life, and a little more

Almost, but not quite

Apr 28

metalman777books books, Brisingr, fantasy No Comments

I saw Christopher Paolini’s newest book for pre-order on Amazon.com and just jumped on “place in cart” button right away!  My daughter and I have been waiting for Brisingr, the third book in The Inheritance series, for almost two years now!!

Before I clicked the “place order” button,  I realized the book will not be released until September 20, 2008!  That is quite a wait for a pre-order….

So, I didn’t order it for $19.  I’ll probably be able to pick it up at Costco the day it comes out for $13! 

So Where Is the Spandex and Hairspray?

Apr 26

metalman777music def leppard, dokken, king's x, music, white lion, whitesnake No Comments

It must be difficult to be a rock star. Seriously, I don’t think I could do it.

I’m not talking about these flash-in-the-pan, one hit wonder crappy nu-metal bands. I’m talking about bands that have been around for 20+ years and who are still putting out quality music. How does an artist dig that deep into him/herself and find song after song?

I’m asking this question because a few of my favorite bands from the 80′s have released or are going to release some new music in 2008. I’ve been blessed to get my greedy mits on all these albums have been overjoyed that my heroes, for the most part, still have the magic of great song writing!

The overwhelmingly tough feat of writing new material while still maintaining a back library of popular songs is what I would consider the most difficult part of being a musician. Your fans expect a certain sound and quality and attitude, and it would be hard not to be boxed into that expectation. How would you grow in your musical talent and try new things while keeping your fans, who have supported you most of their adult life, happy and willing to buy your music? Trying to keep these questions in mind, I’ll review five of my favorite bands from the 80′s who are still creating new music.

The venerable White Lion was a force to be reckoned with in the mid-80′s. Their songs were full of big guitars, catchy choruses and sing-along-hooks. C’mon, just listen to Wait from their first album and you find pure pop-rock goodness! White Lion has returned with Return of the Pride and of all the new releases, this is one I have the most mixed feelings about. It is an alright album, but it has none of the flavor and fun of White Lion’s previous recordings. Maybe it is because Mike Tramp is the only original member left. His vocals are good, but honestly, I have listened to this album a couple of times through and just don’t feel the need to listen to it again. Tramp’s vocals are good, and the music is good, but the album as a whole isn’t compelling. White Lion was a band with a very unique sound and I expect them to still sound that way. Too bad for me I guess. This will probably be an album I pop in the ‘ol iPod in 2 or 3 years and enjoy greatly. It will grow on me I’m sure.

King’s X has never really had a musical hiatus. They’ve been a prolific band over the years, changing their sound a little when the grunge era started, but reverting to their “signature” sound with their album entitled Ogre Tones. I’ve been a huge fan since Out of the Silent Planet was released in 1988 but fell off the wagon after Dogman (1994).

I’ve since been listening to King’s X back catalog of music and really like everything except their grunge sounding records. Fortunately for us, King’s X new album, entitled XV, is a return to roots of sorts. It has the trio’s sound, earmarked by Doug Pinnick’s bouncing bass grooves, Ty Tabor’s harmonic guitar, and Jerry Gaskill’s great drumming. The choruses are full of those great hooks that King’s X is famous for and the songs are endearing and soul searching.

Early on King’s X was labelled as a Christian band, but they stoutly declared that as a misnomer. When frontman Doug Pinnick revealed that he was a homosexual, many “christian” fans deserted the band. Reading through the lyrics of XV, one can see some of the pain and emotional struggles that the band has gone through. I love lyrics that are thought provoking; King’s X is definitely a thinking man’s band. If you love great music coupled with great poetic lyrics, then check out XV.

Whitesnake was known to absolutely every rocker back in the great days of the 80′s. If the first few notes of In the Still of the Night were played to anyone about 35 years old, I almost guarantee that said fellow would know the song for sure. Even before attaining huge hair metal success, Whitesnake had garnered much praise in the late 70′s for their bluesy, gritty hard rock and roll.

