Hello,
With so many things happening that I want to blog about, I let my Top Ten All-Time "American Idol" countdown suffer a bit. My last "AI" Top Ten blog was about Jordin Sparks, which I published on October 22nd of this year. I have to admit when I started listening to Sparks' music while writing the blog about her, I almost moved her to #6. David Cook is one of only two men who are on this list.
Season 7 was the last season where Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson were the only judges. In Season 8, "American Idol" introduced Kara DioGuardi, she turned out to be a complete and utter disaster as a judge. Season 8 also started what has become a merry-go-round of bad judges. It's a judging panel that still somehow includes Randy Jackson for Season 12. (Fingers crossed Season 12 will be the last season for this show.)
Anyway back to Season 7 of "American Idol". Season 7 was the first season that contestants were allowed to play musical instruments.
As I'm counting down my top ten list I also like to write a bit about the season that specific contestant competed on. David Cook was the winner of Season 7 of "American Idol". The rest of the Top 9 are:
2) David Archuleta: I thought he was horrible and never understood all the hype he received. It's not a shock to me that he never turned into a star. Archuleta is currently serving a LDS Mission. However he did record new music before he went on his mission. You can still buy his new music while he's away. Don't you feel so lucky?
3) Syesha Mercado: sadly she was lost in the quality of Cook and the hype of Archuleta. She hasn't became a big star, although if I remember right she has appeared on Broadway. With Broadway now becoming a pathway to more mainstream media, things could be a lot worse for Mercado. Although she never hit the big time, she still nearly made my all-time Top Ten list. Yes, I like her that much.
4) Jason Castro: frankly he rode one brilliant performance to 4th place. Other than I know he got married a year or two ago, I haven't heard a thing about him. But he did have this magnificent moment:
5) Brooke White: let's see other than Facebook suggesting I try to friend her, I have no idea what she's doing.
6) Carly Smithson: I know she had hooked up with a band for awhile. I believe their name is We Are Fallen or something like that. They were very much trying to be an Evanescence like band. I'm not sure if the band is even still active. If I had a Top 20 list, Carly would probably be on that list.
7) Kristy Lee Cook: um she was at least cute. She also released "Like My Mother Does" before Lauren Alaina did. I've never heard Cook's version, but Alaina's version is amazing.
8) Michael Johns: Remember when he was shocked that he was eliminated?
9) Ramiele Malubay: I know a lot of people didn't like her. However she had two of my favorite performances of the season.
I loved her performance of "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me":
But I especially loved her amazing take on "Against All Odds". Of course it doesn't hurt that this is an amazing song. Listen to her voice caress the notes at the start of this song, it's spine tingling. I also love when the drums come in about halfway through the song. I listened to this song several times today.
Yes, I'm purposefully saving you from the pre and post song segments on these videos from "AI".
Here's his audition:
Here are some of my favorite David Cook songs. Rarely would I say that a person was born to sing a song. However this time is one of those rare exceptions, Cook is simply amazing with this song. This is my favorite of his "AI" performances:
The very scruffy, Shaggy Doo David Cook sang this song fairly early in the season. Then the stylists got to work on him. His voice is a pretty good match for the Turtles classic as well:
I know that a lot of people like his version of "Billie Jean", but I can't say I'm one of those:
I'm not a Beatles fan, but I love Cook's take on this song. His voice sounds so good here:
I also like his take on "Daytripper":
Now here are a few of his post-"Idol" efforts, this is "Light On":
"Come Back To Me":
"I Did It For You" (live):
Here's one of the better songs from his most recent CD "This Loud Morning". This song is "Fade Into Me":
Next up, eventually, on my Top Ten countdown is one of the best voices ever on "American Idol"
themusicaddict
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Dwight Howard's Free Throw Shooting Nightmare Continues.
Hello,
Dwight Howard free throw shooting nightmare continued last night as he missed 8 of 16 free throws. For Howard making 50% of his free throws is pretty good by his standards this season. This season he's shooting .468 from the foul line. Let this stat boggle your mind a bit. So far this season Howard has missed 108 free throws. 108! He leads the league in that stat by a considerable margin. The next closest person in number of missed free throws is Blake Griffin. He's missed about 31 free throws this season. Howard averages 6 missed free throws a game. He's also missed over 40 free throws in the fourth quarter. (Thanks to espn.com, Mike & Mike and Tim Legler.)
I like to make comparisons like the following. Howard has shot 52 more free throws than Kobe Bryant. However Bryant has made 36 more free throws than Howard. Think about that for awhile. Howard's free shooting literally is a nightmare, but it's a nightmare of his own making. I'm guessing Bryant shot thousands of free throws growing up, my other guess is that Howard wasn't as dedicated.
This was Lakers Coach Mike D'Antoni's rationale for not taking Howard out in the 4th quarter.
"If you take him out now, then you'll be taking out a guy that's going to be your franchise player all the time," he said. "We've got other problems to worry about. We shouldn't be talking about him. He's doing a (heck) of a job and he'll work through it and knock them down."
They really chose D'Antoni over Phil Jackson to be LA's coach? Why is D'Antoni protecting Howard? Shouldn't Howard be called out for his horrendous free throw shooting? Especially since that is such a key part of the game. It's a weakness other teams take full advantage of. If the opponent intentionally fouling Howard is part of a team's strategy, isn't that something that should be mentioned?
Also since when is Howard the Lakers' franchise player? Isn't Bryant the Lakers' franchise player? Yes, they have other issues to worry about, like a coach making excuses for a player that should be making free throws. For nearly $20 million a year, Howard should make at least 70% of his free throws. There simply is no excuse that he doesn't. It's just pure laziness on Howard's part. I expect this to be Howard's only season as a Laker.
