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!

Small Market TV

For those who have followed along to my blog for awhile now and those who may be discovering it for the first time; you may know that I live in a relatively unpopulated part of the world. The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is a scenic, yet mostly forested parcel of land. I consider myself pretty fortunate to be living here, because not a lot of people get that chance to stick around - because good paying jobs are hard to find and it often times is not affordable. Heck, what is when a person is barely making a little over minimum wage? The local television station here has a big effect on the region as a whole. It's WLUC-TV6 based out of Negaunee/Marquette, MI and it's an NBC affiliate. It has been around for 52 years and has set the standard for broadcasting here in Upper Michigan. So when they decided to change their logo and slogan for something more modernized and less identifiable to the region, you can say there was a decent amount of public outcry.

The old logo, as you can see on the left, was in place since 1992. The slogan was "Someplace Special," something the station came up with back in the early 1980's when the region was suffering through difficult economic times. The rainbow theme was incorporated into the logo ever since then - even though back in the '80's, the station had a different logo than this. But this look was identifiable to everyone that lived in the Upper Peninsula; even for those who may have moved here in more recent times. This TV station has a big effect on a lot of people as it's the only source of news we have. They typically are the first news source to "break" important stories when they happen. Sure, there is another TV station in the area but it doesn't come close to its competitor. Even the radio stations are lax when covering the news. So like I say, it's the only game in town which is why it has such a tremendous effect on people.

The new logo, as you can see on the left here, doesn't quite capture the "Someplace Special" theme, does it? In fact, it is quite plain. It's definitely more modernized and sleeker - which is probably what they wanted to accomplish. But it definitely lacks something that is identifiable to the area. The station has also moved away from it's famous "Someplace Special" moniker and gone with the more vague "Upper Michigan's Source." When I first heard the slogan, I couldn't help but utter, "what?" To me, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense and it just sounds kind of odd. Now if it said "Upper Michigan's New Source," I wouldn't have too big of a problem with it. But apparently they are more than just a news source, which is why they called themselves simply just a "source." To me, I still think the logo and slogan needs a bit of tinkering. For one, they didn't even incorporate the call letters of the station into the logo. The call letters themselves are just as famous as a logo. The way the logo is now, this station could be in any part of the country because it is not identifiable to the region. I've heard some comments from a Michigan broadcasting message board that "Upper Michigan" is not a common phrase to call our region. These were people that lived south of the Mackinac Bridge, mind you. Heck, around here, Upper Michigan is just as familiar to us as the U.P. or the Upper Peninsula. Other stations and companies use "Upper Michigan," too. So for Upper Michigan to be in the slogan, I think that's quite alright. But the entire slogan as a whole "Upper Michigan's Source," I still ain't buying it. Even when the TV anchors on-air say it, it doesn't sound right. You should see the public outcry that the station's new look has received on it's website, specifically in the comments section relating to the new look. The majority of the comments received are negatively against the new look. What does that tell us?

Not soon after the new look for the staion was revealed, a popular morning meteorologist on the station announced his impending departure. It came as a shock to many, including me, who thought he'd be around for years to come because he became such a popular face on morning television around here. I remember when he first started, it was actually rather difficult watching him because of the mistakes he made and his goof-ball kind of appearance. But he got better and better at his presentation of the weather and everyone got accustomed to the goofiness he portrayed. It became somewhat of a tradition for many to get up in the mornings just to watch what he was going to do day in and day out. He made the morning news very entertaining and became rather irreplaceable. So you can understand what a big letdown it was for many to hear that he'd be departing, even though he'd still be in the area. The problem is, we just won't be able to see him on TV anymore. Rumors are circulating that he's going to be working as a teller at a local bank. What does that tell you about small market TV, for one? Departures happen quite often at this station - as it's not all that surprising to see reporters, anchors, and meteorologists leave after two years. The pay is not very good at all; probably only a little better than minimum wage plus they have to work a ton of hours. The only good part about it all is the experience the people get out of it so they're able to move onto bigger markets. It's rather sad because we see a lot of talent leave the region. But that is just the nature of the beast.

