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Useless Things Need Love Too

Useless Things Need Love Too

Monthly Archives: June 2015

The Gall or: Devil, Remove Thyself

30 Tuesday Jun 2015

Posted by TGBII in Life as We Know It

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Bruce Springsteen, Forsyth Medical, Gall bladder, Novant, The BCPF, The Garage, Vagabond Saints Society

Salutations™!!

So here it is, the latest on the “What the Heck is Wrong with Scorp” saga. The results of my ultrasound showed gallstones and from what they can tell, there’s a good bit of them and that could or could not create a problem for me, over time.

I went to a surgeon this morning with full intent on opting out of the surgery. “I don’t need it,” I would say, “I feel perfect; all is well.” Well, he said, “that may be true. You may feel great. But what about 6 months from now? 6 years? 6 hours? 6 minutes?!” I kept saying to myself, the pain wasn’t awful, just uncomfortable. But, he continued to say that I can certainly opt out but he didn’t see why. It’s a simple (still serious, but simple) procedure that won’t take any time, it will be done and there you have it. He said, too, that I will experience more trouble, just when?

#3

#3

Alright, alright, alright! I asked about alcohol: can I still (remember that was the first thing I asked the doctor before I agreed to the heart surgery)? He said I could go home the next day and have 2 if I wanted. He said there would probably be some diarrhea or something for the first bit and possibly for longer with greasier food because the bile storage would be missing, but I shouldn’t have too hard a time. I already have the “Beeman Belly.” That’s almost like that anyways. He said that sometimes people go home that day, but it’s most likely that I’ll spend the night. I don’t mind that. I kind of like being waited on hand and foot. All this and, of course, The BCPF would hammer me if I didn’t do it.

The surgery will be July 9, as far as I know. That’s a Thursday. That gives me some time to recover before Monday, as I record two podcasts on Mondays, one on Tuesday and three on Wednesday. The part that does scare me is the following Friday is the Vagabond Saints Society show of Bruce Springsteen at The Garage (the Official Music Sponsor of The Less Desirables) and I worry about the guttural nature of Springsteen. I think I’ll be fine and I’m counting on being there, so… (I’ll do another post about this show before it comes so stay tuned). And there you have it, Dear Reader, my medical saga continues. I’ll keep you as informed as you can stand it. Oh and Thursday’s blog (I do the Beer of the Week on Wednesdays), I’ll probably rant on Novant a little more. Maybe. Maybe not. I have other things to talk about.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“I’ve belched a lot more since I had gall bladder surgery. I don’t know why.” – Beth Ditto

Isn’t That Specialist? or: Global with Globus

29 Monday Jun 2015

Posted by TGBII in Life as We Know It, Travel

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Globus, Globus Family of Brands, MoNoGRAMS

Salutations™!!

I went off on a tirade last week about being a travel professional and I didn’t want it to be in vain, so I set out to better empower myself for enhancement of the client experience. In doing so, I have now become both a Globus/Cosmos Specialist as well as a MoNoGRAMS specialist (also part of the Globus Family of Brands). It took some detailed video watching and some of the most in-depth questioning that I’ve really had to experience in specialist training before. It’s worth it, though. I like knowing what’s going on.

So, what does this mean? Well, to me, it means better access to marketing tools, better commissions and better knowledge of my products (not to mention discounts on my own travel). But, for you, the traveler? It means that I can offer you better service, more detailed and better informed answers and travel choices for you.  But, who/what is Globus, Cosmos, MoNoGRAMS (and Avalon)?

Globus is a high quality guided tour provider with close to 260 tours (combined Globus/Cosmos) across Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and North and South America. globus-tag-high-resThey offer the guided tours with the addition of a local host that knows the area and doesn’t let you get flustered. Don’t worry, there is plenty of free time for you to wander and do what you want. That’s one complaint I hear from people about guided vacations. They think they’re so restricting they will have to be drug around in a group all day. Nope, you’ll have plenty of free time plus when you are with the group, you’ll not wait in line to see sights and highlights. Imagine going to The Louvre and not having to wait 2 hours to see the Mona Lisa! No 3 hour wait to see the Colosseum in Rome. All transfers are handled by motor coach (not buses) and all the hotels are around 4 star quality and centrally located (around 15 minutes of city center). Cosmos is all that except more of a “budget” company. A few less tours but comparable and affordable. There are tours for less than $1000 per person (land only, air not included). The hotels are a little less centrally located but still high quality (usually 15 miles or so from city center). The location of the hotels really do make a difference in the cost. Not just with this, but with anything. You pay for location.