I also wonder how long D'Antoni is going to last as Lakers' coach. Is it possible that D'Antoni doesn't survive this season? I realize everyone is waiting for Steve Nash to come back. But how about if Nash does come back and the Lakers aren't noticeably better? What happens then?
This is what Howard said about his horrific free throw shooting night:
"People are going to say whatever they want to say, but at the end of the day, go back and look at the game," he said. "The reason we lost was not my free throws. That didn't lose us the game. Our defense was not there in the fourth quarter."
Again the defensive lapses did hurt the Lakers. However Howard saying his free throws didn't lose the game for the Lakers is either delusional or disingenuous. The Lakers lost by 2 points as Howard missed 8 free throws. If Howard made 70% of his free throws in this game, that gives the Lakers 3 more points. Now there's no guarantee the result of the game would be different, but those 3 additional points certainly give the Lakers a much better chance to win. The other aspect is the Rockets decided to foul Howard in the fourth quarter rather than letting Bryant have the ball. Do you blame the Rockets?
I understand how Cowboys fans feel Dallas is so terrible as I feel the same when the Lakers suck.
themusicaddict
Dwight Howard free throw shooting nightmare continued last night as he missed 8 of 16 free throws. For Howard making 50% of his free throws is pretty good by his standards this season. This season he's shooting .468 from the foul line. Let this stat boggle your mind a bit. So far this season Howard has missed 108 free throws. 108! He leads the league in that stat by a considerable margin. The next closest person in number of missed free throws is Blake Griffin. He's missed about 31 free throws this season. Howard averages 6 missed free throws a game. He's also missed over 40 free throws in the fourth quarter. (Thanks to espn.com, Mike & Mike and Tim Legler.)
I like to make comparisons like the following. Howard has shot 52 more free throws than Kobe Bryant. However Bryant has made 36 more free throws than Howard. Think about that for awhile. Howard's free shooting literally is a nightmare, but it's a nightmare of his own making. I'm guessing Bryant shot thousands of free throws growing up, my other guess is that Howard wasn't as dedicated.
This was Lakers Coach Mike D'Antoni's rationale for not taking Howard out in the 4th quarter.
"If you take him out now, then you'll be taking out a guy that's going to be your franchise player all the time," he said. "We've got other problems to worry about. We shouldn't be talking about him. He's doing a (heck) of a job and he'll work through it and knock them down."
They really chose D'Antoni over Phil Jackson to be LA's coach? Why is D'Antoni protecting Howard? Shouldn't Howard be called out for his horrendous free throw shooting? Especially since that is such a key part of the game. It's a weakness other teams take full advantage of. If the opponent intentionally fouling Howard is part of a team's strategy, isn't that something that should be mentioned?
Also since when is Howard the Lakers' franchise player? Isn't Bryant the Lakers' franchise player? Yes, they have other issues to worry about, like a coach making excuses for a player that should be making free throws. For nearly $20 million a year, Howard should make at least 70% of his free throws. There simply is no excuse that he doesn't. It's just pure laziness on Howard's part. I expect this to be Howard's only season as a Laker.
I also wonder how long D'Antoni is going to last as Lakers' coach. Is it possible that D'Antoni doesn't survive this season? I realize everyone is waiting for Steve Nash to come back. But how about if Nash does come back and the Lakers aren't noticeably better? What happens then?
This is what Howard said about his horrific free throw shooting night:
"People are going to say whatever they want to say, but at the end of the day, go back and look at the game," he said. "The reason we lost was not my free throws. That didn't lose us the game. Our defense was not there in the fourth quarter."
Again the defensive lapses did hurt the Lakers. However Howard saying his free throws didn't lose the game for the Lakers is either delusional or disingenuous. The Lakers lost by 2 points as Howard missed 8 free throws. If Howard made 70% of his free throws in this game, that gives the Lakers 3 more points. Now there's no guarantee the result of the game would be different, but those 3 additional points certainly give the Lakers a much better chance to win. The other aspect is the Rockets decided to foul Howard in the fourth quarter rather than letting Bryant have the ball. Do you blame the Rockets?
I understand how Cowboys fans feel Dallas is so terrible as I feel the same when the Lakers suck.
themusicaddict
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
"Walking Dead": Season 3: Mid Season Finale: "Made To Suffer"
Hello,
This is my hopefully not to long recap of "The Walking Dead" midseason finale.
The episode starts with Tyrese, his sister Sasha and a father, mother and son running through the forest. (Tyrese is one of my favorite characters from the comic books. In the comic books, he's a former NFL player. Will that be the case in the TV series?) Tyrese had gone and did some scouting, he saw a tower and came back to the group to lead them there. The group starts running towards the tower, although they have hungry zombies on their trail. As they close in on the tower, a zombie grabs the mother's arm and bites her. Previously I don't remember a zombie having that much use of their arms.
The tower happens to be the back of the prison which Rick's group calls home. (I'm not the first to point out how ridiculous the prison having a hole in the wall is. This group did everything to ensure their safety when they were securing the prison. They checked the perimeter and killed all the zombies and prisoners they needed to. That prison should have been the most secure place in the zombie apocalypse, even safer than Woodbury. How did they miss this one weak link where anyone or anything can get in? Unless some kind of logical explanation comes later, I'm sorry but that's just lazy storytelling.)
