2009 Blog Notes

The new year is upon us and as 2008 wraps up, I wanted to take this time to discuss a few details about the blog you are reading. "Luke's Ponderings" had more blog postings in 2008 than in any other year. Obviously you don't have any control of that - but it's a small personal achievement for me. Usually what I try to do with the blog is write a minimum of five blog postings per month. I mean, that's not terribly hard to follow, right? Last month I fell short of that and I am going to prevent that from happening again this month.

There are also a few other notes that I wanted to share with the readers about "Luke's Ponderings." In the new year, as a way to generate more postings in this blog, each blog posting will be shorter. This won't occur all the time as I tend to have a lot to say for certain subjects. But for other things that cross my mind - and as a way to post everyday, I will be writing two to three paragraphs per blog as opposed to the four paragraph-minimum I typically set for myself. Just a small compromise for getting more out of this blog. Even if I have to write about the weather every day for a lack of a better subject, I'll do that. For those long-time readers of "Luke's Ponderings," you may have noticed I used to do daily weather reports. Even though weather is something very easy to write about, I got bored of doing that and quit doing those particular reports. At the time I thought it was taking away from my regular blog postings. I won't write about the weather every day, but definitely from time to time.

Also in 2009, I have decided to start writing about American Idol again in "Luke's Ponderings," once the new season begins in mid-January. This is different from what I said at the end of last season, when I had planned on starting a spin-off blog just for American Idol related posts. I feel that American Idol helps to better define "Luke's Ponderings" as an entertainment blog in edition to my usual blogs about life and events here in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. I know you either love American Idol or hate it. For those that hate it but still love this blog, just skip that particular blog. You can be sure that while the new season of AI is going on, I will also be writing about other topics, too. Last year I began the American Idol show re-caps once the top 12-portion of the competition started. This year I will begin a little bit earlier, probably once the top 36 start. Look for this to begin probably towards the end of January '09.

That about does it for what's ahead in 2009 for "Luke's Ponderings". I want to thank everyone who has checked out my blog at some point in time. Hopefully you have stopped by long enough and liked what I had to write about. Here's hoping for bigger and better things as 2009 approaches. Happy New Year!

Songs I Dig - 12

It's been a few months since I churned out a new "Songs I Dig" blog, which I was sort of expecting. There are times when I can sense that it might be awhile before I put out a blog like this and in October, that was exactly what I had sensed. Luckily it did not go into the new year before I could write about some new songs. A few of these have been playing on the radio for awhile and some are fairly new. And for the most part, the majority of the artists featured in this edition are new to the SID blog. There are a couple that aren't so familiar to "Luke's Ponderings," but have yet to be featured in this particular specific subject blog. So let's get on with it already, why don't we?

"A Little Too Not Over You" by David Archuleta - For those of you who have been following my blog for awhile, you probably are aware that David Archuleta was my favorite artist from season seven of American Idol. And although he did not win the competition, I must say he is doing quite well for himself after the Idol experience. His debut self-titled album is nearly certified gold, if not there already. The first song released off his album, "Crush," has already been certified platinum and it continues to gain sales. In fact, "Crush" is one of the top 50 songs in 2008 on a number of music charts. And in my personal opinion, "A Little Too Not Over You" won't be all that far behind. Obviously it hasn't been released long enough this year to get any kind of accolades for 2008, but maybe more into next year if the popularity of the song continues to spike. I don't anticipate his second tune to do quite as well as "Crush" did, but it shouldn't do all that badly for him. It's another fun, upbeat song that's just as catchy as it's predecessor, so don't be surprised to find yourself humming along to it once you hear it.

"Light On" by David Cook - Ah yes, it wouldn't be fair not to include the other David from season seven of American Idol; the David that won it all. And I'm not including him just because; I actually do like the first single from his self-titled debut album that has already been certified gold. "Light On" hasn't done quite as well as David's coronation song from American Idol, "Time of My Life" has done. But it's still early-enough in the game for the popularity of the song to continue to rise. And you look at his album; it's still gaining sales week after week. "Light On" is the perfect rock ballad for David. I would classify it as a mid-tempo song that could be described as a break-up song. From reading over the lyrics, the male protagonist is feeling rather down about the state of his relationship, almost as if to feel there's no hope. But towards the end of the song, he realizes that he's ready to give it a second chance. And the symbol of light in the chorus is basically a symbol for the entire song; the light being a beacon of hope. It can't be said much better than that.

"Without You" by Hinder - Hinder is a relatively new rock band to make it big; relative to a group like Bon Jovi who has been around forever. The group was formed in 2001 and their first record was released in 2003, only selling around 5,000 records. But it wasn't until 2005 when they were signed to a major label; Universal Records. Their first major album was released and titled "Extreme Behavior," but was negatively criticized by one publication, calling it 2005's worst album. But hit singles "Lips of an Angel" and "Better than Me" came from that album. It certainly ended up being a lot more favorable of an album than "worst of the year." Their newest album, "Take it to the Limit" was released in November 2008 and has already been certified gold. "Without You" is the second song released from "Take it to the Limit" and it continues to receive increased airplay with each day. I would classify it as an unconventional break-up song in that instead of the first person protagonist longing for the person they broke up with, this song goes in the complete opposite direction by saying, "When I watched you walk away ... Well I never thought I'd say ... I'm fine ... Without You." In other words, the break up was for all the right reasons.

"Gotta Be Somebody" by Nickelback - Here I thought Nickelback was featured on the "Songs I Dig" blog at some point in the past, but upon going back in the archives, I can't find it at all! That's a shame because I consider Nickelback to be one of the premiere rock groups of our time. They've had so many great hits already and they keep coming out with new ones all the time. Their current mainstream success began in 2001 when their album "Silver Side Up" was released with the song "How You Remind Me" shooting up to number one. They followed it up with "Too Bad" and "Never Again" from "Silver Side Up." Additional hit songs that Nickelback has released since then are "Someday," "Photograph," "Savin' Me," "Far Away," "If Everyone Cared," and "Rockstar." Nickelback is off to a great start with their newest album "Dark Horse," helped by the song "Gotta Be Somebody." In fact, "Dark Horse" has already been certified platinum and "Gotta Be Somebody" gets a tremendous amount of radio play. And for anyone single out there (like me), this song is great single's ballad, especially for those who've struggled to find the perfect soulmate in life. Because as it states in the chorus of the song, "Nobody wants to be the last one there ... 'Cause everyone wants to feel like someone cares ... There's somebody else that feels the same somewhere ... There's gotta be somebody for me out there."

"Let Me Be Myself" by 3 Doors Down - I can't tell you how happy I am to present such a great listing of songs and artists this time around, including such epic groups like Nickelback and 3 Doors Down. 3 Doors Down is another group I consider to be one of the premiere rock bands of our time. They have such an incredible listing of epic songs and continue to release hit songs all the time. 3 Doors Down started to hit the big time around 2000-2001, about the same time that Nickelback became a household name. Their song "Kryptonite" off their album "The Better Life" shot straight up to number one and stayed their for 11 consecutive weeks. The album was certified platinum six times and was helped with other hits such as "Loser" and "Be Like That." Since then, 3 Doors Down has gone on to release other big hits such as, "Here Without You," "When I'm Gone," "Away from the Sun," Let me Go," "Behind Those Eyes," "Landing in London," and "It's Not My Time." And you'll be able to add "Let Me Be Myself" to that list, as well. It's a power ballad and it deals with a first-person protagonist looking for some separation from their partner, as the lyrics say, "Please would you one time, let me be myself? ... So I can shine with my own light, let me by myself." For a better understanding of the meaning of the song, lead singer Brad Arnold says, "It's about living your life, and doing things your own way, but it's also about kind of bringing yourself back from being lost." Couldn't have said it any better than that.

That wraps it up for this edition of the "Songs I Dig." As always, thank you for stopping by to read what I have to say about music and life in general. I hope you enjoyed what I had to say and please look forward to a new "Songs I Dig" blog within the next few months. It all depends upon the newest song releases that come out between now and then. Hopefully it will be soon rather than later.

As a side note while composing this blog entry, I remembered why I had thought I had included Nickelback in the SID blog in a previous edition. A few years back at my old WordPress blog, I had done a blog doing a comparison of the Nickelback song "Photograph" to events that happened in my past. It was a fun little entry but was sadly deleted by an unfortunate hiccup by the webhost of one of my web projects. So that answers that particular question.

Happy Holidays!

Hello again everyone. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas holiday. New Years is coming up fast and then after that, it's just the rest of the gloomy winter to look forward to. Not that I have anything against winter, but this year we have been hit with a lot of snow and cold. And we've just started astronomical winter just a few short days ago! Well hopefully this year spring will come sooner. The last couple of years we've had a late start to winter and at the end of the season, spring was slow to arrive. There've been a couple of memorable April snowstorms in 2006 and 2007. Hopefully this coming year will be different because we've had an early start to winter. It's amazing how high the snowbanks are on the streets and parking lots for this time of year. You would think it was late January or February. And from the looks of it, we aren't done with the snow quite yet. We're under a Winter Storm Watch for late Saturday and Sunday! It just doesn't want to quit. Time to get out those cross country skis and make the most of this winter onslaught!