monograms-tag-high-resMoNoGRAMS (I write it that way because they do) is also a “tour” company but one that acts with a FIT (free independent travel) mentality. FITs allow you to choose every single hotel, every excursion, every rail or transfer, etc. That can and will cost you greatly. Some, though, want a more itinerary-favored trip but don’t want to travel within a big group. With MoNoGRAMS, that’s what you get. It’s more independently-minded but packaged. You get choice of predetermined hotels and you still get the local host. He or she is there to help you with all your accommodations and questions. There’s a lot more to the whole thing but I’d rather discuss that with you either on the phone, via Facebook, email or in person. I’m just giving a quick overview, here.

So, let me tell you more about what Globus Family of Brands can do for you! Hit me up.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Globus, part of the Globus family of brands, has been the leader in escorted tours, travel packages, and river cruises for more than 85 years.” – from Globus Website

Silent Sunday or: Drinks are on Me

28 Sunday Jun 2015

Posted by TGBII in Silent Sunday

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Tags

DiLisio's, Meridian, The BCPF, West End Coffee Shop

Salutations™!!

Girl Takes Flight and I had a rare, commitment-free weekend. We like them that way. Don’t get me wrong, we love all the things we do, but sometimes you just want to do nothing. Great food all weekend, great conversations, and great drinks. We spent time at West End Coffee Shop with our friends Jim & Dana Moody and we recommend going by and having an affogato. Great Italian cuisine from our friends at DiLisio’s and for dinner on Friday and after-dinner drinks on Saturday we went to Meridian. They have a great bar staff and Chef Mark Grohman is one of my “Elite 6” chefs in Winston-Salem. Anywhat! We drank down several cocktails such as French Martinis, old fashioned, both classic and “new,” and an espresso martini among other libations.

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Classic Old Fashioned

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Dirty Stinky Martini (extra dirty)

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“One martini is all right. Two are too many, and three are not enough.” – James Thurber

The One I Love or: The Less Desirables Movie of the Week

27 Saturday Jun 2015

Posted by TGBII in Movie Review

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Elisabeth Moss, IMDb, Mad Men, Mark Duplass, Netflix, Rotten Tomatoes, Ted Danson

Salutations™!!

The Less Desirables Movie of the Week, brought to you by the Official Movie Sponsor of The Less Desirables, a/perture Cinema, is The One I Love. It stars Mark Duplass and Elisabeth Moss of Mad Men fame.

IMDb says: “Struggling with a marriage on the brink of falling apart, a couple escapes for a weekend in pursuit of their better selves, only to discover an unusual dilemma that awaits them.”

Basically, the film is about Ethan and Sophie, who are struggling in their marriage. one_i_loveThey go see their therapist played by Ted Danson. He sends them on a retreat to an estate where he sends many of his clients that are in trouble. This part is from Wikipedia: “Once at the estate, Ethan and Sophie make themselves comfortable, smoking some marijuana to relax. Sophie goes to the guest cottage, and while there has sex with Ethan. Sophie returns to the house to find Ethan asleep. When she mentions the sex they just had, Ethan claims he cannot remember and Sophie, annoyed that Ethan could ruin an otherwise romantic evening with a joke in poor taste, goes to bed alone. Ethan, instead, curls up in the guest cottage. During the night, Sophie joins him in remorse, apologizing for her behavior and falling asleep next to him. The next morning, she makes him eggs and bacon for breakfast. Ethan makes note how odd it is that Sophie is cooking bacon for him, as she notably hates the smell of bacon and would always refuse to cook it”

They realize that there are doppelgangers at work here and that both Ethan and Sophie feel better when they’re with the doppelgangers. So the plan was to take turns in the guest cottage and only do it for about 15 minutes at a time. Of course, this can’t go on forever, especially since they’re only there for a limited time. So as they get closer to the other versions of their significant others Ethan decides to barge in on Sophie and Ethan II, then everyone gets together and starts talking. It turns out that Sophie II and Ethan II need to get someone to leave their real significant other for them and that’s the only way they can leave the property. So after exploring their feelings Ethan decides he’s had enough and he chooses to leave and takes Sophie with him. What happens after that? Well, you’ll have to watch to see.

