twitstamp.com

follow Tommie on twitter

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Click for Trick Or Treat Times from our friends at WNDU

Before...After...


Please contact us at 574-25-95-95-3 with any info on the whereabouts of my freaking head.

Labels:

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Tuesday Rock Roundup

The Eagles' first studio album in 28 years, Long Road Out of Eden, hits Wal-Mart stores today. Fans will be getting their money's worth after the long wait, as Eden is a double album that's being sold for the price of a single disc. Don Henley says the band didn't set out to make their return to the world of C-Ds this lengthy, adding that "since there are four people in this band who write and sing, everybody wanted to get his licks in there." As for the almost three-decade wait in between albums, guitarist Joe Walsh jokes that "that's not that long in Eagles time." Additionally, Eagles bassist Timothy Schmidt turns 60 today.

Also, what's left of Grace Slick from Jefferson Airplane turns 68 today.

U-2's 3-D concert film, U-2 3-D, finally has a distributor. National Geographic Cinema Ventures has picked up the documentary and will distribute it both domestically and internationally. The film, which was shot during the South American leg of the Vertigo Tour, should hit U-S theaters in late January.

A new Pink Floyd box set compiling all the band's studio albums is due out December 4th. Oh by the Way is a 17-disc set featuring each album in a miniature replica of the original vinyl sleeve, as well as an extra disc with rarities from each album.

Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival is heading to public television. Highlights from the day long fest in Chicago this past July will air on P-B-S's Great Performances starting in late November.

Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards was among the 15-thousand people who joined a march protesting possible service cuts at a hospital near his British country home. In a statement, Richards calls Saint Richard's Hospital -- located near his vacation home in West Wittering -- "a vital local amenity." It's likely also his source for blood, which keeps him from taking to the skies at night in the form of a bat.

Z-Z Top are finally going to release a live D-V-D. The Texas trio have chosen their show Thursday at the Nokia Theater in Dallas to be filmed. There's no release date for the D-V-D yet. The only other live release in Z-Z Top's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame career was the live side of 1975's Fandango.

The dust-up between Pam Anderson exes Tommy Lee and Kid Rock during September's M-T-V Video Music Awards won't be going to court. Las Vegas prosecutors announced yesterday that they "will not pursue battery charges against Robert James Ritchie, a-k-a Kid Rock, involving a confrontation with Tommy Lee." According to the statement, Lee didn't want the incident prosecuted. Rock walked up to Lee and cold-cocked him while Alicia Keys was performing onstage.

Paul McCartney performed more than 20 songs Thursday night in an intimate concert before three-thousand fans in North London for the B-B-C. His set-list spanned such Beatles gems as "Got to Get You into My Life," "Hey Jude" and "Magical Mystery Tour," complete with an eight-piece string section, as well as Wings smashes "Live and Let Die" and "Band on the Run," plus recent solo work "Flaming Pie" and "Only Mama Knows" (from his current C-D Memory Almost Full). He even showed off his Liverpudilian wit. Before playing "I I'll Follow the Sun," he told the crowd, "Don't cheer it just because its old!".

Ozzy Osbourne's plaque on Birmingham, England's Walk of Fame has been blocked because it has caused people to slip and fall. The polished surface of the plaque has been troublesome since it was unveiled, so the local merchant's association has put barriers around Ozzy's star because they feared someone could fall down and then sue. The association is having the plaque's manufacturer evaluate what should be done to fix the slippery surface.

Axl Rose is the backing vocalist on three tracks on former Skid Row singer's Sebastian Bach's upcoming solo album, Angel Down, which hits stores November 20th. Bach reveals that he's not only heard Guns N' Roses' Chinese Democracy in its entirety, but that Axl's got "four albums worth of material that he's ready to unleash on the world." He describes it as "incredible" and says it combines "the majesty and epic grandeur of 'November Rain' with the behind-the beat rock attitude of Appetite [for Destruction]." Bach cautions that he doesn't want to speak for Rose, but says his feeling is that the long wait for the album has more to do with business issues than the quality of the material.

Michael Jackson may never see Neverland again. The one-time King of Pop has just three months to come up with 23-million dollars that he owes to a Delaware loan company -- a loan he secured with the deed to the California compound. Fortress Music Trust filed papers in a Santa Barbara, California court on Friday to take control of the ranch -- although we're not sure if that includes Jacko's collection of llamas and tigers and bears.

NEW RELEASES TODAY:

Eagles - The Long Road Out Of Eden (2 CDs, Available at Wal-Mart & Sam's Club)
Britney Spears -
Blackout CD
Spider-Man 3 DVD
Talk to Me DVD with Don Cheadle as a Radio Talk Show Host
El Cantante DVD with Jennifer Lopez and her husband Marc Anthony in the story of the far more talented Hector Lavoe
License to Wed DVD with Robin Williams, Mandy Moore, and Jim from The Office
The Other Side of the Mirror- Bob Dylan Live at Newport Folk Festival DVD
Angel - The Complete Series DVD
CSI: Miami - The Fifth Season DVD
The Three Stooges Collection - Volume One - 1934-1936 DVD
Family Guy - Freakin' Party Pac DVD
Magnum P.I. - The Complete Seventh Season DVD
Scrubs - The Complete Sixth Season DVD
Looney Tunes - Golden Collection - Volume Five DVD
Twin Peaks - The Definitive Gold Box Edition DVD

Monday, October 29, 2007

Wrong Sox Win Series

Let's continue the pattern: BoSox this year, ChiSox next year...and then Detroit loses. Heh.