The departure of said meteorologist has garnered a lot of public outcry on the station's website, probably even more than the logo change itself. There is probably only a handful of comments greatful about him leaving while the vast majority are saddened about his depature. So as you can see, he became a beloved member of the area and many do not want to see him go. More rumors circulated that he was fired or wasn't getting along with his co-worker in the morning but from what I can understand, he's leaving on his own accord. And honestly, I can't blame him, especially if he can better himself somewhere else. Although it's rather strange not seeing him on the morning news anymore, at least we can enjoy the memories of his past broadcasts. Too bad nobody thought to archive his work in the mornings so everyone can enjoy what he brought to our area with his weather presentation.

So there you have it; the effect of small market TV in our area. From logo changes to personality depatures, it still has a tremendous effect on the region as a whole. It also goes to show you that change is difficult to grasp, especially once people get used to a look that has existed for many years. No matter how the station changes and the public negativity the changes endure, one thing will remain the same. It will still be Upper Michigan's #1 news source. It has been for many years and I don't see that ever changing; unless it's competing station in the area decides to sink some money into their newscasts. Heck, the people, logos, and slogans may change every now and again but one thing always remains the same. It's the news, and there's always plenty of it.

Logos and slogans used in this blog are trademarked/copyrighted by WLUC TV6 - Marquette/Negaunee, MI.

Inspirational Music

I am sure it's not really a big surprise for many to find out that I am a big fan of music. Heck, music-oriented topics make up about 50% of this blog. I am always interested in hearing new kinds of music as well as sticking to the old stand-bys which I am accustomed to hearing. A few of the songs featured in tonight's blog can be considered inspirational, in many ways. At least that is how I classify them to be. They are easy-listening and soothing to the soul. It's not very common to find a song you can just kick back to and mellow out to the message it provails. The songs with great messages within the lyrics end up being inspirational. So, with that being said, here are a few songs that I find to be inspirational in their own ways and ones I really find myself listening to over and over again.

"Fields of Gold" by Sting - This song gets me every single time I hear it. The simple and soothing beat that starts the song pulls you in. I remember being such a big fan of this song when it first came out and then forgetting about it for a long time. I then re-discovered it and became a fan of it all over again. It's a coming-of-age sort of song, which basically talks of an early romance which gradually grows into an affair. It's kind of amazing a song like this that has such a melodic low-key sound, yet have such powerful lyrics. Yes, love is mentioned in the song, especially early. But as we reach the crescendo in the song, it talks of looking back on fond memories while witnessing a new generation develop memories of their own in this "field of gold." So it definitely has this shifting focus from one of youth, love, and romance to one of reflection, memory, and past. Who knew a song about barley fields would end up leave such a lasting legacy for many years to come.

"End of the Innocence" by Don Henley - In my opinion, this is quite possibly Don Henley's greatest song he's ever written. When I first listen to the opening chords of this song - I get to feeling nostalgic, remeniscent, and even a bit teary-eyed as it emotes such a poweful sound. The song's message is actually quite clear - a group of people, a body, or a nation coming to grips with the end of the innocence. Upon reading back the lyrics, I am reminded how this really could be about John F. Kennedy's assassination in 1963; how our nation was never the same from that point on. We became a nation in turmoil, dealing with a ton of issues worldwide. Not only that, but it could also be about humankind as a whole. Early in the song, it talks of children being allowed to be kids while the parents cover up lies that go on in the real world. Kids are left to be naive and not have a care in the world while lawyers, fathers, and other adults cover things up. But eventually, the whole world crashes down and even children are exposed to the cruel events going on. It was a song written in 1989, but it still holds such a sobering tone to this day.