I liked the movie. I found myself questioning what was going on, as I’m sure was the point. Is it cinematic genius? Not at all. Is it entertaining? Yeah, mostly. It does drag a bit in the middle as the revelations of the film come to light, but for the most part, yeah, it’s pretty good. Do I recommend it? Really, only if you’re just looking for something to watch. Truthfully, I only watched it because of Elisabeth Moss. It was interesting but seems to have fallen short of the overall idea, which is great.

Rotten Tomatoes rates it at 80% fresh where the Audience Score is 77%. It was directed by Charlie McDowell and I saw it on Netflix. I rate it 3 stars. What do you think? Have you seen it? Do you agree or disagree? What would you like to see me review? Drop me a line and let me know.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“So, we met at a party, and… it was magic. Within a half-hour we were driving up into this really nice neighborhood, and we were running down the stairs of some strangers back yard, and then we were swimming, and we were in love. What we didn’t count on was that even though the lights were off, the owner of the home was there. And he came out screaming at us, and it was the greatest night of my life.” – Ethan, The One I Love

Piedmont Local or: Tapping the Craft

26 Friday Jun 2015

Posted by TGBII in Beer, Blogging, Food

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Tags

336 Events, Appetizer, Beer, City Beverage, Food, Liquor, Piedmont Local, Spencer Davis, Steve Czumaj, Tart & Tangy Triad, Wine

Salutations™!!

For the last two weeks (which includes this week’s) on the Tart & Tangy Triad “Appetizer” video, I’ve made mention of a magazine article that I, along with Spencer Davis of City Beverage, the Official Beer Sponsor of The Less Desirables, will be writing. It will be in a monthly local magazine called Piedmont Local and is powered by the folks over at 336 Events, namely Steve Czumaj. The name of the article is called: Tapping 08c6c-tldcitybeveragethe Craft: Libations and Victuals/

Spencer and I will be honing in on one particular craft beer, or other libation such as wine, liquor, soft drinks or even food, every month. Steve figured that City Beverage is the oldest and probably best known purveyors of beer and wine in the Triad and heck, I’m a craft beer snob that drinks for a living (I get paid to drink on two different podcasts, after all) so why not get us to talk about some that we know (or in my case, think we do)?

I’m not exactly sure when the newest issue, the one with our article in it, will be out but it will be soon as it’s been uploaded the proper channels. Keep an eye out for it in shops, restaurants, bars and other places you’ll find the free local papers. You’ll also be able to read them online by going to the 336Events.com website. We look forward to you reading our thoughts on craft beer. Heck, Dear Reader, you read my thoughts here every day, right? We appreciate it, I promise!

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…

Scorp out!

—

“Local arts, dining and living magazine” – Piedmont Local/336Events website.

Getting You There or: A Trip Ain’t Just a Trip

25 Thursday Jun 2015

Posted by TGBII in Life as We Know It, Rant, Travel

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Tags

Bee On Your Way Travel, Berlin, London, Paris, Prague, USA, WSNC

Salutations™!!

This is coming in late as I’ve been a busy “bee” today. Lots of stuff going on and trying to take care of them. I know I’ve been over this thing about a thousand times but after seeing a friend publicly ask for recommendations about a trip to some place and having that friend seem to be totally surprised when I told her I was one, let me reiterate… I am a travel professional!! I have my own “agency” called Bee On Your Way Travel. It’s an independent agency of a larger, national, umbrella agency.

Now, I’m not blaming this friend, at all. She’s not to blame, I am. I need to do a better job of putting the word out there. Although I’ve been doing it for over three years, I suppose some people just aren’t being inundated with my posts and tweets enough. That’s probably because I’m not inundating anyone with them. Facebook’s new rules, or the fact that they want you to plop down exorbitant amounts of money to advertise through them (i.e. really inundate you with ads) many people don’t see my posts when I do make them from my “travel professional” page.

