pattern changing chords. Your velocity will increase with practice, and the stiffness will disappear.

iPod Music Downloads - 8 Tips to Pick an Excellent Download Site

2007-08-09T09:45:00.001-07:00

Many music download land sites have got emerged as a good option to iTunes for iPod music downloads. Which is the best download site? I would share with you 8 top tips on how to choose a iPod download land site that supplies you with all you need.

1. Wage per download or One-Time

You should check up on if the land site offerings lifespan rank for a level fee. Music partisans are turning to such as download land sites as they happen it really dearly-won to construct a music aggregation on $0.99 song downloads.

2. Unlimited Number of iPod Media Files

Dozens of download land sites are offering more than than just iPod music downloads. They have got music files, movies, soundtracks, music videos, television demoes and so on in their list. These are deserving your one-time fee.

3. Choice of Music

Find out what is the scope of music the download land sites offer. It do sense to happen one that offerings you the greatest scope you can find. But if you are not too picky, perhaps the 1 that offerings you your favourite genre is good enough.

4. Easy to Use Membership Interface

Some rank interfaces are quite easy to use. Searching for song statute titles must be as easy as clicking a few buttons. Locating the data file you necessitate should be fast and easy|. Instruction Manual on downloading mass media data files have got to be clear and concise. You would be pleased to cognize that there are a few of such as quality land sites for iPod music downloads.

5. Free Software For Downloading iPod Media Files

Special software system is required for to download iPod mass media files. It is best that these land sites not only give you iPod music downloads but the software system to draw them out. Respective land sites also beefed up their trades by giving free software system and wallpapers. These are not inexpensive software system that you can purchase elsewhere.

6. Fast iPod Downloading Speeds

Having iPod music downloads itself is not enough. You necessitate fast downloading speeds. Bash not travel with those that are slow in the download velocities for iPod music downloads. I cognize of some land sites that are really slow in download speeds.

7. All-Time Technical Support

Most land land sites for iPod music downloads set this claim on their website but only respective sites can really make that. You just have got to happen them.

8. Excellent Customer Feedback

Given a choice, we would desire to cognize what the existent clients believe about the download sites. So make pass some clip to read the client testimonials.

Take some clip to digest these 8 tips and you should be able to happen one good land site that supplies iPod music downloads. Anyone hoping to cognize which are the best download land sites for iPod music downloads can see my iPod blog for more than information.

The content of this article is provided for the intent of instruction and illustration only and is in no manner associated with Apple, iTune, or any company or subordinate of Apple. This article may be freely reprinted or distributed in its entireness in any ezine, newsletter, blog or website. The author's name, bio and website golf course must stay integral and be included with every reproduction.

Air Supply In Ridgefield, CT 7/14/07 - Air Supply Performs to Packed House at Ridgefield Playhouse

2007-08-06T03:48:00.001-07:00

Ridgefield, CT: Air Supply Performs to Jammed House at Ridgefield Playhouse

Air Supply continued its East Seashore summertime circuit with a halt in Ridgefield, CT. The former high school auditorium hosts great performing artists and Air Supply left an unerasable feeling on these Ridgefield residents! Nestled in a little community near Danbury, CT, this epicentre was within drive distance for Airheads coming from Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

On Friday nighttime in Endicott, I believe person must have got given Billy Graham an other shot of jumping juice because he was springing all over the stage. Tigger was bouncing so much he nearly toppled over once when he lost his balance landing 1 of his turnarounds! I'm guessing that same person gave Charles Taze Russell a happy pill because for two days, he never stopped smiling. This may look like an odd statement, but having been to more than than than a few shows, I can state that some public presentations are more antic than others. All of Air Supply's concerts are fabulous, but when one person's energy degree is outstanding, I believe it's worth noting.

I have got previously commented on public presentations from Jed, Microphone and Jonni so I believe it's only just that I congratulate Charles Taze Russell and his public presentations on Friday and Saturday. I haven't seen him smile or look to bask the public presentations this much since the Laughlin demoes last November. He's always great on phase and I've never heard him lose a note. But there are modern times when short letters are incredibly pure, smiles take away sadness, and passionateness electrifies the room. Friday and Saturday were such as modern times and I congratulate and give thanks Charles Taze Russell for all that he gives.

The set listing in Ridgefield was similar to the set listings in the past, and we were fortunate adequate to hear Billy Graham sing three songs from The Future; The Future, Brand You Mine and Lace and Leather. It have been some clip since I've heard Jed, Microphone and Jonni execute Live and Let Die, and it was great to hear it again on Saturday. Added to the set was Every Woman In The World. Having heard it on Friday night, I had hoped it would be added to the set listing on Saturday so I could seek to acquire a picture cartridge holder of it. It was, and I did.

Saturday's show was relaxed and filled with levity. The audience knew every song lyric, every note, and sang loudly and in key. They were appreciative and many gave Air Supply its owed regard with a standing standing ovation during many parts of the concert.

One of my favourite parts of the nighttime was when the set left the phase and Billy Graham and Charles Taze Russell talked about their early old age in Australia. As they told some narratives I haven't heard before, the audience laughed non stop, enjoying a shared minute with two icons clearly instrumental to the felicity in their lives.

As Billy Graham began to state us how he and Charles Taze Russell used to play pizza pie shops, he mentioned that every clip he states this narrative he can odor the cheese wafting across the stage. He and Charles Taze Russell laughed, recalling the odor of roasting cheese.

Graham continued to speak about their very early start as instrumentalists in Commonwealth Of Australia and told the audience that they once opened for AC/DC. Billy Graham said, "That's when we wore white!" Russell, laughing, said they don't make that anymore. Billy Graham then commented that he believed that's how all the rumours started and he began to travel on to another portion of the story. But Charles Taze Charles Taze Charles Taze Charles Taze Russell quickly asked Graham, "What rumors?" Not hearing Russell, Billy Billy Graham said, "what?" and Russell repeated, "what rumors?" Still not hearing Russell, he again said, "What? I can't hear you?" Charles Taze Russell then walked over to Billy Billy Billy Graham and said, "What rumours are those?" and Graham laughed.

Graham then told us that the rumours were "so ridiculous…SO RIDICULOUS" that they don't notice on them to warrant them. He and Charles Taze Russell then had a good laughter along with the audience.

Graham began to travel on and then stopped and said he wanted to state us something. He said, "This isn't portion of the show…but it is now." He asked Charles Taze Russell if he remembered the raffles, or something like that. Charles Taze Charles Taze Russell nodded and Billy Graham told him to state the narrative because he states it much better.

Russell began to state us that in the early days, they used to play in the RSLs (Returned and Services League – for Australian Veterans) in Australia. He gave us a small Australian slang lesson and told us that Chook is slang for chicken. So he told us that they would have got these chook Raffles in the RSLs where they were playing. They'd be back in the hallway somewhere and "would be playing 'lost in love and I don't cognize much' and the dad would begin and this miss would travel 'Number 47, you've won the chook raffle. Number 47 delight come up to the front.'

Graham, Charles Taze Charles Taze Russell and the audience were cracking up because of the manner Russell told the story. It was hilarious! Charles Taze Charles Taze Russell then commented, "We don't do that anymore" and Billy Billy Billy Graham added, "We don't travel to Raffles anymore." Russell immediately quipped, "Only inch Singapore," to which Graham replied, "Oooh, one in a row!" I've been told that Graham wishes to make this remark when person do a joke…one in a row! Pretty funny! Billy Billy Graham then introduced us to Two Less Alone People and everyone's tempers were high.

Not being able to venture out into the audience the nighttime before in Endicott, NY, Graham and Charles Taze Russell did walking out into the crowd, much to the delectation of the fans. There were clinches and handshakes, and busses and a few Black Maria that skipped a beat! The audience joined in at the end of the poetry and Air Supply received yet another standing ovation.

Air Supply rounded out the eventide with the usual songs and the audience was in heaven. Charles Taze Russell told us how Air Supply was beginning an extended international circuit that includes Japanese Islands and Europe and that they would only be place for two years before they were off to New House Of York adjacent week. He then extended an invitation to 'come acquire closer' and stopping point we got. At one point I looked back to the auditorium and not one individual was sitting. Even the frequenters in the balcony seating were on their feet. The audience sang, appreciated, applauded and loved.

I had been sitting adjacent two two women who frequently come up to shows at the Ridgefield Playhouse. They came to see Air Supply because they liked them but also because they travel to a batch of shows in their town. As we exited the auditorium I asked how they liked the show, as they had previously commented how fantastic Billy Graham was, vocalizing his songs from The Future. The two women were over the moon! They were on a true Air Supply high. You all cognize the 1 that I mean! One of the women, LaVerle, commented that she was once again in love...with Jed. She said he was gorgeous and one of the hottest cats she's seen! She said, if lone she were 20 old age younger...he would be perfect for her! I reminded her that Air Supply would be at Mohegan Sun a mere two hebdomads from now and I believe I convinced her and MaryAnn to come up to see our male children again! Chalk 1 up for the good guys; I believe we just added two new Airheads!

As always, thanks travel out to Sparky, Brett, Moe, Nate and Mark. Without them, where would we be? Thanks Russell, Graham, Jed, Jonni and Mike. You gave us two great shows in two nighttimes and you should cognize that your fans all had an unbelievable clip and can't wait for you to demo up in their towns again!

Cheers!

Twelve Major Chords, Tell Me More, Now!

2007-07-31T15:17:00.001-07:00

What exactly are chords? How can chords better my pianoforte playing? What's the difference between major and minor? Are my hair falling out as fast as I believe it is?

These are all feasible inquiries that demand an pressing response! Here are some answers. Chords (usually a combination of three or more than different notes) add colour and harmoniousness to a composition and pianoforte playing. The most common type of chord affects three different short letters of a scale of measurement and is called a triad. Harmony, incidentally, affects short letters of a chord sounding at the same time. If you like colour and harmony, you necessitate chords… Oregon a sunny, peaceful vacation.

Music without hearable harmoniousness can sound beautiful in the custody of a adept composer. However, profusion and comprehensiveness are generally easier to get from a piece of music containing both tune and harmony. Often, a single tune over a long clip period of time can go deadening and dry. If you like deadening and dry, listen to long, single line melodies… Oregon eat very old, dry, wrinkled looking peach trees that have got been left out on the kitchen counter for a few weeks.

Major, minor, apples, oranges… what's the difference? Although this is a generalization, many hold that major chords sound bright and happy, while minor chords sound more dramatic and sad. Having said that, many pieces in major keys are sad sounding. Consider, for example, Dvorak's slow motion of his New World Symphony. There is a painful yearning in this movement, and yet this portion of the composition is in Decibel major!

There are basically twelve different types of closed root place major triads. What are closed root place major triads? They are three short letter chords containing the first, 3rd and 5th grade of a diatonic scale. Before going into more than detail, maintain in head that diatonic scale of measurement of measurement grades are simply different short letters that belong to a scale. In the lawsuit of a major scale, we have got seven different notes.

Getting back to major triads, the first grade of our closed root place three would be the last note, with the 3rd and 5th grades being placed as stopping point as possible overtop of the first degree. Here is a little listing of twelve different major threes and the short letters that they are composed of. The short missive on the left is the underside (lowest sounding) short letter of the triad:

C Major; C, Vitamin Vitamin Vitamin Vitamin E and G

Db Major; Db, Degree Fahrenheit and Ab

D Major; D, F# and A

Eb Major; Eb, Gram and Bb

E Major; E, G# and B

F Major; F, Type Type Type A and C

F# Major; F#, A# and C#

G Major; G, Type Type Type Type B and D

Ab Major; Ab, Degree Centigrade and Eb

A Major; A, C# and E

Bb Major; Bb, Vitamin Vitamin Vitamin Vitamin Vitamin D and F

B Major; B, D# and F#

Four short letter major chords can be created out of all of these threes by adding the first (bottom) short letter letter to the top of the triad. For example, a four short missive Degree Centigrade major chord would read as C, E, Gram and C, with the top Degree Centigrade being played an octave above the underside C. Associate In Nursing octave is defined as short letters that have got the same letter name but are separated by eight letters. In calculating the figure eight, we include the two octave short letters (i.e. C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C).

As a concluding thought, the distance between the underside and center short letter of a three in a closed place is four semitones. The distance between the center and top short letter is three semitones. A half step is the least distance between two short letters on a piano. The ability to justice distances between three and scale of measurement short letters is a valuable tool in improving a piano players improvising skills.

Play Jazz Now

2007-07-18T13:25:00.001-07:00

Getting that wind sound can be a complex process. It is impossible to state who have got the top wind tone of voice and sound as we are all different and are subjective in our listening. What I'm about to share with you moves as a general usher in the country of getting that wind tone of voice of voice and should be improvise upon should you experience like it.

The Guitar

For an reliable wind tone, you should have got a semi-acoustic hollow organic structure electrical guitar. The Mel Gibson ES-175 or the Gretch Tennessean can run into one thousands of dollars but there are also first-class entry theoretical accounts such as as Ibanez Artcore line of guitars. Guitars by Yamaha or Club also do great entry degree semi-acoustics. Epiphone, owned by Mel Mel Gibson are designed for the aspirant instrumentalist to have a Gibson but deficiency the budget to make so. What you acquire is a antic sounding guitar made by Mel Gibson but at a much much less price. Look for a guitar which supplies a clean tone of voice of voice with plentifulness of sustain.

Jazz guitar participants often plays with a rich easygoing tone that is suitable for the style. Axial Rotation off the soprano on your guitar's controls to accomplish that.