The snow I don't mind all that much; it's just the cold that really gets to me. And it has been cold lately, too. Today's temperature reached the mid-30's, the warmest since earlier this month. For awhile we've been stuck with temperatures for highs in the single digits and teens. So today was a nice reprieve from the cold. The thing that's most hazardous as the temperatures rise is the possibility of freezing rain. As I ventured out to run a few errands this afternoon, it was drizzling but the temperatures were above 32. If those temperatures started to drop below the freezing mark, roads and sidewalks would begin to get very slick. I've never experienced a whole lot of bad luck while driving in trecherous conditions (knocks on wood). I nearly went into the ditch a few winters back while driving on a slushy road and I did a bit of fish tailing on a state highway last winter. But I am happy to say that is the extent of my driving nightmares during winter-weather driving. And that is just fine with me.

It's no secret that a lot of people drive too fast for conditions and take chances. I was driving home from work after working day shift when a car came up on me pretty fast. I was going much slower because the roads were very snow covered and they hadn't been plowed for awhile. The driver of that vehicle slowed down and stayed pretty closely behind me. There's nothing that annoys me more when someone decides to tailgate you just because you're being careful on the roads. Well, we were rounding a pretty sharp curve and the conditions were less than ideal to round this curve at a higher speed. I was probably going a bit faster than I should've, but I drove this curve many times so I knew how to handle it. The car behind me apparently didn't because at the next glance, I saw it start weaving back and forth on the road and was heading towards the ditch. Luckily the driver regained enough control of the car to keep it on the road. But the car was very close to going in the ditch. And I've seen a few other occasions where certain drivers would speed up to me and even pass me, only to find them in the ditch just up the road. I realize that some people are in a hurry and need to get to their destination without running late. And sometimes we forget to leave early and plan for driving in bad weather. But there's no excuse for going into the ditch for driving too fast for conditions.

So we are about to say goodbye to another holiday season and make the best of the remainder of this winter season. I tell ya what, this November and December flew by so fast, it's hard to believe that Christmas is over with already. Seems like we just experienced Thanksgiving just a few weeks ago. I'm not much of a shopper so for me, Christmas shopping is for the birds. I must do better at starting my Christmas shopping earlier in the future, though. I procrastinated too much this year that I actually started about a week in a half before Christmas. Then I worked two 12-hour shifts on the weekend prior to Christmas which really limited my shopping. I ended up finishing my shopping three days before the 25th. At least it's not Christmas Eve which would've really left me feeling embarassed. But I need to start earlier and always think of unique presents for my family because this year was more of a struggle for me than ever. And it doesn't always hurt to start shopping for Christmas even six months prior! So be sure and enjoy those after-Christmas sales for those that like that kind of stuff and be sure to make the most of the New Year. Hopefully it was as good, if not better than 2008 was.

$1.50 for a Small Fraction of Fame

For those who may or may not be aware, a new variety show is set to premiere on the FOX broadcasting network this January featuring the Osbournes (Ozzy, Sharon, Jack, and Kelly). It will be titled "Osbournes: Reloaded" and is expected to put a new spin on the classic variety shows of the past. And believe it or not, I may end up playing a very small role in one of the episodes. LOL Before I get too carried away; no, I'm not going to be flying to Hollywood to be part of an episode (although that would be really, really cool). I was contacted just yesterday by someone from the production company of the show that wanted to use an image from one of my websites as part of a "secret" challenge. Whatever that entails, I have no idea - but I can't wait to see what it's all about!

Some of you know that in my spare time years ago, I created a variety of different websites about TV shows I liked at the time or about areas where I lived. The one picture representatives of "Osbournes: Reloaded" wanted came from the website about the town I grew up in. One of the pages on that site is about a small farming community called Slapneck, MI. Yes, for those individuals not from near my hometown, that really is the name of that community. It's roughly eight miles east of the town I grew up in and was where my dad lived when he was a kid. It's really a beautiful place and very peaceful. You can imagine not a lot goes on there. But what makes it most famous is not the land nor it's people, but the name on which it was founded. In essence, the town of Slapneck was actually named for a man with the last name of Slapnick. Well, his name became misconstrued as Slapneck and that particular name stuck. The name was temporarily changed to something different for a time, but residents were so used to the Slapneck name, they automatically reverted back to that. And thus, that is what it remains to this present day.

"Osbournes: Reloaded" is using a picture that includes probably the most noteworthy attraction in this small burrow. The picture includes a small water tower - a replica of the one that existed in the olden days of Slapneck during the railroad boom. To the left of the water tower is a small memorial to the veterans from the Slapneck vicinity that served in World Wars I, II, and in the Vietnam War. Below the veterans memorial is a small landscape replica of how Slapneck looked in the late 1800's, early 1900's. That particular picture is one I took in mid-to-late December three years ago - when there was hardly a trace of snow on the ground. This is Upper Michigan afterall, we should be seeing a healthy snowcover in that picture! But alas, it is not about WHAT is in the picture, but what the picture represents. Let's face it, Slapneck is a pretty remote place. Not a lot of people live there and it's basically just a dot on the map. It's name is what gives it recognition. This picture represents Slapneck's little slice of history. It's an active museum of sorts and gives residents from the past and present great pride of what took place on that piece of land years ago and what that land still represents to this day. I have a feeling the show may try to mock or make fun of what really makes up Slapneck as represented by this picture - but we must try to remember that it's all in fun. It is only television.

I really don't have any idea the importance this picture will have in the show. All I know is that I will take great pride in knowing one of my pictures might be used in the show and an area I am very familar with will get its representation in a variety show featuring the Osbournes of all people. They didn't say the picture would absolutely make the cut. Either way, I know my name will at least appear in the end credits. As part of the deal, if I was able to submit a standard material release and have it faxed in as soon as possible - my name would appear in the end credits of the show regardless of whether the picture makes it into the episode or not! So you can be sure that even if I don't catch any of the premiere episode (that's when I'm assuming the picture will appear), I will at least be watching the end credits. What am I saying? Of course I'm going to watch the episode because I have to see if my picture actually makes the cut! The fax ended up costing me $1.50 to send which is a very small price to pay to see your name appear on television. Obviously I'm getting a pretty big kick out of this and you can be sure I'll have screen shots and video of the whole thing if it happens to make it in the episode. So stay tuned to this ongoing story!

A Week of Being Sick

I haven't had a very "healthy" week, I guess you could say. I've been dealing with a very serious cold; the worst I've experienced in quite awhile - probably in at least a couple of years. I am just now starting to get over it. The coughing is beginning to subside, my nose isn't running nearly as often, and I am finally beginning to speak right. It's one of the reasons why I was only able to crank out four blogs in the month of November. I had planned to write one or two more towards the end of the month, especially around Thanksgiving. But that is when this cold struck and I haven't been the same since. Only today have I finally had the motivation to jump on the computer and write a blog. Yeah, I suppose I could've braved the sickness to write even a short blog. But when you just ain't feeling right, I figured what's the point? Anyways, here's a bit of a recap as to what I've dealt with during the past week.

It all began on Thankgiving day, in fact. I had spent the night at my mom and dad's the previous night and had just woke up. I started to get out of bed but then I was feeling very dizzy. As I walked about the house, I was even having a difficult time walking in a straight line. Gradually throughout the day, the dizziness improved, but it still continued to be a problem when I bent down. There were a few instances where I had to gather myself before I fell down. I was actually pretty bummed to feel this way because my niece and nephew were over for Thanksgiving and they are always a ton of fun to be around whenever they are over. At least I was able to get over my dizziness somewhat later in the day and spend time with them. Still, I was very disappointed to have this happen to me on Thanksgiving.

Later that day and into the evening, I started to develop a cough. I was experiencing this tickle in my throat that kept me coughing every now and again. It wasn't a steady cough, but just enough of one to know that something might not be right. It probably didn't help that I was just starting my latest stretch of midnights, either. Before the end of my first midnight shift was over, my throat was also beginning to feel rather raw and sore. This was only the beginning. The next few days got much worse. And it didn't help that Sunday and Monday mornings I had to work 12-hour shifts. My throat got very sore - this was probably the worst part about the cold. It affected my voice enough so that I nearly lost it a few different times. My nose started to run, my cough was getting worse, and I just wasn't feeling all that great. It ended up turning into a typical head cold. I ended up buying a bunch of medicines for my cold, which all seemed to help. And now today, I can confidently say that I am finally starting to turn the corner with this cold.

I can honestly say I've never had a cold start the way that this one did. To be so dizzy to start off and then to develop a cough before even getting a sore throat is pretty unusual, at least I think so. That just goes to show you that not all cold or flu strains are the same. Usually the first symptom of the common cold is the sore throat - but not in this instance. Another thing that was so unusual about this cold is how it affected my throat to the point that my voice was very hoarse for a good three or four days. I know I've had many colds where I've sounded stuffed up, but never to the point where I was losing my voice. Needless to say, it's been kind of a long road but I am very pleased to say that my condition is improving with each passing day. The lingering effects of this cold may continue for another week or so, but I am confident to say that the worst of this cold is behind me. Hopefully I don't experience another cold like this again for a very long time.