Tyrese's group make their way into the prison, they are helping to carry the bitten Mom. They realize she's going to "turn", but they can't leave her to be devoured by the zombies. (If they had been quicker maybe they could have chopped off her arm before the zombie virus spread. See: Hershel.) Tyrese's group gets in the prison with the zombies still after them. They are screaming and battling the zombies. Remember Rick, Oscar, Michonne and Daryl were scouting Woodbury, there were only 5 people left at the prison. Those five people are crutch bound Hershel, something is definitely wrong with her Beth, horndog Axel, the baby Judith and Carl. That leaves Carl as the most experienced zombie fighter. He also seems to be in charge. (And Axel if you want to stay with this group, leave the women alone. Besides the mentally fragile Beth will be hooking up with Carl eventually.) The screaming attracts Carl, who goes to investigate. He takes his cool gun with him, is that a silencer on the end of his gun? He discovers Tyrese's people and helps rescue them. (If Carl hadn't rescued them, what else would they have done. Hadn't Tyrese's group learned by now not to go into a place they can't easily get out of?)
Carl leads them to the same safe cell where Michonne was briefly held. They are safe from the zombies and have food and water. Sasha doesn't like it, but Tyrese talks her down. Tyrese stabs the zombie bitten Mom before she turns. This adds 4 more people to the prison population as they wait for the others to get back. For storytelling purposes I'm glad the prison has gained more people, their world was getting a little too small.
Meanwhile at Woodbury, Andrea continues to cuddle up with the Governor. And at least at the start of the episode she's drinking the Governor's kool aid. The Governor also continues to love his zombie daughter and his fish tanks of zombie heads. Andrea has realized that the Governor has taken the crazy train and isn't coming back.
Rick, Oscar, Daryl and Michonne penetrate Woodbury's defenses. They are there to rescue Maggie and Glenn, but they have to find them first. They work their way through town and find them just in time. Maggie and Glenn are locked together in a building with the body of the zombie that Glenn killed. He wisely had taken a couple of the zombie's forearm bones as Glen wants to be ready. Everyone is a boy scout in the zombie apocolypse. (In the comic books, the survivors talk about how bad the zombies stink. It seems they don't stink as bad in the TV series.)
Meanwhile Merle and another person are about to collect Maggie and Glenn, they intend to take them to the "screamer's pit". I'm not sure what that is, but it doesn't sound like a hot vacation spot. That's when Rick, Oscar and Daryl stumble across them. Maggie already had killed one person, which just left Merle guarding those two. At just the right time, other of the Governor's men came to help. Using smoke devices Maggie and Glenn were rescued and Daryl and Merle weren't able to see each other. Rick, Maggie, Glenn, Oscar and Daryl start to leave Woodbury.
Meanwhile when Michonne got into Woodbury, her intent was to kill the Governor. (I wish she would have.) She goes to his room and waits for him. While waiting for him she hears zombie sounds, she goes to investigate. She discovers the wall of heads (as they call it on ew.com) and The Governor's zombie child, Penny. Penny has a cover over her head, Michonne mistakes her for a human child. That is until she takes off the cover off her head. Although hell is breaking loose in Woodbury, the Governor comes back to his room just in time.
It's so funny to be watching "The Walking Dead" and in the midst of the show, there's a commercial for this movie. A zombie rom-com.
Back to the Governor: with his daughter's "life" at risk, we see his vulnerability. He asks Michonne not to kill his daughter, but she does anyway. Her katana straight through the little zombie's neck. Then the Governor and Michonne have an all out hand to hand fight. This was one of the most tense moments of the whole show as I had no idea who was going to win. The Governor gains advantage and is choking Michnonne. Just barely in Michonne's reach is one of the shattered fish tanks with it's pieces of glass She's barely able to grab a piece of glass and then stab the Governor in the eye. About that same time Andrea comes in on their tussle. Andrea and Michonne have a tense face-off, before Michonne walks away.
Rick, Glenn and Maggie are able to shoot their way out of Woodbury. Although people are shooting machine guns, very few bullets actually hit Rick's group. In the midst of the firefight Rick sees Shane coming at him. This was the much hyped return appearance of a past cast member and frankly I was very disappointed. Rick shoots Shane but only to realize it was one of the Governor's men. However Oscar gets killed and Daryl gets captured. Once they get outside of Woodbury, Michonne rejoins them. Although things are tense between them, Rick and Michonne reach some kind of detente. Presumably they head back to the prison. In the comic books Tyrese and Rick are friends, at least initially. How will they work together in the TV show?
Back in Woodbury. The Governor plays on the people's fears, calling Rick's group terrorists. He claims they want what the people of Woodbury have. Of course, Rick's group doesn't want anything to do with Woodbury. Merle was the one who captured Glenn and Maggie and brought them to Woodbury. And um the Governor is crazy! Rick's group have a nearly zombie proof prison to be safe in, other than that one hole in the fence.
The Governor then brings out the prisoner, Daryl, who has his head covered. He also accuses Merle of being a traitor. They take the cover off of the head of Daryl and the brothers finally meet up again. Merle and Daryl are in the midst of the frenzied crowd being fired up by the Governor. Obviously not a good time for a family reunion. Although this will be a good way to get the brothers on the same side again. I have a feeling those two will have a lot to say in the impending battle of the Governor and Rick.
And sadly that's where the episode ends, not to be resumed until February 10th. Sadly Michonne didn't kill the Governor. That's too bad, because I'm getting tired of the whole Governor storyline. But whatever "The Walking Dead" does, please don't drag the Governor storyline into season 4.