A Wind Guitar Amplifier

The playing style and sound that you wish to achieve volition find the ampere you need. Very often, traditional wind guitar participants utilizes solid state amperes that tin green goods a clean sound which congratulate acoustic arch-top guitars. For others seeking a more than contorted sound, a tubing ampere might be just what you are looking for. Many wind guitar players utilize a Fender Pro or a Polytone. On board personal effects maybe another demand you are looking for. This tin scope from a overdrive transmission transmission channel to a reverb channel.

Effect Pedals

Type A intimation of reverb is all you necessitate if you are one who makes not desire to tamper with effects. However, many modern wind guitar participants today includes an armory of consequence bicycle points in their personal effects concatenation ranging from chorus, overdrive, deformation and even wah-wah pedal. A word of advice. When using effects, guarantee they congratulate your playing style and that you reserve that "clarity" in your tone. Many guitar participants often do the error of cluttering their guitar tone of voice with too many personal effects which consequences in a mediocre quality muddy sound.

In summary, listen, listen, listen. Listen to recordings by all the wind guitarists. Listen closely to their sounds and seek to emulate them. When done enough, you'll be able to happen that alone tone of voice in your guitar sound which you have got crafted. Congratulations! You have got establish your very ain signature sound!

How To Play The Accordion - A Step-By-Step Guide for the Complete Novice

2007-07-15T16:38:00.001-07:00

1.Get an accordion

OK, I cognize that sounds a small glib, but it really is the first step. Accordion is not the most popular, or common, instrument in the world. There may be some who believe that's A good thing for the incorrect grounds (there is the old proverb that a gentleman is person who can play the piano accordion but doesn't) but the relative unpopularity, of the instrument, compared to, say, guitar, can be a asset for us. For one, it intends there are many fresh piano accordions around, just waiting for an interested novitiate (that's you!) to come up along and give it a good home. Maybe it's in your ain joke or basement, or your grandmother's, uncle's, or friends. They don't have got to give it to you, you can just borrow it for a while. On the other hand, they may be so thankful for the possibility of getting quit of it that you may not be able to halt them from giving it to you!

2.Make certain it works.

If it's been sitting around for a long clip you desire to inspect it to see all is in working order. Brand certain the bawl is not ripped, that none of the keys or buttons stick, and that each short letter sounds properly. This is important.

3.Find a topographic point to practice. If you dwell in the country, with no neighbours within at least a 1 hundred paces (although farther is better) this won't be a problem, you can drill anywhere. One advantage to the piano accordion is that neighbours can be much closer than with other instruments, such as as bagpipes, which necessitate a separation of at least 500 yards.

If you don't dwell in the country, you will necessitate to happen a quiet room. Basements are preferable. It's a good thought to purchase some cork or acoustic tiles to line the ceiling and the walls. That manner your household will still speak to you and your friends will stay friends as you larn to play. You can believe of this room as your ain personal "crossroads," as in "The legendary blues vocalist Henry Martin Robert Samuel Johnson is reputed to have got gone to the crossroads, made a treaty with the Satan and emerged as one of the most talented and influential blues instrumentalists of modern history." You don't desire witnessers to your secret traffic at the crossroads. Let them calculate it out for themselves, or better yet, conjecture forever, after you emerge playing like champ!

4.Finger Yoga

Playing piano accordion necessitates agile fingers, as well as a crisp but unagitated mind. It is well known that Yoga promotes, flexibility, agility, interior composure and a focus. These are simple skills, it's true, but they are important for command of the instrument. Be diligent, and with just a few proceedings a twenty-four hours you'll be going from fingers twisted in pretzel-like presents to being stretched farther than you ever thought possible, in just a flash.

5. Ready, put ....

We're almost there. You've got your accordion; you've checked it over and it all works; you've got your place in the state or your soundproof room; you've done your finger yoga. You are ready to strap that babe on and play! But wait; there's just one more than thing? How make you play?

Simple, you acquire out that direction book you bought online, the 1 that divine you to larn in the first place; happen the "C" button with your left hand, pulling the creases apart; fourth estate a button; fourth estate a cardinal with your right hand; make it again.

Bingo! You're playing piano accordion in 5 easy steps.

Play Guitar With Ease When You Get Off To A Good Start

2007-07-12T07:11:00.001-07:00

To play Guitar, for most people who have got discovered the joyousness of this instrument, is a life long journeying that starts with a dream, or the beginnings of a passionateness inspired by music and the instrumentalists who play Guitar in the style that moves them. When the passionateness to play Guitar takes clasp we realise that the journeying is an on going acquisition procedure where we consistently dispute ourselves to get the hang new techniques and styles and detect the exhilaration when what once seemed imposable is now easy.

But, perhaps the greatest challenge is right at the outset, when for whatever reason, we make up one's mind to play Guitar and set off on our first mission, to actually get the acquisition process, the newbie phase. Here the initial passionateness and enthusiasm associated with deciding to play guitar can be fragile. Gaining manual dexterity and coordination between custody and fingers can be frustrating, so it's important to have got a positive experience at this time.

Let's human face it, we all hatred being a newbie, whatever we take to learn, and we desire to acquire past this phase quickly. To larn to play Guitar there are respective factors that lend towards breakage through the initial acquisition curve. Here are three of them.

First is the instrument itself. The passionateness and motive to play Guitar travels manus in manus with the pursuit for tone of voice and a good sounding instrument is one that's going to acquire played a lot. A passionate participant will develop an apprehension of how the instrument is constructed, the types of wood used and how this finds the resonance and tone of voice of voice of the instrument.

When beginning to play Guitar the enticement is often to begin with a inexpensive one, just in lawsuit the passionateness doesn't take hold, but considering that the pursuit is for tone, this is not a realistic approach. Cheap Guitars, acoustic or electric, sound cheap; they are normally constructed from laminated wood, a fancy name for plywood, so conceive of what we can anticipate in footing of resonance and tone. That's right, not much. It's break to pass a small more than and acquire an instrument that's going to sound good, and there are some great, reasonably priced, 1s out there.

Next is to acquire a manage on tuning the instrument. Whenever we play Guitar we desire the instrument sounding its best so we bask what we're hearing, and anyone hearing makes too. Tuning the instrument is relatively easy, once you cognize how, but it trusts on developing your ear to recognise when the twines are at the right pitch, individually and to each other. The good news is that electronic piano tuners are inexpensive and readily available. However, electronic piano tuners should be seen as a convenience as they only state you when the twine is at the right pitch. They don't manage the other facet of tuning, which is keeping the instrument in melody no substance how difficult you play it.

Third, and very important, is gaining an understanding, and grasp for basic music harmoniousness and, to a similar extent, timing. Typically our journeying starts with a motive to play Guitar like the instrumentalists who animate us and the desire to play their songs. While learning songs is a great manner to learn, develop manual dexterity and timing, and have got fun, the cardinal to being able to play any song is apprehension harmony, or in other words the human relationship between the notes. When you understand this, and it's not that complicated, you will quickly see, and be surprised by, the simple and insistent word forms that do up all the popular forms of music we listen to today.

In summary, to do a speedy passage through the initial acquisition curved shape and drama Guitar with assurance acquire a quality instrument that sounds good, larn to tune, and maintain it in tune, and while having merriment acquisition your front-runner songs, larn basic music harmoniousness so you cognize where all those scales of measurement and chords come up from.

How To Get An Internship In The Music Business Without Having A Single Contact

2007-07-09T14:55:00.001-07:00

So... you desire to be in the music business? There are a batch of you out there. I cognize this because I have a music praseodymium house and every clip we set out a phone call for internes or jobs, we acquire somewhere between 100 - 250 resumes. Once upon a time, I was just like you- dying to follow my passionateness and aggressively trying to set down a occupation in the industry of my dreams. It was a demeaning and, at times, demeaning exercising so this dear immature aspirant music concern Mogul is for you. Interns are much needed in every aspect of the industry, and most of my music industry friends (myself included) started out as unpaid internes back in their twenty-four hours and we leveraged our unpaid internships into paying jobs.

If you dwell in or near New House Of York or LA, this usher will be easy to follow measure by step. But if you don't, make not fret. You will be amazed at how many little music companies are thriving in practically every metropolis and state.

Policy short letter – Due to policies, bigger companies necessitate to use only pupils enrolled in college looking to acquire credit. So, if your internship is not for credit, bank check before you acquire your bosom set on a place you may not be qualified to fill.

YOUR first LESSON

TWO words THAT APPLY TO EVERY music industry RELATED INTERNSHIP: NO PAY

I cognize you are disbursement a luck to travel to college but here is the world – 99.9% of all music concern internships are unpaid. I cognize it makes not look just but the truth is there are so many people looking to acquire started that payment is not usually offered. So if making money is on your end list, you will necessitate to acquire a 2nd occupation to feed your passionateness around music. Don't allow a small thing like money maintain you from your dream.

OK, so now that you cognize you will be working for free and probably paying your college to acquire recognition - so actually you will be paying to work – brand it something you desire to do!

STEP ONE: IDENTIFY YOUR areas OF INTEREST

Search your mind. Ask yourself what portion of the music concern make you desire to be in? Are it Marketing, Radio, Publicity, Online Marketing, Touring, or A&R? You may not cognize the reply to this inquiry yet and that is alright. You are not supposed to cognize until you acquire some experience in a peculiar area. BUT if you don't stipulate what you are looking to try, the people in complaint of hiring you will have got NO hint where you will suit or how they can suit you into their business. So having a listing of general countries of involvement is a necessity.

To acquire a workings cognition of what different parts of the music industry are available, here are two suggestions:

1. Buy All You Necessitate To Know About the Music Business by Donald Passman. This fabulous book is still after all these old age the Bible of the Music Business, and it will give you a great dislocation of the cardinal places and the general overall constitution of the industry as a whole. Just leafage through - you don't have got to read the whole thing screen to cover.

2. Bash Online research. There are infinite articles available advising instrumentalists how make undertake their ain careers. So to make your research, set yourself in the artist's place and start surfing and learning! If the articles vibrate with you and look interesting than you have got got establish a good match.

Create a listing of 3-4 countries that you can work in (if you only have 1 that's all right too!).

General Music Industry Categories

Large Record Label (i.e. Sony, Charles Dudley Warner Music, Universal, etc.)

Specify a department:

A&R

Promotions

Publicity

Marketing

Licensing

Radio Station

Specify a department:

On Air

Producer

Sales

Promotions

Marketing Firm – There are many genres within:

Street Marketing

Online Marketing

Tour Marketing

Specialty / Life Style Marketing

Small Record Label (you probably won't necessitate to stipulate department)

Promotion Firm

Management Company

Engagement Agency

Radio Promotions Company

Music Venue

Concert Promoter

Production Studio

Publication Company

Movie & television Licensing

Music Website – Good for techies or authors or designers

Music Magazine / Webzine – Good for aspirant journalists

STEP TWO: make A dream list OF companies & artists YOU LOVE

Research as much as you can in your chosen field. Again, believe like a musician. There are a million resources available for instrumentalists that listing companies that aid support them, and they all have got websites that clearly demo what they make and who their clients are.

If you love a specific set or artist, expression up whom they work with and set those companies on your listing because nil is more than electrifying and appreciated than working for your favorite people and sets (I still acquire a bang out of that and I've been working in the music industry for 14 years).

STEP THREE: rock YOUR RESUME

Next, make the most AMAZING sketch you can set together. There are many websites, books, and even your calling guidance business office at school that tin instruct you on how to make this so I'm not going to acquire into much item here. But delight attentiveness this advice:

Be Concise – one page only

Be Detailed – What did you bash at your former occupations that are listed? These should show your talents.

Be Interesting – Include personal touchings and avocations or particular interests

Tip – the music concern be givens to be a spot more than informal, so you have got got a small spot more room to play with your sketch and do your personality radiance through more than you would on a "corporate" resume.

STEP FOUR: recommendations RULE

This adjacent piece of advice is a small spot non-traditional arsenic well…I phone call the first people that have great mention letters in for interviews first!

Call an old employer, a professor, or a individual in your life who can compose you a dramatic recommendation letter. If you can inquire the individual authorship the missive to advert strengths that volition be cohesive with the job, you desire this. It will really do you stand up out.

STEP FIVE: start APPLYING

Now that you have got got your list, there are three topographic points you can go:

Straight to the companies of your dreamings that you have discovered – in these cases, they may not be advertisement for internes so you necessitate to cold phone call and inquire first if they would see accepting a sketch (be excited and state the truth that you establish out about their company and you would love to be considered). Then inquire to whom the sketch should be addressed.

Websites where employers station for internes – We usage EntertaimentCareers.net, and at any given clip there are plenty of internships available on it.

Your college's calling business office (Don't number on them as your chief resource – my best internes establish me by looking online).

STEP SIX: THE GOLDEN RULES

NEVER EVER direct a sketch without a screen letter. It's totally unprofessional.

Include the NAME, ADDRESS, company NAME, and INDIVIDUAL'S name on each screen letter, and CUSTOMIZE each missive FOR THAT particular COMPANY. Yes, this volition take longer but it will also acquire you results. If it is not obvious call and politely ask!

Note: Out of the 150 sketches I just received on my last unit of ammunition of hirings, only three people set my company name on the screen missive and wrote "Dear Ms. Hyatt". And

100% of all of these letters mentioned in the first paragraph that the campaigner had first-class communicating accomplishments – and Iodine thought are you kidding me??? If you are so first-class at communicating, how come up my name was not mentioned ONCE? The letters that really irritated me and made me never desire to ran into the campaigner were the letters that said "Dear Sir" (I am a woman) or "Dear hour Dept" or even more than than gross: "Dear Hiring Committee" (I'm the lone 1 that brands determinations at my company about hiring, 25 secs on my website would larn you that).

Mention some things that associate directly to the company you are applying to – the name calling of the artists, your passionateness about what it is they do, how you became interested in music, etc.