Sunday, October 28, 2007

Vinyl Monday for this week...

...in honor of Hagar & Anthony coming to The Morris on Halloween Night, we proudly present their first work together, one of the best sides from one of the best bands ever...
Side 1 of 5150
by Van Halen

Labels:

Pictures From The Halloween Howl III

To get in, just click on the people waiting to get in...

Friday, October 26, 2007

Phriday Photo Phinish


Heatherless Headlines

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Free Taco on Tuesday!

There's the man to thank. Boston's Jacoby Ellsbury. He stole a base in game 2 of the World Series, so Taco Bell has to give everyone who asks for one a FREE TACO on October 30th between 2 and 5p. Seriously.

Labels: ,

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

How To Survive A Horror Movie

"All the skills to dodge the kills", with thanks to our guest this morning, Seth Grahame-Smith.

Website.

Labels:

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

My Friend Corey's Video Diary of his VH Show experience last week

My review of the show that happened two nights later is right here.

Labels:

Tuesday Rock Roundup


Van Halen have postponed this Sunday's show in St. Louis due to what they call a "scheduling conflict," which isn't going over well with fans there. Among the rumors going around: 1) there wasn't enough time to truck the equipment to the next show two days later in Boston...2) David Lee Roth wants an extra day of rest before they play the East Coast, and...3) since St. Louis is such a Sammy Hagar stronghold, Van Halen won't play there, even though they'd sold 10-thousand tickets for the postponed show. Hagar pulls into St. Louis next month for two shows at the Fox Theater, and he'll close his tour next summer at Busch Stadium.

Last week the British papers reported that Heather Mills had given her estranged husband, Paul McCartney, an ultimatum: settle our divorce or it will become a messy affair in court. Now the News of the World is reporting that McCartney has posed his own take-it-or-leave-it: 43-million dollars, which is down from the reported 47-million he had offered. A source close to Macca tells the paper, "This is a final offer. Paul's sick of her.
He's adamant that he's not offering her any more deals and has sworn that after this there will be no more bargaining. If Heather knocks this one back, he has instructed his lawyers to tell her to go to hell and he'll see her in court -- where a judge will decide it." As has been the case all along, McCartney's spokesmen do not comment on this aspect of his life. Heather reportedly has been reluctant to agree to a settlement because she does not want to sign a confidentiality agreement. She is reportedly planning a T-V series for America in which she will discuss the marriage, an appearance on Oprah and a book.

Ozzy Osbourne will donate his net profits from his November 30th show at the Staples Center in Los Angeles to the Sharon Osbourne Colon Cancer Program. The show comes a day after the end of the Beverly Hills auction of the Osbournes' personal items, which will also raise money for the charity. In addition, 50 cents from each ticket sold to the L-A show will go to the program.

Neil Young's 1972 album Harvest is the best Canadian album ever recorded, according to a new book, The Top 100 Canadian Albums. Author Bob Mersereau polled more than 500 musicians, critics, disc jockeys and retailers to come up with the list. Joni Mitchell's Blue is number-two, followed by Young's After the Gold Rush and The Band's Music From Big Pink. The Tragically Hip's Fully Completely rounds out the Top 5. Young has eight albums on the list; the Guess Who, Mitchell and Gordon Lightfoot have five each; and The Tragically Hip have four. The Band and Rush clock in with three each, and Bryan Adams has two.
Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey will host the London premiere of the documentary Amazing Journey: The Story of The Who on November 5th. Their appearance, which will include a question-and-answer session, will be beamed to theaters in seven other U-K towns. Amazing Journey will be released on D-V-D on November 6th.

Mickey Hart, who's currently touring North America with his electro-percussion ensemble Global Drum Project, realizes that there's a great demand for a reunion of the Dead's surviving members. The drummer says, however, that he doesn't see that happening anytime soon. He tells us that the Dead is "quite dormant now, which is really good thing because at least we don't have our differences. We're just letting it sit there for a while."

Jeff Beck will take up residency at Ronnie Scott's, the legendary London jazz club, for six shows over five nights from November 27th through December 1st. The capacity is only 200 and no seat is more than 50 feet from the stage, giving concertgoers the chance to see the pain on his face as he continues to not be Jimmy Page.

Dee Snider of Twisted Sister, Brian Wilson's daughter Carnie Wilson, Julio Iglesias Junior, Maureen "Marsha Brady" McCormick and others will be contestants on the new C-M-T show Gone Country. The six-episode series will premiere in January, with John Rich of Big and Rich grooming them to become country singers. How quaint.


NEW RELEASES TODAY:

Hostel: Part II DVD
Meet the Robinsons DVD
Mr. Brooks DVD
The Beatles - Up Close and Personal DVD
Clive Cussler's Sea Hunters - Set One DVD
The Sopranos - Season Six - Part Two DVD

Robert Plant & Alison Krauss -
Raising Sand CD
John Mellencamp - 20th Century Masters: Millennium Collection CD

Monday, October 22, 2007

Overdue Van Halen Review

Like everything I'm supposed to have written in the last week, this is late. But here's my take on the VAN FREAKING HALEN concert.

We left about 4pm, almost all of our airstaff (we missed you, Craig!), a few friends, and a dozen listeners. The alcohol began to flow about 3pm, before we even boarded. We'd killed a number of braincells before we even arrived at the parking lot, within walking distance of both The United Center where VAN FREAKING HALEN would be performing, as well as the World's Scariest Damn Liquor Store.