Again in "The Walking Dead" I don't want to see human vs. human. I can see that on almost any other show. Quite simply I don't want to see that. I want to see the humans band together and vanquish the zombies. Although this review does have a few criticisms, I still love this show very much. Currently "The Walking Dead" is the best show on TV.
themusicaddict
This is my hopefully not to long recap of "The Walking Dead" midseason finale.
The episode starts with Tyrese, his sister Sasha and a father, mother and son running through the forest. (Tyrese is one of my favorite characters from the comic books. In the comic books, he's a former NFL player. Will that be the case in the TV series?) Tyrese had gone and did some scouting, he saw a tower and came back to the group to lead them there. The group starts running towards the tower, although they have hungry zombies on their trail. As they close in on the tower, a zombie grabs the mother's arm and bites her. Previously I don't remember a zombie having that much use of their arms.
The tower happens to be the back of the prison which Rick's group calls home. (I'm not the first to point out how ridiculous the prison having a hole in the wall is. This group did everything to ensure their safety when they were securing the prison. They checked the perimeter and killed all the zombies and prisoners they needed to. That prison should have been the most secure place in the zombie apocalypse, even safer than Woodbury. How did they miss this one weak link where anyone or anything can get in? Unless some kind of logical explanation comes later, I'm sorry but that's just lazy storytelling.)
Tyrese's group make their way into the prison, they are helping to carry the bitten Mom. They realize she's going to "turn", but they can't leave her to be devoured by the zombies. (If they had been quicker maybe they could have chopped off her arm before the zombie virus spread. See: Hershel.) Tyrese's group gets in the prison with the zombies still after them. They are screaming and battling the zombies. Remember Rick, Oscar, Michonne and Daryl were scouting Woodbury, there were only 5 people left at the prison. Those five people are crutch bound Hershel, something is definitely wrong with her Beth, horndog Axel, the baby Judith and Carl. That leaves Carl as the most experienced zombie fighter. He also seems to be in charge. (And Axel if you want to stay with this group, leave the women alone. Besides the mentally fragile Beth will be hooking up with Carl eventually.) The screaming attracts Carl, who goes to investigate. He takes his cool gun with him, is that a silencer on the end of his gun? He discovers Tyrese's people and helps rescue them. (If Carl hadn't rescued them, what else would they have done. Hadn't Tyrese's group learned by now not to go into a place they can't easily get out of?)
Carl leads them to the same safe cell where Michonne was briefly held. They are safe from the zombies and have food and water. Sasha doesn't like it, but Tyrese talks her down. Tyrese stabs the zombie bitten Mom before she turns. This adds 4 more people to the prison population as they wait for the others to get back. For storytelling purposes I'm glad the prison has gained more people, their world was getting a little too small.
Meanwhile at Woodbury, Andrea continues to cuddle up with the Governor. And at least at the start of the episode she's drinking the Governor's kool aid. The Governor also continues to love his zombie daughter and his fish tanks of zombie heads. Andrea has realized that the Governor has taken the crazy train and isn't coming back.
Rick, Oscar, Daryl and Michonne penetrate Woodbury's defenses. They are there to rescue Maggie and Glenn, but they have to find them first. They work their way through town and find them just in time. Maggie and Glenn are locked together in a building with the body of the zombie that Glenn killed. He wisely had taken a couple of the zombie's forearm bones as Glen wants to be ready. Everyone is a boy scout in the zombie apocolypse. (In the comic books, the survivors talk about how bad the zombies stink. It seems they don't stink as bad in the TV series.)
Meanwhile Merle and another person are about to collect Maggie and Glenn, they intend to take them to the "screamer's pit". I'm not sure what that is, but it doesn't sound like a hot vacation spot. That's when Rick, Oscar and Daryl stumble across them. Maggie already had killed one person, which just left Merle guarding those two. At just the right time, other of the Governor's men came to help. Using smoke devices Maggie and Glenn were rescued and Daryl and Merle weren't able to see each other. Rick, Maggie, Glenn, Oscar and Daryl start to leave Woodbury.
Meanwhile when Michonne got into Woodbury, her intent was to kill the Governor. (I wish she would have.) She goes to his room and waits for him. While waiting for him she hears zombie sounds, she goes to investigate. She discovers the wall of heads (as they call it on ew.com) and The Governor's zombie child, Penny. Penny has a cover over her head, Michonne mistakes her for a human child. That is until she takes off the cover off her head. Although hell is breaking loose in Woodbury, the Governor comes back to his room just in time.
It's so funny to be watching "The Walking Dead" and in the midst of the show, there's a commercial for this movie. A zombie rom-com.
Back to the Governor: with his daughter's "life" at risk, we see his vulnerability. He asks Michonne not to kill his daughter, but she does anyway. Her katana straight through the little zombie's neck. Then the Governor and Michonne have an all out hand to hand fight. This was one of the most tense moments of the whole show as I had no idea who was going to win. The Governor gains advantage and is choking Michnonne. Just barely in Michonne's reach is one of the shattered fish tanks with it's pieces of glass She's barely able to grab a piece of glass and then stab the Governor in the eye. About that same time Andrea comes in on their tussle. Andrea and Michonne have a tense face-off, before Michonne walks away.
Rick, Glenn and Maggie are able to shoot their way out of Woodbury. Although people are shooting machine guns, very few bullets actually hit Rick's group. In the midst of the firefight Rick sees Shane coming at him. This was the much hyped return appearance of a past cast member and frankly I was very disappointed. Rick shoots Shane but only to realize it was one of the Governor's men. However Oscar gets killed and Daryl gets captured. Once they get outside of Woodbury, Michonne rejoins them. Although things are tense between them, Rick and Michonne reach some kind of detente. Presumably they head back to the prison. In the comic books Tyrese and Rick are friends, at least initially. How will they work together in the TV show?