Please for the love of sweet Supreme Being above DON'T compose any of the followers lines:

"I have got got got got got got got first-class communicating skills."

"I have loved music for as long as Iodine can remember, since the twenty-four hours I was born."

"I believe I am the perfect lucifer for your company (unless you state WHY)."

"My extended background in music…" OK, if you are under the age of 25 you DON'T have an extended background (an extended background is 10 old age or more).

DO compose the followers lines (if they are not the truth of course of study don't compose these!):

"I have been a fan of (artist's name this company plant with here) since (year/concert you attended, etc.)."

"I have always wanted to learn about (company's forte here) and a place at your company would supply me just that opportunity."

" I have (the existent #) of friends on (MySpace/Facebook/Bebo/any other cool societal networking land site here"

If you are applying to a selling or praseodymium house that affects an online space, highlight how many MySpace and/or Facebook friends you have, and if you are on other new societal networking land sites or on Second Life. This could be your aureate ticket! Everyone wishes a well-connected intern. It's a immense asset!

"I have got got already had some experience with (booking, promoting, etc), and would love to spread out on what I have already learned at (school, from volunteering etc.)."

STEP SEVEN: SEND Type A PHYSICAL transcript OF YOUR RESUME

Most of these websites give you an interface to travel through and you submit your sketch straight to them via the Internet. Definitely make this and IN addition if you can facsimile or mail in your resume, I highly urge you make this as well (remember to turn to with a specific person's name!).

STEP EIGHT: dainty EACH sketch LIKE Type A doomed PUPPY

Back to my 150 campaigners from this past calendar month – NOT ONE called to follow up to see if I had received the resume! This not only mystified me but also irritated me to no end.

So – a few years after you direct the resume, call to follow up! This is a great manner to stand up out in the crowd because NO ONE ELSE IS career – trust me, I know.

Even if the website states "don't name us, we'll name you" you should name and politely inquire if your sketch was received because 100% of everyone I cognize in the music concern is so busy that they don't have got clip to always follow up with the flood of resumes. This could be a missed chance to set down a job!

STEP NINE: astatine YOUR INTERVIEW

So, you followed my stairway and you got an interview set up? Wonderful!

If you acquire three or four interviews, travel to the 1 that you are least interested in first to sharpen your interview skills.

THE day OF – CALL first to corroborate your interview. It's professional and a great manner to stand up out.

Be 10 proceedings early (not more), and retrieve the music concern is insouciant so a three-piece lawsuit is highly discouraged. I propose concern casual.

Bring a book or a magazine in lawsuit you have got to wait.

Bring two transcripts of your resume, screen letter, and recommendation missive as well as some authorship samples (if applicable – even if it's a paper you wrote about the music business). This is interesting and it put you apart again!

Don't be afraid to inquire inquiries like What makes a typical internship embrace here? or Make you have got got got some specific undertakings I might be working on?

With most internship interviews I do, I always have to ask: Make you have any questions? And it always go forths a eldritch taste sensation in my oral cavity if they have got none – even if you inquire how many years the company is expecting internes to work and what the hours would be. At least you are establishing a dialog! I propose preparing 2-3 in-depth questions that you have got researched by looking online at this specific company and come up prepared!

Tips

The littler the company, the more than than work you will probably stop up doing and the more experience you will derive – it's just the nature of the beast.

If you don't like the individual that interviews you, DON'T take the occupation – trust your instincts!

Don't inquire if the internship will turn into a paid position. You are in complaint of being the most amazing interne that they ever had. This volition Pb to a occupation but first you have got to turn out yourself!

STEP TEN: ALWAYS FOLLOW UP!!!

Even if you HATED the interview, ALWAYS direct a give thanks you electronic mail to follow up (or better yet a CARD!) to state thanks for taking the clip to interview me! If you really enjoyed the interview, say sol and WHY. And don't be afraid to state "after meeting you Iodine am even more than convinced that I would wish to work with you!" Flattery WILL acquire you (almost everywhere).

I trust that these tips turn into a winning internship experience, and I would love to hear from you and happen out how this usher worked for you – please electronic mail me at talkback [AT] arielpublicity.com

I may even print your story!

Electric Guitar Set Up: How to Maximize Your Guitar's Performance

2007-07-06T06:40:00.001-07:00

Like any preciseness instrument guitars will execute their best when they are properly put up. By setting up your guitar properly you can maximise your guitar's possible and also customize how it will feel, play, and sound to your liking. There are some accommodations that are best left to a professional but you can make a batch yourself with just a few simple tools. Here are 3 easy stairway you can take to set your guitar's action, intonation, and pickup truck output.

The action of a guitar mentions to how easy it is to fuss (push down on) the strings. A guitar set up with good action will play effortlessly. The easiest manner to impact the action of a guitar is by adjusting the twine tallness at the bridge. Most electrical guitars will have got an adjustable span to let this. Most guitar Bridges will have got either a hand-turned span tallness accommodation knob (like on Les Alice Paul type guitars) or a hex-wrench driven chemical mechanism (like most Strat-type guitars). Simply turn the prison guards to take down the twine height. The end is to travel as low as you can before the twines begin to 'buzz' significance they are resting on a the stew wire. There are some cases where you may desire a higher twine height, for illustration if you play microscope slide guitar, but in general the less the better. Other accommodations that affect twine tallness and action such as as tallness at the nut, cervix angle, and truss perch accommodations may be better left for the professional.

Intonation of a guitar mentions to the human relationship of the fusses to the precise twine length. A guitar that is intonated correctly will sound 'in-tune' at all cervix positions. Poorly intonated guitars will sound Oklahoma at one cervix position, but will sound 'out-of-tune' at other cervix positions. The length of a guitar twine from nut to bridge over demands to be exactly bisected at the 12th fret. In other words the 12th stew must split the twine exactly in half. Here the adjustable span come ups into drama again. Most Bridges will have got individual saddles for each twine that tin be moved to set intonation. Moving the twine saddle, in effect, alterations the length of the string. You will necessitate a good electronic piano tuner to set your intonation. The end here is to precisely fit the tone of voice of voice of the fretted 12th twine to the tone of the 12th twine natural harmonic. A natural harmonic tone of voice is achieved by lone lightly putting your finger over the stew wire (the 12th in this instance) and picking the twine normally. Natural harmonics will peal like a chime. They are easier to hear when the guitar is plugged into an ampere and even easier when using the overdrive transmission channel of your amp. Use your piano tuner to fit the tone of voice of voice of the 12th twine harmonic to the fretted 12th twine tone by incrementally moving the twine saddle 1 manner or the other. Bash this for each individual string, and your guitar will be intonated.

Pickup end product can greatly be affected by the propinquity of the pickup truck to the string. The easiest manner to set this is by adjusting the pickup truck height. The near the pickup truck is to the twine the higher the output. Most pickup truck trucks will have got a tallness accommodation prison guard on either side of the pickup housing. Simply turn it to raise and less the pickup. Fret the twines at the peak possible stew and raise the pickup truck so that it's about 1/8" from the string. This should bring forth a good high end product sound. From here you can customize your sound by either elevation or lowering the high Vitamin Vitamin E or low E side of the pickup truck to heighten or subdue the soprano or bass response. Brand certain that you fit the end product between all of your pickup trucks so that you won't acquire a large volume alteration when you change pickups.

Egos are getting in the way of tour

2007-07-03T01:01:00.000-07:00

The Spice Girls' comeback is reportedly being rocked by jealous in-fighting and petty rows.

The band have only just announced their reunion but already there are clashes of personality.

'There are too many egos for them to last more than a tour together,' says a close source. 'On the outside the girls are pals and everything is fantastic.

'But behind the scenes the Spice Girls' wars have started again - and the egos have landed.'

Mel B was reportedly the first to annoy the others with her diva-like behaviour in front of journalists last week.

'She was also spouting all sorts of stuff, and desperate to show off,' the source tells the News Of The World.

It's alleged Mel C even asked to be moved away from her at the press conference. C'mon ladies, this surely isn't what girl power is all about?

Keiko Matsui Piano Smooth Jazz Music CD Review

2007-07-02T17:11:00.001-07:00

Piano is the latest release from Smooth Jazz Artist Keiko Matsui, and is another great one by this talented musician.

It's a rare day indeed that I get a CD from an artist that I can truthfully say does not have a bad track in the bunch. I'm more than happy to announce that's exactly what I must say about this one. There simply isn't a bad one in the bunch. No fillers here at all, with each song standing tall on it's own.

One of the refreshingly nice things about this CD is the way all of the participating artists seem to be really enjoying themselves. Combine that with the overall presentation and you've got one of Keiko Matsui's most impressive releases ever.

If you're even mildly into Smooth Jazz music you'll enjoy this CD. Overall Piano is an a great release. I give it my double thumbs up. You will not be disappointed with one single track.

While this entire CD is outstanding the truly standout tunes are track 1 - Presence Of The Moon, track 3 - Whisper From The Mirror, and track 5 - Light Above The Trees.

My SmoothLee Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 10 - See You There. Good stuff!

Piano Release Notes:

Keiko Matsui originally released Piano on May 6, 2003 on the Sony Wonder label.

CD Track List Follows:

1. Presence Of The Moon

2. Water Lily

3. Whisper From The Mirror

4. Between The Moons

5. Light Above The Trees

6. Doll

7. Beyond The Light

8. Trees

9. Forever, Forever

10. See You There

11. Dawn

12. Distance

13. Be With Me

Personnel: Keiko Matsui (piano); Derek Nakamoto (programming). Recorded at Power House Studio, Tokyo, Japan.

3 Doors Down Away From The Sun Rock Music CD Review

2007-06-29T12:19:00.001-07:00

The extremely talented group 3 Doors Down have released their latest CD on the Universal Records recording label, entitled Away From The Sun.

It's a rare day indeed that I get a CD from an artist that I can truthfully say does not have a bad track in the bunch. I'm more than happy to announce that's exactly what I must say about this one. There simply is NOT a bad one in the bunch. No fillers here at all.

Refreshingly, this was one of those CDs I was able to just pop in and comfortably listen to from beginning to end. Every track is enjoyable and was pretty easy for me to listen to from start to finish.

Away From The Sun is a nicely varied, mix of 11 tracks that are very well written and brilliantly performed songs by these clearly superb musicians. Most of the songs display a lot of the kind emotion that makes for a really great listen. Clearly drawing from what I can only imagine are their own real life experiences. At different points touching on the most real emotions of love, heartbreak, pain, failed relationships and unattainable romance. They're all here.

Listen to and I think you'll agree that the song choices are excellent, the production is outstanding and 3 Doors Down is clearly a group that is in top form.

While the entire CD is really very good the truly standout tunes are track 2 - Away From The Sun, track 3 - The Road I'm On, and track 10 - Going Up In Flames.

My SmoothLee Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 5 - Running Out Of Days. Good stuff!

Away From The Sun Release Notes:

3 Doors Down originally released Away From The Sun on Nov 12, 2002 on the Universal Records label.

CD Track List Follows:

1. When I'm Gone

2. Away From The Sun

3. Road I'm On, The

4. Ticket To Heaven

5. Running Out Of Days

6. Here Without You

7. I Feel You

8. Dangerous Game

9. Changes

10. Going Down In Flames

11. Sarah Yellin'

12. untitled - (hidden track)

3 Doors Down: Brad Arnold (vocals); Matt Roberts, Chris Henderson (guitar); Todd Harrell (bass). Additional personnel includes: Josh Freese (drums). Recorded at London Bridge, Seattle, Washington; Greenhouse, Burnaby, Canada and Ocean Way Studios, Hollywood, California.

The Correct Approach When Learning How To Play Guitar

2007-06-21T12:18:00.001-07:00

Guitar playing skill should be on autopilot

The most important first step to any kind of musical ability is mastering the playing technique on your instrument. whether it's guitar, piano, sax, anything really. One should get as much technique as possible. This may seem obvious, but it is the downfall of many good musicians, that would otherwise have been great.

Forget about playing other peoples music for a while, learning how to play their songs etc.

Okay, there is a small concession to make. If you are using someone else's music for the sake of learning a particular lesson, for example, getting familiar with chords and practicing changing chords faster, then that's still okay. The problem comes in when one learns other peoples solos and runs, guitar riffs etc, but haven't taken the time to really learn the fretboard and scales. I'm going to talk more about the guitar here, because I'm a guitarist, and because guitarists are "My people". Let me just say, that there's no such thing as a rhythm guitarist. Before you get too far along with guitar lessons, you'll realize that the way to be the best rhythm guitarist, is to learn how to play lead guitar as well.

Get as much technical ability going as you can by learning to play scales, in their entirety, up and down the fretboard, so that the various patterns that make up the scales are etched into your memory. You will notice later on how the different chords fit into that scale. This has a very positive effect on your ability to write songs, as well as your understanding of what you are doing within a song. Hone your technical ability to the point where your fingers know what to do, and where to go even before you do.

Half of playing the guitar is confidence

This is where playing guitar really becomes quite beautiful. Get as much technique as you can, and then forget it. It will be that you simply intend for something to happen, and your fingers take care of the rest. The reason I'm telling you all this, is because I have known guitarists who learned other peoples riffs and solo's, could play them perfectly, but when it came time to do their own thing on the guitar, where at a loss because they had a very limited understanding of the fretboard, had only practiced their scales in a few positions on the fretboard or had settled for learning only the pentatonic scale. Be the creative force on the guitar. Why settle for just regurgitating someone else's creativity. Blaze a trail across the fretboard, going where you want, when you want, as fast as you want, without regard for consequence. I have done things on the guitar that I myself couldn't fathom or repeat. that's because my guitar playing is on autopilot.