Whitesnake is back and better than ever with their brand new album Good To Be Bad. Whitesnake is back in a huge way! This record is absolutely amazing. It has everything a Whitesnake fan could ask for: David Coverdale’s amazing vocals and that awesome bluesy rock guitar. Although Coverdale can’t reach all of those high notes of yesteryear, he still can belt out those songs with gusto. Of all the new albums being released, I’d have to say this is the one of best quality. It is just a great rock and roll album!

Good To Be Bad doesn’t stray too far from Whitesnake’s roots. It has that classic Whitesnake sound, but Coverdale is the only remaining original member. That is amazing that the band can still capture that “classic” magic at the same time growing into a much better sound.

Of all the bands releasing new albums, Dokken was perhaps my all time favorite 80′s metal band. The team of Don Dokken, George Lynch, Jeff Pilson and, Mick Mars was an unstoppable force. I love every early album released by Dokken and sometimes think they have the quintessential 80′s metal sound.

Saying that, I’ve been looking forward to Dokken’s new release, Lightning Strikes Again, for quite a while now. When I finally got my hands on a promo version of the album, I was giddy with anticipation.

Could Dokken relive the past? Dokken has been releasing albums since their 80′s hey-day, but those records lack the magic of early Dokken. When George Lynch left to for the Lynch Mob, Dokken ceased to be a brilliant band.

Don Dokken and Mick Brown both appear on the new album, but George Lynch and Jeff Pilson do not. I say that because I was a little confused when I heard the first song…..it sounded very, very much like classic Dokken! This is where I get picky and even confuse myself. I love the classic Dokken sound, but should that sound be there without George Lynch?

Lightning Strikes Again is a good album. Don Dokken’s voice just can not hit those high notes that need to be sung to truly capture the classic Dokken sound. If he could sing like he did in years past, maybe I wouldn’t mind the guitar sounding so much like George Lynch.

I’m curious to read more Dokken fan’s reactions to this album. Maybe it will be like White Lion’s album and grow on me the more I listen to it. It is hard to find time to listen to something that doesn’t stand out because there is so much great music being released!!

Def Leppard’s new album, Songs from the Sparkle Lounge, definitely caught me by surprise. This is a fantastic record!

I wasn’t expecting much. I liked Def Leppard’s last release, but, like Dokken, it seems as though Def Leppard lost most of their 80′s magic. I consider Pyromania to be required listening for any rocker! I listened to Hysteria so many times that I wore the tape out!

Songs from the Sparkle Lounge is a great album. It is fun to listen to and blends that classic Def Leppard sound with modern rock and roll. I can’t stop listening to it!

Def Leppard has had their share of line-up changes, but this band still has the makings of greatness. I hear they will be touring with Whitesnake and I pray that they will come to central California! I would love to see that concert!

The Shape of Things to Come (sure looks good!)

Apr 25

metalman777Lost Lost, tv No Comments

Lost was sure in top form last night!  Even made staying up very late worth it!  Poor Sayid!  He does find Nadia, the love of his life only to have her ripped away and murdered!  Now that I think about it, a tragic loss like that would be the only thing to push Sayid over the edge and make him work for Ben.

Well, here are some tidbits and trivia facts from Lostpedia.com:

Trivia

General

• DHARMA logo seen on the breast of the parka worn by Ben has yet to be introduced in the series. It features concentric circles surrounding an unknown object.
  • The logo looks very much like the well-known celtic symbol “Triskel”. Triskel, surrounded by a spiral. It may have something to do with time, because both the triskel and the spiral symbolize reincarnation.
  • This parka also has the name “Halliwax” emblazoned on the left breast of the parka.
  • Screencaps of Ben in Parka
• Ben speaks Arabic and Turkish. He asks the Bedouin if they speak those languages in order to communicate with them.
• One of the Bedouin points out how Ben does not have a trail. The other replies, “Where did this [guy] come from? Down from the sky?”
• The pill bottle opened by Jack says “Amoxicillin”, a common antibiotic.
• The warning/security code for the fence was entered as 1623 and the dial was not turned; as a result, an early warning system was activated causing the phone in Ben’s house to ring with an automated female voice announcing “code 14J”.
• Ben’s flashforward takes place in October 2005 – One year and one month after the crash of Oceanic Flight 815.
• Keamy‘s first name is revealed to be Martin.
• After John reassures Sawyer that he will not hurt Hurley, Claire’s baby cry is the same audio clip used in Jim Cramer’s Mad Money sound board.
• The piece Ben is playing on the piano right before the phone call is Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Prelude in C Sharp Minor. Some British publications include the title The Burning of Moscow or The Day of Judgement.

