Author Archives: TGBII

Cheers to a Dynasty or: Endings

23 Thursday May 2019

Posted by in KISS, Music Review, Records

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Salutations™!!

Note: HERE THERE BE SPOILERS!!!

Last night, The BCPF and I finished Cheers (finally). So these spoilers are for a show that ended 27 years ago, so I think we’re safe.

Cheers_intro_logo.jpg

©NBC

We have been at it for around a year. I don’t know if it is over or under. I’m figuring over. But, while I think the ending was good, the reasons I thought it was good, is even better. First off, they did bring back a major character, Diane for a little closure of that chapter. I loved a line by Woody around 6 episodes from the end, while Cliff, Norm, Woody and Frasier were watching a Godzilla film at a drive-in that was going to close. He said he couldn’t understand why an actress would leave a successful series in the middle. A shot or homage, take your pick, I think a bit of both. Anywhat, Diane came back and then left again. That’s good.

Another reason I liked it is what I wish shows this day would employ as when it ends. They didn’t kill everyone off, they didn’t have them all moving away to places they won’t see each other again (I’m talking to you Friends), they simply had each person walk out of the bar to go home to their lives. Sam walked into the darkness to the pool room, and it was done. You felt like tomorrow, Norm, Cliff, Carla, Woody, Frasier, Paul, Phil and maybe even Rebecca would be right back, even though Becs did get married to Tom Berenger’s plumber character, Don. I just thought it was simple and unassuming. I really liked it.

The other thing to talk about, really quickly, is that KISS’ Dynasy turned 40 today. I’ve told the story about it and me before. Go search that in the search bar above. I’m not going into a lot of detail about it. It was their “disco emergence” and the album that threw a lot of people off the KISS train. I like it a lot but like the follow-up, Unmasked, even better. The transition KISS album turned 40. Wow, I’m getting old.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“And in the night, in the crowd, she’ll be there as she prances by your watch, while your dreams fade away.” – “Magic Touch” (Stanley)

Forever Bull or: The Bad and the Good

22 Wednesday May 2019

Posted by in Life as We Know It, Podcasting, The Less Desirables Network

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Salutations™!!

We didn’t have a full episode of The Less Desirables today as I took time to wish Danielle’s “Papa” a fond farewell. He passed away from kidney failure yesterday, but he suffers no more. I know it is hard on Danielle and her mother, but I know, too, that they’ve had to suffer along with him. So, there must be a little relief in there. But, no matter how much you’re prepared for the loss of a loved one, I figure it is never easy to accept it when it happens. I hurt for them. Darrell was a great dude. Happier thoughts and posi-vibes to the Bull family.

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Papa Bull and Susie!

On a more chipper note, Hailey Brooke McFadden, co-host of Fan Interference, graduated this weekend from Wake Forest University, so many congrats to her on that accomplishment. She’ll return to Fan Interference in a few weeks, we hope.

Have an enjoyable journey, Papa and your journey is just now starting, Hailey.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“My father didn’t tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it.” – Clarence Budington Kelland

I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry or: The First

22 Wednesday May 2019

Posted by in Life as We Know It

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For the first time in almost nine years, I’ll sleep in my bed alone. The BCPF is out of town on her first trip for work. She’ll be back tomorrow, but still…

Dark_Side_of_the_Moon

©Harvest

I have been out of town once, for three days I think when Eugene and I went to Richmond to spend the weekend with Brian. But, this is the first time I’ve been without her overnight. I have gotten used to her being at her mom’s house on Thursdays, but she comes home. I’ve already taken my pills, something she usually makes sure I do. She and I did get to do a little video chat but I already miss her. I’ll quit sulking now.

I am getting to listen to Pink Floyd out loud, something I don’t get to do with her home for reasons that are part of a long story. She likes Floyd but doesn’t like to listen to some of it. So, I’m revisiting Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here. I love those albums. Anywhat! I have a weird day tomorrow, but I’ll talk to you then.

Until then, same blog channel…
Scorp’s alone.

—
“Forward he cried from the rear and the front rank died and the general sat nd the lines on the map moved from side to side.” – “Us and Them” (Waters/Wright)

A Good One or: Unmasked

20 Monday May 2019

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Salutations™!!

Today is the 39th anniversary of KISS’ Unmasked album. It wasn’t well-received and I think it’s grossly misunderstood. If you take away the KISS aspect, it’s a really good pop album. One of my favorite tunes on the album is “Naked City” and this is a cover from one of the KAOL (KISS Army OnLine) albums that showed up in the mid- to late-90s. It’s all instrumental, I believe we have lost the young lady who did the song. But, enjoy this version!

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Street vampires in the night. Young lovers and love at first sight. This is my flesh and my fantasy. Older women with younger men. I’ve got a feelin’ I’m in trouble again. But I’ve got to live my destiny. In the naked city, it’s a race with the devil. All the pain and the sorrow. Is there more tomorrow? In the naked, naked city.” – “Naked City” (Simmons/Poncia/Kulick/Castro)

Not a Haul But a Catch or: My Voice Hates Me

19 Sunday May 2019

Posted by in Life as We Know It, Records, Spinning Sunday

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Salutations™!!