Free Legal Music Downloads - Should They Be DRM Free Too?

2007-06-08T12:38:00.001-07:00

It's what everybody's after; free, legal music downloads. In many cases it's not only the fact that people want free downloads, it's that they want their music to be unencumbered by DRM restrictions. Once they've downloaded their music, people want the ability to transport it to as many of their playback devices as they wish. The typical downloader today has a laptop, at least one desktop machine, a portable MP3 player, and possible an MP3 / WMA enabled head unit in their vehicle(s). Most consumers would like to be able to burn their music onto a CD for archival or playback on other devices that don't support any of the download formats, like a traditional CD player.

The requirements of DRM that limited them from being able to freely use their music in any or all of these devices was a prime consideration in their desire to obtain free, legal music downloads. It's typically not all about the money. There's more in play when it comes to downloads. After all, consumers have shown time and again they are more than willing to pay a fair price for a product or service if it meets their needs and expectations.

A 2005 survey of European Internet consumers by the Indicare Project revealed that 40% listened to music on MP3 players and 69% listened to music on their computers, but many were confused by DRM restrictions. Most surveyed expected to be able to transfer and burn their music downloads, and were "confused and annoyed" when unable to. With the rising popularity of not only music downloads, but the increasing popularity of video and movie downloads, this problem is likely to grow worse.

The recent announcement that Amazon.com and EMI that they would be releasing legal music downloads with no DRM restrictions seems to bear out the fact that such restrictions are actually of dubious benefit to the recording and movie industries, despite vicious prosecution of many downloaders by industry associations such as the RIAA. In fact EMI is the 4th largest record label group in the world, and you can be sure they have studied the DRM / downloading issue ad nausem.

The reality of the situation is that consumers want to be able to do with their downloads as they please, especially if they've paid for them, and the restrictions posed by DRM are actually hurting the industry. Unless it can be shown that a substantial percentage of those who availed themselves of free music downloads would have actually purchased similar content had they not downloaded the music some other way, the music industry will suffer by continuing to impose such restrictions. Actually the number of people who avoid DRM encumbered, legal downloads altogether due to portability issues will continue to contribute to the decline in music sales, when music downloads should be creating a much larger revenue stream for the recording industry and the artists.

The Most Important Piano Scales Revealed

2007-05-22T11:04:00.001-07:00

There are dozens of piano scales in music. There are major, minor, pentatonic and a whole lot more. There are four important piano scales that every piano player should learn. This article will tell you what those scales are and how to play them.

Half Steps/Whole Steps

To learn how to play piano scales, you must first understand half and whole steps. A half-step is the distance from one note to the very next note. For example, the distance between E and F is a half step. The distance from F to F# is a half step. A whole step is simply two half steps combined. The distances from C to D and G to A are whole steps. In learning how to play the scales, we will refer to half steps with an H and whole steps will be referred to as a W.

Major

Major piano scales are the most common type of scales used in Western music. To play a major scale, you simply start on the root note and use the following formula: W-W-H-W-W-W-H. Using this formula, you will find that the notes of the C major scale are C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C. The notes of the F major scale are F-G-A-Bb-C-D-E-F. You can use this formula to find the major scale of any key.

Natural Minor

Natural minor scales are also the most commonly used piano scales. To play a natural minor scale, you start on the root note and use the formula: W-H-W-W-H-W-W. Using this formula, you will see that the notes of the C natural minor scale are C-D-Eb-F-G-Ab-Bb-C. The notes of the F natural minor scale are F-G-Ab-Bb-C-Db-Eb-F.

Melodic Minor

The next set of piano scales to learn is the melodic minor scales. To play a melodic minor scale, you begin on the root note and use the following formula: W-H-W-W-W-W-H. By using the formula, you will see that the notes of the C melodic minor scale are C-D-Eb-F-G-A-B-C. The notes that make up the F melodic minor scale are F-G-Ab-Bb-C-D-E-F.

Harmonic Minor

The last set of piano scales that everyone should know is the harmonic minor scale. The only difference between the harmonic minor and the melodic minor scale is the sixth note. Instead of going up 1 whole step from the fifth note, you are supposed to go up 1 1/2 whole steps (3 half steps). Therefore, the notes that make up the C harmonic minor scale are C-D-Eb-F-G-Ab-B-C. The F harmonic minor scale is made up of F-G-Ab-Bb-C-Db-E-F.

These are the most important piano scales to learn. You should pick a key and learn all four scales before moving on to the next key. Soon, you will be able to play all of the piano scales quickly and easily.

Music From The 70's - An Informal Reveiw Of Some Of My Favorites

2007-05-14T11:13:00.001-07:00

I have read that the 1970's were a pivotal decade, sending American culture in a new direction. The decade started with the "Smiley Face" stickers and bubblegum music, and took off from there, in several different directions. Here are some of my favorite hits from that decade:

1) "Popcorn"-

This song was music played on the Moog Synthesizer, an instrument that became popular in the late "60's. It was composed by Gershon Kingsley and first released in 1969, although it was the band "Hot Butter" that really made it a hit in 1972. "Hot Butter" was mostly just Stan Free playing the synthesizer. I loved it because it really does sound like popcorn; it's catchy and fun.

2) "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"-

This was originally a South African Zulu folk song, and was made a hit in the U.S. by the Tokens in 1961. It was remade in 1972 by Robert John, which is the version I liked best. It was actually a big hit in South Africa when it was recorded by Solomon Linda in 1939, who had written it based on an experience he had chasing lions who were stalking his family's cows. This is a catchy tune too, although some of the words can be confusing to some people.

3) "Stairway to Heaven"-

This Led Zeppelin song, from 1971, was everyone's favorite in my school. Actually it has been the most requested song ever on FM stations, as well as the most popular sheet music in rock and roll, selling over a million copies. It was written by Robert Plant and Jimmy Page, and is eight minutes long. It was never released as a single.

4) "Lady Marmalade"-

This was a song about prostitutes in New Orleans in the French
Quarter (red-light district), and was recorded by Patti Labelle in 1974. It was written by Bob Crewe and Kenny Nolan and became their biggest hit. I couldn't understand a lot of the words but I was thrilled to be able to understand the French ones "Voulez-vouz coucher avec moi, ce soir? (do you want to go to bed with me tonight?)"

5) "I am Woman"-

This song came out in 1972. Helen Reddy wrote lyrics and Ray Burton changed some of them to fit into the music he wrote for it. They were both Australians. Feminism was big in the "70's and this became one of the leading feminist anthems. I found it affirming and exciting.

6) "Riders on the Storm"-

This song, from 1971, was Jim Morrison's last, shortly before his death. The effect of rain in this song was from the electric piano. I think the piano solo was the best part of the whole song, but it was partly cut out to shorten the song for AM radio. This is my favorite song of all time.

The 1970's were good years for music. There was lots of variety, everything from disco to feminist and protest songs, as well as darker, more "adult" songs. . There was music to please everyone. It is unfortunate that this music doesn't get played much any more, except for the really big hits. A lot of lesser-known 1970's music would be great to hear again.

I Need a Life!

2007-05-04T01:50:00.000-07:00

I miss people! Okay, now granted that sentence sounds odd as I work at a place where I am surrounded by tons of people all day long, but that doesn't count! Sure, I work with lots of people, and sure, I see my sister at least once most days, and I stop by my parents a couple times a week, but that's not what I miss.

I miss spending time with a good friend in a non work environment. My social life, outside of family members has been lacking somewhat. Heather, Kyle and I went for drinks last week, and that was pretty fun. That is once in 2 months though. Heather and Kyle are both people that I actually want to hang out with outside of work, however they live an hour and a half away from where I live, and our shift end times are 2 hours different. Makes it hard to hang out outside of work too often, which blows pretty hard! On the bright side though, my sister has been talking a fair amount about wanting to move to the town Heather and Kyle live in, so that wouldn't break my heart.

I guess, living with Adrienne I got spoiled. For a while, her and I where working similar shifts, so we'd hang out every night. We'd go for a drink, or we'd just chill out at home and chat.

Valentine's Day

2007-02-12T02:10:00.000-08:00

So, do all you people out there have big Valentine's Day plans? I don't, I have to work, but Kyle is coming over the day after. We're going out for dinner with my family since the 15th is my dad's 70th birthday. Then Kyle is going to stay at my place with me for a couple weeks while my parents are away since I'll be watching their dog. Kyle agreed to help me puppy sit. I feel bad leaving the dog at home alone while Im at work since I'm gone for 12 hours at a time.

What better gift could a girl ask for then having the man she is CRAZY about stay with her for a couple weeks? I'm excited! I've never felt about anyone the way I feel about him. After 2.5 months of spending a minimum of 2 days and 3 nights with this man, I still get giddy and excited when I know I'll be getting to see him or talk to him soon. I miss him every minute that we're apart. I've never felt this way before, and I am loving every second of it.

Happy Valentine's Day to you all!

How Rude!

2007-02-08T02:10:00.000-08:00

So get this, yesterday I'm sitting at a table in the lunch room at work, eating my dinner and reading a newpaper I found laying around, when I get invaded! Three guys, who had to be in their 30s come up, put their stuff on my table and the one guy is like 'You're almost done right?' This is as I'm still chewing my last bite. Now I'm pretty shy in situations like that, and saying something would have been more trouble than it was worth, so I just got up and left. What the hell though? There where several empty tables in the lunch room, my 'lunch' break is at 7pm, not exactly a busy time. They wanted the specific table I was at, so they just overtook it.

I felt like the girl in all those teen movies. The one who is either new in school or considered a loser by the popular girls. The one who sits at an empty table only to find out that it's 'their' table and be pushed aside. Of course, the emotion I felt was just mild annoyance as opposed to suicidal shame and misery, but you get my drift.

It's Been a While

2007-02-02T02:10:00.000-08:00

I hardly go online at all anymore. Oh the Joys of having a job and a Boyfriend. Things are going well with both though. I recently got a new shift. I now work 2pm - 12:30am with Sunday Monday and Tuesday off. 3 days off is pretty sweet. My boyfriend stays at my place during my days off since he's choosing to not work at this time.

Things are going really well on that front. We never get bored of eachother or on eachothers nerves. It's new to me to be able to spend this much time with one person without getting sick of them hahah. We've been going out just over 2 months now. It seems like a lot longer, but I guess that's because we tend to spend 3 or 4 consecutive days togeather every week. My family likes him, so that is a bonus. I keep expecting to wake up one day and be the bitchy annoying person that I was with my ex. My current will do something that doesn't bother me, but it will be something that would have made me mad if my ex had done it. I think that in some way my ex and I brought out the worst in eachother.

As broke as I am, and as much as a lot of things suck right now. Overall I'm quite happy. I like my job and I'm in a happy relationship.

I need to try and get my butt online a bit more though.

Happy Holidays

2006-12-23T02:10:00.000-08:00

So, I've been pretty much spending all my spare time with the new boyfriend. Christmas day we will have been going out for exactly 1 month. Sometimes I think about it and it seems like we've been going out way longer, like I've known him way longer, other times, I can't believe it's been a month already. Time has been going so quickly.

We have similar days off. He works 10 hour shifts, so he has Monday Tuesday and Wednesday off, I have Tuesday and Wednesday off, so he meets me at work when I get off on Monday, and we do something in town, then go to my house, and he stays with me until Wednesday, when we head back into town, do something, then go hang out at his house until way to late at night, then I come home, and get nowhere near enough sleep and start my work week off ass tired. I love every minute of it.

We laugh a lot when we're together, and just have a lot of fun in general. A girl at work made a comment to me that she thinks we seem more like best friends than like we're a couple. I really liked that comment. Of course, she only sees us interact on the work floor. She doesn't see all the making out and cuddling and hand holding. We are totally one of those couples that you see and they make you want to puke. Generally, we're only like that when we're alone though, not when we're hanging out with friends.

I also like that we actually go out and do stuff. So far, we've gone to 1 movie, played pool twice, and gone bowling twice. We've also gone out to eat more often than I care to mention lol. I'm absolutely crazy about this guy. He makes me feel great, and makes me laugh and makes me smile and I feel completely comfortable and at ease with him. I am constantly looking forward to the next time I get to see him outside of work. Which is in this case tomorrow.

Tis the holiday season. The season of eating too much Turkey, and holy crap is that ringing true this year. THREE turkey dinners for Kyle and I! Last night we had Turkey Dinner with his parents and brothers. Christmas day we are going to his Grandmothers for Turkey Dinner and Boxing Day (Day after Christmas in Canada) we are having yet another Turkey Dinner at my parents house. Just to mix things up a little, on Christmas Eve, I am going to Kelowna to have Chinese Food with my two sisters and my nephew. I'm pretty psyched for it all. I just wish I didn't work so much if it. I work every day, including Christmas. I get off at 4pm on the 25th and have the 26th and 27th off.

Well speaking of work, it's time for me to go to it. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season full of love and presents.

I Need a Life!

2006-11-13T02:10:00.000-08:00

Marjor Life Change

2006-11-08T02:10:00.000-08:00

As of two days ago, Kyle and I are no longer a couple.

We had a really long talk the other night, and decided mutually that we're probably better off as friends. At some point, I think we already became that, but neither of us really noticed. Neither of us was unhappy, but we weren't ecstatically happy either. We ran out of small talk. If it wasn't a major issue, we had very little to say to one another. We also have very different interests. In fact, about the only common interest we have is movies and reading. I want a “typical” life. I want to get married and have a couple kids and get up every morning to go to a job. Kyle loathes the concept. He doesn't want kids, he doesn't want a “normal” job, he wants to go and try strange things in strange place. He wants to live in a huge city, I want to live in a small town. He wants to live in Manitoba, I can't leave B.C.

