If you haven't ever hear of this sweet site, let me introduce you to pandora.com! This is one of the best sites the internet has ever created! A buddy at work introduced it to me about a month ago and I've been listening to it nonstop ever since. Pandora is an internet-radio site where you enter an artist or a song and you "create" a radio station that plays music from that artist or similar artists (based on something called the music-genome project). I don't know how it works but as the various songs play you can definitely agree that they all relate in a general way within each station you create.
So this week on my ever expanding list of created stations I decided to take a trip down memory lane, as in "riding with my mom from ages 4-10 listening to New Mix 107.5" memory lane. My station anchor? None other than the classic Wilson Phillips! It shouldn't be hard for anybody to imagine me belting out "Release Me" or "Hold On" without hesitation. I will say that listening to their songs this time around I've noticed every song has a quasi-bridge-guitar solo that would be described as the antithesis of a "face-melting guitar solo". Seriously, even when Wilson Phillips was at their peak performing to a packed stadium, there's no way during one of these solos the hired professional guitarist was thinking, "I'm shredding the guitar to Wilson Phillips!" Be that as it may, I take them for what they are: a classic easy listening group who dominated the airways in their time. Their station offered up plenty of other soft-hits gods (like rock-gods, but soothing and romantic!): early Madonna, Tiffany, Pat Benetar, Richard Marx, Lionel Richie, Chicago (or Peter Cetera, their lead singer who later had a solo career. I note this because I heard all these songs and kept thinking "I know this song but I've never heard of this guy! So I investigated). Basically every song that comes on I mark the "thumbs up icon" because I love it. (One downer to note-after about 6 hours straight of the same station you start to get repeats of all the same songs).
My "coming out" of the soft-hits closet this week has had a couple of interesting effects: 1) all my coworkers who at first were ripping me and acting all "manly" like they didn't like what I was listening to within hours were crooning right along with every song. Either they love it like me or had mothers who also listened to "New Mix" and FM100 in their youth (probably a little of both). 2)I keep discovering old favorites again and again through all these links, at which point I discover another old memory! Some of the favorites from this week of soft hits: Gloria Estefan (You know you want to "Get on your feet!") Mr. Mister ("Take these broken wings"), Michael Bolton (Yes, THAT Michael Bolton! I even heard a new sweet song, "How can we be lovers if we can't be friends?" that was just too catchy to not enjoy), and of course the kings of the 1-hit wonder soft hit, Toto (you know how FM100 plays only Christmas music through December? I think the rest of the year they have an automatic "Africa" every hour on the hour. Seriously, I never switch to that station without getting myself some "I bless the rains down in AFRICA! boom, boOm, bOOM, BOOM! Gonna take some time to do the things we never HA-AAA-AAAD! ooo, ooo!)
Pandora-awesome. If you have some other sweet golden oldies for me let me know.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
I'm Sick
Is there anything worse than being sick? Whenever I get sick or even can feel myself getting sick I go into panic mode. "What did it ever feel like to be healthy?" Whenever I get sick I start off with a sore throat and after 5 minutes of a sore throat I can't remember what it ever felt like to be able to swallow normally and I wonder if I will ever know what that feels like again. Of course this only lasts a few days but days turn into ETERNITY when you are sick. Right now is especially the prime time for me to get sick. All I want to do is sleep for 14 hours or so; instead I'm at work for that long. It's like a self-fulfilling prophecy: spend a few months working like crazy, definitely EATING like crazy (and we all know I can pack it in with the best of them), sitting and stressing all day, not sleeping much, and avoiding exercise like it would kill me (which, of course, it might in my current state).
I always get sick right when I think, "Maybe I will make it through this season change without getting sick for once!" Which of course during the nice pre-storm weather last week, I thought. Here's to all who get the yearly (or in my case, seasonally) cold. To our suffering and misery for the few days it lasts. To the NyQuil and DayQuil that pulls us through. I'm going to bed (hopefully I won't wake up to my alarm in the morning).