"In the Air Tonight" by Phil Collins - This song probably would've never been so high on this list if it weren't for the fact that it was played during a gruesome video I had to watch a couple of different times when I was in high school. The video was about drunk drivers and the harm they cause. Innocent people with families and bright futures are killed in an instant from stupid, drunken fools. In the video were images of those deceased, with brains oozing out of people's skulls, limbs decapitated from bodies, and individuals being completely unrecognizable from the severity of a crash. It really proved to be an eye-opening video for me and many others. In fact to this day, whenever I hear this song - I can't get that video out of my mind. The images have faded but the effect that it had on me lives on to this day. The song itself is actually quite simple and the lyrics aren't very long. But the music is what makes this song so powerful. I don't know what exactly the song is about and I guess that can be left up to whomever listens to it. But I really get a sense from the lyrics that it could be about someone that got away with a crime that should've been caught. The only problem is - he/her didn't know there was a witness watching each and every move the individual made. And in some ways, it could be about revenge. Again, that can be interpretted many different ways.

"Dust in the Wind" by Kansas - Another real simple song but the lyrics speak volumes. Just as "In the Air Tonight" is a shorter song, so is "Dust in the Wind." I think what this song really tries to convey is never take anything for granted - which I am sure we all do no matter how hard we try not to. The lyrics state "I close my eyes only for a moment, then the moments' gone ..." followed later by "same old song, just a drop of water in an endless sea ..." So yes, take in the present, continue to cherish the memories of the past, but don't take anything for granted because everything can change in an instant. All it takes is one event for a person's life to change. And most of the time, it's never something positive. So no matter how many possessions you own, how much money you have, and how much power in the world you may hold - don't let it get to your head. Because essentially, "all we are is dust in the wind." We're only a small fragment in the universe as a whole.

"What Might Have Been" by Little Texas - Okay, so country music isn't all that bad - especially when you consider songs like "What Might Have Been" which has some very powerful lyrics. The song itself is about a relationship that failed, and the person telling this story is remeniscing about the past and is regretful about not being able to make the relationship work. They hold such good memories of the past - but cannot rekindle their relationship because they've moved on and too much time has passed. As for me, I often think of the song when something you hope so badly for never ends up working out. One such time was when I was in the sixth grade and our school was playing for the state basketball title in our division. Needless to say, we did not win and it really hurt to come up so short in a game with high expectations. Heck, that goes for any team, both locally and professionally that I've rooted all my life for and to see them fail in the end. Basically the jist of it is this, you try not to think about what might've been - because things happen for a reason and we have to try and accept that as best as we can. No one should ever try beating themselves contemplating the "what if's" in life.

So that will wrap it up for now. I am sure as we move along, I'll come upon a new listing of inspirational songs - at least songs I find to be inspirational, anyways. I hope you agree, too. Thanks for reading!

Tentative Contract

Awhile back, I wrote about the potential of a strike at the place I work for. The labor contract for the hourly workers was set to expire at midnight on September 1, 2008. In fact, we were only four hours away from walking off the job (not me personally, because I got off at 7 PM). When we left work on August 31st (our scheduled shift had just ended) - we were basically resigned to the fact that a deal would not get done before the deadline approached. Officials that represent our union released a memo to all employees stating that the company was unwilling to settle to our demands, no additional negotiations were scheduled for the remainder of the day and to expect a strike. News that was so promising earlier in the day quickly went in the other direction and so did our moods. Of course we knew nothing was a done deal when we started our shift. But with the steel industry being so strong right now and the company earning record profits - how could we not share in some of that profitability? Not taking a chance that the contract could expire, management decided to shut down the plant well in advance of the contract expiring. It takes awhile to get everything down and flushed out - which is what took us to get everything down within our 12-hour shift on the 31st. It was nice to hear that it would soon be starting back up later that evening.