I know we made the right choice, but it still makes me sad sometimes. I'm really glad that it was mutual though, and that there is no animosity on either of our parts. He is still planning to come out and visit me, and we've talked since breaking up and it isn't awkward at all.

I don't view the past 2 years as a waste, or our relationship as a failure, I simply view it as having changed. We have both changed as people the past few months. Neither of us is the person the other fell in love with, and neither of us is the person the other lived with. The people we where when we met where in love and everything was great. The people we became when we lived together, had resentments and fought all the time. The people we are now, have new lives and are better suited as friends.

180

2006-11-04T02:10:00.000-08:00

Well, today was an odd day to say the least. It started out just fine, work was good I was only one customer shy of my daily goal.

I knew things where about to do a 180 when I stopped quickly by my parents, and my dad says to me “You're going to need a hug” and gives me a hug. As much as I love hugs, no conversation that starts that way is going anyplace good! Turns out, that we've been evicted again. Pretty sweet huh? Considering the fact that I can hardly afford food only paying $200 a month for rent and utilities, this should be interesting. I get the impression from my sister, that we are moving even if we are once again unevicted. She's had enough of this crap.

Next I talked to Kyle on the telephone. I made a suggestion, and he agreed that it was a good idea. So, we are postponing the wedding. Last time he moved out to BC things went very wrong, so we've agreed that maybe it is best to work on keeping things running smoothly next time he comes to BC without the added pressure of saving the money to get married etc. So much has changed since we got engaged, that it is best to make sure things will work before getting married, as opposed to getting married and then finding out if things will work.

Lastly, I inadvertently insulted someone who I actually like a lot! I was picking on her in regards to a certain subject, and as it turns out, it's a sensitive subject. She's putting on a brave face, and making the best of a less than perfect situation, and she is doing so well, that I didn't even realize it was a soft spot. Once I realized I had offended her, I was quick to apologize, and I truly do feel bad for it. She's a great girl, and I really like her, the last thing I ever wanted was to hurt her feelings or insult her.

It's pretty sad really, when work is your escape. You're time and place to be able to laugh and not worry about all the bad things going on in your life. That is what my work is right now. I can just laugh and joke around with my coworkers and for a few hours not stress out about all the crap in my life that seems to be falling down around my feet. Some days I just don't feel strong enough to pick up all the pieces. I will though, I always do.

Points to Ponder

2006-10-31T02:10:00.000-08:00

I'm in a little bit of shock today. I was talking to Kyle today, when he announced, rather flippantly, that he has decided he is never having children. Apparently, observing his friends children has brought him to the conclusion that kids are noisy, annoying and expensive.

I'm sure that the behavior has nothing to do with the source of the offspring. The one chick is on kid 3, with guy 3, before age 15 and has a habit of ditching the kids with whoever she can whenever she can. The other couple with kids, is married, he is bisexual, they are both permitted to fool around with other people as long as there is no vaginal intercourse, and they have on at least one occasion, left their kid with grandma and grandpa in order to attend an orgy.

Now me, I want children. In fact, it is number 56 on my list of things about me. Until Kyle told me he never wants them, and I was forced to think about how I felt about that fact, I never realized how important it is to me to have kids. However, I can't coerce, force, trick, or guilt Kyle into having kids. He would just wind up resenting me for it in the end.

So, I guess him and I have to discuss the matter, and both of us have some thinking to do. He has to consider how serious he is about never wanting kids, and I have to consider how important it is to me to have them.

The part that sucks the most, is that we can't even talk about it for a while, because our schedules just don't match up correctly. So, in the mean time, I will think, panic, stress, freak out and think some more. Good fun.

Never Mind

2006-10-30T02:10:00.000-08:00

We're not moving after all. Turns out the landlord was just pissy about a high hydro bill. Well it wouldn't be so high if they would fix our fucking furnace so we didn't have to use electric heat. But anyways, he calmed down and said if we started paying half the hydro we could stay. Since rent is on 300 total, we're staying.

On The Move

2006-10-29T02:10:00.000-08:00

Our landlords have decided that it's too much work for them to run this place as well as their other property. So, they want to hire a farm hand. The farm hand, would get to live where we live now. That means we have to find a new home.

This sucks!

The one bright side to all this, is that we're going to move closer to both my sisters work and mine. The money we save on gas each month, will make up for the extra we have to pay in rent.

Weekend (Sorta)

2006-10-26T03:10:00.000-07:00

I had an awesome “weekend”. I don’t care what days of the week I have off, it’s my weekend. I went and stayed a couple nights at my sisters for her birthday, and got not nearly enough sleep. The first night I was there, I wound up staying up until after 1am, then woke up around 7:30 and was up for the day. Last night I stayed up until after midnight playing video games with my nephew and had to get up to come to work at 6:30. I feel just a wee bit tired today. I got “enough” sleep, but not as much as I usually do.

Yesterday, Lori and I pretty much just chilled. We hung around the house, watched TV, surfed the net and chatted. After Scott got home from school, the three of us went out for dinner. It was really good food. Would have been even better if Scott had have paid attention to prices and not ordered a $28 entrée. His came to more than Lori and mine did combined! Shesh, teenagers! Hehe We all made ourselves a bit ill after eating a entire 8” Ice Cream Cake from DQ.

Scott and I get along pretty good, and both like video games and trying to kick each others ass at snowboarding and surfing etc. This is a very good thing since at the end of the month I’ll be staying with him for a few days while Lori goes out of town for Christmas shopping.

I got some pretty freakin’ awesome news today when I got to work. Made having to work while being ass tired all worth while. Work did a 50/50 draw to raise money for the first ever set of conjoined twins born in British Columbia. I won! I actually bloody won! I never win anything, I’m so stoked. I got $300!

I have to say, that between spending time with some of my family on my days off, and getting a $300 return on my $5 investment…. I had a pretty damn good weekend.

The only bad news I have today, is that I feel like shit. Not “didn’t get enough sleep” bad, but sick bad. My throat is killing me, I looked in the mirror in the bathroom and my throat is all swollen, my uvula is actually sitting on the back of my tongue. It kills every time I swallow. However, on the bright side, $300 will buy me lots of lozenges!

So I Was Wondering........

2006-10-20T03:10:00.000-07:00

At work, I sit near Timbra, Barika and Kyle. On his break, Kyle was talking to Timbra and made some comment about activities of a sexual nature with another guy. Now this is not the first such comment I have heard. So, at lunch, I asked Timbra if Kyle was gay. She said she didn't think so, because he'd seemed to really enjoy it when she took him to the female stippers a couple months back. Barika agreed that she didn't think he was gay either. However, neither of them was possitive.

After lunch, I was the first one back, so it was just Kyle and I at out cubicle block. So I ask 'Hey Kyle, you're not gay are you?' Turns out he isn't, but the whole situation and his reaction was rather hillarious. When Timbra came back from lunch he points at her and goes 'ask Timbra' so I tell him 'I did, she said she didn't think so'. Poor Timbra had no clue what was going on when he gaped at her and said 'you don't THINK so?' I told him that he should just be glad I asked instead of assuming he was gay and telling everyone.

Of course, being the kind of guy he is, he made jokes about his being gay all the rest of the shift. He seemed to get a kick out of telling just about everyone that I'd asked him if he was gay.

I Robot

2006-10-18T03:10:00.000-07:00

So, I got bored the other day, and messaged a few random people on ICQ. One of these people actually responded. User ID GGC which I have decided means that his name is Gustav Giuseppe Cokamukalik. Anyways, Gustav and I talked for a bit, he asked me what I did for fun, one of the things I responded with was reading. So, he asked me if I had read any good books recently. I told him I had recently read, the DaVinci Code, as well as Cradle and All. He indicated that he too had read DaVinci Code and enjoyed it and asked me about the other book. All in all it was a rather normal conversation. After a bit, we ran into an issue I've had before on ICQ.... I wasn't getting all his messages. It's a glitch I've noticed with ICQ, if someone is not on my contact list, I don't always get their messages. So, since I was enjoying the conversation, and getting annoyed by the glitch, I sent a request to add him.

He declined!

He said it was nothing personal, but that he was leery of adding bots to his ICQ list.... Bot? I come across as a bot? I mentioned this to someone else I was chatting with, and he speculated that Gustav was most likely confused by the fact that I use full sentences and relatively good grammar when chatting. I don't use the common net speak or lots of abbreviations. I start sentences with capital letter, I use commas and I end a sentence with a period. Anyways, the part I found the most odd, was that he said he wouldn't add me because he was relatively sure that I was a robot giving automated responses based on what he typed.... however he was “happy to keep talking” if I wanted.

So we talk for a while longer, about my work and his work etc. I use every chance possible to throw in a joke about me being a robot! After a while he asks me to do him a favor and go to a website and tell him what is written in the last balloon. He doesn't say as much, but I'm pretty sure that this is my final “are you a robot” test. Well the website doesn't come through, because I don't receive links from people not on my list, so I tell him that he has to disguise the fact that it's a link. He tells me to go to dieselsweeties with a 3x w and a dot com. I go to the site, which is a web comic and then type into the chat window “I'm still most of a person” he responds with “well most is good I guess lol” Then goes on with the conversation, so I'm like “um that was the line you wanted, the last balloon on the page” to which he replies “Okay, here's the thing, it isn't”

So I go back to the page and look, and nope, there are no more balloons anywhere on the page. I assure him that it is in fact the text from the last balloon. I tell him “there is a red head and a brunette talking about drinking, and red is drunk and brun. is giving her a hard time about it, and then in the last balloon red says “I'm still most of a person””

It's a bit before he says anything again. When finally he does he says “Wow do I have egg on my face” As it turns out, in the time between him checking the site, and me getting there, they updated to the new days cartoon!!! So a minute before when he was there, the last balloon read “More like the Quixoti Narcotic” but by the time I got to the newly updated site, the last balloon was “I am still most of a person”

I thought that was hilarious! What are the odds of that? I joked that he was a jackass, and he added me to his contact list haha.

That's what he gets for saying I have the conversational skills of an automated response program! hehe

My 100 Things

2006-10-17T03:10:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I've updated my list of 100 things about me. In fact, I don't think I've actually done one on this particular site. Now, I would like all 3 of you who are reading this, that unlike most people I did not cheat. I notice a lot of people will use up 2 or 3 numbers to tell one thing. Pussies! Actually, I found it surprisingly easy to come up with this list. Not actually easy, but a lot easier than I expected, and a lot easier than it was last time. Anyways, here ya go.

1.My name is Erin

2.I'm a girl

3.I'm 25

4.I'm engaged

5.I live with my sister

6.I live in British Columbia

7.My fiancée lives in Manitoba.

8.I work for eBay

9.I love my job

10.I'm on the pessimistic side of realistic

11.Despite the above, I'm still hopeful about most things

12.I have no pets

13.I don't want any pets

14.I don't smoke

15.I don't do drugs

16.I do drink, but not often

17.I'm medicated for depression

18.I spent a lot of years trying to just “snap out of it”

19.I am not racist

20.I care what other people think of me

21.I do not think I am beautiful

22.I think I have a good sense of humor

23.I think I am smart

24.I am shy until I know you

25.I love movies

26.I almost always have music playing

27.I'm messy

28.I hate to clean

29.I like to cook

30.I like to bake

31.I can be a hypocrite

32.My friends are very important to me

33.I love to get mail.

34.If I could go back and change anything... I wouldn't

35.In some ways I am very emotional

36.In some ways I am very cold

37.I am nocturnal

38.I prefer to work mornings

39.I have no holiday spirit

40.Sometimes, I will stand my ground when I know I am wrong

41.I like bored games

42.I like to talk

43.I like to listen

44.I love long conversations

45.I hate having my words twisted

46.I used to speak French

47.I can find something beautiful about most people

48.I can be very passive aggressive

49.I find women to be very attractive, however I am in no way sexually attracted to them

50.I wish I was rich

51.I like the color green

52.I like the color of my hair

53.I am diabetic

54.I am very open

55.I hate keeping secrets

56.Someday, I want children

57.I like getting to know about new people

58.Stupidity annoys me

59.Naivety makes me smile

60.The people I care about the most in the world, know it

61.I tend to mask hurt feelings with humor

62.I have no negative feelings towards Americans as a people

63.I have a tongue ring

64.I have a tattoo

65.The only jewelery I wear consistently is my engagement ring

66.I love accents

67.I feel that online conversation is completely different with someone who's voice you have heard

68.I spend too much time on the Internet, and I'm okay with that.

69.I like to read

70.I miss my fiancée a lot

71.I take out my frustration on my fiancée even though I know better

72.I believe that everyone deserves to be loved

73.I believe most people deserve a second chance

74.I am not necessarily opposed to capital punishment

75.I have been working, successfully, on controlling my temper

76.I am generous

77.If I won enough money, nobody I care about would have any debt left.

78.I am having a small wedding

79.I am not wearing white because I think I will look ugly

80.I love to swim

81.I hate crowds

82.I would rather have 3 great friends than 100 acquaintances

83.I am disorganized

84.I am compulsive about certain things

85.I have a good vocabulary

86.I love television

87.One of my very good friends is someone I have never met in person.... yet!

88.I love helping people

89.I have 3 sisters

90.I have 3 nephews

91.My parents are still happily married after 44 years

92.I have no religious affiliation

93.I believe in God

94.I think I am a good person

95.I am often dry and sarcastic

96.I am drawn to people who have a similar sense of humor to mine

97.I'm bad at returning phone calls

98.I like to multi task

99.I like giving and receiving gifts without a special occasion

100.I need to know people love me in order to be happy

Happy Birthday to Me

2006-10-12T03:10:00.000-07:00

Well, it's official, I'm a quarter of a century old today. Perhaps it is a sign of maturity that I would rather stay home and have a quite evening with my family than go to the bar or to the casino or to strippers.