The last two days were exhausting. No, I didn’t do a lot of exercise or overly-strenuous physical activities. But, when you use your voice like I do, sometimes you wear it out. Just like someone who works at a desk all day, you can get mentally exhausted and of course, physical laborers can get physically exhausted. Well, you can exhaust your vocal cords, too. Ask any singer.

Always&Forever

©Warner Bros.

But, after doing a rare Friday night Cobras game and being up from 630a and working the Winston-Salem Yoga Festival until 4p, talking to people in between and then going to Willows and talking over the Wake/UNCSA graduation parties, that’s a lot. And, I wouldn’t change a thing, other than I would have prepared some warm lemon-ginger tea with honey. But, I didn’t. But, it worked out okay. I can talk today, but my voice is extra low and while not actually hurting in any way, I can feel it flipping me the middle finger. I’ll take care of you better, I promise.

Thanks to Kristen Williams of K10Yoga for letting me run my mouth for the WSYF event!

So, with all that going on, we didn’t get by Underdog Records, but I did go by Friday before going to Greensboro, just to get a couple of things that Jonathan had shown on the social channels. So, I’ll give you those.

  • Triumph – Rock & Roll Machine — The “other” Canadian rock power trio, Triumph. This album is sort of a compilation. Even though originally it was only released in Canada, once the band signed with RCA, they put it out with a few tunes from the first album to acquaint the international audiences with the band. This includes a cover of Joe Walsh’s “Rocky Mountain Way.” VG++.
  • Randy Travis – Always & Forever — So, I’m going to let you in on a little secret. I hate most country music and always have. Always have. But, every once in a while something comes along and I just can’t help but like it. The first two, maybe three, Randy Travis albums and the first few Garth Brooks albums and the first Travis Tritt album, those were “guilty pleasures” for me. This was Randy’s second album and during the very late 80s I had a girlfriend in WV and I was living in NC. Every other weekend I would drive up to WV and see her. I would play this and his first album, Storms of Life, and sing my heart out. I saw it on the UR Instagram feed and had to go by and get it. The BCPF is less than thrilled, but hey, I listen to her stuff. She can handle it. VG+.

I don’t know what Underdog’s day was like, I wasn’t in there. I hope it was busy because the weather was great for record shopping. Listen to each new episode of The Less Desirables to hear the TLD/UR special of the week! And, use Discogs to catalog your collection.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“I’m gonna love you forever. Forever and ever, amen. As long as old men sit and talk about the weather, as long as old women sit and talk about old men. If you wonder how long I’ll be faithful I’ll be happy to tell you again. I’m gonna love you forever and ever. Forever and ever, amen.” – “Forever and Ever, Amen” (Barnes/Seals)

Sounds Like Saturday or: Shearwater

18 Saturday May 2019

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Salutations™!!

Today is the 40th anniversary of David Bowie’s Lodger album. An album that was mostly panned by critics and such. But, this is a great cover of “Fantastic Voyage.” AV Club comes through with Shearwater’s awesome cover (they did the whole Lodger album)! Enjoy!

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

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“We’re learning to live with somebody’s depression. And I don’t want to live with somebody’s depression. We’ll get by, I suppose. It’s a very modern world, but nobody’s perfect.” – “Fantastic Voyage” (Bowie/Eno)

Cobras or: The Things We Do

17 Friday May 2019

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Salutations™!!

Tonight is the only Friday night game for the Carolina Cobras so I’ll be working tonight. So, you should come to watch some good, fast-paced, (usually) high-scoring, 8-on-8 football and cheer your local professional sports team on while supporting your favorite voice-over artist doing his announcing thing. 42629526_2150659531859599_3855123646586552320_n

I already told you about me being at Zesto tomorrow morning around 11a. I am still doing that, but I’m also going to emcee the Winston-Salem Yoga Festival. I just found this out like 20 minutes ago. I had something else that I was going to try and do, but it kind of fell through, and this fell into my lap. It’s from 8a-4p. Yes, you are a sharp one, 11a falls in the middle there. I’m going to leave in the middle do my other thing and then come back afterward to complete the job/mission!

So, to recap, I have Cobras tonight and Yoga Fest/Zesto tomorrow. If I don’t talk you if I see you on Sunday, it’s because my voice is mad at me. I’ll rest it, then! So, come out and see me at any or all of these events!

Cobras – Greensboro Coliseum tonight, game time is at 7p.
WS Yoga Festival is tomorrow from 8a-4p at BB&T Ballpark (the Dash park).
Zesto tomorrow at 11a, 2600 New Walkertown Road.

Hope to see you!

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“For nearly every challenging moment in life, there’s a yoga pose to help you feel better.” – Mandy Ingber

A Piggyback Return or: Full Week

16 Thursday May 2019

Posted by in Blogging, Food, Podcasting, The Less Desirables Network

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Salutations™!!