I’m not posting on there as usual as I’d like because I can’t schedule “shares.” My BOYWTcontent is always vendor-driven. I want people to know what specials I can offer them from my vendors. But, I can’t just schedule things to come out when I want to using that. So I have to create original posts and that’s very time consuming and as we know, Dear Reader, this isn’t my only gig. Same goes with my Twitter account for the agency, it’s hard to get enough content scheduled to create proper content. I can make stuff from scratch but, again, that’s time consuming. Not that you’re not worth it, but that I have to pick and choose my battles. So, here I am, again, letting you know that I sell vacations. I book business trips. I get you where you’re going. I help make dreams into memories (I made that one up – but it’s true).

Are you looking to book your family’s dream vacation to Walt Disney World? That’s a daunting task to sort through all that minutiae to get exactly what you want out of it. I’m here to help you with that. I am a travel professional because of my Disney knowledge.  Dining plans and park hoppers? Deluxe, Moderate, Value? Don’t know what I’m talking about? Don’t worry, you don’t have to, I’ll explain it. I’ll book it.

Looking to get 5 of your employees and you to a trade conference in Vegas but everyone’s on different time schedules? I’ll do that booking for you. You have enough other stuff to worry about than that.  Have a last minute jaunt to a festival you’ve always wanted to go to but hadn’t booked the flights or a room or a car? I got you! Open-sea cruise? Riverboat Cruise? I got you!

Is Europe on your agenda this year? Do you want to have all your luggage loaded and unloaded for you and an English-speaking guide to tell you all that you could want to know about the British Isles or the windmills in Holland or the history of Point Zero in front of Notre Dame Cathedral in my favorite city, Paris? Guided tours are a wonderful way to see Europe. Unlike tours in the past, you still have these guided tours and still have plenty of free time for yourself. You don’t necessarily get to see the behind-the-scenes tours of the World’s oldest and best cities on your own, with these, you do.

How about just renting “aparthotels” in Berlin or Prague and staying like you live there?  More than one city? No problem, I’ll find the perfect free-independent itinerary for you. Piece each part together. Tickets to the Louvre or bus tours around London? I got you! Every kind of travel you can think of, I do it.

In the case of my friend, they just needed a hotel room on the beach for three days in July. Okay! I have many to choose from with a wide range of budgets to consider. A trip to D.C. A trip to Quebec? The Grand Canyon? Tokyo, Korea, Vietnam? Coming soon… Cuba?  I can do all that. Get you there, get you settled in and get you a good time.

I can do this two ways. You can call me, email me, send me a message via my “travel professional” Facebook page, message me via Twitter, anyway you want. Heck even message me here, or if you know me personally, just hit me up on my regular Facebook page. The other way is by visiting my website.  Do you use sites like Expedia, Travelocity, Kayak or the like? Then you can help a brother out by visiting my site, BeeOnYourWay.com. It’s powered by Priceline so it’s comparable to any of the other OTAs (online travel agents). The difference in mine? With the exception of flights, anything that’s booked on my site, I get commission for it. Am I making a lot? No. I’m making minimal, but sometimes it’s just good sense for you and for me to book via that engine. If you want in-depth booking help or questions, then call me directly. I’ll be honest, I make more commission when you do it that way (letting me do it).

Since I’m talking commission, let’s discuss how it works and better yet, what does it mean to you? I’m not going to lie to you. The cost of going through a travel professional does cost a bit more. Usually, it’s a very modest amount. The vendors don’t want to lose money and I need to feed my family so think of it like this: you don’t want to work for free, neither do I. Yes, you can book yourself via the OTA but why? You most likely work 40 hours a week. You work hard for that money. Do you want to go home and spend hours upon hours of time from your family, friends, dog, etc. by sitting at a computer sorting through webpage after webpage after webpage of travel information just to get frustrated and most likely turn off the computer and go to bed mad? No, you don’t want to do that. You also don’t want to get out a ladder (or borrow or buy one) and get up on your roof and clean your gutters out or you’re too busy to mow your lawn. You hire people to do that. So let me be who you hire to manage your vacation or leisure time.  If it cost you $50 more to book a trip through me while you’re still able to work or even sleep. Wouldn’t that be worth it?  It’s worth it, I promise. Now, with Disney, you won’t pay me one penny more than if you book it yourself online. Not. One. Penny. More.