Bwahahahahaha Okay, anyone who bought that doesn't know me very well at all! Or know that staying home with my family is usually anything but quiet. Especially if you get my older sister Lori and I together. She was here last weekend for Thanksgiving, and we where both laughing until we had tears running down our faces. The rest of my family is pretty fun too. A couple weeks ago, I lent Lori, Season One of Desperate Housewives. At dinner, we're talking about it, and she asks me if I have Sex in the City also. Our conversation had been kind of excluding everyone else, at the mention of Sex in the City, my dad takes the opportunity to pitch in by saying “I don't remember, but I know I had sex in a tent once”. I threw a piece of broccoli at him!

The other truth is that if Adrienne was up in this area, we'd have used my recent days off to go out and get absolutely sloshed. She'd hit on ~~sexy~~... ~~hot~~... ~~cute~~... ~~mildly attractive~~... random guys, and I'd admire hot guys from a distance like the faithful finacee that I am.

Time for an Update

2006-10-04T03:10:00.000-07:00

The first several weeks at my job where tiring. Lots of classroom training and a ton of information to try and absorb. Not to mention the whacked out schedule that flip flopped around.

Week 1 – 6:30am – 3pm

Week 2 – 3:30pm – Midnight

Week 3 – 9am – 5:30pm

Week 4 – 7:30am – 4pm

Now, thankfully, I have settled into my permanent shift. 7:30am – 4pm will be my shift until the next shift bid, in 3 months. When the shift bid comes up, the order of priority is based on a combination of our Attendance, Performance (how many customers we can help per hour), Customer Satisfaction, Quality (they grade 5 of our customer interactions per week) and Availability (How much of our shift we are at our desk ready to help customers). I'm a little nervous about the shift bid in 3 months. If I'm not doing well enough by then, I have up to as many as 50 people to contend with to get the shift I want. I have no doubts in my ability to be successful at this job, I'm just not secure in my belief that I will be good enough to get my preferred shift.

In other news, my car has been shit kicked. My sister was leaving my parents house in my dads truck, and she just hopped in the tore into revers without looking, without bothering to see that my car was parked where it always is, at the back of the driveway behind my dads truck. Plenty of room to go around... if you look. She hit my car so hard that it pushed it back a foot. The whole front was crumpled in. The major piss off about my car is the fact that now my front end is punched in, and since this winter my taillight is busted, but I didn't do either thing. My taillight was hit by someone last winter while I was parked at home, and my sister ran into my front end. Now, people see me driving this beat up car and probably wonder what the hell I hit, but I wasn't even NEAR my car for either incident. Oh well, my car is in at the body shop getting fixed right now, which means I have the joy of driving around my dads work truck. This thing is from the 70s or 80s, it's standard and it's HUGE. I pulled up to a building yesterday, and I got a little closer than I meant to, I kinda blocked anyone from walking around in front of my truck, well, then I get out of the truck and turns out I was about 4 feet from the building! Damn I'm not used to driving something so damn big!

My sister and I have been getting along pretty good, which is a big change from the last time we lived together. In the past few years we've both changed a lot. Celexa has mellowed me out, and GOD has mellowed her out. I see my parents a couple times a week, and have dinner at their house on Thursdays. It's so nice to be around my family again. My sister and nephew are coming out for Thanksgiving this weekend, I'm looking forward to that.

I'm working on talking Adrienne into moving up here. I figure I'll win eventually, since the only reason she gives to not move is “I can't afford it”. Eventually she'll be able to afford it. The way I see it, here, she is still close enough to drive home, it's prettier here, the weather is better here, I'm here, there is lots of work here, and she could save more money because her bills wouldn't be as high. I talked her into moving to Fort St. John while being honest with her about how much it sucked ass. Talking her into moving someplace nice should be easier!

Well, that's about it for now.

Crazy Hours

2006-09-19T03:10:00.000-07:00

Training at this new job feels like school. Week one was all classroom training, and we had a quiz each day. By the weekend, I was so tired I could hardly remember my own name! Check out my usual daily routine for last week...

5am – Wake Up

5:30am – Leave for Work

6:30am – Start Work (training)

3pm – Get off Work

4pm – Arrive at my parents

8pm – Leave Parents to go Home

8:05pm – Shower

8:20pm – Check E-mail

8:30pm – Read Book

8:35pm – Fall Asleep

I went to my parents every day after work, because I knew that if I went home A) there was no food and I am VERY poor right now B) I would fall asleep and either wake up at 9pm and not get back to sleep, or wake up at 2am ready for the day. The reading portion of my day would vary based on level of exhaustion. Some nights I stayed up as late as 9pm!

This week, my schedule is the exact opposite. I never see my parents and work is from 3:30 until Midnight and I don't get home until 1am.

As much as I hate getting out of bed at 5am, I do enjoy the social life that a 3pm end time allows me, so I believe that when the shift bid comes up, I will try very hard to get on a morning shift.

As my shift stands now, I have talked to Adrienne once since I started work, not knowing her schedule doesn't help in that matter. My friend Nikki has called me twice and gotten no reply from me, because when I am home she is at work, but I haven't been able to talk to her to let her know that so she probably just thinks I suck lol.

Big Ol' Jet Airliner

2006-09-11T03:10:00.000-07:00

For years I thought the lyric was 'Big Old Jet Out Of Lino' and I just assumed that 'Lino' was the name of an American town, or an Airport someplace. Once I found out that I was wrong, I felt like a bit of a twit.

This made me feel better.... Click Me!

Who Says You Can't Go Home?

2006-08-30T03:10:00.000-07:00

Well the trip was certainly interesting, 11pm the first night, about 30 miles out of Prince George, where we where scheduled to stay the night, the ball fell off the truck and the U-Haul started dragging on the road. That was a pretty little light show. After a very expensive tow, we finally got to bed around 1am.

Day two was a lot less exciting. We left Prince George at 9:30. We had to pull over several times because my sister was insanly sleepy. Turns out that instead of an alergy pill, she took an anti-nausia pill before the trip. Grrrrreat!!! We got to my parents around 8pm last night. Talk about a long day in the car.

Good news though, I have a job! I sent out one resume last week, and had an interview with them this morning at 10am, and was offered the job. I will be working for Sutherland Global Services. They do support for E-Bay. So basically, I will be one of the people who closes down illegal E-Bay auctions and reads and replies to emails from E-Bay customers. I start work at 6:30 September 11th! That gives me a few days off to relax, but I won't be stressing out over needing a job. The only bad thing is the 6:30 start time, it's an hour drive to and from work, so I'll need to get up at 5am on days I work a morning shift. Yick.

Today's The Day

2006-08-28T03:10:00.000-07:00

I am leaving Fort St. John today, and with a little luck, I will never be back. We are going to drive about 4 hours today, then stay the night at my sisters friends house, then tomorrow we will drive the remaining 8 hours.

I already have a job interview. Wednesday, I go in and interview at Global Sutherland. They are a call center that deals with both phone calls and email, and they hold the contract for Ebay. So basically, if I get the job (which I will) anyone who has to phone or email ebay with a problem, runs the risk of having to deal with me! I'm so excited, and I am so confident that I'll get the job that I'm not even nervous about the interview.

There are only two things I will miss about Fort St. John and that is Nikki and Vanessa. However, Nikki's mom and Vanessa's sister live in Kelowna, so it's not as though I will never see either of them again, just not as often. Thank GOD for Email and Telephones!

Well, it's about time to go get the U-haul. Everyone wish me luck in this horrid drive I'm about to make! 12 hours in a car alone, nothing to keep me company but my iPod! Booo!

A Different Kind of List

2006-08-15T03:10:00.000-07:00

This list is a little less thrilling than the last. This is a list of all the things that have gone wrong in the 3 weeks since Kyle and I made the decision to move and he left for Winnipeg.

1) Monetary Support Fell Through

2) Job Kyle Had Lined Up Fell Through

3) Car Broke Down to the Tune of $934, Causing Me To Need To Both Cash In My Vacation Pay, but Also Take A $250 Advance Against My Final Paycheck

4) Need New Wheel Bearings Before Move ($100 - $150)

5) $400 Cell Phone Bill Due to Afghanistan Calls

6) Because of Car, Final Paycheck Will Cover ONLY Mandatory Bills, Leaving Moving Expenses 100% Up To How Much Kyle’s Mom Sends

7) Kyle Fainted During First Day at New Job. Trip to ER Revealed That He Has Life Threatening Sleep Apnea. Needs To Stay In Hospital 2-3 Days

8) Training At New Job May Be Rescheduled For September 1st. Meaning the $900 We Where Counting On From His Paycheck is Non Existent.

The List

2006-08-14T03:10:00.000-07:00

Ok, so there is this episode of Friends, (Season 3, Episode 5) where everyone comes up with a Freebie List. This is a list of people (preferably famous) that they are allowed to hook up with without it being considered cheating… So, I decided to make a list of my own!

So, here is the list of 5 guys that I think are HOT, that Kyle can’t get mad at me if I sleep with! This is in no particular order!

Kenny Chesney

Channing Tatum

Tim McGraw

Paul Walker

Nick Zano

Note to Female Readers: Just in case you didn’t notice, there are two pictures of each of these guys, one linked to the first name and one linked to the last.

Bad Just Got Worse

2006-08-10T03:10:00.001-07:00

So, last Wednesday, they ordered in my new alternator. I still hadn't heard anything more about my car, so I called today. Well, I guess they changed the alternator, and my battery which where both bad, and my car still doesn't run. AWESOME! $700 worth of shit done to my car and IT DOESNT RUN!!!

I can't afford the first $700, now, on top of that, I have to pay for them to figure out what is wrong with my car still, and then pay for them to fix it. Grrrrrrrrreat!

Silver Lining

2006-08-10T03:10:00.000-07:00

Kyle got a call from Shaw Cable today. They have all the paperwork drawn up for him to sign. His first day of work for them is the 15th.

Packing!

2006-08-09T03:10:00.000-07:00

I've been a good girl so far. I've already packed 5 boxes and a HUGE tupperware bin of stuff. All my pictures and knick knacks (other than the few I missed and keep coming across) are packed up. All my DVDs are packed. I even packed one of my sets of dishes.

And yet...

I doesn't feel like I've done a damn thing. I look around my house and there is still SO much stuff to be packed. Blah, moving sucks serious ass!

On the bright side, unpacking shouldn't be too horrible. I've been very religious about marking on every box exactly what is in it. So we won't run into the fun issue of digging through 10 boxes to find something.

Did I mention that packing sucks? Anyone want to do it for me?

The Good ,The Bad and The Ugly

2006-08-05T03:10:00.000-07:00

The Good

Kyle got a job in Winnipeg finally! Maybe even two! He for sure has a job starting Tuesday, for Convergys, which is a call center that handles Tech Support for Comcast. He has worked for them before and didn’t enjoy it much, they micromanage, so you have to sign in and out when you go pee…. literally. He is also at the head of a short line for a job with Shaw Cable. If he gets that job, they pay better, they focus on having a “positive, fun and friendly” work place, and he could possibly transfer to Kelowna at some point. He really wants that job, but won’t know for sure until the middle of next week, and it wouldn’t start until the following Monday. So just to be safe, he’s going to go in to Convergys on Tuesday.

The Bad

The verdict is in on my car. I need a new alternator, a new alternator belt and a new battery. All that, plus an oil change is going to come out to around $700 when all is said and done. This really sucks because right now, between Kyle and I, I am the only one getting any money until the end of the month. So my paycheck has to feed us both, and my paycheck is only $754. So that works out to Kyle and I each getting $27. My 27 dollars has to not only feed me, but put gas in my stupid car! I think I’ll be cashing in my vacation pay!

The Ugly

Yesterday I got a $400 cell phone bill in the mail. I just about had a freakin heart attack! Turns out that $90 of that was overdue from our last bill, but still, $300 for one bloody month? Turns out, Kyle was making calls to his mom. He figured it wouldn’t cost much because he was just staying on the line long enough to tell her to call him back. Well, with international calls, there isn’t per second billing, it’s per minute. So, my phone bill contains about 25 one or two minutes calls to Afghanistan at $3.12 per minute. 31 minutes of calls at $3.12 a minute adds up to $96.72. Then once you factor in all the times he called me long distance during the day at 25 cents a minute…. Adds up pretty fast.

The Summary

We made all our decisions and Kyle moved off to Winnipeg based on us being able to save for a month as well as being given $2000 for the move. Once he got to Winnipeg, the job he had lined up fell through, my car broke down, and the $2000 turned into $600. It’s going to be a stressful couple of months coming up!

Small Talk 101 - The Weather

2006-08-03T03:10:00.000-07:00

The weather here has taken a turn for the worse. It’s been in the single digits (to you Americans, “the 40s”) for three or four days now, and the 5 day forecast shows it staying at a daily low of 6 (42) every day until Monday, when the low will be 9 (48). Ok, so I know what you’re thinking (I don’t actually, but wouldn’t that we pretty funky?) anyways, as I was saying… just because there are lows of 6 (42) doesn’t mean its not hot during the day…. It’s not! The highs range from 17 (62) to 21 (69) and it has been raining pretty much every damn day.

Isn’t the beginning of August supposed to be the HOTTEST time of the year? Lets have us look back at August 3rd, for a few years back and see what Fort St. John weather is usually like.

2005 – High 22 (73) Low 8 (48)

2004 – High 22 (73) Low 14 (57)

2003 – High 20 (68) Low 9 (49)

2002 – High 13 (55) Low 5 (41)

2001 – High 18 (64) Low 11 (51)

2000 – High 23 (74) Low 13 (55)

Ok, so maybe it isn’t just this summer. This place is just ass cold! What happened to Global Warming? Did it miss my town? On the flip side of that, lets have a look at the weather where I am moving next month….