Production notes

• Desmond and Michael do not appear in this episode. Sun and Jin appear with no lines.
• The three redshirts killed in the attack were portrayed by Sean Douglas Hoban (as Doug), Jim Mazzarella (as Jerome) and Dakota L. (as an unnamed castaway).

Bloopers and continuity errors

• The version of Risk being played by Hurley, Sawyer and Locke is the 2005 “library” edition of Risk. ^{[source needed]}
• Many of the Arabic scripts (including the news broadcast and the signs in Tunisia and Iraq) are erroneous. The letters are not connected as they should, as if they were independent of each other (i.e. they did not form words). Moreover, even if they were connected, many of them still would not form proper words. Sayid’s name, for example, missed some letters, had irrelevant ones, and the letters were not in the right order.

Recurring themes

• A close up of Ben’s eyes when he awakes in the desert in Tunisia (eyes)
• Ben refers to Alex as a pawn. (Games)
• Hurley, Locke, and Sawyer play Risk. (Games)
• Ben says “The rules have changed”. (Games)
• Ben has a shotgun hidden in the piano seat. (Secrets)
• Alex is taken hostage. (Imprisonment)
• The code to the security fence is 1623 (The Numbers)
• Alex is killed, as are three redshirts. (Life and Death)
• During the final scene, the light casts a shadow over half of Widmore’s and Ben’s faces. (Black and White)
• Sawyer called Hurley “Chicken Little” and says that the sky isn’t falling yet. (Nicknames)
• Ben tries to bluff that Alex means nothing to him, and as a result she is shot. (Parent Issues)
• Sayid said he was looking for Nadia for 8 years. (The Numbers)
• Ben manipulates Sayid into working as an assassin for him. (Deceptions and Cons)

Cultural references

• On the Road: Dean Moriarty is name of the “hero” of Jack Kerouac’s novel On The Road. The character of Dean is based on Neal Cassady who had a huge influence on the core Beat Generation writers.
• Sherlock Holmes: Moriarty is the surname of Professor James Moriarty, Sherlock Holmes’ best known antagonist and mathematical genius.
• Moby Dick: The man Sayid executes is named Ishmael, which was also the name of Captain Ahab’s first mate in Herman Melville’s Novel.
  • Ishmael is also the name of a wise talking gorilla in Daniel Quinn’s trilogy of Ishmael, The Story of B, My Ishmael
  • Ishmael is also a biblical name. He was Abraham’s first son, who was born not of his wife, but of her servant, whom he had also married. Ishmael’s half-brother was Issac, who was the father of Jacob.

• Exodus 2:3: “But when she could hide him no longer, she got him a wicker basket and covered it over with tar and pitch. Then she put the child into it and set it among the reeds by the bank of the Nile.” In the biblical text, Jochebed, mother of Moses (Aaron’s brother), hid Moses in a basket to protect her son from the Pharoah’s order to drown all of the Hebrew children. In The Shape of Things To Come Aaron is placed in a basket to be shielded from what we have been told is Widmore’s order to kill everyone on The Island. Moses and Aaron follow Jacob in the Judeo-Christian prophetic line. (Exodus 2:3 – 23 (The Numbers))

• The Shape of Things to Come : The name of the episode is also the name of a book by H.G. Wells which is written in the form of a history book from the future.