What are travel professionals not? We’re not deal finders. We do come across special pricing promotions every once in a while, but we’re not here to find you deals. You don’t call a real estate agent and say, “hey! what kind of deal can youo find me on a house?!” While insurance agents shop to find bundle deals for your home/car/boat/motorcycle insurance, you don’t call them looking for a deal. You get them to do the work for you: prepping the paperwork, looking at rules and regulations, etc. Same with travel agents (still professionals), we don’t hunt deals, we work so you don’t have to. Use us.

I have made this about 800 words more than I meant to, and I apologize for that, but I wanted to make sure I got the point across and explained all that you may need to know about travel professionals. Use us (especially me!) and allow us to work for you. Contact me and let me help you get where you want to go.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Now, you’re going places!” – Tim Beeman – Travel Professional

Farmer Ted’s Cream Ale or: The Less Desirables Beer of the Week

24 Wednesday Jun 2015

Posted by TGBII in Beer

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Tags

Catawba Brewing, City Beverage, Farmer Ted's Cream Ale, The Less Desirables

Salutations™!!

City Beverage, the Official Beer Sponsor of The Less Desirables, presents, Farmer Ted’s Cream Ale by Catawba Brewing Company.  We have had this beer on The Less Desirables twice before, but the beauty of craft beer is that each batch can be a little bit different. Then, on top of that, we have a new person on the show, Caitlin, who may not have had it before. It’s a win-win for the show.

I don’t know how many cream ales that I’ve had in my life but the idea is really interesting to me. Cream ale just sounds good. I like cream soda, I like coconut cream pie, I like sour cream, etc. Cream ale, just sounds good. Catawba makes pretty good beer, too, so it should be good all around.

For some reason, I haven’t ever Untappd this beer so I don’t know what I rated it eitherunnamed (5) time we tried it. I’ll try to make sure I do tonight. Have you ever had it? Do you like it? Do you want to try it? Listen tonight or tomorrow or this weekend to see what Eugene, Caitlin, our guest Gwen Sinclair and I think about this beer. Listen whilst having your own Catawba Brewing Company Farmer Ted’s Cream Ale. Get yours at City Beverage located at 915 Burke Street in Winston-Salem. Also, find them on their website.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“This beer is an indigenous American beer style created as an answer to post-prohibition German lagers. We pay tribute to the beers made on early, rustic systems by using natural ingredients like corn and barley to create a smooth and full-bodied, straw-colored ale. Reward yourself with a Farmer Ted’s after a long day plowing the fields, or just after mowing the lawn!” – Catawba Brewing Company website

Health Care Woes or: I Just Paid What for What?

23 Tuesday Jun 2015

Posted by TGBII in Life as We Know It, Rant

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Tags

health care, medical expense, The BCPF

Salutations™!!

I went in this morning for my ultrasound on my gall bladder. Yep, I showed up, so worry not, ye of little faith. I don’t know anything yet, they have to get the doctor to “read” it and then send the info over to my doctor. But, before I had the procedure, I had to pay for the procedure. I don’t mind paying for services, but I kind of feel that I had a rectal exam instead of a gall bladder ultrasound when it comes to the money.

uic

Pretty much… (photo ©UIC.edu)

it was explained to me that there would be TWO different bills: that the doctor who will “read” my ultrasounds and then for the images themselves. Now, again, like I said, I’m all for paying for services rendered, but it was the amount that I was charged that is what ticks me off a bit. I have a $1000 deductible on my insurance. They said I was nowhere near that, which is true, nor would I expect it to be any different than the amount they said had been used toward my deductible. The “cost” of the procedure was $350ish and there was so much allowed under the insurance. So, I had to pay $240ish to have the procedure.

What is the blue heck costs $350 about this? I understand the machinery costs a pretty penny, but they have these appointments all through the day and that stuff was paid off within months of purchasing it. And, I also know that people go through a lot of expensive educating to be able to do what they do. I’m not at all diminishing their importance, job description, etc. But, again, I’ve spent just as much on my education as they have and I don’t get to charge people that much money to do my job.