A Great New 'Toon

As some of you may know, I am pretty big on a variety of cartoons from the past and present. Now I wouldn't call myself an expert quite yet because there are thousands of cartoons in existence, but it's never too late to start. I even created a fan website about the Rugrats cartoon spin-off that premiered nearly five years ago on Nickelodeon called "All Grown Up." To find it, all you have to search on the web is "Luke" and "All Grown Up" and it should be one of your first results to come up. Within the past month, a new cartoon has been catching my eye on the Cartoon Network. It doesn't happen very often where I become completely enthralled with a show, let alone a cartoon. But for this one, I certainly have. It's called "The Secret Saturdays" and new episodes have been airing at 8:30 PM (EST) every Friday on CN. It's about a family of cryptozoologists on the search for the latest cryptids, which are "creatures whose existence has been suggested but not confirmed by science (Wikipedia definition)." Examples of cryptids include Big Foot, chubacabra, and the Loch Ness Monster. They try to find these cryptids and confirm their existence, only to keep their identities secret to keep them safe from the public that may try to hunt them down. They have to deal with a slew of villains along the way who try to outwit the Saturdays. It's actually a brilliant idea for a cartoon, dealing with a subject that has never been done before. It's a comedy-adventure cartoon so it's certainly not weighed down by too much drama.

The Saturdays are comprised of two parents; the mother being Drew and the father being Doc. They are middle-aged, I would say, and are an interracial couple. How many interracial couples exist in cartoons in the past and present? None that I can think of. So "The Secret Saturdays" is rather ground breaking on that issue. They have an 11-year old boy named Zak who was born with the special ability to control cryptids. He is aiding in controlling most cryptid creatures with the help of the hand of Tsul Kalu, an ancient artifact not only used in controlling cryptid creatures, but also as a weapon against villains. He can't control all cryptids as witnessed in the episode "The King of Kumari Kandam," particularly creatures that are very large. He tried using his powers on a giant sea monster that was used in moving the lost city of Kumari Kandam. Zak is still honing his cryptid-controlling skills which will only improve with time. The Saturdays are part of a bigger group of cryptozoologists known as "Secret Scientists." They are allies to the Saturdays and help keep the existence of several cryptids secret. They also help fight back many of the villains that the Saturdays face from time to time.

Three cryptids also make up the Saturday household. Fiskerton is probably the most dominant cryptid of the Saturday clan, which is no surprise since he's seven feet tall. He's a gorilla-cat complete with glowing red eyes and part of the Fiskerton Phantom race of crypids that existed in England. Although he looks menacing and plays an important part in many of the Saturdays' battles, he actually can be pretty timid when not in the heat of the moment and often plays the part of a brother to Zak. Komodo is a genetically-altered komodo dragon that has chameleon-like abilities and can blend in with surroundings, which is especially useful in battles and secret operations. He is 250 pounds and usually never misses an opportunity for a free meal. He often spars with Fiskerton in a friendly fashion. And finally Zon, a pterodactyl-type creature that was thought to be extinct. The Saturdays discover her while crash-landing in the forests of Manaus, Brazil. Her nest gets destroyed by the Saturdays' air ship and begins attacking the family, even capturing Zak for a short time and nearly biting off Doc's head. But once Zak is able to control her with his cryptid powers, she becomes much tamer and comfortable with the Saturdays. They take her home with them and Zak builds her a new nest just outside of their home. Without these three cryptids, I just don't think the Saturdays would find life nearly as fun as it is now.

Unfortunately, there are people in the Saturdays' universe that are out to use the existence of cryptids for their own selfish reasons. V.V. Argost is the main villain in "The Secret Saturdays" and host of his own program, "Weirdworld." Argost is looking for all the secrets he can dig up in uncovering the most powerful cryptid of all, Kur. It is believed that this cryptid is capable of holding a source of unlimited power and everlasting life for whomever is able to capture it. If he ends up finding Kur and unlocking its power, he will likely control cryptid creatures all over earth and use them to take over the world. So it's no surprise that the Saturdays are trying to keep pace with Argost and to keep any secret about Kur away from him if they can. So far, they haven't been so lucky as he's managed to escape with just about every artifact the Saturdays have had their hands on. Fortunate for them, Argost isn't that close to finding Kur quite yet. And with the help of villain-turned-ally Doyle, who ends up being a long-lost brother to Drew, they are in even better hands as he knows many of Argost's secrets. There are still some questions about Doyle, whether or not he is truly an ally of the Saturdays or if he still holds some alliance with Argost as a spy. I guess we will find that out in future episodes. Argost is also aided with help by Munya, a giant Frankenstein-type creature who serves as Argost's manservent. He himself is half-cryptid, as he's been injected with the DNA of a Papuan Giant Spider. This allows him to turn into a giant beastly-creature, which only helps Argost during battles. And then there's Van Rook, a cryptozoologist-turned-bad. He's only out to discover cryptids for money and often helps Argost find a variety of cryptic artifacts. Doyle was once an apprentice to Van Rook.

The Saturdays cross the globe in their super-fast air ship, trying to stay atop of Argost and to keep the identity of cryptids safe. They've been to Brazil trying to uncover the last piece of the Kur stone which they secretly burried 11 years ago, only to have Argost and Munya take off with it in the end. They travel to Japan to take on a giant Hibagon creature, who ends up being the good guy in this situation and the bad guy gets put behind bars. The Saturdays have traversed near the boundaries of the North Pole to take control of a clan of Amaroks riled up after Van Rook and Doyle attempt to steal several ancient artifacts from mounds in which the Amaroks were buried. Zak, Zon, Fisk, and Komodo fight off an attack from a criminally-insane chef at their home - who was looking to feast on rare, exotic species; namely Fiskerton. This while Zak's parents were enjoying their anniversary and their babysitter was out trying to track down a new UFO sighting. They fly over to the other side of the world and take control of a situation created by Argost within the lost city of Kumari Kandam. Argost takes off with the king's Sumarian medallion, which ends up being another clue in finding Kur. But the Saturdays wind up creating peace in the lost city once again after Argost escapes. The also travel to Alkali Lake in an attempt to break off the lake monster's horn, which is another clue to finding Kur. However in the end, Van Rook and Munya take off with the horn. But this is where Doyle becomes a new member of the Saturday family. All this in just the first seven episodes of the series! Who knows exactly when and where the Saturdays will wind up next.

So this is my recommendation for everyone interested in cartoons, whether you're still a kid or a kid at heart. This is probably one of the best cartoons to come along in awhile and you won't be disappointed. It provides a lot of action, drama, and yes, quite a bit of comedy, too. It deals with a subject that I wasn't all that familiar with up until watching the show. Sure, I've heard of Big Foot and the Loch Ness Monster, but I didn't realize they were referred to as cryptids. This show has opened my eyes up to the possibilities that these creatures do indeed exist. It's ground breaking on many levels and I have no reason but to believe that this show will be around for a long while to come.

Economic Crisis Hits Home

And just like that, the steel industry is hurting, all because of the worldwide encomic crisis. It's not only affecting us here in the United States but all across the world. China, which was undergoing it's own industial revolution, has cut back on how much steel it buys. People aren't buying cars as often, which is slowing down the need for steel to produce vehicles. Need I tell you how bad the three major automakers in the United States are doing? I am sure you have been hearing all about that in the news as of late. GM is on the verge of bankruptcy - once one of America's finest corporations. My great uncle who worked for GM in a management position is losing his medical benefits at the end of the year in a cost cutting move. Benefits he was promised to have during his lifetime at the time of his retirement are now yanked away. But we are in extraordinary times - never in America have we seen anything like this. It's affecting millions of Americans and now it's even affecting the steel industry pretty hard.

The last time I brought up the steel industry a few months back, times were good in the steel industry. In fact, a new contract was negotiated for our unions here in Michigan and in Minnesota. Not only for our mines, but new contracts were ratified for other mines and steel mills across the country this year - well before the economic crisis hit. Times were good; we were producing a maximum amount of product - even increasing production where we could. There were plans in the works at my respective plant to reconvert a lot of old equipment into modern equipment. Well, a lot of those plans have been halted for the forseeable future. And what's worse, as many as 350 people may end up being laid off at the start of the year. Many of these people are honest, hard workers who need good paying jobs like the mine offers. A lot have been recently hired within the last year or two and now could be without a job for the time being. I really feel bad for those employees who have recently been hired and left jobs, only to find themselves possibly laid off to start next year. It's amazing how quickly things can turn around.

As of now, I am not on the layoff list. I have worked long enough there and have enough seniority to the point that my job is safe. Also the position I hold at the mine is a lot safer than a lot of others there, so that doesn't hurt, either. But if things get to dire straits, I could be bumped out of my job by people who hold more seniority than me and I, too, could wind up being laid off. You see, production has been scaled way back to the point where all of these employees are no longer needed. At the start of next year, we're only expected to be running once section of the plant compared to the four we currently run. 2009 is one big question mark as far as the mine where I work is concerned. If things get bad enough, the whole place could be idled for an unlimited amount of time. That is the scary thing about this whole situation; how long is it going to last and will things ever be the same again?