Today – High 28 (84) Low 15 (59)

2005 – High 25 (84) Low 3 (39)

2004 – High 29 (85) Low 15 (59)

2003 – High 32 (89) Low 10 (50)

2002 – High 22 (71) Low 4 (39)

2001 – High 23 (73) Low 11 (51)

2000 – High 30 (86) Low 13 (55)

Slightly more summery temperatures if you ask me!

Sorry for this post about the weather, it was either this or do a post about my sex dream staring Kenny Chesney! That's what I get for going to sleep with the iPod on!

Work Rant

2006-07-27T03:10:00.000-07:00

I am so pissed off this morning. SO PISSED OFF!!! My boss points out every little error that anyone makes. Fine, he is the boss… but he screws up my office every freakin day. I do more than hotel at my desk, but that is it’s main function. There are a couple very basic things that have to get done when checking in a guest.

1. Print Out a Guest Registration Card

2. Run a Payment or Pre-Auth On Their Credit Card

3. Mark the Room Number on the Top of the Credit Card Slip

4. Record the Payment in the Computer.

This morning, Vanessa (my Brazilian roommate whom I am training to take over for me when I leave) and I arrive at work to find….

1 Room with no guest registration card

3 Rooms where the payment was not recorded in the computer

4 Credit Card slips with no room number on them.

The result of that was of course, that Vanessa and I had to hunt around to find out which payment went with which room. This tends to be a major pain in the ass. Especially since half the credit card slips where for the same amount.

Once that was taken care of, I look in the notebook on my desk. 5 inches below where I left a reminder note for myself about a payment due on Friday, there is a note in huge letters telling me not to forget to run the payment on Friday. Duh really? Below that is a note telling me to charge that room for a remote and a key. Well I already did that, and he was sitting right there when I did it, there was even a discussion on how much to charge for a remote control. I am not a moron, and yet I get continually treated like one simply because he smokes too much pot and can’t remember a damn thing.

He makes the same mistakes over and over and over and over and over again, and just kinda shrugs with a goofy grin, or says “oh that’s the last time, I promise” but if I make a mistake, it gets written up in the book. My favorite is, I go home before housekeeping. I work 6 hours a day and start at 8. So when I leave, there are rooms that aren’t done yet and rooms that I don’t know about yet etc. So, sometimes the computer isn’t updated because the info isn’t in when I leave. So then my boss won’t update the information either. He will leave me a note telling me that I “forgot” to do it the day before. Oh really now? I do NOT think so!

Then there is the guilt trip. Vanessa and I both get it when payday rolls around. “Oh my labor costs are too high, oh you should be grateful I pay you as much as I do” blah blah blah. Grateful? Grateful that he got me to quit my other job then 2 weeks later cut back my hours? Grateful that I got to stay at work 24/7 for 9 days while only getting paid for 6, and didn’t get any bonus or any meals provided or anything?

Reserved for me alone, is the comments meant to make me feel guilty about Kyle leaving with so little notice and about me leaving at all. About how he let me go visit my family when on salary you aren’t entitled to vacation in the first year. Well screw him. I’m not Kyle, so he can lay off about that. As for my vacation… it makes up for the fact that neither Kyle nor I where in any way compensated for the days (9 for me 11 for Kyle) that we where here 24/7 so that our boss could go on vacation.

I do feel bad about leaving him in a lurch, that is why I agreed to stay here until the end of September, however, if he keeps being a jackass to me, I’ll just leave at the end of August and he can kiss my pale white ass!

'Had A Bad Day Again'

2006-07-24T03:10:00.000-07:00

It's been nothing but bad news the past few days.

First, Kyle's mom and step dad ordered their tickets to come out for our wedding next year. Well because of the time of year, the tickets cost more than they counted on, so they aren't able to give us as much money for moving as they had hopped. So we're going to need to come up with another $1000 on our own.

Second, this morning the company Kyle had a job lined up with called him. They found someone who had more certifications than Kyle and decided to give them the job instead. So now Kyle has no job.

Third, my alternator belt on my car is going. It will probably only cost $20 or $30 for a new belt, but there is a min 1 hour labor fee to add to that, so now we're looking at $100 or so. Not too bad considering what most car issues cost.

Here is the problem. Because our boss made Kyle pay back the bonus he was given, the total income for both of us, is only around $900 or so. This leaves me with JUST enough to cover my rent, my car payment and my car insurance. My student loan payment is going to bounce, and it's only $25. So forget doing anything like putting gas in my car (good thing I wont be driving it until it's fixed) or going out with friends, or buying groceries.

So, the gist of this story is... my life is falling apart at the seams and I'm ass poor. Woot!

Moving

2006-07-21T03:10:00.000-07:00

We’re moving. The final decision was made while I was away on vacation. In October, Kyle and I are moving to Kelowna.

We talked his mom into paying for us to move, instead of giving us a honeymoon next year, and the plans are in motion.

We decided that the best option is for Kyle to accept a job offer he got in Winnipeg, paying $15 an hour. This way, he is earning more money before the move, and also, he isn’t going to move to Kelowna until I have us an apartment and I am working. This way it eliminates any issues such as both of us being out of work. At least one of us will always have a job. Plus, alone, there are several options for me while I am looking for a home and job, for both of us, the options are slightly more limited.

Kyle was due to leave this morning, however his friends showed up earlier than planned yesterday, so they wound up leaving around 6pm. I did fine right up until it was time to actually say goodbye. I was really surprised that I managed to not cry, and I am not as upset today as I worried I might be.

I think the reason I’m doing alright, is because I am keeping my focus on the bigger picture. In the end it will be best for us. Kyle will be making more money in Winnipeg, he will be able to start working more actively on getting into better shape and he will get to spend some time with his friends. This way he will be in a better place mentally when we move to Kelowna.

I’m not depressed, or distraught over Kyle going, but I’m still sad, and I’m very much going to miss him. I won’t see him again until October! So, like the song says, “Wake Me Up, When September Ends”

Travel

2006-07-19T03:10:00.000-07:00

It’s been so long since I last posted, that I’m pretty sure nobody will even read this. Some people seem to post more when they get depressed. As though it is therapeutic for them or something. I am not one of these people however. When I’m bummed out, I don’t post at all.

Recently, I’ve been homesick like crazy as I mentioned in my last post. Well, I went home. I cashed in the bulk of my airmiles and I went to visit my parents for a week. It worked out perfect, I was showing up on the 10th, and I found out my sister Michelle was thinking of going up on the 9th. Once she found out I would be there, that solidified her decision to go. Neither of us told our parents we where coming, but our sisters Lori and Kristina where in on it.

Kristina was at my parents waiting, when the rest of us showed up, and we where all standing in the yard, and my sister Lori yelled for my parents to come see what happened to her car. The looks on my parents faces when they notices their missing two children (ok not missing, but from far far away) and nephews. My moms jaw dropped open so far I thought she was going to dislocate something and my dad had this goofy grin on his face and they both teared up a bit.

It was an awesome vacation, mostly we all just hung out. I played about a million games of Yatzee with my parents and Kristina after everyone else went home.

The worst part of the trip was having to come home. And I don’t just mean the way most people don’t want to leave vacation. I was loath to come home, I didn’t want to come back to this town, I didn’t want to come back to this job. I am so miserable here, all I wanted to do was stay where my family is.

Homesick!

2006-06-27T03:10:00.000-07:00

These days I really want to move back down to where my parents and a couple of my sisters live. Most people get homesick when they leave home, then get over it. I'm the opposite. I was alright when I first moved here, but recently, I'm having a really hard time. It just about makes me cry a couple times a damn day. Every time I talk to my parents I hear about how much work there is down there right now.

The part that really sucks is that right now, I'm doing something I've always wanted to do, I'm making more money that ever before, I have a gorgeous home that I love, and a fiancée that I'm crazy about, but I'm not happy. I miss my family and I want to go home. I get a huge check on payday and all I can think is that if I didn't have so many bills I could use the money to move back home.

Kyle and I decided for sure today, that if for whatever reason the company we work for right now, goes south, so will we. We both work for a very new (in the pre-advertising stage) company. There is always the risk that it won't take off. Should that happen, Kyle is going to hit up his mom for the money and we're moving south down to where my family is! Period end of story!

Lipstick In School

2006-05-30T03:10:00.000-07:00

According to a news report, a certain private school in Washington recently was faced with a unique problem. A number of 12-year-old girls were beginning to use lipstick and would put it on in the bathroom. That was fine, but after they put on their lipstick they would press their lips to the mirror leaving dozens of little lip prints. Every night the maintenance man would remove them and the next day the girls would put them back. Finally the principal decided that something had to be done. She called all the girls to the bathroom and met them there with the maintenance man. She explained that all these lip prints were causing a major problem for the custodian who had to clean the mirrors every night.

To demonstrate how difficult it had been to clean the mirrors, she asked the maintenance man to show the girls how much effort was required.He took out a long-handled squeegee, dipped it in the toilet, and cleaned the mirror with it.

Since then, there have been no lip prints on the mirror.

There are teachers, and then there are educators.

Hard to Believe

2006-05-23T03:10:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that Adrienne is moving away in 2 and a half weeks. I'm glad that my schedule has been working out so that her and I can hang out more now. I'm going to miss her a lot once she moves. She doesn't have a lot of stuff outside of her bedroom, so it will be really strange because my house won't look any different, but my best friend will be gone.

Our lease runs out at the end of September, so Adrienne is still paying rent up until then, and Kyle and I are hoping that by September, we will have enough income that we don't have to move. I really enjoy my home, and I really hate moving. After a few months of paying full utilities, we'll have some idea of whether or not we can afford to add $300 a month to our budget.

Oh My God! Two Posts in a Week!!!

2006-05-22T03:10:00.000-07:00

I actually had a day off today! It's a freaking miracle! Between my two jobs they try to make sure I work at least one job every day. I finally cut back my hours at the liquor store. I work at the liquor store 3 days a week now, all the other days I work at the Office.

But I guess I haven't even posted about my new job yet, so I will fill you guys in. I got a job working as Office Manager for a guy who runs a hotel and is starting up two additional business'. I am Office Manager for all three.

I love my new job, but my boss is a little scattered sometimes. He also tends to pull me into about 3000 directions at once. Mainly I just tell him to shut up and go away lol.

With all this work, my blogging as suffered. I'm sure both of you who still read this have noticed. And of course the other 3 readers who don't read anymore because of the lack of posting noticed as well!

I've been considering doing AudioBlog posts. It's quick and easy and I can do it from anywhere. When I type a post I have to actually thing about what I'm saying, but if I do an audioblog... well I almost never think before I speak!

What do the two of you think about that idea?

I'm A Messed Up Hooker Who Never Brushes My Hair!

2006-04-18T03:10:00.000-07:00

What Are You?

Okay..Pick your Birthmonth:

you're a..

january- talented

febuary- lowlife

march- immature

apil- wild

may- exciting

june- weird

july- selfish

august- hot

september- scary

october- messed up

november- cool

december-sexy

now pick the color shirt you have on

pink- cupcake sales person

blue- hooker

red- bartender

green- Celebrity

purple- Mc Donalds worker

white- slut

yellow- taxi driver

black- chef

orange- homeless

gray- stipper

no shirt- millionare

other- toe nail clipper

LAST...the day you were born

1- that loves food

2- that hates kids

3- that needs attention

4- that is a murderer

5- who sucks at reading

6- who strips to pay for bills

7- who kills kids

8- who goes to dunkin donuts everyday

9- that loves laguna beach

10- that is OCD with something

11- that is cheating on someone for $$

12- who never brushes their hair

13- who licks peoples toes

14- who loves his gf/bf

15- that wants to be in love

16- who is secretly bi

17- that is a whore

18- who is anorexic

19- that wants a vibrator

20- that owns two chinese fighting fish

21- that wants to have chinese food

22- that is obsessed with hi5

23- who loves cats

24- who wants sex

25- who is a bookworm

26- who will never have sex

27- who is a drug addict

28- who will live to be 121

29- who takes naked pictures of themselves

30- who will stay in the same place forever

31- who needs to brush their teeth

Time Well Spent

2006-03-29T02:10:00.000-08:00

Well, Brandy got here last week right on schedule. Her and I have hung out a few times. I feel sort of bad for her right now though. She is living at the hotel until she can get into her apartment on the first. She has pretty much nothing to do from the time she gets off work until she goes to bed. I would gladly hang out with her more, but I’ve been working evenings. Between that and Adrienne being busy with Chris most evenings, Brandy is going bored out of her mind. Saturday, she called me at work at 10pm and asked me to come visit her after work. We wound up chatting until a little after 3am. We seem to get along really well, which is cool especially with Adrienne leaving in a few months. I figure I’ll see if she wants to hang out the next couple days because I have a few morning shifts and a day off. I have to make her like me quick before she gets her apartment and doesn’t need anyone to occupy her free time anymore (just kidding)

Unhappy Thoughts

2006-03-15T02:10:00.000-08:00

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always said I wanted to wait until I was older to have kids. I figured that late twenties or early thirties was a good time. At that age, I would get to live life without kids both before I have them and after they move out. At the same time I wouldn’t be too young and immature to be raising a child, nor would I be too old to do things with a kid.

A coworker and I where discussing this the other day, and she says to me… “But your parents are old, don’t you worry that if you wait to have kids they won’t be alive to see it” I tried to laugh the comment off by saying “My other sisters have given them grandkids, I’m not depriving them” to that my coworker says “Yeah, but it sounds like you’re close with your parents, don’t you want your kids to have a chance to get to know them and have a relationship with them?”