Back in Woodbury. The Governor plays on the people's fears, calling Rick's group terrorists. He claims they want what the people of Woodbury have. Of course, Rick's group doesn't want anything to do with Woodbury. Merle was the one who captured Glenn and Maggie and brought them to Woodbury. And um the Governor is crazy! Rick's group have a nearly zombie proof prison to be safe in, other than that one hole in the fence.
The Governor then brings out the prisoner, Daryl, who has his head covered. He also accuses Merle of being a traitor. They take the cover off of the head of Daryl and the brothers finally meet up again. Merle and Daryl are in the midst of the frenzied crowd being fired up by the Governor. Obviously not a good time for a family reunion. Although this will be a good way to get the brothers on the same side again. I have a feeling those two will have a lot to say in the impending battle of the Governor and Rick.
And sadly that's where the episode ends, not to be resumed until February 10th. Sadly Michonne didn't kill the Governor. That's too bad, because I'm getting tired of the whole Governor storyline. But whatever "The Walking Dead" does, please don't drag the Governor storyline into season 4.
Again in "The Walking Dead" I don't want to see human vs. human. I can see that on almost any other show. Quite simply I don't want to see that. I want to see the humans band together and vanquish the zombies. Although this review does have a few criticisms, I still love this show very much. Currently "The Walking Dead" is the best show on TV.
themusicaddict
Things I Won't Be Writing About Today 12/4/2012
Hello,
These are things I won't be writing about today:
- The greatness of Pau Gasol. The Lakers will be trading him sooner rather than later. But who's going to want him? I've never heard a nickname for Pau so I've come up with one: The Big Stiffy Now the news come that Gasol will be sitting out tonight's game against the Rockets, because of tendinitis in his knees. I'm not making fun of him, but I don't think that's what Kobe Bryant meant when he said Gasol needs to put on his "big-boy pants on."
I expect Bryant saying something similar to Dwight Howard soon, Howard rarely plays as hard as he can. Also other than the flashy block, Howard isn't known much for his defense.
- The chances of Dallas making the NFL playoffs. Cowboys fans: stop drinking the kool aid. This team won't ever rise above mediocrity until Jerry Jones is no longer the Cowboys GM.
- The greatness of this song:
- I also won't be writing how great this song is:
I do realize that Pink Floyd made more albums (that's what they were called back then) other than "The Wall". This is a great song with amazing lyrics:
I haven't heard this song in awhile:
- How much I look forward to the second half of the season of "Revolution". After a 4 month hiatus will anyone remember it or even care?
- How much I'll miss the "Twilight" series!
- How glad I am that Mike Napoli is going to the Red Sox- although I'm very glad. I would also love to see another knuckleballer play for the Red Sox: R.A. Dickey.
- Where Josh Hamilton will end up. Some things are just preordained: Josh Hamilton will be a Yankee sometime in his career. It's just like Jerry Jones is going to overreach and Honey Badger will be a Dallas Cowboy.
- How much I love spell checker- no really spell checker I meant to spell that word that way.
- How much I'm enjoying Vince Flynn's "American Assassin", although I really am. Although it's so hard to pick one book and stick with it to the end as there are so many good books out there.
- The greatness of "Buckwild". Have you seen previews for this show? This show looks so bad, it makes the people on "Jersey Shore" look classy. MTV stopped showing videos for this crap? If the show lasts longer than three episodes, I'll be very scared for America's future.
- The greatness of "The Dark Knight Rises". Man, that was an awful movie. The movie is too long and Bane is one of the lamest villains ever. I felt every long painful minute of that movie. What a big letdown to a series that had been going fairly well.
Coming later: a blog about "The Walking Dead's" Season 3 mid-season finale.
themusicaddict
These are things I won't be writing about today:
- The greatness of Pau Gasol. The Lakers will be trading him sooner rather than later. But who's going to want him? I've never heard a nickname for Pau so I've come up with one: The Big Stiffy Now the news come that Gasol will be sitting out tonight's game against the Rockets, because of tendinitis in his knees. I'm not making fun of him, but I don't think that's what Kobe Bryant meant when he said Gasol needs to put on his "big-boy pants on."
I expect Bryant saying something similar to Dwight Howard soon, Howard rarely plays as hard as he can. Also other than the flashy block, Howard isn't known much for his defense.
- The chances of Dallas making the NFL playoffs. Cowboys fans: stop drinking the kool aid. This team won't ever rise above mediocrity until Jerry Jones is no longer the Cowboys GM.
- The greatness of this song:
- I also won't be writing how great this song is:
I do realize that Pink Floyd made more albums (that's what they were called back then) other than "The Wall". This is a great song with amazing lyrics:
I haven't heard this song in awhile:
- How much I look forward to the second half of the season of "Revolution". After a 4 month hiatus will anyone remember it or even care?
- How much I'll miss the "Twilight" series!
- How glad I am that Mike Napoli is going to the Red Sox- although I'm very glad. I would also love to see another knuckleballer play for the Red Sox: R.A. Dickey.
- Where Josh Hamilton will end up. Some things are just preordained: Josh Hamilton will be a Yankee sometime in his career. It's just like Jerry Jones is going to overreach and Honey Badger will be a Dallas Cowboy.
- How much I love spell checker- no really spell checker I meant to spell that word that way.
- How much I'm enjoying Vince Flynn's "American Assassin", although I really am. Although it's so hard to pick one book and stick with it to the end as there are so many good books out there.