It's really kind of funny how things transpired that evening of the 31st. I came home after work, obviously frustrated of the news regarding the contract impasse. So I started to sit down and write a blog regarding the situation. I got two paragraphs written when I decided to take a break. I made a phone call home to my parents to let them know about what I had heard from work earlier in the day. As I'm sure some of you know, my dad also works at the same place I work. So I knew he'd be interested in knowing any news that I might have to share. I just got off the phone with my mom when I decided to check a few of the local media websites to see if they had any updates on the contract situation. No updated news yet, so I decided to check one of our sister union's website to see if there was any updates. And at the very top of the page, it read "tentative contract." I was baffled, confused, excited, and bewildered. There was a tentative contract afterall. I was particularly glad to know that I could have peace of mind knowing I had a place to go to work the next day and for the next four years to come, at least. But at that point, I had basically resigned myself to the fact that there wouldn't be a settlement and I'd be on strike the next day - especially when you consider the memo the union had released earlier in the day. So there was a tad bit of a let-down for me, as well. September 1 was Labor Day, afterall. I wouldn't have minded a few days off, I guess. But knowing we have a tentative contract in place and life can go on as normal, that was definitely a nice fact.

So I had to hurry up and call back my mom and let her know the latest news - that both me and my dad could go to work the next day afterall. This was only 15 minutes after I initially called her to say we'd probably be on strike. Obviously she was very happy, too. But it was incredible to experience the whirlwind of emotions that took place on that day. Who knew that being in a unionized work force could do that to a person. But what confused me the most out of this was the union saying to expect a strike, that the company had submitted it's last, best, and final proposal and no additional negotiations were expected the rest of the day. Obviously something changed dramatically soon after that memo was released to the employees in the union. Our new labor agreement is supposed to mirror several other agreements that have been reached between other sister steel companies and their repective unions that were settled within the last month. So taking that fact into consideration, it sounds like the new contract is an improvement over the old - which is what we're hearing. Not all of the details of the new deal have been announced and ratification of the contract may not take place until another two to three weeks. But the vote is coming. Small snippets of the deal seem to be released a little bit each and every day.

So there you have it - labor peace has been reached within our local iron range for another four years until this latest deal is set to expire. Now that could quickly change if the contract doesn't get ratified, but it's quite likely it will. That's kind of the way it goes when you work in the steel industry - always expect the unexpected. Cause you never know exactly when things are going to change. I know one thing is for certain, never take anything for granted, either.

America's Got Talent - Semi-Finals #1

I have decided to start blogging about the newest reality show I am hooked to - America's Got Talent. It's not quite as good of a show as American Idol, but it's still highly entertaining. Yes, there are some singing acts in this thing - but you add more variety acts and it throws everything wide open. As we saw last year, it's not always a singer that wins. So I have decided to start doing recaps of the live shows - which began last night. We saw the first ten acts perform out of a total of 40 acts. We will get through another ten tonight and we will see the remaining 20 next week (don't quote me on that, though). I promise that these recaps will be much shorter than the ones I do for American Idol. I just don't feel like going full-bore with the recaps of this show - at least not at this point. That may change as we move closer towards the finale. So here is what happened last night during America's Got Talent:

Extreme Dance FX (dancers) - They were the first group to perform live and they are made up of about nine people, ages 14 to 26 (in that range, anyways). I must say, I was very impressed with their dancing. They were basically on clogs and were dancing to the music very fast. Their choreography was spot on and they proved to be very entertaining to watch. They were very cool, edgy, and danced with some pretty hip moves. It's pretty clear they put a lot of time and effort into this routine and it paid off. I don't see them being kicked off anytime soon.

The James Gang (music group) - This is kind of a difficult group to describe because they are so unique and different. The James Gang is comprised of four African American males singing songs from the 1930's and '40's and making it look cool and hip doing so by incorporating fun skits and dance moves into the routine. They really help to showcase these sorts of songs to a new generation of people - which makes this group so endearing. I have to agree with the judges on their assessment of the group. They started out great but maybe added too many things into their routine and it made it look like they were trying too hard. They started doing a few magic tricks that went awry and it didn't make them look very good. Still, they were very good and should stick around for awhile.