I really feel bad for those individuals who are being laid off. There are a lot of good people out there who are getting a raw deal. A lot of people depend on a job like this and to not have it to start 2009 would be a major blow for them. Sure, there's unemployment but that eventually runs out. You just have to hope that the steel industry makes a big turn around and the world economy makes an up-turn. If not, we may be in for a long downward trend in the steel industry, that up until a month or two ago, things couldn't have been better. Like I said, how quickly things change.

Classic TV Advertisements

I was up kind of late last night and one of the last things I was planning to do was to check my facebook profile. While I was there, I figured I'd leave a snappy status update on what I was doing right at that moment. Seeing I was tired and headed off to bed, I came up with "taking Nytol to get some Z's." That randomly came out of nowhere but it was certainly appropriate, even though I never did take any Nytol and had no intentions to. But then I got to thinking of this classic 1980's sleeping-aide product and the catchy jingle that accompanied it. So where's the best place to look up old videos of commericals, TV shows, and a variety of other things? None other than YouTube. Sure enough, that old Nytol ad is on there:



Watching that again and listening to the jingle honestly made me chuckle out loud. I guess one of the images that has been imprinted in my mind was the Nytol pills turning a complete 90 degrees to where two Z's are displayed on the pills as opposed to the N's. You know something, that ended up being a great marketing ploy for Nytol. And just think, all these years later, we're still remembering those ads.

It didn't end there either. Even after I got my fill of that old Nytol commerical, I browsed the other related videos on YouTube and caught a glimpse of other classic 1980's commericals. Here is one for the Whatchamacallit candy bar made by Hershey's:



I don't know if it brought back memories for you, but it sure did for me. I remember it being played countless number of times on Nickelodeon or during commerical breaks on Saturday mornings. It certainly is one of those commercials that became a classic and really helped to elevate this particular candy bar. Whatchamacallit wasn't the only candy bar to have a catchy jingle during this particular era. Check out this one for Reese's Pieces Candy:



That one probably isn't as memorable as the previous video but it still is a fun ad to watch. Especially when you look at all of the "pieces" that exist in our world, you can tell they really did their research in creating that ad. And Resse's Pieces remains one of my favorite candies today, especially when you put them in a Dairy Queen Blizzard. It's great to see Reese's Pieces still in existence today, even though you don't see advertisements like these promoting candy anymore. And last but not least, here's one more blast from the past:



Anyone remember these? I sure do. Back in the day, Lifesavers made these tiny bite sized candies and filled them in these handy-dandy little containers that you could safely enclose without the candies turning stale. Supposedly they were made from the small holes that were created in the regular Lifesaver candies. I wonder why they discontinued this product because the small "dots" were fun to eat. Maybe they were only meant to be sold for a limited time or they weren't getting as much sales like they were for the regular Lifesavers. Either way, it's still a product from that past that brings back a lot of memories.

Hope you enjoyed this blast from the past as much as I did. It's pretty amazing the things you find on YouTube that really helps bring back great memories.

Election Day

In less than 24 hours, polls across America will be open and we will be deciding who will become the next president of our country, among many other races and proposals. I intend to vote tomorrow and I know millions of other people will, too. It's our right as Americans to vote - there's no reason for us not to. Electing our president is such a huge issue for not just everyone here in the United States, but for the world, too. We're the most powerful and one of the most richest nations and much of the world follows the news, especially politics, that goes on here. Many in the world want to know who our next president is going to be because their respective country and their leaders are going to have to deal with our president and government in one way or another. A lot of time our president helps shape what goes on in the world. So it's easy to understand why the world watches when it's our time to vote. And America is going to be doing a lot of voting in the next 36 hours.

The candidates to become president are Republican U.S. Senator from Arizona John McCain and Democratic U.S. Senator from Illinois Barack Obama. There are other minor party candidates vying for the presidency but I haven't heard a thing about them. I believe Ralph Nader is running again but I know he's not going to have much of an effect on this election this time around. Barack Obama is all about change. He's looking to move the country in another direction after eight years of Bush's presidency. He wants an end to the Iraq war sooner rather than later. He's looking to raise taxes on individuals/families that earn more than $250,000 a year. Meanwhile, John McCain is looking to separate himself from George W. Bush and make a few changes to the direction of our country. He's looking to stay the course in Iraq and finish the job without pulling our troops out too soon. He promises not raising taxes while accusing Obama that he will. In my opinion, where John McCain has gone wrong in his candidacy for president was picking Alaska Governor Sarah Palin to be his running mate. All she has done is embarass the McCain camp more than anything with her demeanor and comments. I think her lack of experience in U.S. politics is her downfall - she wasn't used to dealing with the major networks like CBS and NBC up until becoming the pick for Vice President. Meanwhile, Obama made a wise decision picking U.S. Senator Joe Biden to be his running mate. He is currently of the longest serving senators and has a respected reputation among his collaegues and constituents. Have you heard as much press about Biden like you have with Palin? Not in the least. Maybe that was exactly McCain's plan when picking Palin to be his Vice President - someone who would create a lot of buzz and get the people in this country talking. Unfortunately, I don't believe it has worked out as well as he hoped.

Here in Michigan, there are two very important ballot proposals that will be voted on tomorrow. Proposal one would allow the use of medical marijuana to the most suffering patients. There are as many as a dozen other states who already allow the practice. I am kind of on the fence about this one. I'd like to believe that those who are suffering from grave medical conditions would get to have marijuana to relieve the pain. But I feel it would end up falling into the wrong hands more than anything and this privilege would quickly become abused. I do understand the need for patients suffering the most, but I just don't think that's enough to get me to vote yes on this one. Proposal two would create an amendment to the state constitution to permit stem cell research with certain limitations. The basic jist of this proposal would allow human embryos to be donated by choice for those needing fertility treatment to be used for research purposes in finding cures for a variety of diseases that plague our nation. These are embryos that would otherwise be discarded as human waste if not used for research. There are a lot of uncertainties about this proposal - whether or not the embryos could wind up in the wrong hands and clones being developed, etc. Needless to say, there would be a lot of scrutiny and procedures that would need to be implemented in order for this process to work as it could. I haven't heard that guarentee and that makes me skeptical about this proposal. I am all about finding cures for diabetes, cancer, and other potentially fatal diseases that hurt millions of people on our country. But I am confident we can find other means of finding cures than with the use of human embryos.

In other political races affecting Michigan, I see Democratic U.S. Senator Carl Levin winning easily over Republican candidate Jack Hoogendyk. Levin will likely be elected to his 6th term to the U.S. Senate. In the race for the U.S. House of Representatives 1st Congressional District in Michigan, I predict another win for Democratic incumbent Bart Stupak over Republican challenger Tom Casperson. I think this race will be a lot closer for Stupak than it has been in recent years against other candidates because Casperson is well-respected here in the U.P. and did a good job as a representative for Michigan's Congressional House. However, Stupak has a solid reputation with his constituents and I don't see him losing this battle. In the race for Michigan House of Representative 109th District, Democratic incumbent Steve Lindberg should win easily over Republic challenger Doreen Takalo. I don't think Takalo has done enough to get her name out in public and that will cost her this race.

There are a ton of other local, state, and national races and ballot proposals affecting our nation. If you're unsure what is going on in your area, get educated quickly. Search on-line for races and proposals affecting your local area or check your local newspaper, either in print or on-line. Try finding information on your state government website. I know the state of Michigan has a lot of helpful information on polling guides and whatnot. If you're still unsure about what is going on, be sure to watch your local TV station's news. I am sure they will be covering many local issues involving the elections of '08. And of course, be sure to get out and vote! No matter what you've heard before, your vote really does count.

My History With Cars

Do you remember your first car? I think most everyone remembers the car they drove when they first got their driver's license. Mine was a 1983 Oldsmobile Firenza. It was actually my sister's car for awhile before she finally got a new car. So the Firenza was a hand-me-down for me, but I didn't mind. I didn't really go too far with it; basically back and forth to school. I think I might've used it for roughly a couple of years before I got a better, newer car of my own. But as I said, it got me to where I needed to go and I didn't really have a whole lot of trouble with it, either. That car was a rear-wheel drive vehicle, probably the only kind I'll ever get to drive in my life. The motor was only a four-cylinder, too; which made it relatively good on gas. I remember not needing to fill it up all that often. And if I only drove it locally, that meant I didn't use all that much gas. It wasn't the most fancy car; the interior and exterior were both a brown color and it was a fairly small car. But it was good for what I needed it for.