Now why the heck did she have to go and say something like that?

Believe it or not, that perspective on things hadn’t really occurred to me. If I ever happened to have thoughts of my parents not being around to see me have kids, I always passed it off by reminding myself that they already have 3 grandkids, so it’s not like I would be depriving them of that privilege.

My parents are great parents and great grandparents, and I can only hope that my children get a chance to find that out for themselves, not just through stories passed down.

I don’t deal well with thoughts of my parents mortality. Any time I think about it, I in all honesty come very close to having an anxiety attack. It makes me wish I was closer to home.

Growing Up

2006-03-12T02:10:00.000-08:00

I was talking to my nephew Scott online tonight. I have a picture of me holding him in the hospital when he was just days old. I was 9, just a few months shy of 10, when he was born. Logically, I am aware that the math put his at 15 years old. However, the auntie in me, just can’t believe that my nephew is 15 freakin years old. The kid is over 6 feet tall! When the hell did that happen? Ok ok, so I’ve been gone for 3 years, but geez.

It’s the same thing with my other two nephews, I haven’t seen them in a couple of years now, and when I got the pictures from Christmas I couldn’t believe how big they have gotten.

It makes me homesick. Being so far away from my entire family, I’m missing so much.

girls night out

2005-12-10T02:10:00.000-08:00

I am allowed to call it that, even though there was a guy present, because after several drinks he was dubbed 'one of the girls'.

4 of us, met up for a few drinks and a few songs at Karaoke last night. It was so much fun! I love Karaoke, I can't carry a tune in a bucket, but after a few drinks I don't care as much. Noreen, without consulting the rest of us, signed us up to sing 'Dirrty' that was simply horrid.

Adrienne and I decided today, that we should try and get out to Karaoke at least once a month. We'll have to wait and see how that plan pans out. We've vowed to do this that or the other thing on a regular basis several times in the past year, it never pans out for us.

Snow

2005-11-27T02:10:00.000-08:00

Yes, that's right, snow! Not a lot, but it did snow yesterday. While it may not be much I fear that it is a sign of more to come in the near future. Now granted, living in the far north, I have to expect there to be snow, but damned if I have to like it! And I don't, I hate hate hate it.

We've actually been quite fortunate this year, by this time last year, we had had snow on the ground for a while, and it was bloody COLD. This year though, it's snowed once already, and that wasn't even worth mentioning, it snowed a bit and didn't even stick. Last week it was 14 degrees (Celsius of course)uncharacteristically warm for this time of year.

I knew the snow had to come at some point, I was just hoping it would hold off a while longer. Rumor has it though, that this is set to be a rather short mild winter for this area. I pray the rumors are true!

Riduculous Food Phobia?

2005-11-09T02:10:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I was reading this post over at Hot Toddy's Toaster Oven.

Last night I had a dream that I took a bunch of free popcorn from CC Slaughters at happy hour and put it in a big white bucket. Then I put Saran Wrap over the bucket of popcorn and brought it home. I lovingly placed the bucket of stolen happy hour popcorn on top of my dresser so I could eat it later.

I think I may go to the bar too much. Does anybody want to take a stab at interpreting this dream?

My comment, meant mostly in jest, was the following...

I say that it's your psyche telling you that you shouldn't eat that stuff. Free bar snacks scare me, if you do the math on the percentage of people who don't wash their hands after using the washroom combined with the number of people who touch the free bar snacks...

My comment, was met with this one...

people with these riduculous food phobias kill me...yea it sounds gross what you describe erin, but your body has natural defenses and anyway if one did wash one's hands, they would eventually get bacteria on them again. what do you suspect you'd catch? you'd be more likely to catch a cold from someone sitting next you at a bar rather than eating bar food. we don't live in a sterile environment babe. just use common sense!

I’ve seen several reports on the subject, and I’ve taken my Food Safe course. Over the course of several years, a few facts have come to my attention that keep me from eating the communal snacks in bars.

1) Around 20% of the population does NOT wash their hands after using the washrooms!

~ In the USA that is 59,146,826 who don’t wash their hands

(There are more people in the US who don’t wash their hands after they use the washroom than there are people in Canada period!)

~ In Canada that is 656,100.82 who don’t wash their hands

2) One of the leading causes of Food Poisoning is Fecal Mouth Transfer. And yes, that is as bad as it sounds. It’s caused by us eating food that has been touched by someone who has feces on their hands, mainly as a result of not washing after using the restroom.

3) Investigations have shown, through those funky UV scanner thingies, that more often than not, there is both urine and semen on community snacks at bars.

If I see the bartender open a bag of snacks, put it in a clean bowl and hand it too me, sure I’ll eat it. But if it’s just sitting there for anyone to help themselves too… I think not. I’m not scared of what I might catch, but having that knowledge floating around in my head makes it so that I just can’t bring myself to eat that stuff. It’s not a fear of germs, or a desire to live in a sterile environment. If I pick something up to eat it, and all that is going through my head is “this could have a strangers semen or urine or both on it” call me crazy or squeamish if you must, but I’m not putting it in my mouth.

Screw unsanitary or germ infested, or bacteria laden. Urine is sterile, and lots of people eat semen on a daily basis. That has nothing to do with it. I just find it yucky to eat that stuff on my pretzels.

P.S. While I really do feel that way, this is not a bitchy rant, but rather an amused rant! lol

Work Stuff

2005-09-08T03:10:00.000-07:00

Sometimes recently, work is just overwhelming me. I think part of it is that I only have one day off a week. Another part of it is my co-worker. If I met her in a social situation, I would like her, but she makes it hard to work with her. Yesterday, I talked to her about something she wasn’t doing, and asked her if she could please start, she flat out said no. She’s been here a year, and has a harder time than most dealing with change. Before the conversation was over, there was yelling and Kyle had gotten involved in it at the point when she declared that he and I didn’t know what we where doing, and didn’t do our job. Now Kyle is of the opinion (and I’m glad) that I can take care of myself, so any disputes I might have I can deal with on my own. So, he stayed out of it until she said HE didn’t do his job.

In brighter work related news, I had an interview with a woman yesterday. I liked her, she’s older and her husband died a couple years ago, she is going stir crazy being at home all day everyday. That is the kind of employees I tend to like, the ones that don’t HAVE to work. She applied for this job because she wants this job, not because she needs full time work to survive. People who take a job just to get out of the house, tend to last a little better at part time work. You don’t have to worry about them leaving because they’re not getting enough hours etc.

Sadly I was unable to hire her on the spot. My boss had originally given me the go ahead to hire someone while he was out of town, but then some crap happened. The same girl from the start of this post, hired someone and scheduled them for training without talking to me. So I called my boss and got mad at him for letting it happen, and told him that the girl was only 18, known to not show up to her shifts at the restaurant sometimes, she doesn’t have her own transportation and she has on occasion gone and smoked a joint on her break. This is NOT the employee that I want. So, after all that crap, my boss decided that I couldn’t hire anyone until after he got back into town, because he wants to discuss it with me first.

Now for an amusing work related tale…

This guy called down to the Front Desk at 9:30. He asked about the free breakfast. I told him what was included and that it only ran until 10am. He asked “So as long as I order by like 9:59 it’s all good?” I said, “No, you have to pick up your coupon at the Front Desk by 10am”

So, at 10:06 the guy comes down and asks for his breakfast ticket.

Dumbass!

The Next Step

2005-08-13T03:10:00.000-07:00

After lengthy discussion on the subject, Kyle and I decided to combine our funds. We went in to the bank yesterday and had him added to my existing accounts. It seemed easier to do it that way since I have about a bazillion bills that come out of my account automatically. I really didn’t want the hassle of contacting my rental agency, my car loan people, the car insurance people and both the student loan people, and telling them I needed to change my account information.

I made Kyle think about it carefully before he made a decision. It was his idea in the first place, but I didn’t want him regretting it later, because I have a LOT more expenses than him.

We’re going to set it up, so that we put $250 a month into a high interest savings account, $250 a month into an RRSP, and then we each get $50 a week to send on anything we want, no need to mention or discuss with the other person. The rest of the money, after bills, will be used as agreed between us at the time.

Since he is a lot more financially responsible, I told him that I want him to “be in charge” so to speak. I’m bad for spending money when I shouldn’t. If we stick to the plan though, we should have no problem coming up with the money to move in just under a year. Combining our funds, will keep both of us from randomly spending our spare cash. We won’t be able to make impulse buys (over $50) since it is shared money, so we’d have to run it by the other person, and talk about if it was a good idea etc.

Where Did the Week Go?

2005-07-17T03:10:00.000-07:00

Wow, it’s been forever since I blogged. I must apologise to all 3 of my readers! I guess time flies when you’re in a tired zombie like state.

So far, I’m loving the new job. My new boss seems really nice, even though half the time I have no clue what he’s saying to me. Out of the blue the other day, he hands me a 10pc knife set. I’m like “Ooo that’s very nice” thinking he’s showing it off, then he says “You keep! Gift” It’s a freakin $80 USD set!!! It’s awesome!

I’m loving the morning shift. Sure I have to get up a little earlier than I’m used to, but I’m done by 3pm. Hell, even banks are still open at 3pm! I get my whole afternoon to do whatever I want. Which, since I’m still adjusting to getting up at 6:30, is pretty much nothing at all. Also, everything pretty much dies off by 11am. So it doesn’t matter how far behind I get if it’s busy, I have a couple hours to catch up at the end of my shift. Evening shift, which Kyle works, tends to be busy WHILE they’re trying to cash out and go home.

Anyways, I’ll try and be a little more regular about my blogging from now on, I promise!

Work Stress

2005-06-22T03:10:00.000-07:00

Usually, I do all my blogging and blog reading from work. The past week or so though, work has been insanely busy. We’ve even run into some overbooking issues. So I haven’t been reading or updating as much as I’d like.

Day before yesterday, we ran into an issue with a company. They thought they had rooms booked but there was nothing in the computer. I was the one the guy had dealt with mostly in regards to getting all the rooms lined up so he wasn’t very happy with me. He had 3 guys sitting down at his office who’d just come from Alberta, and now had no place to stay. I couldn’t figure it out, I was positive that we’d had all the rooms he’d asked for. I asked my boss if we had any double rooms that where out of service that we could open up, and he told me that he could have 113 up within a couple hours. At this point my boss tells me that he cancelled a reservation for the company for the night before since they didn’t show up. I was stressed out and panicking a bit, and told my boss that I’d been asked to hold the rooms and that even if nobody stayed in them they would be paid for. Well, I guess my boss didn’t want to do that for this company, so he had the reservation cancelled, fine, whatever, somebody should have passed on that information to Adrienne or myself since neither of us knew this.

I explained to the head of the company what had happened, and he told me that the branch of the company he works for is different than one we had issues with in the past etc etc etc. So, I told my boss what he told me, and that the guy wanted to talk to him about it the next day.

Just as my boss was finishing up with 113 the company called back again and said they wouldn’t send anymore guys up until the next day. I told my boss that there might not be anyone in 113 after all, and he said “If that happens I’ll be very upset with you” As though it’s MY fault that they changed their mind. I realize that he did a lot of work to get them the room, but it’s still not MY fault.

Then yesterday, I find out, that he told Adrienne, I was acting bossy and didn’t seem to remember who’s in charge around there. Well I didn’t TELL him to do anything, I asked him if we had a room that was almost ready, and I passed on a message from the company we where dealing with.

If my boss is worried that I think I’m in charge of anything, he doesn’t have to be. He’s made it clear that I’m not, and I have no delusions otherwise. I guess I will have to watch what I do at work lest I be considered uppity.

One thing I do know, is that for the next few days, I am going to avoid at all costs, telling my boss anything or asking him for anything. I feel extremely uncomfortable.

Sad and Pathetic? Yes Very!

2005-06-10T03:10:00.000-07:00

Soooooooooo there is this whole “free Ipod” thing drifting around the net. What I’m trying to find out is if it is legit or not.

Now, all I need to find out if it’s for real or not, is for 5 people to sign up for it via This Link.

So, if anyone out there has been thinking of joining Columbia DVD club, do it HERE, so I can get a free Ipod out of the deal.

This now ends the worlds lamest blogpost!

*~*UPDATE*~*

Ok, well now the links even work. And also, if you're not interested in Columbia House DVD club, there is also a book on take club, a cheap paint club, and a travel discount club! Woot! It's exciting, I swear!

Trapped

2005-06-09T03:10:00.000-07:00

After 11 months of living with Adrienne, I got used to a few things about her. One of these things is, that once she goes to bed she stays there. She doesn’t get up in the middle of the night. Ever. Now me, I can’t sleep in Pajama’s, I wake up with them wrapped around me like a boa constrictor. Since Adrienne never gets up in the middle of the night though, I was safe making a trip to the bathroom in the middle of the night without bothering to get dressed.

A few days after Ian moved in, I woke up around 4am and had to pee. So true to habit, I just got up and went into the bathroom. While I was in the bathroom, I thought I heard something. So before I opened the door, I turned off the light. Slowly I cracked the door open, and sure enough, there was moonlight in the hall, meaning Ian’s door was open. This, of course, was one of the days there where no towels in the bathroom. Quickly I closed the door, panicking a little, wondering what I was going to do. I waited a bit and cracked the door again, hoping he’d maybe closed his door. I had no clue where HE was though. For all I knew, he was waiting at his door for me to come out of the bathroom.

I had almost worked up the nerve to open the door and just say “Dude, I’m naked in here, close your door and let me get to my room” when I heard him coming up the stairs. I closed the door again, and waited until I head him plop down on his bed. Then I made a mad dash back to my room.

After that, now if I need to pee in the middle of the night, I either put on a nighty or a robe!!!