- The greatness of "Buckwild". Have you seen previews for this show? This show looks so bad, it makes the people on "Jersey Shore" look classy. MTV stopped showing videos for this crap? If the show lasts longer than three episodes, I'll be very scared for America's future.
- The greatness of "The Dark Knight Rises". Man, that was an awful movie. The movie is too long and Bane is one of the lamest villains ever. I felt every long painful minute of that movie. What a big letdown to a series that had been going fairly well.
Coming later: a blog about "The Walking Dead's" Season 3 mid-season finale.
themusicaddict
Monday, December 3, 2012
Christmas' Greatest Hits (Updated 12/13/12)
Hello,
I'll spare you my ongoing dislike of Jerry Jones and how he's destroying the Cowboys. I also didn't watch the mid-season finale of "The Walking Dead", so I won't be writing the recap for that yet. I made a promise to myself that this year I'm going to get the most out of the Christmas season. One way for me to do that is to listen to Christmas music. Here's a selection of some of my favorite Christmas songs. I believe in Jesus very much, so many of these songs will have a religious bent. But I've also included some fun Christmas songs. Merry Christmas to all!
My absolute favorite Christmas song is "Carol of the Bells". I can never find my favorite version of this song. This is Mormon Tabernacle Choir's version:
This is Mannheim Steamroller's version:
This is a bit of an interesting twist on "Carol of the Bells":
The amazing Trans-Siberian Orchestra and their "Wizards In Winter":
In no way do I support flash mobs, I think they are kind of lame. However this one is okay. "The Hallelujah Chorus":
Here's the real "Hallelujah Chorus":
The Casting Crowns "I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day":
I promise I'm not proselytizing, but this is my favorite version of "Angels We Have Heard On High":
"Do You Hear What I Hear?":
Not only is she stunningly gorgeous, but she also has an amazing voice. Carrie Underwood's "O Holy Night":
Michael Crawford's "What A Strange Way To Save The World": (Youtube says this is Michael Crawford sings this version, but I'm not so sure.)
Elvis Presley's "Santa Bring My Baby Back To Me":
Bobby Helms "Jingle Bell Rock":
The Waitresses' "Christmas Wrapping":
Jeremy Fisher's "Snowflakes":
"Hark The Herald Angels Sing":
Their version of this song is simply amazing, the song and Lady Antebellum were made for each other. Lady Antebellum's "Baby It's Cold Outside":
The amazing Stevie Nicks' "Silent Night":
The amazing Sinead O'Connor's "Silent Night":
Bob Seger's "Little Drummer Boy":
"We Three Kings of Orient Are":
"You're A Mean One Mr. Grinch":
Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?":
themusicaddict
I'll spare you my ongoing dislike of Jerry Jones and how he's destroying the Cowboys. I also didn't watch the mid-season finale of "The Walking Dead", so I won't be writing the recap for that yet. I made a promise to myself that this year I'm going to get the most out of the Christmas season. One way for me to do that is to listen to Christmas music. Here's a selection of some of my favorite Christmas songs. I believe in Jesus very much, so many of these songs will have a religious bent. But I've also included some fun Christmas songs. Merry Christmas to all!
My absolute favorite Christmas song is "Carol of the Bells". I can never find my favorite version of this song. This is Mormon Tabernacle Choir's version:
This is Mannheim Steamroller's version:
This is a bit of an interesting twist on "Carol of the Bells":
The amazing Trans-Siberian Orchestra and their "Wizards In Winter":
In no way do I support flash mobs, I think they are kind of lame. However this one is okay. "The Hallelujah Chorus":
Here's the real "Hallelujah Chorus":
The Casting Crowns "I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day":
I promise I'm not proselytizing, but this is my favorite version of "Angels We Have Heard On High":
"Do You Hear What I Hear?":
Not only is she stunningly gorgeous, but she also has an amazing voice. Carrie Underwood's "O Holy Night":
Michael Crawford's "What A Strange Way To Save The World": (Youtube says this is Michael Crawford sings this version, but I'm not so sure.)
Elvis Presley's "Santa Bring My Baby Back To Me":
Bobby Helms "Jingle Bell Rock":
The Waitresses' "Christmas Wrapping":
Jeremy Fisher's "Snowflakes":
"Hark The Herald Angels Sing":
Their version of this song is simply amazing, the song and Lady Antebellum were made for each other. Lady Antebellum's "Baby It's Cold Outside":
The amazing Stevie Nicks' "Silent Night":
The amazing Sinead O'Connor's "Silent Night":
Bob Seger's "Little Drummer Boy":
"We Three Kings of Orient Are":
"You're A Mean One Mr. Grinch":
Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?":
themusicaddict
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Things I'm Thankful For!
Hello,
I'm a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, also known as LDS or Mormons. One thing I like about this church is the constant reminder to be grateful for the things we have in our lives.
Here's my list:
1) Although my religion is wildly misunderstood, I'm grateful to be a member. It has saved me from so many of my baser instincts.
2) I'm grateful for music. Many songs trigger memories of both happy and sad times in my life. I knew that I was recovering from my divorce when I could hear "Need You Now" and no longer have a lot of pain:
3) I love the Christmas season. I also love Christmas music!
4) I'm excited for "Les Miserables" finally being in movie theaters on Christmas Day:
5) I'm grateful for my kids. They bring a lot of joy to my life and keep me up with all the trends. If I didn't have kids, I wouldn't know all I know about Justin Bieber. I actually like this song:
6) I'm grateful for my job. After not being able to keep a job, I've had this job for 2.5 years now. It's a job I'll be able to keep as long as I want. The only thing that would make the job better is if the pay was more.