Derrick Berry (as Britney Spears) - So here we have a Britney Spears impersonator and at first glance, you'd probably think this individual was a woman. Well, think again! Oh yes, a trans sexual trying to act like Britney Spears. The first time I saw him do his act I was very impressed. The second time I thought it was just ok. And now it's just getting plain old for me. I mean, pretty soon the guy is going to run out of popular Britney songs to sing. I just don't think he'll end up winning the whole thing based on his talents performed during the show. He's probably received enough exposure now to vault his popularity enough to start showing up at parties and events. But to perform a one-man (woman) show in Las Vegas? I just don't see it happening.

Elite (under 18) - This is one of the acts that bored me so far except for last night. The act is basically comprised of a 10-year old girl doing martial arts moves against her dad. I mean sure, it's probably a novelty to see someone of her young age performing martial arts but I never considered it to be winning-show material. That was until I saw the live performance last night. The entire scene was one depicted from a classic pirate ship story. The girl, along with her dad and a few others were dressed as if ready to appear in a Pirates of the Caribbean movie. And it was basically one against the rest as the young ten-year old girl kicked major butt. Do I think she has a chance to win the top prize? Maybe only slightly. But she definitely proved she deserved to be in this competition as long as she keeps it up.

Ronny B (novelty) - This is one act in which I can't comprehend why he's even in the top 40. He's probably slightly better than William Hung from American Idol, but only slightly. Yes, I agree with the judges in that he's kind of endearing and entertaining to watch. He really made a masterful effort in singing Ricky Martin's "She Bangs." But as I said, it was only slightly better than William Hung's version. Obviously he gets a lot of credit for doing this performance and being in the competition for as long as he has - but it was only with the judge's help. I just don't see him going very far and maybe, just maybe, the voters will agree and send him packing tonight. I could see him being this show's version of Sanjaya, however.

The Cadence (variety) - This is a very interesting act involving about five or six young guys playing an assortment of drums. They even pour water on the drums which causes water to shoot up and create lots of splashes. Last night they set their act to music with advice from Sharon Osbourne and it seemed to help make their act more interesting. I agree that they needed to tighten their act up a bit more that it was last night and they need to be more aggressive while performing. Still, I thought it was highly entertaining and I can see them sticking around for awhile.

Jessica Price (singer) - So we have our very first singer of the top 40 showcased and it's not really any surprise that she is one of the front-runners to win the entire show. During her first audition and Las Vegas auditions, she came off as being rather shy and subdued. She lacked self-confidence and it appears to be something she'll need to continue to keep working on. But she did a masterful job singing Cindy Lauper's "Time After Time," even though I could hear a bit of nervousness in her voice in the first half of the song. But the latter half was spot on. As long as she continues to choose the right songs to highlight her vocal abilities and continue to believe herself, she has the chance to go very far into this thing.

Shimshi (variety) - Here is our first magician of the top 40 and he seemed to wow the judges during the previous rounds, but during last night's live show, he clearly failed to impress. He did a pretty basic card trick (although it probably took a lot of practice) involving an individual from the audience picking a card, tearing a corner off the card, putting it back into the deck, shuffling the deck of cards, Shimshi putting duct tape on his shoe, and kicking into the air as the volunteer throws the deck of cards into the air and the magician picking the card the volunteer initially picked with the torn corner. I think the thing that made this the most interesting for me was whether or not he was going to be able to pull it off in front of live TV - which to his credit, he did. But upon further review, it wasn't that spectacular of a magic trick. He may be in trouble if he doesn't pick his game up even more.