Our seats were decent, right down the middle, with a nice view of all the Bulls Banners (which I was seeing for the first time, I'd never been to the UC before...just the old Chicago Stadium). The opening act was a reggae act, for some odd reason. Though decent, they were merely in the way.

VAN FREAKING HALEN took the stage at 9:30 our time, 8:30 in Chicago. By this time I'd eaten a bratwurst and met George Wendt (Norm from Cheers) in the men's room. There was no foot tapping under the stalls between us, and I didn't call him Norm because I'm willing to bet he hates that. A lot.

From the first notes, it was obvious that every single joke I've made about Eddie Van Halen over the last ten years of bad decisions...though justified at the time...should now be stricken from the record. Axl W. Rose is now the only true laughing stock in rock. Eddie shredded. He hasn't lost a bit of ability, nor has his brother. In fact, when they ripped into Hot For Teacher, it was faster than I recall it from the album. And I remember tempos, because I'm a shitty musician who practices to my favorite albums over and over again. It's what we do.

David Lee Roth has lost a bit of his leap, but he still moved around that stage like Rudolph Valentino shopping for vaginas. He came off very Vegas, but I liked that about him, and having only ever seen him once before (without VH), I have very little comparison to draw from. And I'd never seen VAN FREAKING HALEN before, no matter who was singing. The place erupted when he shouted "I heard you missed us, we're baaaaaack!" during Hot For Teacher.

Now that I'm done discussing the over-50 crowd...let's address the 16 year-old. Wolfgang was solid. He didn't have much stage presence, but...c'mon...he's a teenager in VAN FREAKING HALEN embarking on a major tour while all his buddies are drawing boobs in their algebra books. He did a fine job covering the high notes, and looked like he was having a blast with Dad. At one point, in the middle of a solo, facing each other, Eddie leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. It was a pretty cool little moment.

The overall sound of the band was formidable. Dinosaurs roaming the earth. Not in terms of their age, but their size and power. And not those slow, plodding, fat plant-eating bastards that get pulled down by a dozen raptors in the Jurassic Park flicks, no. They were the huge goddamn monsters who swallowed the satellite phone and dominated the landscape. The Kings Are Back.

I'm fortunate that my career has gotten me through the gates to see a lot of the greats. The first Piano Men tour, Kiss in different decades, Steely Dan, Clapton, the original Sabbath lineup, Rush, Rob Halford, Maiden, Metallica three times...on and on. VAN FREAKING HALEN was one of the top three all-time, easily. They played non-stop for over two hours, including an ll-minute guitar solo that left me shaking my head, too shocked to clap or make any noise at all. There were no breaks, just a three or so minute stop before the encore. They just went out there and kicked our asses, all of us. If the Blackhawks had been in the house, the band would have scored on 'em at least twice.

Next up: Halloween night at The Morris, with Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony. The total VAN FREAKING HALEN package (minus that Gary Cherone debacle) within two weeks.

Everybody wants some.

Sunday, October 21, 2007

And Your Vinyl Monday Selection Of The Week Is...

The Police "Synchronicity", Side 2, from 1983

Consisting Of...
Every Breath You Take
King Of Pain
Wrapped Around Your Finger
Tea In The Sahara
* Murder By Numbers
*although this is the last song on your CD or Cassette of this album, it didn't appear on the original vinyl release. It was the B-Side for "Every Breath You Take", added to the lineup after the first vinyl release. I'm adding it here because you're used to it from the CD you have of the album...and because it's a kick-ass song...

Friday, October 19, 2007

Cell Video From Van Halen Last Night

You get what you can from cell video at a loud concert...but here's the best I can do...

Note the size of that screen above the stage. Damn!

Tired

Mmm Hmmm.

There's a lot I want to say about the Van Halen Concert tonight in Chicago...but honestly...I'm not writing a review until I get more than an hour of friggin' sleep.

Something will go up this weekend about it, here, along with a couple pictures (better ones than this one...)

Phriday Photo Phinish

That nasty storm system rolling into the neighborhood of the United Center
About an hour before the show.

Heatherless Headlines

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Van Halen - Pregame Warm-up In Progress

Van Halen with DLR is in the tray, because they comprise the bulk of Van Halen v4.0, which I am off to see tonight in Chicago. I have a river of scripts to sift through first, and a little voicework to do. And I suppose I should eat something, at some point today, before we leave.

I'll wait 'till your love comes down.

I'm comin' straight for your heart.


The best part about this is: Halloween Night, we have Sammy Hagar in town, with special guests The Mad Anthony Express...Michael Anthony's group. And before Hagar's set, they always get onstage together and do Van Halen v2.0 stuff under the name The Other Half.

So the only thing missing from my Van-tober will be Gary Cherone from Van Halen v3.0...and I can just listen to Extreme if I really feel the need.

Which I kinda doubt. Van Halen III was one of the biggest turds laid by a rock band this side of Chicago XIII...

A buddy of mine saw the VH Chicago show Tuesday Night. He just kept saying "Wow" and "Oh My God" when pressed for details.

It appears The Kings are truly back. I never expected this.

But like my friend Toni: if this show sucks tonight, and it's been nothing but hype...I'll bang on these guys for the rest of my career.
I just hope they don't have a fight and break up again in the next 8 hours...

