Friday, December 19, 2008

MATISYAHU



My friends Scott Roth and his dad Paul have an extensive collection of music. Back in the Spring of 2006, he was listening to this CD that had a Hasidic Jewish guy on the cover. I asked him what it was he was listening to. He told me Jewish Reggae...Matisyahu. I giggled a bit and borrowed the CD. I was immediately hooked... Great Stuff.

Since then I have bought the albums Youth and Live At Stubs:

This is Matisyahu - King Without a Crown (Live @ Stubbs) on YouTube:

mattrach christmas

Merry Christmas...

Mattrach is a great guitarist...

this starts off a little slow.... wait til about 53 seconds in... crack me up:

Bill Nye, the Science Guy Rocks

There aren't enough people on the planet, like Bill Nye... this guy mixes science and humor for all of those young teen minded people.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

The Offspring

I like many varieties of music. For the last few years though, my favorite band has been The Offspring.

They are kind of punk, with the beat of death metal, but with the flavor of Weird Al. In general, they are just a really fun band. Arlene and I have seen them in concert here in Columbus and they are absolutely great Live.
Their music is great for running too... always a motivator when I can't get my fat ass moving down the trail.

Here's their website:
the offspring

And here's one song that I think is relatively representative of some of their work...kind of reminds me of how some people really are:

Coffee

Greeeaat Opinion Art Blog on Coffee from the New York Times

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Dear Future Me...

here's the story:
two fellas started this site so that you could write yourself a letter to be delivered at a later date. we've all had to do them in high school and college. it's sorta cool to receive a letter from yourself about where you thought you'd be a year (two years? more?) later. FutureMe.org is based on the principle that memories are less accurate than emails. we strive for accuracy.

Well, afterwards, the fellas were approached about compiling the best for a book... and so it was:

Read some of those here:

Or read it on www.amazon.com

just read...

Friday, December 12, 2008

Elf Your Self

Have you ever seen the "Elf Yourself", brought to us by Office Max My brother in-law sent these of our kids.

There is now a "disco" and a "country barnyard" style elf-your-self.


Sunday, December 7, 2008

Mario Lanza and Opera

In the early 1990's, a very wonderful woman who had an amazing influence on my life, convinced me to go to the opera for the first time. It was Mozart's Don Giovanni. It took me a short time to realize the humor in opera. The story lines go to the extreme. Almost all of them are completely about love, love affairs, getting laid, or to the other extreme... the saddest thing you could ever think of. Also, someone always dies, even in the funny ones.

Most of the operas that are about love and love affairs are just hilarious. One of my favorites is Verdi's, Rigoletto.

In Rigoletto, the young Duke of Mantua is bumming because he can't have the girl (Gilda) because her father, Rigoletto thinks the duke is a playboy and a fool; he is. So the Duke is in a tavern drinking off his sorrows, but at the same time, being the playboy that he is, is hitting on the hottie bar maid. When left alone he ironically sings this (performed by the great crooner, Mario Lanza)



translation:
La donna è mobile, qual piùma al vento,
Woman is fickle (movable), like a feather in the wind,
muta d'accento, e di pensiero.
she changes the tone of her voice (i.e., her accents), and her
thoughts
Sempre un amabile, leggiadro viso,
Always a sweet, pretty face,
in pianto o in riso, è menzognero.
in tears or in laughter, (she) is (always) lying
La donna è mobile, qual piùma al vento,
Woman is fickle, like a feather in the wind,
muta d'accento, e di pensier
she changes her accents, and her thoughts
e di pensier, e di pensier
and her thoughts, and her thoughts

È sempre misero, chi a lei s'affida,
It is always miserable, he that trusts in her
(He is always miserable who trusts in her)
chi le confida, mal cauto il core!
who to her confides, his unwary heart!
Pur mai non sentesi felice appieno
Yet nobody feels happy fully
chi su quel seno non liba amore!
who on that bosom doesn't drink love,
La donna è mobil, qual piùma al vento,
Woman is fickle, like a feather in the wind,
muta d'accento e di pensier,
she changes the tone of her voice and her thoughts
e di pensier, e e di pensier!
and her thoughts, and her thoughts!

translation is from here


by the way.. just like any good opera, someone has to die... and so it is Gilda,
stabbed by an assassin meant for the Duke... paid for by Gilda's father... Rigoletto.

Unnecessary Knowledge

A few friends have called me "Cliff", (while many others have called me much worse names :). ) because my knowledge of completely useless and in many cases, stupid information.

I found this site, humorous....

and absolutely love #14.

http://www.unnecessaryknowledge.com/?p=toplist



This one is pretty good... too:

Studies have shown that children laugh an average of 300 times/day and adults 17 times/day, making the average child more optimistic, curious, and creative than the adult.

hint... someone I know really needs to take this one to heart... you know who you are.

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Urban Dictionary.com




The following site is NOT SAFE FOR WORK. Keep your kids away too.

http://www.urbandictionary.com


These are absolutely funny as hell!!!

For example, look up "Running Start Teabag"

The Muppets' Animal Caught Speeding



from here http://gizmodo.com/5069422/the-muppets-animal-caught-speeding-driving-police-crazy
"Yes, the photo above is real: It is Animal—from The Muppets—driving a British Audi while speeding through a German road. The famous pink drummer is driving the police there absolutely crazy, because he keeps doing it again and again. Or better said, the real driver is, using a low-tech approach to take advantage of a weak point of the radar cameras. I don't know about you, but this image makes me laugh out loud. The German police, however, wasn't amused when they explained to the press how the whole joke worked and how they couldn't fine the driver because of it:

The number plate is not enough [to catch and fine the driver]. We need clear evidence of who is driving the vehicle too. But because this is a British vehicle we can never get a decent picture [because the radar cameras are designed to take photos of the passengers in the left seat, not the right]. The driver has obviously worked this out because he has placed a large puppet in the passenger seat.

This may be an example of the famous British sense of humour but it is still dangerous driving. The driver has been caught on camera on several occasions and the puppet is on the passenger seat every time. We suspect he positions the toy deliberately before accelerating past the camera."

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Coney Island

Pretty crazy pick I found on Flickr of a fellow named "Johnny the priest". (Click on link or his photo to follow the story behind this guy)




Ever been to Coney Island? A few years ago, my Pal Rob and I took a trip with our sons to the Big Apple and did Coney Island along with many other great sights New York had to see. Great trip and one I hope to repeat sooner then later.

We did Coney Island... It was Labor Day weekend. All the folks from the Bronx to Brooklyn took the train down for one last dip in the ocean, a ride through the fun-houses and then on to Nathan's for a world famous dog. There were some very interesting characters there. When you get the chance... do Coney Island .

Just as we were walking down the boardwalk this fella with a stogie and a speedo comes walking by... I just had to snap a pic...

Internet Radio

Been busy for a while... but back to surfin.

So I am sitting in the office, and forgot my iPod. Stumbled Upon another internet radio
station:
www.Pandora.com

(12-10-2008 sorry...fixed the link).

Put in an artist (try The OffSpring, The Phoenix Foundation, The Who, Ari Hest, ...etc ) and see the type of music that comes up.

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