You may wonder what I think would be fair? Well, not $350 a pop. Now, my question is how much of that is the doctor’s cut for “reading” the image? Or, is that a totally separate amount that I’ll be paying for later? Again, I’m not belittling the knowledge, skill or need of the doctors but it’s not worth that much. I think it’s a racket. And, here’s the kicker! There were two ladies who did the procedure. One was a tech in training, a student just learning. So what should have taken about 10 minutes took about 25. Now, I don’t mind, at all, that I was the guinea pig as I know that real-time training is the best teacher, but to pay full price for that? No. Way. Jack! I don’t like that at all. The time didn’t matter to me, but The BCPF who went with me to the appointment was late getting to work because of the amount of time they took. So, in essence we could have lost money paying them full price to experiment on me. I just think that is total B.S.

I believe in our health care system, I really do. I also, believe, wholeheartedly, in the doctors and their abilities. But, I completely think that the health care “industry” is a sham. It’s a screwjob and a half. I knew this when I had my heart surgery and that was a big cost. I get that cost, but $350 for an image of my gall bladder taken from a trainee?! That’s stupid, ridiculous and every other superlatively-laden adjective that we can think of. There’s nothing we can do about it but it certainly is heartbreaking to know that, as well. Boo to you Health Care Industry! Boo to you Novant Health.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“America’s health care system is neither healthy, caring, nor a system.” – Walter Cronkite

Stuck in a Moment or: Voulez-Vous Coucher Avec Moi? (RS Part 23)

22 Monday Jun 2015

Posted by TGBII in Music Review

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Tags

David Bowie, Eminem, Folk Music, Janet Jackson, Labelle, Parliament, Sleater-Kinney, Smokey Robins and the Miracles, The Beach Boys, U2

Salutations™!!

A whole lot of soul and a little bit of rock and roll. That’s how I sum up the last segment of Rolling Stone’s Top 500 Albums of All Time. I try not to look ahead too much because I want it to be kind of like listening to the radio, but of whole albums. I also try to keep an open mind, just sometimes, that’s hard. So let’s stop wasting time and jump right in, shall we!?

#280 – All That You Can’t Leave Behind by U2. A good start. U2 has grown to be a favorite of mine, at least partly. This was a good return to listenable music from the Irish quartet. Their two previous albums, Zooropa and Pop were, at least in my ears, kind of flops. That’s hard to say but, I believe it to be true. And even this album pales in comparison to its follow-up, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. That is one fine album,1All That You Can't Leave Behind - U2 - (2000) - (freeallmusic.me) but I don’t know if it’s on the list or not. I’d say probably not. Why? Because I like it. But the electronica-laden opener, “Beautiful Day,” is a great tune but not the best song on the album, in my opinion. That comes with track #2, “Stuck in a Moment You Can’t Get Out of.” That is fantastic from its melody to the musicality and down to the lyrics. Great song. “Elevation” and “Walk On” are hit material, as well. “Kite” is a bit like a country song, at least by feel, not necessarily by sonic measure. Bono said it was written about his daughters and The Edge says it was more about Bono’s dad. I can hear more of The Edge’s perspective in it, personally. “Wild Honey” is a straight ahead rock and roll song straight from the style of the 70s and that’s cool. One thing that I have been able to do with this list is see some influences from other artists. I don’t know that The Velvet Underground is an influence of U2 or not, but I can hear them in “Peace on Earth.” The exception is that Bono can sing in key and be pleasant. Not so much with TVU. I take all that back. I definitely hear the influence and upon reading an article that had to do with this album and the song “New York” especially, Bono mentions Lou Reed by name. Apparently, Lou mentioned him by name in a song so, why not return the favor. Actually, Lou’s name was left out of the song, but was meant for him. That’s a pretty good tune, that. Even though this isn’t my favorite U2 album, it’s still a solid and wonderful album. Definitely DUG!!

#279 – Aladdin Sane by David Bowie.  Not generally a fan of the dirty boogie rock and roll. “Watch That Man” is okay, though. It’s a really weird, but totally Bowie. And sometimes, that’s not the best of things. To me it’s inadequate up beside of some other Bowie discs. The hits “The Jean Genie,” “Time” and the Stones’ “Let’s Spend the Night Together” are the best things on the record. Nothing really stands out to me, though. Mark it up with the other “why” albums on this list that are placed way too high (or in some cases, even on the list). Didn’t hate it, just didn’t enjoy it except the last song, “Lady Grinning Soul.” Meh.

#278 – Anthology of American Folk Music by Various Artists.