In 2000, I had just graduated from high school and was looking to go to college in the fall. The Firenza was a good car, but it was getting pretty old and becoming more and more unreliable. So my parents went out and got me a newer car. It was a 1990 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight with a V6 Engine and slightly bigger than the Firenza. There wasn't a whole lot of mileage on this vehicle and the exterior of the car was in immaculate condition, considering it was ten years old at the time. The interior and exterior were both red; a much more tolerable color than brown. Honestly, do you see many brown cars on the road these days? It was probably a good color for the time but in the late '90's, it sure seemed out of touch. Anyways, the Oldsmobile proved to be a very reliable car. I drove it a lot more than the Firenza and I didn't really have too many problems with the vehicle. Probably the most challenging thing about that particular car were the headlights and the automatic door locks. I can't tell you how many times I locked the keys in my car or left the headlights on and ended up draining the battery. There were many times where I didn't catch it in time and the battery of my car was dead. I think I only got lucky once where the car actually started up after leaving the lights on. The reason why I ended up leaving the headlights of the car on so frequently when I left the vehicle is because the warning sound that's supposed to ding when you left the lights on never sounded. And I was never able to keep it in my head that I needed to shut the lights off after leaving the car because there was always something on my mind. This only happened during daylight because at night, the headlights would automatically come on, much like cars do these days. But that was probably the most frustrating thing about that particular car and it was one thing I didn't miss once I got rid of it.

The Oldsmobile was needing some work so I brought it in to get serviced. My brother-in-law is a mechanic and he usually does the repairs on most of my family's vehicles. While doing an inspection of the car, he discoved a crack in the frame of the car. The car was essentially deemed "shot" because if I hit one bump in the road, the car could split apart. So we junked it and soon began searching for a different vehicle. Actually my search for a new car did not start right away because I used my dad's work car for about a year before I was in a dire need for a car of my own. His car, which was also an Oldsmobile, the transmission went bad during one of my drives around home. So I basically had no car at the time. Luckily that happened in the spring and around my parents home, even though the car was still drivable at about 25-30 mph.

So I spent about a week using my mom's car driving around college and going to and from work until my dad and I went car shopping. We looked at one car my brother-in-law recommended we look at, but it wasn't worth it for the price they were asking. So we went on to another dealer just a short drive down the road. That was where I found my current car, a 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix. When I first looked at it, I literally fell in love. It was painted a beautiful silver on the outside and everything inside was black. The dash looked so fancy with all of the lighting and everything looked so modern. It was really a step-up from what I was used to and the price wasn't all that bad. So after about three in a half years with the Grand Prix, I still have it and it continues to be a good car. I need to have new tires put on relatively soon and with over 100,000 miles on it, I'll need to look for something different sometime down the road. But I am in no rush to get something different as long as it continues to be reliable and trouble-free (knock on wood). Hey, it's the only car I have and without it, I've got no wheels. And that's my relatively-short vehicle history. Not too exciting, now is it? lol

Roller Rinks

I don't know if it was a common thing across the country, but for many years, we had a roller skating rink here. For those unfamiliar with what a roller rink is, it's basically a big, oval shape concrete pad in which to roller skate or roller blade on. Think of it as a hockey rink, sans the ice. Ours here in town has been closed for over ten years now, but it was such a fun place to hang out and to be a kid. The total atmosphere of the building, from the colors of the building, the lighting, the music they played during the skating, the games available for those who didn't want to skate, and the true party atmosphere that existed during the event is something I won't ever forget. The building still remains but the local Salvation Army bought it and turned it into their main local headquarters. The building serves a very important purpose in our community, but for many people, it also has a history of being known for something else, a place where people of all ages had a blast doing something that has gone out of style nowadays, roller skating.

I can't remember how many times I had been to the roller rink when I was a kid. I know it wasn't a whole lot, but whenever we got the opportunity to go, we went. And for the longest time, I didn't actually do a whole lot of skating. I wasn't a very good skater to start out; in fact, I don't know if anyone really taught me nor did I have the courage to actually glide out into the middle of the floor and start to skate. But for the longest time, my idea of skating was to go along the perimeter of the wall, grab onto it where I could and palm it the rest of the way and basically hang on to the wall as I skated. I thought it was enjoyable, but I didn't exactly know what I was missing out until someone took me by my hand and forcefully made me skate out in the middle of the rink. I think it was my sister and her friends who officially taught me how to skate. After that, I became a true pro.

The roller rink would host area schools for one night and during that one evening, all of the students from the school along with the faculty were invited to come out and have fun at the roller rink. The skating was free but everything else the roller rink offered was still full charge. Still, to see most of your friends from school all there at the roller rink and having a blast was always such a good memory for me. I don't believe the parents got to skate for free if they decided to stay. I know my parents often left us there while they went out and did their shopping and other errands. But still, the whole event was like one big party atmosphere. The music was blaring; a fast, upbeat song always played and all kinds of lights flashed onto the rink itself. A couple of songs that I remember being played at the roller rink and which seemed to be quite popular at the time were Kylie Minogue's "Locomotion" and "I Saw Her Standing There," a Beatles classic but remade by some musician of the '80's (and I can't remember whom right now). But that goes to show you what kind of songs played at the roller rink - very fun, upbeat songs that you could dance to, if you didn't have skates on your feet! It just made roller skating that much more fun. Sadly, there's no place like that around here anymore.

I'll admit, I probably was never the greatest skater but before the roller rink closed up here, I was much better than when I first started. It was a place that allowed you to unwind, have fun, and to do something that seems so ancient nowadays. Ah, the lost art of roller skating. Heck, you really don't see a lot of people out on roller blades anymore, which was basically supposed to revolutionize roller skating. Both forms of entertainment seem to be fading from our landscape each day. Roller blades don't seem to be in short supply these days, either. Whatever the case, one thing remains strong for me. My memories of the roller rink are rather vivid and will be something I'll recall for many more years to come. Even though the building may no longer have roller skating inside of it, each time I drive by, I'll still be able to remember the fun times I spent roller skating with friends and family. Nothing can beat that.

A Moose Killing

I once thought I saw a moose where I was growing up many years ago. I was probably about 10 years old and riding my bike. One of my usual destinations was at this old abandoned bridge which was pretty isolated and it was very rare to run into anyone else there. I'd always skip rocks or just watch the water flow along and underneath the bridge. I was attempting to ride down this small hill and at the bottom was the bridge. But what I then saw stopped me in my tracks. It was a moose - a large, menacing creature grazing on some tall grass. I was still far enough away that I was in no danger. But still, it scared me silly and I booked it out of dodge. But nowadays, I'm not sure if that event really actually happened. I'm only half-convinced that I saw that moose and it more than likely was a dream. The reason I say this is because there had been no reports of moose being sighted from anyone else in the area. Sure, the area where I grew up was very rural - but there are houses within the immediate area from where I "saw" the moose. It's not like it would've been missed by anyone else driving or walking through. That was the only time I allegedly seen a moose and no one else in the area has ever spoken of seeing a moose - so I am not sure if the animal even exists within the area where I grew up. So you can see why I might be skeptical as to why that event even happened.

The reason why I bring this story up is because a moose sighting created a big stir in one Upper Peninsula community yesterday. Ishpeming, Michigan is a town of about 6,000 people located in the central U.P. A moose and her two young calves were spotted in and around the town. Moose make their appearances from time to time in Upper Peninsula communities so it's not uncommon for these kinds of events to occur. It's not like the area is overran by moose and they are actually pretty rare here. But they are around and when one is spotted, it definitely creates a lot of local buzz. They are amazing creatures but also very large. If they get angry enough, they can easily kill a person. It's something I learned early on from school - that animals such as moose are very unpredictable, especially when around their young. It's best to try and view them from a safe distance and at the very least, leave the scene so as to not disturb the animal. From the sounds of it, this did not happen during the moose sighting in Ishpeming yesterday. And unfortunately, it ended in one moose being killed.

The Ishpeming City Police Department and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources made a decison to have the mother cow killed after the animal became agitated and stressed from being ran about town. The police claim they were trying to direct all three moose out of town, only to have their efforts hampered by throngs of spectators trying to get pictures of the moose. At the time the police and DNR took the initiative to have the animal put down, the mother cow was separated from her two young. The two agencies claim tranquilizers would not have worked in this situation because the animal was so large and transporting it would've been extremely difficult. The moose was already distraught and they felt the tranquilizers would've only caused it to overheat and die. Also, because it was on the move, it would've been very difficult for a tranquilizer to take effect unless it was completely still. They wanted to avoid a possible safety issue and avoid a moose/human interaction, so they decided to shoot the animal down. That is one decision that is not sitting well with very many local residents today.

The city of Ishpeming's Police Chief is pointing the finger at the public for the untimely death of the moose cow. He blames the public for following the three moose and causing the mother to be ultimately disoriented. Here is a quote from him from the local newspaper: "In the end, all this moose was trying to do was to get away from the people who were chasing it and reunite with its calves," said the Ishpeming Police Chief. "We would not have had to kill that cow moose if the public did not act like the paparazzi chasing it around like it was some type of Hollywood movie star. I may have given the order to shoot it, but I hold the public who were chasing it responsible for its death, and the ultimate deaths of the two abandoned calves that will not survive without their mother." But the public is pointing the finger at the Ishpeming City Police and the Michigan DNR. If the moose was to die anyway, then why not try the tranquilizers. Or simply, let the animal do what its natural instincts allow it to do. I realize there's a chance that it could end up being killed by a car or encountering the public in one of the local neighborhoods, but the animals need to be given their space and eventually they will leave. It has happened in other local communities here, so I don't understand why it couldn't have occured in this instance. Instead, the animal was chased and proded by the police and the DNR. Sure, the crowds of onlookers probably did not help matters, but the police could've done a better job of crowd control. Call in nearby police departments for back-up if that's the case. All in all, this whole situation could've been handled a lot better than it was. Now, it has practically an entire community in an uproar.