I always get sick right when I think, "Maybe I will make it through this season change without getting sick for once!" Which of course during the nice pre-storm weather last week, I thought. Here's to all who get the yearly (or in my case, seasonally) cold. To our suffering and misery for the few days it lasts. To the NyQuil and DayQuil that pulls us through. I'm going to bed (hopefully I won't wake up to my alarm in the morning).
Sunday, March 8, 2009
World Without End
So I'm in this new little habit of writing a review of every book I read, mostly because I want to be able to remember how I liked a book when I think about it, even though books rarely come up in my conversations because I'm the only nerd out there who reads for fun.
"World Without End"-no, not a church book, but that would make a good title. This book is kind of a sequel to "The Pillars of the Earth" that I read last year. Not the same characters, but roughly the same time frame and same city setting. I'm pretty sure the writer, Ken Follet, just set it up that way to have easy access to all the geography he had set up in his previous book. This was valuable to me as well as I felt like I was right back in the setting as the first book. Both of these books are over 1,000 pages. It took me two months to read. Whenever I embark on such a sizable book, I certainly take the "this is a journey" approach. The length of the story spans pretty much a lifetime, and it just seems like nothing ever goes right. This is actually one of the things I like about these books. It is set in old-time England. While the book is fiction, the author did a lot of research to portray what life would be like in the time. That is the most interesting part of both books. Whenever I read, I can't stop thinking about how hard it would have been to live in that time; and how much harder it would be to live as a peasant. Six days a week of all-day backbreaking labor just to pretty much eat. How would it be to live under a "Lord" or "Earl" to whom you would have to submit for everything in life? Crazy times. Even crazier that people actually lived through that era and here we are today.
While the book was entertaining, if you pick it up and read the cover summary, the "secret" that is supposed to carry the whole book is basically an afterthought by the end. I also think there was a bit too much graphic stuff. On one hand, I'm sure it was necessary to paint a real picture of how life was back then, but I don't want to recommend it to somebody and have them come back and say, "you didn't tell me about this and this. . ." So in the end, great book, but if you're thinking about reading it and don't want any undesireable surprises, maybe ask me about it.
"World Without End"-no, not a church book, but that would make a good title. This book is kind of a sequel to "The Pillars of the Earth" that I read last year. Not the same characters, but roughly the same time frame and same city setting. I'm pretty sure the writer, Ken Follet, just set it up that way to have easy access to all the geography he had set up in his previous book. This was valuable to me as well as I felt like I was right back in the setting as the first book. Both of these books are over 1,000 pages. It took me two months to read. Whenever I embark on such a sizable book, I certainly take the "this is a journey" approach. The length of the story spans pretty much a lifetime, and it just seems like nothing ever goes right. This is actually one of the things I like about these books. It is set in old-time England. While the book is fiction, the author did a lot of research to portray what life would be like in the time. That is the most interesting part of both books. Whenever I read, I can't stop thinking about how hard it would have been to live in that time; and how much harder it would be to live as a peasant. Six days a week of all-day backbreaking labor just to pretty much eat. How would it be to live under a "Lord" or "Earl" to whom you would have to submit for everything in life? Crazy times. Even crazier that people actually lived through that era and here we are today.
While the book was entertaining, if you pick it up and read the cover summary, the "secret" that is supposed to carry the whole book is basically an afterthought by the end. I also think there was a bit too much graphic stuff. On one hand, I'm sure it was necessary to paint a real picture of how life was back then, but I don't want to recommend it to somebody and have them come back and say, "you didn't tell me about this and this. . ." So in the end, great book, but if you're thinking about reading it and don't want any undesireable surprises, maybe ask me about it.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Larry H. Miller
Every time I walk into a Megaplex Theatre I think about Larry Miller and how awesome he is for our state. Have you ever been to a movie in another state? I've been to theatres in other states that make our $1 theatres look glamorous. Obviously the movie theatres, the restaurants, the car dealerships, etc. are all part of what made him important for our state. Obviously the most important reason he was important to our state was my beloved Utah Jazz.