7) With being financially devastated by a divorce I'm so thankful I have a rent free place to live. Thanks Mom.
8) I'm so grateful for living in Utah, I love this place. I especially love where I live in West Bountiful, Utah. Such a nice and friendly neighborhood.
9) I'm so grateful for all the generous people in my life.
10) I'm grateful for the internet and all the things I can participate in because of it. I especially love amazon.com, wikipedia, blogger and espn.com.
11) I'm so grateful for reading. The ability to go anywhere at any time just by opening a book amazes me. I love my Kindle, but there's nothing like opening a book. I love how the weight and heft of a book in my hand and I love the new book smell.
12) I'm grateful for fettucini alfredo, doritos and my Mom's gringo tacos.
13) I'm grateful for exercise, especially because I love the foods mentioned above so much!
14) I know this will sound super sappy but I'm grateful for the ability to realize all the things I'm grateful for. I realize that things aren't as dire as I think they are.
15) I'm grateful for beautiful women, they certainly have a way of making life better. I have my eye on one specifically.
I'm a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, also known as LDS or Mormons. One thing I like about this church is the constant reminder to be grateful for the things we have in our lives.
Here's my list:
1) Although my religion is wildly misunderstood, I'm grateful to be a member. It has saved me from so many of my baser instincts.
2) I'm grateful for music. Many songs trigger memories of both happy and sad times in my life. I knew that I was recovering from my divorce when I could hear "Need You Now" and no longer have a lot of pain:
3) I love the Christmas season. I also love Christmas music!
4) I'm excited for "Les Miserables" finally being in movie theaters on Christmas Day:
5) I'm grateful for my kids. They bring a lot of joy to my life and keep me up with all the trends. If I didn't have kids, I wouldn't know all I know about Justin Bieber. I actually like this song:
6) I'm grateful for my job. After not being able to keep a job, I've had this job for 2.5 years now. It's a job I'll be able to keep as long as I want. The only thing that would make the job better is if the pay was more.
7) With being financially devastated by a divorce I'm so thankful I have a rent free place to live. Thanks Mom.
8) I'm so grateful for living in Utah, I love this place. I especially love where I live in West Bountiful, Utah. Such a nice and friendly neighborhood.
9) I'm so grateful for all the generous people in my life.
10) I'm grateful for the internet and all the things I can participate in because of it. I especially love amazon.com, wikipedia, blogger and espn.com.
11) I'm so grateful for reading. The ability to go anywhere at any time just by opening a book amazes me. I love my Kindle, but there's nothing like opening a book. I love how the weight and heft of a book in my hand and I love the new book smell.
12) I'm grateful for fettucini alfredo, doritos and my Mom's gringo tacos.
13) I'm grateful for exercise, especially because I love the foods mentioned above so much!
14) I know this will sound super sappy but I'm grateful for the ability to realize all the things I'm grateful for. I realize that things aren't as dire as I think they are.
15) I'm grateful for beautiful women, they certainly have a way of making life better. I have my eye on one specifically.
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Stern Fines Spurs $250,000, Stern Has Completely Gone Kurtzian
Hello,
The Spurs sent home most of their top players at then end of their long road 6 games in 8 days road trip. The Spurs were scheduled to play 6 road games in 8 days, obviously meaning they had to travel between games. They played in Boston, Indiana, Toronto in the space of 5 games. Then they closed out the trip by playing 3 games in 4 days. The Spurs won their first 5 games on this road trip. Then they sent home most of their key players before that sixth road game in eight days in Miami.
Most of the Spurs star players are older and their coach, Gregg Popovich, likes to give them rest during the season. That way they can be at or near their best when it really counts, the playoffs. I don't see anything wrong with this approach, in fact I think it's the right approach. If you could choose to lose a meaningless regular season game or a playoff game, which would you pick? (Maybe that's the real issue for Stern, people aren't overly concerned with the regular season.) The Spurs have won 4 NBA Championships in the last several years, obviously they know what they are doing.
I've never been a fan of David Stern. For the most part it seems he's been good for the NBA. But he also comes off as a bit of a tyrant. This time he's really gone overboard and has gone to Kurtzian lengths. I also wonder if he's suffering a bit from small man syndrome. He fined the San Antonio Spurs for sending home 4 of their top players at the end of a grueling road trip. Funny, I thought the point of the NBA was winning. Specifically winning in the playoffs.
What was so funny about that Spurs-Heat game is that the depleted Spurs almost won. I would have loved to see what Stern would have said about that. Of course Stern would of still said that the Spurs did the wrong thing. But for Stern this is all about money. By San Antonio sending home many of their best players, that might mean less people show up to the game.
When Miami played Milwaukee, 19,971 people showed up. Their next game they played the 3 win Cavaliers and the attendance was 20,064 people. Next they played San Antonio and the crowd was 19.703 people. Because all those players didn't play for San Antonio, look how low the attendance was. Well except for the fact the game against Cleveland was on a Saturday night. I know people weren't showing up for that game to see Anderson Varejero. Maybe people go to these games more when is a convenient time for them, rather than the other team actually playing? (That might be another thing that Stern doesn't want to hear?)
The result potentially resting players would mean less money into the NBA's pocket. That's truly what Stern cares about. In corporate America, everything is judged by how much money is made. That's the only consideration. The concern isn't about the quality of the product at all. (This is how Jerry Jones runs the Cowboys. He could care less if Dallas wins, all he cares about is making money. He's been wildly successful at that. If money isn't his only consideration then why hasn't he made any real changes in the last 17 years? In corporate America, Jones is a winner. However the Cowboys are anything but.)