This story is even getting attention from one of the major statewide newspapers - the Detroit Free Press. It is currently the top news story on their website. Many people are calling for the firing of the Ishpeming City Police Chief for making this decision and some residents of the town are even going so far as to saying they are embarassed to be living where they live because of what has happened. I am sure those who live in the more urban areas of our state - and if this story catches on nationally - will think we're nuts for making a big story out of this situation while their major news headlines involve murders, the financial crisis, and major accidents. But the truth of the matter is, a story like the moose killing IS a big story around here because murders are rare and other stories you see in major metropolitan areas do not occur. Heck, moose sightings in towns and cities is a rare thing, too. The killing of a moose because it was becoming a "safety issue to the public" is an even more rare event. From the sounds of it, this news story isn't going away anytime soon.

For ongoing updates involving the moose killing in Ishpeming, please visit these local media websites: WLUC-TV6.com and The Marquette Mining Journal .

Songs I Dig - 11

See? I told you I'd have a new "Songs I Dig" blog out in a relatively short order after the previous one. This time around, only one artist had appeared on a previous SID blog. So you'll see mostly new artist in this edition and five very enjoyable songs. Some of them have been out for awhile already and one was released within the past few weeks. Whatever the case, they are all great to listen to and they make up the songs I listen to pretty frequently as of late. So here we go, in our 11th edition of the songs I dig, here are my picks:

"Hot n Cold" by Katy Perry - Our only returnee to the Songs I Dig blog in this edition; Katy Perry has another smash hit on her hands with this song. Obviously "I Kissed a Girl" grew into a mega-hit despite the taboo topic of a girl kissing another girl and liking it. "Hot n Cold" deals with a male protagonist who is wishy-washy over his relationship. If you haven't yet seen the music video for this song, the plot involves a couple who is at the alter saying their "I do's." When it gets to the groom, he is having doubts in saying "I do" to marrying his fiance. The groom then runs off, with the female antagonist following after (this being Katy Perry). Basically, he can't make up his mind whether he wants to be with her or not. Is she the right one for him or would he be better off with someone else. So the female would like him to make up his mind quickly for once. The chorus is made up a bunch of parallel opposites including hot and cold, yes and no, in and out, up and down, etc. It's a really catchy song and before you know it, you're singing along to it. At the end of the video, the groom wakes up from the dream he was having (all of the events within the video are mostly a dream sequence) and finally says his "I do" to marying his bride.

"Fall For You" by Secondhand Serenade - I have a feeling many of you have heard this song for awhile now, but the radio stations around me just recently started playing this within the last month (either that or I was completely unaware). When I first heard it, I thought it was a song by Simple Plan or one of those other emo-punk rock bands. But Secondhand Serenade is a relative newcomer to the pop-rock scene. The song opens up with a gentle and soft piano intro. It gradually builds into a rock ballad. One of the things that truly drew me into the song was the chorus with the lines "Because tonight will be the night that I will fall for you." That is incredibly touching and I really think it hits a soft spot for anyone listening to it. It's the perfect love song and it no doubtedly will be playing at wedding receptions across America. The basic premise of the song is about a young couple who has definitely gone through their stuggles as of late. They are beginning their reconciliation and on this particular night, they are re-discovering themselves all over again and falling in love with each other like they did when they first met. The male figure in the song most certainly cannot live without her female companion because "a girl like (her) is impossible to find."

"Shattered (Turn the Car Around) by O.A.R. - This band, also known as "Of a Revolution," may have been considered a one-hit wonder by some. But with their newest hit which has been out for a few months now - that claim can be refuted. Some of their more popular hits from past albums include "Hey Girl," "Love and Memories," and "Heard the World." "Shattered" is a more softer sounding rock song, but it definitely deals with a heavy issue. Most songs tend to deal with love, lust, break-ups, etc. This song is no exception except here, the male figure would rather push the female antagonist out of his life and in fact, that is what he tends to do until the end of the song when instead of driving his car away and out of her life, he turns around. The complete attraction that he feels towards her is too much and it becomes like a gigantic magnet. Even though he's burned out from his entire life, the attraction he feels for her is just too much to simply walk away. He's basically asking himself how many times can he keep doing this to himself. What will it take to finally get her out of his life? Obviously it is going to take a lot because he simply cannot push her away.

"Warwick Avenue" by Duffy - The singer who hails from Wales has made a huge impact not only in her home region of the world but also here in America. Her first hit "Mercy" became a smash #1 hit and "Warwick Avenue" might not be far behind. "Mercy" was such a retro-sounding hit that it drew in people of all generations. And I talked in the previous song profile about most songs dealing with love and other relating topics; well "Warwick Avenue" deals with a painful break-up. If you've seen the music video for this song, Duffy herself is seen in the back of a car, completely distraught and destroyed over a relationship gone wrong. She is crying with her make-up running down her face from the tears she is shedding. It's actually a pretty powerful scene, even though the video is rather bland. She's basically having one last meeting with her male companion to hash things out one final time but they will never be together as a couple again. I think the video is a bit of a contradiction to the song because in the second stanza, the lyrics state, "You hurt me bad, but I won't shed a tear." All she's doing in the video is crying. Just being a bit nit-picky, because overall, I think it's a great song. Certainly a very powerful break-up song from one of the newest world-wide, up-and-coming singers.

"Better in Time" by Leona Lewis - Leona is quickly becoming one of the newest female divas in the music industry, and I truly mean that in a complementary fashion. She first burst on the scene by winning "The X Factor" show in the U.K., a singing competition similar to "American Idol" here in the states. Her debut album has been #1 here in the U.S. after breaking onto the scene in America in early 2008. "Bleeding Love," her first song released from the album here in America quickly shot up to #1. "Better in Time" is on pace to do the very same thing if it hasn't already. It's another break-up song but I don't sense as much hatred and despair over this particular break-up in this song like I did in "Warwick Avenue." Essentially the female figure in the song has just gone through a break-up and is in the initial stages of the healing process. Everything is still pretty fresh, so it's going to take her awhile to really trust and get over things. At this stage of the break-up, she's seeing many different reminders of him. Everything from watching TV to having constant thoughts about him. It appears she still has feelings for him but it's probably for the best that they separate and move on. After all, things will "only get better in time."

So that wraps things up for this edition of "The Songs I Dig." I hope you enjoy these selections just as much as I and if you haven't checked them out, please consider doing so. It's easy to find all of these artists on myspace and listen to their music, and you don't even have to be a member to do so! I haven't started on a list of new songs quite yet for the 12th edition of the Songs I Dig, so it may be a little while before you see it. But sometimes, it doesn't take very long for me to come up with five songs that I find enjoyable enough to listen to. Be sure to check back to "Luke's Ponderings" very soon for the next "Songs I Dig."

Four Eyes

Those who know me personally are aware that I wear glasses and have sported them for some time. They are part of who I am and help form part of my identity. I don't remember very much anymore as to why I needed them in the first place; probably because I had difficulty reading the chalkboard back in elementary school. I first started wearing glasses once I reached the fifth grade. But I didn't like wearing them - in fact, I wore them very little. I don't know what my issue was with glasses; maybe because they made me look completely different and they drew added attention to myself. I wore them as needed in school, but that was about the only time I really wore them at first. I had a relatively small prescription, anyways, so it's not like I could barely see without them. When I entered the sixth grade, that's when wearing glasses got even more difficult.

Once the new school year started and I was in the sixth grade, I was in class with a mix of different kids - all of them I knew very well since I attended a small school district. Some of them hadn't yet seen me wearing glasses yet, so once again, it was drawing attention to myself so I never wore them - not even for seeing the chalkboard. It got to the point where I was squinting to see the board from even ten to 15 feet away. Those with vision problems had to have an eye exam taken every year, and I was pulled from class to get an eye exam. The nurse looked at my records to see that I needed glasses but saw I wasn't wearing any. She questioned if I was wearing contacts and I wasn't. She asked if I had any glasses on hand, which I replied I did, but that they were back in my classroom. She instructed me to retrieve them, to which I did. But upon reaching the door of my sixth grade classroom, I held up. Our sixth grade class was split into two different groups because our class-size was one of the biggest in the school district. Sixth grade wasn't considered part of junior high when I attended school, but we did a "junior high" concept, where we would have classes with the other sixth grade teacher in the elementary. So in my classroom was all of the students from the other room, being taught by my teacher. I hesitated to enter the room; I was REALLY creating attention to myself by entering the room with these different faces, even though I knew them all and grabbing the case that held my glasses and exited the room. I wasn't able to gather enough courage to do it, so I retreated back down the hall to where the nurse was at and explained I had forgotten my glasses. She didn't seem particularly happy; and I didn't blame her. Needless to say, I failed my eye exam and was instructed to wear my glasses immediately. I still didn't comply.