The Beatles Nearly Had The Spirit Of '76


In an interview with Radio Times, Paul McCartney says The Beatles considered getting back together in 1976. "There were phenomenal amounts of money being offered...millions by Sid Bernstein, this New York promoter (who brought the band to America in 1964). But it just went round and round... Let's put it this way, there was never a time when all four of us wanted to do it." And in retrospect he says it was the right decision because "the Beatles' work is a body of work. There's nothing to be ashamed of there. In the end we decided we should leave well enough alone."
When asked if he could imagine what the Beatles would be like today, he was initially reluctant to answer, but said, "We could imagine that John would be this fantastic elder statesman, very much in command of his lifestyle. I'd be alongside him singing magnificently. George would be playing like an angel on his guitar. We'd be gelling, sounding like nothing anyone's ever heard before with all the power of modern amplification. And, behind us, would be the world's greatest drummer [Ringo]... Unfortunately, this is just pure imagination. But then what's wrong with that?"
In other McCartney news...Paul has taken the high road, or the silent road, in his divorce proceedings from Heather Mills. He has said it is "painful," but he has not said any disparaging remarks about her. She, on the other hand has made remarks, and he is trying to prevent her from doing so in the future. So as he fights for a settlement in which she cannot talk, he is also reportedly trying to stop Heather from taking legal action against Associated Newspapers, publishers of the Daily Mail, and News Group Newspapers, publishers of The Sun for libel and breach of privacy for leaking details of their divorce papers last year. If the case goes to court, he could be called as a possible witness and private details could be made public, including his alleged violent towards her.
The Daily Mirror reported yesterday that Macca has now offered Heather 50-million dollars (25-million pounds). A source close to McCartney tells the paper, "His legal team knows a judge is unlikely to award Heather a package of much more than about 25-million pounds so he has offered that and now all he has to do is sit and wait. It's now in Heather's hands. Paul has always been prepared to go all the way, but if it can be sorted out before then, he's not going to stand in the way."

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Cooking For Guys Who Can't Cook

Pat made quite a spread for a guy getting ready to head off to vacation.

There were quesedias with beef, mushrooms, and cheddar...and some Southwestern Style ones with pepper jack, jalapenos, peppers, and beef.
How to make it? Olive oil, pan, flour tortillas, ingredients, repeat.

Corn Chowder:

2 11oz cans of Green Giant Mexicorn, 3 diced potatoes, 1 cup diced celery, 1/2 cup diced onion, 1/2 cup diced carrots, 1 tbsp butter, 1 small can of chicken stock (Pat recommends Swanson), 2 cups heavy whipping cream, salt & pepper to taste. Roux as needed for equal amounts. Cook veggies in butter 2-3 min and rest of ingredients. Thicken slowly with roux.

For the Beef Stew...Pat recommneds (as does Tommie)...picking up one of these Beef Stew Kits. Guys, if you can turn on the crock pot, you can make this. EVERYTHING is in it but the water.

School Delays

Lakeland Schools
2 hour Delay

New Prairie United Schools
2 hour Delay
No AM Kindergarten

Prairie Heights Schools
2 hour Delay

West Noble School Corp
2 hour Delay

Westview School Corp
2 hour Delay

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

End Of The Ragzies!

Notre Dame Promo from SNL

Tuesday Rock Roundup

Books about Classic Rock continue to pour out like Britney from a halter-top. Former Eagles guitarist Don Felder will publish his autobiography, Heaven and Hell: My Life as an Eagle , in England on November 1st. The Times of London has posted a few excerpts from on its website. Felder blames his bandmates' abuse of drugs for their problems in the '70s, saying, "We went from a bunch of young guys hanging out together to five men who couldn't stand each other..." Other topics covered include the band's penchant for groupies, and the fact that Glenn Frey and Don Henley were called "The Gods" behind their backs by the other members of the band. Heaven and Hell was to be published this month in the States, but the Eagles have reportedly threatened litigation over some of its seamier content. No word on whether it will see the light of day here.

The Doors were supposed to release a box set of their albums on vinyl this month, but it has been pushed back to February. On the band's website, their manager, Jeff Jampol, writes, "The test pressings were not up to our standards, and the L-A Woman artwork was also felt to not be 100-percent... We traced it back to bad compounds in the virgin vinyl, and it appears that the original supplier of vinyl will not be able to deliver consistent quality."

Billy Joel was honored Thursday night at an event that raises money for parkland on his native Long Island, New York. The Piano Man received the Master Builder Award from The Foundation for Long Island State Parks in recognition of his entertainment achievements and efforts to protect Long Island's maritime industries. The event also included an auction whose featured item was a piano autographed by Billy. It sold for 18-thousand dollars. Commenting that his mother was the "real master builder... she built me," Billy kidded that he's long been snapping up local real estate because, "I love Long Island and want to own as much of it as I can." He might need to record a few more albums, then.

The London tabloids are once again engrossed in Paul McCartney's divorce from his second wife, Heather Mills. The Daily Mail is reporting that talks between the two last week collapsed and that they are now "heading for a full-blown public divorce." A source tells the paper, "There are no more talks planned. The whole thing broke down without agreement. A trial date has been set for February next year and that is where we are heading." One sticking point, according to the Mail -- Mills will not agree to keep quiet about their marriage after the divorce is finalized. Macca is said to have offered her upwards of 95-million dollars, plus annual payments for their daughter, Beatrice . Mills reportedly would have been happy with less, provided she could spew.