I thought Larry was a spectacular owner. I loved that he was open to the media. Whenever he did interviews on 1280 or 1320, I was locked in to hear whatever he had to say. Whether he was talking sports or his political views I absolutely could not change the station. He shared inside stories and honest business perspective on what was going on for the Jazz and real world issues. I thank him for making himself so available to the public. I hear owners of most major sports franchises don't comment publicly and hide away in the luxury suites. I would hate to have an onwer like that. Give me a Larry Miller or Mark Cuban anyday. Outspoken, sitting courtside, interested in what is going on and interested in winning. No wonder the world hates Donald Sterling and the Clippers.
I had one encounter with Larry Miller in my lifetime. It lasted 2 seconds and was most certainly un-noteworthy in the life of Larry Miller, but I obviously will never forget. I was working as the gateshack guard in the Pepperwood Community in Sandy. People that pulled up in the visitor lane were required to tell me where they were going, their name, etc. Up pulls a white Mercedes-Benz, the hundred-thousand-dollar type, not the "just a luxury car" type. He pulls up and I freeze: "That is Larry H. Miller" I think to myself. What do I do? Do I shake his hand? Ask for an autograph? What??!! I do nothing. "Good Afternoon. Where are you headed?" "I'm here to visit my son Greg Miller." Then the kicker, "What's your name?" He gives me the quickest look like, "Come on, you know exactly who I am." And it was true, I did. But he was completely gracious, "Larry Miller". "Have a nice day". As he drove off I thought of 1,000 things I wanted to ask him about the Jazz, but the opportunity had vanished. I'm sure a punk kid asking Jazz questions when all he wants to do is visit his son would've bothered him anyway, but still.
I can't remember where I discussed this, I'm sure it was at work since that is where I spend my life these days, but somebody brought up the concept of what would happen in your "perfect day". Not necessarily your last day on earth, just your perfect day. Amongst other things, I said the cap to my "perfect day" would be watching the Jazz win an exciting, close game. Not winning game 7 of the Finals or even necessarily a playoff game, just watching them play and win. The night before he passed, the Jazz pulled out an exciting, come-from-behind win over the Celtics. I read that when Gail told him they had won, he was happy.
I thought Larry was a spectacular owner. I loved that he was open to the media. Whenever he did interviews on 1280 or 1320, I was locked in to hear whatever he had to say. Whether he was talking sports or his political views I absolutely could not change the station. He shared inside stories and honest business perspective on what was going on for the Jazz and real world issues. I thank him for making himself so available to the public. I hear owners of most major sports franchises don't comment publicly and hide away in the luxury suites. I would hate to have an onwer like that. Give me a Larry Miller or Mark Cuban anyday. Outspoken, sitting courtside, interested in what is going on and interested in winning. No wonder the world hates Donald Sterling and the Clippers.
I had one encounter with Larry Miller in my lifetime. It lasted 2 seconds and was most certainly un-noteworthy in the life of Larry Miller, but I obviously will never forget. I was working as the gateshack guard in the Pepperwood Community in Sandy. People that pulled up in the visitor lane were required to tell me where they were going, their name, etc. Up pulls a white Mercedes-Benz, the hundred-thousand-dollar type, not the "just a luxury car" type. He pulls up and I freeze: "That is Larry H. Miller" I think to myself. What do I do? Do I shake his hand? Ask for an autograph? What??!! I do nothing. "Good Afternoon. Where are you headed?" "I'm here to visit my son Greg Miller." Then the kicker, "What's your name?" He gives me the quickest look like, "Come on, you know exactly who I am." And it was true, I did. But he was completely gracious, "Larry Miller". "Have a nice day". As he drove off I thought of 1,000 things I wanted to ask him about the Jazz, but the opportunity had vanished. I'm sure a punk kid asking Jazz questions when all he wants to do is visit his son would've bothered him anyway, but still.
I can't remember where I discussed this, I'm sure it was at work since that is where I spend my life these days, but somebody brought up the concept of what would happen in your "perfect day". Not necessarily your last day on earth, just your perfect day. Amongst other things, I said the cap to my "perfect day" would be watching the Jazz win an exciting, close game. Not winning game 7 of the Finals or even necessarily a playoff game, just watching them play and win. The night before he passed, the Jazz pulled out an exciting, come-from-behind win over the Celtics. I read that when Gail told him they had won, he was happy.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)