This is what David Stern had to say about this situation: "The result here is dictated by the totality of the facts in this case, The Spurs decided to make four of their top players unavailable for an early season game that was the team's only regular-season visit to Miami. The team also did this without informing the Heat, the media, or the league office in a timely way. Under these circumstances, I have concluded that the Spurs did a disservice to the league and our fans."
Let's be honest here, who cares? When I go to a game the thing I care the most about is my team winning. Rarely do I go for the players on the other team, the last time I did that was several years ago. For instance if the Lakers came to town, I wouldn't go to see Dwight Howard. In fact, I don't want to see prima donna Howard play. I don't need to see his selfish, all about him play.
If the NBA is truly about winning, then Stern wouldn't have fined the Spurs. Because obviously the Spurs goal is winning. They don't care how many people show up for the games when they are on the road. They are one of the best run franchises in the NBA and smartly resting some of their players is another sign of that.
Honestly as much as I love basketball, at this point of my life I don't even want to go to a NBA game. They are too expensive, the environment is too stifled, the arenas are covered with ads, the kinds of seats I could afford are atrocious. The prices for parking, concessions and food are way out of control. Again it's not about the fan enjoying the game, it's about the NBA fleecing the fan for every penny they can.
In an espn.com poll 80% of those that voted deemed this fine "too harsh". David Stern you need to apologize to the Spurs for fining them at all. Cancel the fine and let teams run things as they see fit.
themusicaddict
The Spurs sent home most of their top players at then end of their long road 6 games in 8 days road trip. The Spurs were scheduled to play 6 road games in 8 days, obviously meaning they had to travel between games. They played in Boston, Indiana, Toronto in the space of 5 games. Then they closed out the trip by playing 3 games in 4 days. The Spurs won their first 5 games on this road trip. Then they sent home most of their key players before that sixth road game in eight days in Miami.
Most of the Spurs star players are older and their coach, Gregg Popovich, likes to give them rest during the season. That way they can be at or near their best when it really counts, the playoffs. I don't see anything wrong with this approach, in fact I think it's the right approach. If you could choose to lose a meaningless regular season game or a playoff game, which would you pick? (Maybe that's the real issue for Stern, people aren't overly concerned with the regular season.) The Spurs have won 4 NBA Championships in the last several years, obviously they know what they are doing.
I've never been a fan of David Stern. For the most part it seems he's been good for the NBA. But he also comes off as a bit of a tyrant. This time he's really gone overboard and has gone to Kurtzian lengths. I also wonder if he's suffering a bit from small man syndrome. He fined the San Antonio Spurs for sending home 4 of their top players at the end of a grueling road trip. Funny, I thought the point of the NBA was winning. Specifically winning in the playoffs.
What was so funny about that Spurs-Heat game is that the depleted Spurs almost won. I would have loved to see what Stern would have said about that. Of course Stern would of still said that the Spurs did the wrong thing. But for Stern this is all about money. By San Antonio sending home many of their best players, that might mean less people show up to the game.
When Miami played Milwaukee, 19,971 people showed up. Their next game they played the 3 win Cavaliers and the attendance was 20,064 people. Next they played San Antonio and the crowd was 19.703 people. Because all those players didn't play for San Antonio, look how low the attendance was. Well except for the fact the game against Cleveland was on a Saturday night. I know people weren't showing up for that game to see Anderson Varejero. Maybe people go to these games more when is a convenient time for them, rather than the other team actually playing? (That might be another thing that Stern doesn't want to hear?)
The result potentially resting players would mean less money into the NBA's pocket. That's truly what Stern cares about. In corporate America, everything is judged by how much money is made. That's the only consideration. The concern isn't about the quality of the product at all. (This is how Jerry Jones runs the Cowboys. He could care less if Dallas wins, all he cares about is making money. He's been wildly successful at that. If money isn't his only consideration then why hasn't he made any real changes in the last 17 years? In corporate America, Jones is a winner. However the Cowboys are anything but.)
This is what David Stern had to say about this situation: "The result here is dictated by the totality of the facts in this case, The Spurs decided to make four of their top players unavailable for an early season game that was the team's only regular-season visit to Miami. The team also did this without informing the Heat, the media, or the league office in a timely way. Under these circumstances, I have concluded that the Spurs did a disservice to the league and our fans."
Let's be honest here, who cares? When I go to a game the thing I care the most about is my team winning. Rarely do I go for the players on the other team, the last time I did that was several years ago. For instance if the Lakers came to town, I wouldn't go to see Dwight Howard. In fact, I don't want to see prima donna Howard play. I don't need to see his selfish, all about him play.
If the NBA is truly about winning, then Stern wouldn't have fined the Spurs. Because obviously the Spurs goal is winning. They don't care how many people show up for the games when they are on the road. They are one of the best run franchises in the NBA and smartly resting some of their players is another sign of that.
Honestly as much as I love basketball, at this point of my life I don't even want to go to a NBA game. They are too expensive, the environment is too stifled, the arenas are covered with ads, the kinds of seats I could afford are atrocious. The prices for parking, concessions and food are way out of control. Again it's not about the fan enjoying the game, it's about the NBA fleecing the fan for every penny they can.
In an espn.com poll 80% of those that voted deemed this fine "too harsh". David Stern you need to apologize to the Spurs for fining them at all. Cancel the fine and let teams run things as they see fit.
themusicaddict
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