Van Morrison has bounced around a number of record labels the past few years, but now he's back with Polydor, which released the majority of his albums in the '90s. The label will release his new best-of, Still on Top, on November 6th, followed by a new studio album in early 2008. Polydor has also obtained the rights to Morrison's catalog and will start to reissue his 34 albums next year with bonus material. Morrison wrapped up a three-night stand in New York last night, and he's back out on October 26th in Spain.

With Led Zeppelin back in the spotlight with next month's reunion concert and the release of two C-Ds and a D-V-D, it comes as no surprise that they will make their catalog available for download. Starting November 13th, their tunes will be sold through all online music retailers. In addition to downloads, Verizon Wireless will offer ringtones, ringback tones, alert tones and wallpapers. In a statement, guitarist Jimmy Page says, "The addition of the digital option will better enable fans to obtain our music in whichever manner that they prefer." Zeppelin will release Mothership, a two-C-D career-spanning collection, on November 13th. The re-release of The Song Remains the Same soundtrack and D-V-D follows on November 20th.


A-C/D-C have negotiated a deal to finally acquire the Internet domain A-C-D-C-dot-com. For many years, the domain belonged to an porn website that people would mistakenly visit thinking it belonged to the band. The band's management says they pushed hard to acquire the domain because many of the band's younger fans were being directed to the porn site.

The Pink Floyd online news resource Brain Damage reports that all 14 Pink Floyd studio albums are set to be released in a package known as the Pink Floyd Mini-Vinyl Studio Box Set on December 4th. The main feature of the long rumored collection is that each C-D will be a mini-replica of the original vinyl packaging, including all artwork, inserts such as posters and stickers and L-P-style dust jackets. Hipgnosis graphic artist Storm Thorgerson, who did many of the band's album covers, designed the box. Also included is a poster and a D-V-D featuring the bandmembers discussing the group's 40th anniversary and career landmarks. Pressings of the 16-C-D set -- Ummagumma and The Wall, each containing two discs -- will reportedly be limited to 10-thousand copies worldwide. Online retailer Amazon's British and German websites are already taking pre-orders, although the company's U-S site is not as yet. Judging by the price in British pounds, the box should sell for somewhere around 300 dollars.

The Tom Petty documentary Runnin' Down a Dream comes to D-V-D today but is available only in Best Buy stores. The set includes three D-V-Ds and one C-D. Two D-V-Ds contain the four-hour Peter Bogdanovich film, which features many of the band's own home movies from the '70s, rare T-V and concert appearances, and interviews with all Heartbreakers past and present, as well as with fans like Eddie Vedder, Stevie Nicks and Johnny Depp. The third D-V-D features the band's entire show from their 30th-anniversary tour stop in Petty's hometown of Gainesville, Florida. The C-D contains rare tracks and instrumentals from the film, including some previously unreleased cuts from Petty's pre-Heartbreakers band, Mudcrutch.

NEW RELEASES:
Transformers DVD
The Invisible DVD some weird out-of-body teenager thing starring nobody important.
A Mighty Heart DVD with Angelina Jolie.
The Reaping DVD with Hilary Swank.
Deadliest Catch - Season Two DVD (3 disc)
Tarantino's Grindhouse Presents - Planet Terror DVD (w/2 versions of the flick)
MacGyver - The Complete Series DVD
Roseanne - The Complete Ninth Season DVD
The Princess Bride (1987) Anniversary Edition DVD
Mythbusters - Collection Two DVD
That '70s Show - Season Seven DVD
Neil Young -
Chrome Dreams II CD

Monday, October 15, 2007

Today's Vinyl Monday

AC/DC
Back In Black
Side B

Back In Black

You Shook Me All Night Long

Have A Drink On Me

Shake A Leg

Rock And Roll Aint Noise Pollution


Saturday, October 13, 2007

BattleCatholics!

(sounds like a bad cartoon from the 80s...)


Ah yes, two mighty Catholic Universities fight it out, and even The Pope reaches for the popcorn. (Popecorn?)

During the course of wandering from tailgate to tailgate with Craig after The Blue & Gold Hour on Saturday, there was only one person I felt compelled to take a picture with.

Don't know his name...but I loved the shirt...

Labels: ,

Friday, October 12, 2007

Al Gore Wins Nobel Peace Prize

Phriday Photo Phinish

Congrats to Father Hesburgh of Notre Dame for the placement of this picture in the Smithsonian this week.

Heatherless Headlines

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Macca Divorce

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Halloween Howl III Is Almost Here!

Humane Society Event This Wknd

Learn more here.

Help Celebrate “The Cash For Critters Bash” for The Humane Society Of St. Joe Cty At The Eagles Lodge On 4th & Main In Mishawaka…Friday At 7pm!
Win Dog & Cat Baskets or other prizes, including Gift Certificates to area Stores & Restaurants, and you can Enter The Big Drawing For Cash up to $500!
All Of The Money Raised Will Go Directly To Their Animals!

Tuesday, October 09, 2007

I Heard The News Today O Boy...

John Lennon would have been 67 today. He's one of my Creative Heroes. Even though I didn't always agree with his politics or what he had to say, I always respected the passion with which he said it. He could have made a lot of money in the 70s being a Beatle. He made a family instead. Perhaps to try and atone for the one he broke up in the 60s, who knows.

Happy Birthday, Dr. Winston O'Boogie...