Literary techniques

• Three background survivors are killed in the initial attack on the camp. (Redshirt)
• Hurley repeats an old line of his, “we’re all gonna die” though this was shown in an ironic sense as it was said before it was revealed that he was talking about a game of Risk. (Regularly Spoken Phrases) and (Irony)
• Jack takes a pill, which he says he “prescribed for himself,” while Kate looks on suspiciously. This foreshadows Jack’s pill addiction and attempt to self-prescribe after he gets rescued. (Foreshadowing)
• Jack asks why the message said “the doctor is fine” when he is actually dead. Jack is a doctor who is becoming sick but says he is okay. (Irony)

Storyline analysis

• Ben is somehow able to either control or at the least summon the Monster from a tunnel hidden in the secret room of his house.
• Keamy executes Alex. (Crimes)
• Keamy and his men attack the Barracks. (F-Missions)
• Locke and Sawyer argue over who Hurley will go with. (Leadership) (Rivalries)

Episode references

• When Ben appears in the desert, he is wearing a parka labeled Halliwax. Edgar Halliwax is the alias used by Mark Wickmund in the Orchid orientation video.
• Charles Widmore has a glass of MacCutcheon Scotch whisky while talking with Ben. (“Flashes Before Your Eyes“)
• Ben uses one of his fake passports. (“The Economist“)
• Ben tells Miles that it seems unlikely that he’ll get his 3.2 million dollars after the attack on the Barracks. (“Eggtown“)
• Sayid asks Ben, “who’s next,” foreshadowing his role as Ben’s assassin. (“The Economist“)
• Locke accuses Ben of lying when he said he “didn’t know what the smoke monster was”. (“Confirmed Dead“)
• Ben knows Hurley has seen Jacob’s cabin after his slipup in the jungle. (“Confirmed Dead“)

Unanswered questions

For fan theories about these unanswered questions, see: The Shape of Things to Come/Theories

Flashforward

In the desert

• How does Ben end up in the desert?
• How did Ben get the cut on his arm?
• Why is Ben wearing a parka?
• What DHARMA logo is on the jacket?
• What did the Bedouins say as they approached Ben on horseback?
• Why is Ben unsure what year it is?

Widmore

• Why can’t Ben kill Widmore?
• What nightmares is Widmore having?
• Why is Widmore sure Ben can’t find Penny?

On the Island

• What did Ben do in his secret room?
• Who killed Ray, and why?
• Why does the message from the freighter say that Ray is fine?
• Who wrote the hieroglyphics on the wall in Ben’s hidden bunker, and what do they mean?

The Movie You Should Rent This Weekend

Apr 18

metalman777Life, movies, music august rush, movies, music No Comments

Time to watch movies has been very hard to find lately. Life and all of its general chaos just steals it away.

I was fortunate enough this last week to see one great movie! I have to qualify the meaning of “great”. Some movies are great, say, like The Transformers. Awesome action and explosions and computer animation. Great in every sense of the word.

Then there are movies such as the Lord of the Rings trilogy which transcend normal story telling devices and are in every way epic. The settings are exotic and the characters are foreign and story speaks to our heart.

The movie that captured my attention and touched my spirit was August Rush.  Here is the official review by amazon.com:

Music has long been considered a universal language with the power to bring people together, but can the simple act of playing music possibly unite a child with a mother and father who live in two different cities and don’t even know of the child’s existence? Having shared one extraordinary night, classical cellist Lyla Novacek (Keri Russell) and Irish singer and songwriter Louis Connelly (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) were a union meant to be that was torn apart by circumstances and a protective father (William Sadler). After eleven years, both Lyla and Louis have given up performing only to find that they are unhappy and searching for a sense of fulfillment that will ultimately lead both artists back to music and performing. Evan (Freddie Highmore) is an 11-year old orphan who’s grown up hearing music in everything around him and is convinced that his real parents want him and will find him with the help of music. Driven by his innate musical genius and a powerful compulsion to perform before the world, Evan runs away from the orphanage and is initially taken in by a street man known as Wizard (Robin Williams) who encourages his musical talent and renames him August Rush and, later, by a local priest who arranges for August to receive a Julliard education. August is a child prodigy who excels beyond even the wildest expectations and earns the opportunity of a lifetime–a chance to perform in front of an enormous audience in New York’s Central Park. The question is; can his performance possibly reach the audience August really craves? While elements of this film are completely unbelievable (take August’s instant prowess on the guitar or his immediate and sophisticated grasp of musical notation and musical theory), the message of the universality of music and the notion that “the music is all around us, all you have to do is listen” is both compelling and powerful. –Tami Horiuchi