Then came the parent-teacher conferences. In elementary school, it was mandatory for a parent to attend a conference with your teacher. My mom knew I didn't wear my glasses all that often and asked me if I was wearing them at school. I lied and said that I was. Apparently she didn't believe me, because she told me she was going to ask my teacher if I was. I knew my goose was cooked then. I didn't even fess up to my mom that I had lied about wearing my glasses. I just allowed her to go to the parent-teacher conference and find out directly from my teacher. Eventually I had to face the music with my mom; naturally she was pretty upset. She also forced me to start wearing my glasses with regularity. It was still a struggle - and I still didn't even wear them at school. My teacher ended up moving my desk towards the front of the room so I didn't have difficulty seeing the board. It helped, but in the back of my mind I knew I wasn't doing the right thing. I had a feeling my eyes were getting worse, too.

I couldn't even wear my glasses around my cousins for fear of what they would say. And I hung out with my cousins quite often when I was growing up. I knew them very well and knew they wouldn't have a negative thing to say. But I still couldn't do it. Finally I gradually started wearing them; even bringing them out to watch a movie when I was sitting across the room. They started to get comfortable for me and when I started the seventh grade, I wore them all of the time. At that point I needed to wear them regularly as my vision worsened. I made an effort to get contacts; but they just weren't for me. The woman at the eye doctor at the time wasn't very helpful to me in the whole contact process. She made it rather uncomfortable and I never ended up trying a contact in my eye and to this day I haven't. To be honest, I am actually pretty happy being an avid glasses-wearer. It takes away the struggle of having to insert this piece of plastic/glass onto my eyeball, which I don't think I would've had any luck doing. Would I like to get rid of my glasses forever and eliminate that part of my identity? Sure, I wouldn't mind. But it's not the end of the world if I don't. And to be frank, wearing glasses IS part of my identity now and I've grown so used to them. I think it would create a period of adjustment all over again just getting used to not wearing glasses.

I will say this though; if I could do it all over again, I would've worn my glasses with regularity when I first had to start wearing them. That's not to say I wouldn't still be stuck wearing them to this day; but at least my eyes probably wouldn't be in as worse shape as they are now. I let whatever negative thoughts I had get to me and I refused to wear glasses when they actually really helped me. When it comes down to it; most of my classmates probably would've said positive things about me having glasses on rather than negative. I realize that now; but when you're a young kid just entering your teenage years, you think a lot of people are against you. Looking back on it all, I wish I could've changed the way I went about things. But all in all, things worked out; and I have a belief that I look pretty stylish wearing glasses. There's definitely nothing wrong about that.

Remember These Songs? - 3

It's been awhile since I churned one of these blogs out - so I figured I was well over due. It's a blog that takes a look at songs that were popular earlier in this decade and may have been forgotten about since. Hopefully this will help popularize these songs some - and actually new people might even rediscover them. It's actually pretty amazing how fast the music industry is in forgetting classic songs. That's just how the industry is - always changing and moving at an extremely quick pace. Today's blog features artists and groups with songs that were very popular earlier in this decade but have since been forgotten about. Let's remember the songs that made these particular individuals household names as we rediscover their songs all over again and see what they've been up to since.

Blessid Union of Souls - Hey Leonardo (She Likes Me for Me): This song was actually made famous in 1999, which surprises me it has been that long ago already. It was a song released from their third studio album titled "Walking Off the Buzz." Earlier in the '90's, they released the popular songs "I Believe" and "I Wanna Be There." But it was "Hey Leonardo" that Blessid Union of Souls are quite possibly most famous for releasing. I remember it being a song I listened to quite often while I worked my summer job at my old high school mowing their enormous lawn. It's a fun song, very upbeat, and something very fun dancing and jiving to. It was a song that received a tremendous amount of radio airplay despite never making it into the top ten of many radio charts. The message in the song is about an individual, a male, who has a few faults and is most certainly not perfect. And he might have more money than he can do with. However, his mate doesn't find any fault in him and isn't interested in him just for the fact he has money because as the song states, "she likes me for me." Doesn't get any more sweeter than that, now does it?

So what has Blessid Union of Souls been up to since their hit song in 1999? Between the years of 2001 and 2005, not much at all. In fact, they took a break from releasing new albums during that time except to release a greatest hits album that featured a few songs that hadn't previously been released. They still toured during those years, however. In 2005, their fifth studio album titled "Preception" was released. They continued to tour, although one part of the group became independent from another. Their sixth album, "Close to the Edge," was released earlier this month in 2008. However, eight of 12 songs already appeared on their fifth studio album, which disappointed some of their fans. Whatever the case, it still proves that the band is very much alive - although not nearly as prominent as they once were.

Vertical Horizon - Everything You Want: Here's another tune that was released in 1999 and made it all the way to the top of the charts. I wouldn't say it's quite as fun as "Hey Leonardo," but it still boasts a more up-tempo flavor to it. This was the song that help propel Vertical Horizon to major popularity, even if it was only for this one particular song. They went on to release other hit songs such as "Best I Ever Had (Grey Sky Morning)" and "I'm Still Here," but they never were quite as popular as "Everything You Want." Even though Vertical Horizon had been around since 1990, it was in 1999 when they released their first major studio album with RCA Records. "Everything You Want" would definitely help them become more of a household name; even though it was basically the only song with major popularity. It went on to become one of the most played songs in 2000 and was also quite fun to sing along to. The message of this song is also related to how perfect a person is, except that in this tune; no matter how perfect the male individual in the song is, he's simply not perfect enough because "he means nothing to (her) and (she doesn't) know why." She sounds like a confused and complex person.

Vertical Horizon has released another album since 1999 but wasn't able to enjoy as much success like they did with Everything You Want. They even went on to re-release it and included a tune not previously released. There has also been a few personel changes within the band; but they are still very much alive as a group and are looking to release a new album later this year or early next year titled, "Burning the Days." In fact, a new song off the new album titled "All Been Said Before" was released in late June of this year. The new album will be released with the help of Hybrid Recordings who signed Vertical Horizon after they were released from RCA Records in 2004.

Tal Bachman - She's so High: Make that three straight songs in this blog from 1999. Tal Bachman also experienced increased popularity and fame with his big hit "She's so High" which reached the top ten on a few different charts in the United States. "She's so High" came from his self-titled album; his first major record. Bachman was relatively unknown in the music world except to those in Canada. It's another fun, upbeat sounding song; talking about a girl who's "as perfect as she can be." So yes, this is another song with the message of finding that perfect soul mate but this time around, the person singing doesn't seem to have the courage to ask her out. He says, "What could a guy like me ... Ever really offer?" He's basically putting himself down without actually even trying to ask the girl out. He likes her for everything that she is and she's perfect as she is. But will he ever "man up," if you will, and talk to her. Sounds like an issue that many men with low self-esteem go through all of the time. She's almost like the prom queen while he's a flute player in high school band; something along those lines. Obviously I'm talking silly, but that's a good comparison to the message being told in the song, right? Whatever the case; it's still a great song and one of the best from 1999-2000.

Tal Bachman is still very busy in the music industry, even though you probably have not heard another song from Tal since "She's so High." His second album titled "Staring Down the Sun" was released in Canada in 2004 and in the United States in 2006 with little fanfare. He has yet to release his third studio album, even though he is signed with Sony Music Entertainment Records. If that's the case, it probably won't be very long until a new album is released by him and he just might in fact be in the studio. Bachman was once a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and participated on a mission to Argentina. He has since given up his affiliation with that religion. He also enjoys giving his opinions of politics not only in Canada but in the United States, too; seeing that he holds a bachelor's degree in political science. Tal is the son of The Guess Who rocker Rancy Bachman.

That does it for this time around. Please be sure to join me once again very soon for another edition of "Remember These Songs?" We'll look back upon songs that had a big following for some time but might have slipped off the radar since. It's always fun to look back and I hope those following along to my blog enjoy it as well.

The Changing Seasons

It's hard for me to believe that it's almost October. We're nearly 10 months into the year and I'm left to wonder, where did it all go?! Another fact that blows my mind; we are experiencing a day with high temperatures near 80 degrees and yet in just a couple of weeks, we could be witnessing our first flakes of snow of the season. Things can change in such a big hurry when it comes to the weather around here especially at this time of the year. All the more reasons to get out and enjoy today's weather as much as we can. You know, the fall season is all about change. We are making the transition from warm into cold; the leaves begin falling off the trees, vegetation dies after a killing frost, animals being gathering food for the long winter ahead and begin hibernating and us humans prepare to survive the winter by gathering firewood, protecting our homes, and putting items away which we cannot enjoy in the snow and cold. Here in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, we're left to endure sometimes five to six straight months of cold weather. The snow may only stick around for four or five of those months, but they often stay cold and it's hard to stay outdoors for very long. But for those that live here year round, you gotta love an area that truly experiences all four seasons.