Interview with Sim from Utterz.com

Bonaduce vs. Fairplay

The incident:

Monday, October 08, 2007

Tuesday Rock Roundup

Eric Clapton, one of the music industry's most private artists, goes public today with the publication of his memoir, Clapton: The Autobiography. Clapton covers it all as best he can -- from his childhood, when he found out that his mother was actually the woman he was led to believe was his older sister, to his battles with drugs and alcohol, his many musical accomplishments, his affairs, the death of his son Conor, and the happiness he now finds with his wife Melia and their three daughters. Also in stores today is the two-C-D career retrospective Complete Clapton.

Bruce Springsteen and his wife Patti Sciafla are being sued by a former member of the U-S Olympic equestrian team for allegedly backing out of a contract to buy a horse worth 850-thousand dollars for their daughter. Todd Minikus, who filed the breach-of-contract lawsuit in Florida on Thursday, claims that the Springsteens reneged on a deal to pay him 650-thousand dollars and give him their horse, named Scarlett, worth 200-thousand dollars, in exchange for his horse, named Pavarotti. The lawsuit claims Bruce and Patti had a change of heart after Minikus rode the 10-year-old gelding at the Pan American Games in Brazil, which was held after the contract was signed but before the deal was completed. There's no official response to the suit from Springsteen's camp yet.

Yoko Ono has started an online peace campaign through a new website called ImaginePeace-dot-com. The site offers up peace banners for other websites, as well as downloadable flyers and designs for T-shirts. Ono, Ringo Starr and Olivia Harrison will unveil the Imagine Peace Tower in Reykjavik, Iceland today, which would have been John Lennon's 67th birthday.

Don Henley's benefit fundraiser for his Walden Woods Project last week in New York was a success, with the piano he auctioned off going for 510-thousand dollars. The Walden Woods Art Case Piano, made by Steinway for Henley, was played and signed by Billy Joel, Elton John, Herbie Hancock and Bruce Hornsby.

In case you haven't seen it or been sent one, Bob Dylan has taken footage shot 42 years ago and turned it into a customized E-card. You can now insert your own words onto the cue cards that Dylan holds in the clip of his song "Subterranean Homesick Blues" from the 1965 film Don't Look Back. Close to 600-thousand people have watched the customized messages, which can be created through his website. It is part of the promotion campaign for his new best-of, Dylan.

Ozzy Osbourne is not happy that his wife Sharon is cleaning out their houses in Malibu, Beverly Hills, and England, and putting what they've collected up for bids. He says, "I don't know why we are selling everything, as I want it all." The auction of more than 600 lots of memorabilia, jewelry, costumes, paintings, furniture and decorative works of art will be held November 30th and December 1st at the Gibson Guitar Showroom in Beverly Hills, California. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Sharon Osbourne Colon Cancer Foundation. Sharon turns 55 tomorrow.

Pete Townshend tells Johnnie Walker on B-B-C Radio Two that he would like to see The Who do a tour with Led Zeppelin next year. The Who and Robert Plant share the same manager.

The Police were joined on stage last week in Paris by their original guitarist, Henry Padovani. The Police are in Antwerp, Belgium tonight.

Jon Bon Jovi was at the American League Divisional Series game between the New York Yankees and the Cleveland Indians last night at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx, New York. He was interviewed during the game on T-B-S.

Bruce Springsteen has debuted at number-one in the U-K. His new album, Magic, is his seventh to go to number-one across the pond. The others were Born in the U-S-A, Tunnel of Love, Human Touch, Greatest Hits, The Rising and Devils and Dust. Magic is expected to debut at number-one tomorrow on the Billboard album chart, which would make it his third number-one out of his last four albums to hit the top spot here.

John Mellencamp announced last week that he had written a song called "Jena" [pr: geena] about the six black teenagers facing criminal charges in Jena, Louisiana. The town's mayor, Murphy R. McMillin, is now calling the song "inflammatory." In a statement, he says, "The town of Jena has for months been mischaracterized in the media and portrayed as the epicenter of hatred, racism and a place where justice is denied... However, the Mellencamp video is so inflammatory, so defamatory, that a line has been crossed and enough is enough." For his part, JCM says: "The song is not written as an indictment of the people of Jena but, rather, as a condemnation of racism." Mellencamp will include the song on his next album, which he is currently recording. He will kick off a tour October 26th in Terre Haute, Indiana.

Paul McCartney is part of two of the worst duets ever recorded, according to a poll conducted by B-B-C Six Music. His effort with Stevie Wonder on "Ebony and Ivory" was the worst, and his duet with Michael Jackson on "The Girl Is Mine" is number-six. Also on the list are "Dancing in the Streets" by Mick Jagger and David Bowie at three, and "Little Drummer Boy" with Bing Crosby and David Bowie at four. As for the best musical collaborations, that list was topped by Sinead O'Connor and The Chieftains with "Foggy Dew." Queen and David Bowie on "Under Pressure," despite also making the "worst" list, was number-three. And Run D-M-C and Aerosmith's version of "Walk This Way" was fifth.