#277 – Rhythm Nation 1814 by Janet Jackson. My first thought was: “there is no way that this can be as good as Control.” Well, perhaps I don’t “favor” it over Control but it is just as good. I didn’t realize the hits this thing had on it. It’s the only album in history to have seven singles reach the Top 5 of Billboard Hot 100. That beats out big brother Michael’s Thriller album, which had 6. Eight singles were released world-wide but only 1-220px-RhythmNation1814seven in the US. While “Miss You Much” was the first single released it wasn’t my favorite, neither was the title track. “Escapade” I liked very much. “Come Back to Me,” “Love Will Never Do” and “Alright” I did like, but the crème de la crème on this album is “Black Cat.” It’s a rocker and I like rockers, especially “chick rockers.” That’s just plain good hard rock. Subsequent, alternative versions of “Black Cat” have guest guitar gods, such as Nuno Bettencourt of the band Extreme, Jesse Johnson of The Time and Vernon Reid of Living Color. The overall album wasn’t just sugary pop, there was a message here, of self-assurance and (forgive me) “control.” She makes a stand and expects you to as well. The album itself is loosely a concept album. When I saw there was 20 tracks on the album I didn’t really know what to think but many of the tracks (eight, actually) were “interlude” spots of a minute or so, or less. It’s a good album, although I still have a spot in my heart for Control and there is no denying its status as a classic and a darn fine one at that. Dug!

#276 – Mothership Connection by Parliament. I was excited to put this one on. I have found that I like me some funk and especially things that Bootsy Collins is involved with. Bootsy only played on a handful of songs, here. After that comes Cordell Mosson for the rest of them. Horns are prevalent here and this is the first album with trombonist 1-51rLHckp7DLMarceo Parker and saxophonist Fred Wesley, both formerly of James Brown’s band. My two favorite songs is “Handcuffs” (do I have to put my handcuffs on your momma?) and the always awesome “Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker).” GO CORDELL! This is a great album and I certainly dug it.

#275 – The Slim Shady LP by Eminem. Okaaaayyyyyy. I’m not a huge fan of Mr. Mathers myself. At least, I haven’t ever been. We’ll see if this changes my mind. Not really. The white trash aspect of it does nothing for me. I know a good bit of it is “tongue in cheek” and there are moments like “97′ Bonnie & Clyde” is about his daughter and “My Name Is” sets the tone. A lot of the interstitial spots are about people putting him down in one way or another. “Role Model” is all about not doing what he did. Some rough imagery but still can’t shake that it’s all some kind of joke. Maybe I’m taking it more serious than I should? If it is a joke, it’s not too funny to me. I don’t know. I get the novelty of a white guy doing this kind of hip hop and that he does his phrasing unlike most others before him. But overall…? Not a fan of it, really. Meh.

#274 – Nightbirds by Labelle. One of the greatest songs ever recorded, “Lady Marmalade” starts this album out and that, in itself, if fierce. Patti Labelle had a magnificently powerful voice back then. She belted it. The cool thing is that for the most 151VJZ8PMMGLpart (not “Lady Marmalade”) Nona Hendryx (a cousin of Jimi – she changed the spelling of her name) wrote a lot of the songs on this album. Five actually. It’s hard to tell when she’s singing but I can tell Patti’s voice most of the time. “It Took a Long Time” is a great tune, too. Girl power is in abundance on this album. Very 1974 in feel and musicality. “Don’t Bring Me Down” reminds me of the “What’s Up With That” skit on Saturday Night Live featuring Keenan Thompson. Later in the album, however, it turns into a mostly run-of-the-mill 1970s album. Not saying it’s bad, at all but it’s nothing spectacular. Save the last tune, “You Turn Me On.” That song’s pretty awesome. I dug it!

#273 – Going to a Go-Go by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. I love artists that write their own music. Out of twelve songs, only one was not written by Smokey and the guys, that being “My Baby Changes Like the Weather” from Hal Davis and Frank Wilson. Also, it’s twelve songs in just over thirty-three minutes. Much music without over-kill, that’s how I like it; to the point and no filler. Great songwriting on this album. The title track does kind of remind me “Working in a Coal Mine” somewhat, which came a year after this album. I’m going to have the ear work, “Ooh Baby Baby” in my head now. I am always singing that chorus and I know I will be back at it, now. Thanks Smokey! Some doo-wop aspects as well as straight up soul. This is a great album. A great collection of songs. Dug!