It's actually quite amazing how fast the leaves change once they start turning. Probably two to three weeks ago, most of the leaves were green. Now, we're 50% of the way before the leaves are truly at peak. We're basically right on schedule as far as when leaves are typically their best for leaf peeping around here; usually the first week of October. But one thing is for certain; they do not stay pretty for long. All it takes is one good wind storm for a majority of them to be knocked down. Where I grew up, our entire house is surrounded by maple trees. So each fall, after all of the leaves had fallen, we begun the task of cleaning up all of the leaves and disposing them into a nearby wooded lot. For many, many years, our family only resorted to raking them into piles and hauling them away with a tarp. Recently my dad purchased a leaf blower, so that makes a big dent into our hauling away of the leaves. But you can get all areas of the lawn without using a rake, so it's not like we completely eliminated that lawn tool. What I'd really like for my dad to get is one of those leaf collection machines that you can tow behind a riding lawn mower. I bet that would work really slick for our lawn and at least we could rake the leaves that collect near the decks and along the house in the lawn and have the machine pick them up. The only problem is; we don't have an operable riding lawn mower! Well ... hopefully soon we'll have one.

Another nice thing that has come into prominence within the last ten to 15 years is the use of large, plastic garbage bags that come decorated for Halloween. They come in black, green, orange and even white and have pumpkin, witch, ghost, and other goulish faces on them and really help to decorate the yard for Halloween. We have so many leaves that collect in our yard that during some years, we'd have as many as eight of these plastic bags full of leaves within the front yard. It turned out to be a great way to collect the leaves and once Halloween was over, we just emptied the contents into the woods and tried salvaging the bags for next year. That couldn't always be accomplished because after all, the bags are only made of thin plastic. We'd often get thin twigs to poke out of the bags which would tear them up. If we got more than three years out of those bags; that was fairly decent. We certainly don't have nearly as many Halloween leaf bags out in the yard anymore. I'm not around as often at home anymore and it seems to be more of a burden than something fun for my dad. But he'll get at least three of them filled up, anyways.

The days are getting shorter and the nights are getting cooler. Before long, we'll be stuck in a winter-type pattern and won't see warmer temperatures until at least March. You know, as much as a lot of people who live in the U.P. dislike the thought of another winter beginning to creep in, I must say I'm not nearly as bummed out about it like I have been in the past. There were times before when I'd often get depressed about the thought of experiencing another U.P. winter. Hey, maybe I'm getting used to it. Afterall, I have lived here for 26 years; I should be used to it by now. The one thing I don't look forward to is driving in snow storms to get around. That reminds me; I need to get new tires put on my car before it gets too late in the year. There's another sign of the impending winter; getting a person's car ready for the harsh elements. It's one of a many things a person has to to when you're living in the Great White North (no, not Alaska - the Great White North of the continuous 48-states that is the U.P.).

Songs I Dig - 10

Here it is! At long last, here is the much anticipated "Songs I Dig" blog I intended to write in July but which I never got around to it. All of the songs you see in this particular edition have been on the radio for a few months now and you might just be sick of hearing them by now. I know one such song is always on the radio to this day! Apparently the listeners haven't gotten tired of it yet. But we'll get to that song momentarily. Most of the artists featured in this edition are new to the SID blog. That doesn't mean they haven't been around for long; it's just that my blog hasn't been around for long! Anyways, without further ado, here are the songs I am digging!

"Viva La Vida" by Coldplay - Ah yes, it's the Coldplay juggernaut. What a brilliant piece of work this song is; complete with the title which never gets mentioned in any of the lyrics to the song and the fabulous use of orchastry throughout. When I first heard it, I loved it instantly and still do to this day. This was the song I mentioned in the opening paragraph of this blog as a song that gets plenty of radio airplay to this day. It's no wonder the song has already reached number one here in the United States and in many countries throughout the world. Coldplay is no stranger to the music industry. The band first met in 1996 and basically played locally in and around London, England. They released their first album independently in 1998 - releasing only 500 copies. Soon afterwards, they signed with a record company in the U.K. Ever since then, Coldplay has been known for a number of giant hits such as "Yellow," "Trouble," "Clocks," "In My Place," "Speed of Sound," and "Fix You." Their latest album, "Vida La Vida," is one that moves the band in a different direction from their previous albums. Chris Martin, the lead vocalist of Coldplay, also says he uses much less falsetto than in previous songs. Definitely big changes for a group that has already experienced tremendous success.

"Come on Get Higher" by Matt Nathanson - This song is about as catchy as it gets; and it's sweet, soulful beat is just as enjoyable. I know I became a fan of this tune almost instantly. I think the lyrics are what I found to me most intriguing, especially the chorus. "So come on, get higher; loosen my lips ... faith and desire, and the swing of your hips ... just pull me down hard; and drown me in love ... These lyrics are repeated quite often throughout the duration of the song; so as you can see, it's pretty easy to see how catchy the song can be. "I miss" is used quite often throughout the song, so I am lead to believe that this is a song about a break-up and the individual "singing" the lyrics is fondly remembering the person the song is about. Obviously it's a male singing about a female, so essentially, he'd "walk on water" and do eveything he could to have what he once had. At least that is the message that comes across as I contemplate the lyrics. You may be familiar with Matt's other tune he released from his most recent album titled "Car Crash." It was a song with a faster pace but it probably didn't make as big of a splash as "Come on Get Higher" has. Also, for the fans of the movie franchise "American Pie," Matt's cover of the James band tune "Laid" was used in the "American Wedding" and "American Pie Presents: Band Camp" soundtracks.

"Bottle it Up" by Sara Bareilles - Here is another soulful, sassy, and fun-loving tune by an up-and-coming artist. Bareilles burst on the scene with her 2007 hit song "Love Song" and has experienced a tremendous swing in popularity as a result. In fact, "Love Song" hit number one on the Billboard Pop 100 chart. She grew up in Eureka, California and music has been a big part of her life ever since appearing in high school musical productions and choir. She moved on to college where she attended UCLA and participated in an a cappella musical group there. Sara has opened and toured with a variety of musical groups since, including Rocco DeLuca and the Burden, Guster, Jon McLaughlin, Mika, Maroon 5, Paolo Nutini, and James Blunt. In fact, she's probably more familiar with Maroon 5 than most, considering they were both based out of California. Her first major studio voice titled "Little Voice" released in 2007 has thus far been certified gold, while "Love Song" has been established as a double platinum tune. "Love Song" and Bottle it Up" have been the first two songs released from the album, and expect "Love on the Rocks" to come up fairly soon. As I mentioned, "Bottle it Up" is a fun, catchy, and sassy little song. It's one of many reasons why it's a song I've enjoyed listening to.

"9 in the Afternoon" by Panic at the Disco - Another fun; yet rather strange song here; at least if you go by the title. It's a complete contradiction in of itself: a time of nine o'clock simply is not possible in the afternoon. Morning, yes. Evening, yes. Afternoon, no. But I think that is one of the reasons that makes this song unique. The lyrics itself appear to be one big rambling as there doesn't to be one simple subject. I get the sense that it's a song about youth and possibly love, too. The people written into the song are experiencing many different things and I sense immaturity as well as a sense of adventure. It's definitely a song about more than two people; although a couple (male & female) is mentioned, "...feeling as good as lovers can, you know..." Maybe I have lost the true meaning of the song and it's gone way over my head; but whatever the case, I still find it enjoyable. I'm not always perfect at interpretting a songs meaning, I'll admit that. Panic at the Disco, which used to be more famous for the exclamation mark after the word "Panic" in their name, has been around since 2004 and their debut album "A Fever You Can't Sweat Out," has sold over 2.2 million. Their most recent album, "Pretty. Odd." debuted at #2 in the U.S.

"If I Never See Your Face Again" by Maroon 5 & Rihanna - Last but not least in this edition of "The Songs I Dig" is a fun, quirky kind of song. Essentially the song is about two people that simply cannot get enough of each other, no matter how hard they try to break away. I envision a lusty affair between a man and a woman and they both know how wrong it is to do what they are doing. However, the immense passion they feel for each other draws them back time and time again. I don't consider it a true love song and it's definitely not a ballad. It's got a fun beat to it and it's something you can dance quite briskly to. This song was performed by Maroon 5 on the seventh season of American Idol without Rihanna. In fact, the re-release of their current album "It Won't Be Soon Before Long" features this duet version with Rihanna. She is also going to include the single as part of a re-release of her current album "Good Girl Gone Bad." Maroon 5 broke onto the scene back in 2003-2004 with their hugely popular "Songs About Jane" album. Hit tunes from that album include "Harder to Breathe," "This Love," "She Will Be Loved," and "Sunday Morning." Their current album includes the popular tunes "Makes Me Wonder," "Wake Up Call," and "Won't Go Home Without You."

So there you have it; the latest "Songs I Dig;" well, the songs I found quite enjoyable back in July (are we into late September already??!). It was certainly well over-due, but I am glad I have finally been able to present them to you. The songs basically speak for themselves and considering they continue to get a tremendous amount of airplay to this day; you're looking at quite possibly a few of the bigger songs from 2008. I already have half of the newest list of the songs I dig and am looking for just a couple more. It won't be long before you see the 11th edition of this specific subject blog posted. Stay tuned for it in the next few weeks!