NEW IN STORES TODAY:

Deborah Harry - Necessary Evil on CD, haven't cared since she dissed the rest of Blondie at the induction ceremony, but there you go, if you're still a fan.
Marc Cohn - Join The Parade (the Walking In Memphis guy)
The aforementioned Eric Clapton - Complete Clapton [2 CDs]
28 Weeks Later DVD, the sequel to the underrated British Pseudo-Zombie Thriller 28 Days Later. None of the original characters are referenced in it.
Evan Almighty DVD, the sequel to the entirely decent Bruce Almighty.
Reign Over Me DVD, with Adam Sandler in a serious role about a 9/11 Survivor.
Surf's Up DVD, yet another penguin animated film.
CSI: NY - Season Three DVD
Everybody Hates Chris - The Second Season DVD
Stargate SG-1 - The Complete Series Collection DVD
Family Ties - The Complete Second Season DVD

Today's Vinyl Monday selection:

U2 - The Joshua Tree
1987 Island Records
Side A
Where The Streets Have No Name
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
With Or Without You
Bullet The Blue Sky
Running To Stand Still

Sunday, October 07, 2007

How I Spent My Sunday Vacation by Tommie Age 5

My wife and me we went to a football game it was really neat and we sat in the end zone which was neat too.
My wife really really really likes the Colts and really hoped they would win and they did so it was neat.
But my favorite team was the other team in the game and they didn't win because the Colts did and that wasn't so neat. Here is a picture of me in my funny red shirt. It must be funny because an awful lot of people in blue shirts laughed at me all day. There were other red shirts there, but when we left I felt like the people walking slowly to the car surrounded by birds in that Hitchcock movie.

But the best part was after the game my wife took me to eat at a really neat place in Kokomo called Sonic and it was neat because I haven't eaten there in a really really long time and I like it because...yep...it's neat.

Yummy Sonic! Hooray!
The end.

"Crum"-my no longer means something bad...


The Irish had another crummy day. But the word has a new meaning now, thanks to LB Maurice Crum.
He ended up being UCLA Quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson's favorite reciever in the second half, and his picks turned into points as the Irish shocked the high-scoring Bruins 20-6 at the Rose Bowl.
Their Freshman Backup QB was directly responsible for the 2 TDs that gave Our Irish the lead. Our Freshman Starting QB snuck in a TD himself with Sully plowing the road for him from half a yard out.
FINALLY!
In other news, Next Year isn't this year. The D-Backs finished the sweep of the Cubbies tonight.

Friday, October 05, 2007

Phriday Photo Phinish



Thursday, October 04, 2007

Minesweeper: The Movie

Fifty Years Ago Today

On October 4th, 1957, the Space Race got serious when the Soviets put up a silver beach ball with some antennae attached to it. Sputnik usherd in a whole new world, new possibilities, and became the catalyst for a ton of advancements the entire world benefits from today.

Whether you support the idea of space exploration or not, you have to admit, it's a pretty frickin' cool thing that we've been able to cruise out of our sky for half a century now...

Heatherless Headlines

Wednesday, October 03, 2007

Cooking For Guys Who Can't Cook

Chef Pat brought in a celebration of potatoes and chicken this morning, so easy us guys can even do it. First we'll look at the dinner recipe, and then a tasty breakfast idea:


Montreal Chicken w/Roasted Red Peppers. You'll need four 6oz skinless chicken breasts (Pat recommends Perdue), a bottle of McCormick's Montreal Chicken Seasoning, some flour, a red bell pepper...and a small paper bag. Lightly sprinkle the seasoning on the chicken, lightly dust with flour. Cook in a hot, oiled skillet for about 4 minutes per side. Roast the red pepper directly on the open flame of the stove until it has turned all black. Place it in the paper bag for ten minutes, then pull it out and peel all the black skin off it. Slice the pepper and place it on top of the chicken. You could buy roasted red pepper in a jar if you wanted, but what's the fun of that?

Twice Baked Taters. You need: 4 large potatoes, 6 slices of thick bacon, 1 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup milk, 3 tbsp butter, 1 cup shredded cheese, 1/2 cup fresh cut green onion. Preheat 350. bake potatoes for 1 hour wrapped in foil, when done remove foil and let them cool for 10 minutes. Slice them lengthwise and scoop out the insides, put the insides into a mixing bowl. Add sour cream, milk, salt and pepper to taste, half the shredded cheese and butter. Mix it all up until it's creamy, spoon the mixture back into the potatoes, top it with the other half cup of shredded cheese, bacon pieces, and the green onions. Bake it for an additional 15 minutes.

Potato Pancakes. You need: 16 oz frozen hash browns (shredded and thawed), 4 eggs, 1 cup of pancake mix, salt and pepper as you prefer. Coat the skillet with oil or cooking spray. An electric skillet works great for these, if you have one. Lightly beat the eggs and add all the other ingredients. Mix well. Drop mix onto hot skillet with a large spoon, cook until brown, flip once.

Worst Parent Ever

Tommie's Pick...sorry...To Win The NL Pennant

In fact, here's my 1st day of LDS picks for the World Series:
What I think will happen: Indians over Phillies in 5
What I'd like to see: Cubs over Red Sox
Craig is barely speaking to me over that last pick, but how great would a Wrigley/Fenway Series be? Plus...both of my parents and my son are Cubs fans, and I like it when they're happy. And it would shut up a couple annoying BoSox fans I know...