15 Spicy Honey Chix

Spicy Honey Chicken Sandwich from Zesto Burgers & Ice Cream

I’m going to piggyback a little different today. Yes, I’m going to talk about all five podcasts’ episodes on the TLD Network this week. But also, I want to bring attention to the announcement I made on The Man Who Ate the Town blog today. Zesto is having their first-anniversary celebration this Saturday and they want you to come. So, make sure you read that post. You can do that HERE.

Now, we did all five of the TLD Network shows today. You can listen to them:

The Man Who Ate the Town
The Beer Dads
Apartment 5B
Fan Interference
The Less Desirables

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Our menu is based on fresh products and over 70 years of passionate cooking for millions of customers.” – Zesto Burgers & Ice Cream

Seventeen or: My Boy

15 Wednesday May 2019

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Today, at 242p, my “itty bitty boy,” 3B, will be 17 years old. I remember getting up at 4am 17 years ago and getting his mother and myself ready to relieve her discomfort and welcome our child into this world. He didn’t want to come out, either.

One month old
3B out with Dad

We were there by 530a and got settled in. The doctor came in and they started the “induction” process. When he did that, her “water” burst and we went through all the towels, sheets and pillowcases in the birthing room. Seriously, it was like someone turned on a water hose and left it laying in the yard. It wouldn’t stop coming.

The baby, however, did stop coming. He didn’t want to leave the comfort of the womb. In fact, he went backward. Instead of coming down toward the birth canal (yeah, I hate that term, too), he went further up in the womb. On top of that, as they had started inducing the birth, contractions had already started. But, the baby’s heart rate started going down each time a contraction happened. We started to get worried. The doctor, Doctor V as we called him, seemed only moderately concerned. He waited around for a bit and then went and did some “rounds.” It was like we had cut off the baby’s jacuzzi and he was mad!

We stared at the heart monitor and sure enough, every time a contraction happened, the heart rate diminished. The nurses came in and checked. My mother and her mother kept us company, but it really didn’t help much. Dr. V called a few times and around noon — remember we had been in this holding pattern since around 6a — he told us that he thinks it would be best to have a Caesarean Section since this heart rate issue was starting to concern him, too. We spent around two minutes weighing the pros and very few cons. We told Dr. V that the C-Section was a go.

We rolled into the operating room around 230p and they had her split open and the doctor and nurse were tugging hard and pulling her apart. I sat down by her head and she was numb but mostly lucid. She was being jostled and wanted to know what was going on. I sat up straight and realized that I was over the curtain divider. I could see everything that was going on. I told her I was going to watch. I have a hard time with blood and entrails and things but this was different. I watched as they pulled my child into the world. I had a camera and was taking pictures of this happening. The first thing I took a picture of? His scrotum. I had a son and dang it! I was excited!

We named him after my father (which is who I’m named after) and set on watching him grow. And grow he has.

He’s a very intelligent kid, almost a genius, but he won’t use that power for good, it seems. Like many his age, he’s content with putting his nose in a phone or computer and whiling away his life. Well, he finally found something that he’s into and luckily is very good at, cooking. He’s in the culinary program in the local trade school and we have a few plans for him once he’s out of school. He’s driving and with a “speed bump” (he says tongue-in-cheek) a few months back, he does well with that.

He has a job. It’s not often that our first job is actually in the field we want to pursue, right? He is working in a restaurant and as far as I can tell, he’s doing great there. I know the owner, the GM and the chef and they’re happy with what he’s doing.

He’s growing into a fine young man and I love this “boy” with all my heart. 17, 5’11”-6′ and into weightlifting, food and video games. He’s smart, asks a lot of questions, loves football and is all around a great kid. I got lucky, really.

So, happy birthday, son. I love you and cannot wait to see the impact you make on the world.

Until tomorrow, I’m wiping the tear from my eyes…
Scorp out!

—
“There are two great days in a person’s life – the day we are born and the day we discover why.” – William Barclay

Easy Way Out? or: Reasoning

14 Tuesday May 2019

Posted by in Blogging, Life as We Know It

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You may have noticed that I’ve been posting a lot more music videos. Yep, I admit it. It’s been more than I’d like to post, but keeping up with this blog daily and getting my schedule filled beyond capacity has gotten hard. But, that’s not all. I have been getting back into listening to music as I can. Between clients, home doing some writing for podcasts, emailing clients, whatever. All these moments that I may get to listen to music again, I try to take advantage. hqdefault

Is it the easy way out? Yep, again. Will I continue to do it? Yep. I share things like anniversaries, new finds, curiosities and so on. I like sharing and you know what? Nothing says a blog post has to be 500 words. It’s my thoughts, my feelings, my insanity and so on. Also, remember that this blog is written from a character’s perspective, so you really never know what you may get. What you will get, though, is more videos. It is what it is.

Today, though, I’ll spare you. I put almost 200 words here. Tomorrow is a special day. You’ll find out more about that then.

Until then, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Anybody can be specific and obvious. That’s always been the easy way. It’s not that it’s so difficult to be unspecific and less obvious; it’s just that there’s nothing, absolutely nothing, to be specific and obvious about.” – Bob Dylan