With all that said, this movie is truly a homerun.  It has depth and feeling and brings the viewer into its world.  The movie does move at its own pace, winding slowly through August’s life and telling the tale of how his parents meet.  I’m a very huge fan of music, and this movie taps into that passion in a very big way.  August Rush is gifted in ways I would love to be.  He can hear music in everything, from wind moving the grass to the hum of power lines to the busy bustle of city life.  The music is in him, seeking to be released.

As I said earlier, this movie moves me in a couple of different ways.  The romantic in me can feel the gut-level love that connects August’s parents.  Once that love is gone, it extinguishes everything, and their passion for the music that expresses how they feel is sadly gone.  To love someone that deeply is a gratifying and mystical experience. 

Then, of course, the music of this movie is stupendous.  The producers created something truly magical.  Most of the music is classical in nature, but it maginifies and personifies the prodigy of August Rush.  I love the scene where August’s mom is playing her cello with fierce passion and the director overlays August’s dad playing his rocking love song so the two songs become one.  It is truly touching.

I downloaded the soundtrack this morning and have been listening to it all day.  It really captures to magnificence of the movie.  A lot of gospel, light rock, classical and jazz fused togethter for a wonderful listening experience.

So, to sum it all up:  if you love music, and you love movies that capture that mystical experience called love – then you should just go buy this movie!

It is family friendly, with maybe one or two minor curse words, but I’d let my kids (13, 11, and 9) watch it without hesitation.

So, What Is The Answer?

Apr 18

metalman777Life, calvin & hobbes calvin & hobbes, math No Comments

C’mon all you math nerds, I need your help! How is Calvin’s dad’s statement true? Something with the radius of the record? I need to know!

She's got my vote in '08

Apr 15

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An Open Blog To Apple Computers

Apr 14

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C’mon Apple! You aren’t Microsoft! Let’s get it together so the windoze lackeys can’t give us a hard time! This error looks like it is right out of Windows XP! We fanboys just can’t take it!!

Firefoxtunestwitterfied (trust me, it really does make sense)

Apr 10

metalman777tech, www firefox, twitter, www No Comments

I have finally joined to legions of devoted Twitter users to micro-blog and micro-text my way to insanity.  If you’d like to read a very good article on how to use Twitter, follow this link.

In order to take advantage of my newfound compulsion, I switched back to Firefox so I could use some very cool extensions for Twitter.

In switching back to Firefox, I was able to take advantage of Foxytunes, a plug-in for Firefox that let’s you control iTunes or Last.fm or Pandora right from your browser.

This is what the Foxytunes toolbar looks like.  It sits at the bottom of Firefox.  It isn’t in the least bit distracting. Clicking on the little orange music note produces the following:
Like I said, you can control all your different media players right from your web browser!  To the left, a scrolling text box announces what is playing (not seen in the above screenshot)

Now this is where Twittytunes comes in.  It is a plug-in for Foxytunes.  It will send a “tweet” to all your followers of what you are listening to.
You can let everyone know how cool you are by showing them what you are listening to; everyone know that people who listen to Whitecross are cooler than most, eh?

There are a few different options to send to your followers from Twittytunes.

You can keep everyone informed to the websites you are browsing, what you are reading; well, you can read the list from up above.  If you are using Twitter, than this is a fabulous tool.

One other extenstion I found is Twitterfox.  It lets you see all your tweets right from Firefox.  You can post and reply to all of your fellow Twitterers!

So, if you do join the Twitter community, send me a tweet at metalman777!

Pictures from Hannah's Softball Game

Apr 09

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[slideshow id=576460752331938962&w=600&h=475]

or take it a look at my flickr page!

Opening Day of Little League

Apr 06

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[slideshow id=576460752331910349&w=426&h=320]

Today was opening day for Little League! As you can see from the above pictures, Nate sure had a great day!

If you’d like to see the pictures in a bigger format, click here to see my flickr page!