DC Cowboys (dancers) - Look what we have here, a group of gay men dressing up as cowboys and doing a hoedown (well, not exactly). They are a dance group based out of Washington DC and they do regular shows. This is a group that just has not been able to impress me all that much since their initial auditions. I think they really laid an egg last night as their coreography seemed to be off and they didn't perform very well as a group. I think the novelty of their act has faded much like some of the other performers in this competition. They will really have to step up their game next week and maybe do a little more practicing if they hope to have a chance at the top prize in this competition.

Neil E. Boyd (singer) - And last but not least of the night, it's the operatic singer with amazing vocal skills. It really blows my mind that he has not been discovered yet - unless his weight has something to do with the lack of offers for him, which would truly be a shame if true. He's very emotional and it's pretty unusual not to see him cry while getting his critiques from the judges. But what can you possibly say negative about his singing abilities? He blew everyone away with his rendition of "Somewhere" from West Side Story. I guess the only thing I'd like to see him improve upon is his stage composure. He needs to try and keep it together better once his performance is over. And I realize he's had a tough road getting to this particular point in the competition - but his emotions could end up being a real turn-off for viewers after awhile. But I honestly don't think he has anything to worry about and he'll be around for a long time to come.

And here is how I rank the performers from last night:

1.) Neil E. Boyd
2.) Jessica Price
3.) Elite
4.) Extreme Dance FX
5.) The James Gang
6.) The Cadence
7.) Shimshi

The bottom of the pile - Derrick Berry, Ronny B, and DC Cowboys.

And we get to do it all over again tonight as another round of competitors take the stage for their first live performances from L.A. Please check back here tomorrow for that review blog.

Songs I Dig - 9

Wow, do I have a lot of catching up to do. Since August has been a whirlwind of a month - I have a lot of blogs to catch up on including the regular "Songs I Dig" blog. In fact, I had a SID blog planned for last month but I never got around to writing it. I will promise you this, though; you will eventually see it posted here as the 10th edition of the "Songs I Dig." It may not be right away, but it will be soon. I have a brand new list of songs that I am currently "digging" and a couple of the artists are new to the blog, while the remainders have already had songs featured here. So there won't be too many new surprises but each of these songs are great in their own little way. Let's start the latest edition of the SID!

"Broken" by Lifehouse - What more is there to say about this song other than it sure is good! "Broken" is the third track to be released from Lifehouse's "Who We Are" album. In my opinion, the songs are getting better and better as they are released. "First Time" was a decent up-tempo song and "Whatever it Takes" was a beautiful ballad. But "Broken" is the best of all three. It's got a haunting tune, lyrics that make you think, and it's all backed up by some great vocals by the band. I wouldn't be surprised if this song shoots up to the #1 spot very soon because it is quite deserving. And it appears that "Broken" may not be the final song released from this album as the band is looking to have a video make for the song "Make Me Over" by holding a contest for 60 USC School of Cinematic Arts graduate students to represent their own creation as the video to this song. Not bad of a deal for the potential winner. And for those watching out for a new Lifehouse album (not that this one is anywhere close to getting old for the fans) - internet rumors are circulating towards an early 2009 release. Let's hope they hold true.

"In This Life" by Delta Goodrem - This is the first newcomer in this edition and Delta is making her American debut in grand fashion. She hails from Australia and is a well-known singer down under, winning countless number of awards and claiming number one hits. However, just as it goes with many singers not from America - those outside of the U.S. border tend to struggle to be successful here. You look at Robbie Williams and a few others who are huge musicians over in their respective countries - yet they are virtual unknowns over here. However, Delta isn't off to too bad of a start with "In This Life." Probably the one thing that drew me to this song was it's unique sound. One thing I enjoy the most is when she sings the lyrics "in this life" before the chorus where she vocalizes in a variety of different melodies. You can definitely tell she has a very powerful voice which is easy to understand why she's known as a successful singer/song-writer in other parts of the world. If she keeps it up by releasing songs like "In this Life" here in America - she won't be as unknown over here, either.