Labels:

Happy Birthday SRV

Stevie Ray Vaughan would have been 53 today

Near Shootout At The RS Corral

(fr. premiere)

One of the legendary tales to come out of the Rolling Stones camp over the years is that Keith Richards once pulled a gun on bandmate Ron Wood. It's true, writes Woody in his autobiography, Ronnie. "In those days, Keith and his guns and his knives were inseparable. Not so much today because of airport security, but he always had weapons on him then. He used to threaten people with his piece, which was pretty scary, but he rarely fired it... I also had a gun, a .44 Magnum, which was a present from Don Johnson from the set of Miami Vice, but I didn't have any bullets for it." Woody says he and Keith once had a fight and Keith "returned with his Derringer, pointed it at me and yelled [an expletive].' I calmly pulled out my .44 Magnum. And that was the last time Keith drew his gun on me...until the next time." He also writes about his affair with George Harrison's first wife, Pattie Boyd (Harrison also had an affair with Woody's first wife); his addiction to crack; and Charlie Watts almost tossing Mick Jagger out a window. Ronnie is in stores October 30th. He will sign copies of it the next day at the Union Square Barnes and Noble in New York. You can read more excerpts at MailOnSunday.co.uk

Monday, October 01, 2007

2sday Rock Roundup

The nominees for election to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame were announced Friday. The candidates for enshrinement next year include The Beastie Boys, Leonard Cohen, Madonna, and John Mellencamp. It's Mellencamp's 3rd nomination. (audio fr. 2005 nomination) Among those once again missing are The Moody Blues, Yes, Genesis, Bad Company, KISS, Grand Funk, Humble Pie, Ringo Starr, Heart, Rush, Alice Cooper, Roxy Music, T-Rex, Small Faces, Chicago, Blood Sweat and Tears, Blues Project, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, and Cheap Trick. When you get right down to it, the Hall kind of sucks at picking actual Rock to enshrine...

Time will tell, but Robert Plant continues to insist that Led Zeppelin's reunion won't go beyond next month's show in London. He tells Uncut magazine, "There'll be one show and that'll be it. We need to do one last great show because we've done some shows and they've been crap." Plant says he's not tempted by the big bucks being waved in front of their faces to do a tour. "Not for me. But I can't speak for anyone else." Led Zeppelin will take the stage at London's O-2 Arena on November 26th. Last night E-mails started to go out to the lucky 20-thousand fans who will get tickets to Zeppelin's concert. More than a million people registered for the ticket lottery.

Ozzy Osbourne's brother-in-law believes the singer will die on stage. David Arden, the older brother of Sharon Osbourne, tells The Sun, "I have known Ozzy since 1970. He is going to do 40 shows on the bounce, starting in mid-October, and he's talking about a Black Sabbath tour after that. I think he's worn out. When the cameras are off he just sits there quietly. Sharon will keep Ozzy on the road until he dies on stage." Arden adds that Sharon needs him to work because of what he calls her exorbitant spending, although he adds, "In fairness to her, Ozzy wouldn't know what to do if he ever retired." Arden and Sharon are estranged following a misunderstanding over this summer's funeral for their father, Don Arden.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band start their arena tour tonight in Hartford, Connecticut. It's in support of their new album, Magic, which comes out today. The Boss is a little wrinklier, and Little Steven no longer looks like Silvio Dante...but Max Weinberg still looks oily and too big for his drumset. Tradition is a beautiful thing.

Bono is putting a little bit of spice in his life -- by hooking up with The Spice Girls for their much-anticipated reunion album. The singer will take a break from saving the world by penning a tune for Posh, Scary and company to perform for the disc and their upcoming world tour. A source close to the project tells London's Mirror that "it might seem unusual with the Spice Girls' pop roots and the much more rockier work of Bono, but it works. Bono is a brilliant musician and is up for the challenge and can pull off any sort of musical style. Expect the unexpected."

Rush start the European leg of their Snakes and Arrows tour Wednesday night in Glasgow, Scotland. Before heading over,
drummer Neil Peart wrote another recap of his North American journeys on his motorcycle from show to show. "I have commuted to 49 shows and covered just under 20-thousand miles..." As for the tour, he says, "The audiences have been fantastic everywhere, and the shows have been going well, but -- like the gas that goes into our motorcycles -- it just keeps costing more." Rush will be in Europe through October 29th in Helsinki, Finland. There is talk of more North American dates in the spring.

The Eagles have made available another snippet of a song from Long Road Out of Eden, their first studio album in 28 years. "What Do I Do With My Heart," a country ballad sung by Glenn Frey, can be found on a site that is linked to the Eagles fan site Eagles Fans dot com. The album comes out October 30th exclusively at Wal-Mart and through
the band's website.

Runnin' Down a Dream, the Peter Bogdanovich documentary about Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, will be shown in theaters across America on October 15th. It will be released on DVD on the 16th. In an interview that will be posted on his website today, Petty talked about the film, the companion book, and the album he recently recorded with Mudcrutch, his old band, among other things.

The Allman Brothers Band's original sound man, Mike Callahan, has died.

Happy Birthday to Sting (56), Mike Rutheford of Genesis (57), and Don "American Pie" McLean (62)

NEW IN STORES TODAY:

CD:

John Fogerty - Revival
Bruce Springsteen - Magic
Annie Lennox - Songs of Mass Destruction
Mick Jagger - The Very Best of Mick Jagger
Matchbox Twenty - Exile On Mainstream
The Cult - Born Into This
Bob Dylan - Dylan [also available in 3 CD Box Set]
Megadeth - Warchest [5 CD/DVD Box Set]

DVD:

1408 DVD
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer DVD
The War - A Ken Burns Film DVD...as seen on Jon Stewart's Daily Show...looks good
Criminal Minds - The Second Season DVD
Entourage - Season Three- Part Two DVD
How I Met Your Mother - Season Two DVD
Jericho - The First Season DVD
Shark - Season One DVD