#272 – Dig Me Out by Sleater-Kinney. Femme on riot grrrl!! When The BCPF and I saw Sleater-Kinney perform on Later… with Jools Holland we were quite unimpressed. It wasn’t very good. This, however, is. One thing to note, too, is that there is no bass guitar in this album. They didn’t have a bass player on Jools either, although they did add another girl playing guitar live. One of the ladies is playing more of the upper 1SleaterKinneyDigMeOutregister stuff and the other is keeping the bottom end going playing with what sounds like it could be an octave pedal. There some depth in the sound but it’s not bass. I also have to chuckle because the drummer (this was her debut with the band) is named Janet Weiss. Dammit Janet! I was writing down songs that I like as I was listening so I could recap it and well, I would have written all of them had I kept going. So, I like all of them. I think you should give it a listen! DUG!

#271 – Today! by The Beach Boys. Mid-sixties as usual. Not quite ready to let loose but still annoying parents around the country. Not really my thing but I can see the influence to many that came after. Like most mid-sixties, and really through most of the seventies, everything is really airy. It could be that a lot of stuff was recorded in open rooms and “in the round.”  I must admit, I really, really, really don’t get the appeal of the Beach Boys. Notice I said “appeal.” Nothing on the talent, itself. The “appeal” of the Beach Boys is not existent with me. Sure, I may like a song here or there but for the most part, I am at a total loss of understanding. I am so totally not moved by this album, at all. Sure, it has a few good songs, even “hits” like “Help Me Rhonda,” which I totally had to hunt down because that and “I’m So Young” were missing on Rhapsody (seriously, it jumped from track 4 to 6 and 7 to 9 in the track listing itself), and what have you, but I just don’t care. They aren’t appealing to me. It was interesting to hear the recorded “chat session” in “Bull Session with ‘Big Daddy.'” Indifferent.

So there, it was a pretty balanced mixture of ratings there. Three “DUG”s, three “Dug”s, three “Meh”s, and only one compilation. So that’s pretty fair and balanced, I’d say, right? I think I was most moved in this segment by Parliament and Janet. Good stuff, I gotta find some Parliament on vinyl as I feel that would be fantastico! Here’s hoping the next segment is, at least, as good as this one!

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—

“Don’t you tell yourself that it’s okay. Sick and tired of all of your games. And you want me to stay, ah, better change. Makes no sense to me, your crazy ways” – “Black Cat” by Janet Jackson

Silent Sunday or: Fathers Rock

21 Sunday Jun 2015

Posted by TGBII in Life as We Know It

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

3B, Finnigan's Wake Irish Pub & Kitchen, The BCPF, The Beer Dads, The Less Desirables

Salutations™!!

Thirteen fathers days have I celebrated. A little over 13 years ago, I became a Dad. Well, I became a father. I had to earn the title “Dad.” As I say on The Beer Dads every week, “any knucklehead can father a child but it takes a real man to be a ‘Dad.'” I believe that, too. I think 3B allows me to be a Dad.

This day has been awesome, so far, and I think it will only get better. The BCPF took me to Finnigan’s Wake (which happens to be the Official Emerald Isle of The Less Desirables) for brunch and we ate quite well. Then we went to Ma Père’s to make sure we wished him Happy Father’s Day and also pick up 3B who said he had a gift for me and that I had to “keep an open mind.” I didn’t know what to think it was and Ma Mère seemed to think I wasn’t going to like it. Well, it turned out that 2015-06-21 16.29.48he wanted to take The BCPF, himself and me bowling for Father’s Day and he wanted to pay for it. How can I not like that!? My boy wants me to take me bowling! Well, there was no way I was going to let him pay for that. I told him that him being there with me and wanting to do that with me, well that was gift enough. And, I beat them both 2 of 3 games. 3B won one of them. He did good in that game; I see league in his future.

The BCPF said she’s going to take us out to dinner, too. I scored big time, I think! Oh, and it’s My ‘Rent’s 47th Anniversary today, as well! So yay to them!!! Happy Father’s Day to all the dads who read my blog and those who don’t.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—

“Any knucklehead can father a child, but it takes a real man to be a ‘Dad.'” – ME on The Beer Dads Podcast

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