"Disturbia" by Rhianna - I don't think I was all that happy when I first heard the news that Rhianna was going to release yet another song. Don't get me wrong, I think Rhianna is an amazing talent and she is deserving of all of the success she has achieved so far in her young career. But I was beginning to feel that she was going overboard when it came to releasing new music. I believe at one point, she had two songs out and a third if you count the Maroon Five collaboration. And at first, I wasn't a huge "Disturbia" fan. But the more I listened to it, the more I learned to love it. And lately, it's been one of those songs I never get tired of hearing. And you know which song I kind of compare it to? Michael Jackson's "Thriller," because it has that super-natural theme going on in the video. It's actually a very fun song and one that's easy to sing and dance along to. I can just imagine how popular of a song it is at the dance clubs. And needless to say, any male fans can never tire of seeing Rhianna in her skin-tight outfits.

"The Little Things" by Colbie Caillat - I don't know what it is, but Colbie's music has a way of drawing you in. And if you ask me, so far she has hit a grand slam since releasing her debut album titled "Coco." "Bubbly" ended up being a mega-hit with "Realize" being a nice follow-up. I think "The Little Things" is on it's way to being even bigger than "Realize." It's got a nice, soulful and soothing sound with not a lot of musical fanfare. It fits right into Colbie's genre of music. Just as it was with "Realize" for me, "The Little Things" was a song that took some time to really warm up to. But after awhile the "back up, back up" lyrics I was hearing began to get catchy and soon enough - I ended up having this song stuck in my head for an entire day! That's when you know you're hooked. It's a true love song and conveys the message not to screw up a good thing that's going on in any relationship.

"Dream Catch Me" by Newton Faulkner - This particular song has been playing on the radio for awhile but it's one that never gets old. It's a fun, light-hearted, and pleasant-sounding tune that really gets your toes tapping. Newton is a newcomer to the music scene, releasing his debut album titled "Hand Built by Robots" in July of last year. He's 23 years old and originates from England. "Dream Catch Me" has been out in the UK and was released around this time last year to moderate success. Is Newton going to be another one of those artists from the UK whom we'll never hear from again? Will he be one of those one-hit-wonders here in the states? Hopefully not, because I thoroughly enjoy the kind of music he puts out. He's got a folksy-soulful vibe about him and it appears he's into more of the light-hearted, pleasant subjects. It'll be interesting to see what else he releases from this album here in the states and what he may have up his sleeves in the years to come. He's definitely one of those up-and-coming artists if he can sustain his current success.

That about wraps it up for this particular edition of "The Songs I Dig." Once again, watch out for the tenth edition to be released very soon with songs that have been out for about a month or two already. All five are still very popular songs and continue to get plenty of radio airplay, so it's not like they'll be forgotten too quickly. It was a blog I never got around to releasing but one in which I very much intend to write. Not only that, but also look for a variety of other themed blogs as we wind down the rest of this month. I've got a lot of catching up to do and if you're a fan of my blogs - then you shouldn't be disappointed!

A Busy Month

It's hard to believe, but the month of August is already two-thirds of the way over. It really seems to have flown by for me as I've been going non-stop for awhile. And you can probably tell by my lack of blog postings lately that I haven't had much time to blog. Well, hopefully the end of the month will allow me some more free time to do writing because keeping up on my blog is a personal goal of mine and I don't think I've ever had a month where I wrote less than five blogs since being on Blogger.

Probably the activity that has kept me busy the most is the construction/remodel work taking place at my mom and dad's. I wrote about it in a previous blog; but for about a week straight, my dad and I worked many hours on the project. Of course I had already started taking all of the siding off the west wall of the house earlier in the month and before my dad and I really started working on it, he also did a good chunk of the demo on the rest of the siding that needed tearing off. But from Monday, August 11 through Sunday, August 17 - our main focus was tearing out the old and installing the new. By the time Sunday rolled around, we would've liked to have been farther than we had gotten, but that's basically how it goes in construction. One of the days we had to take a trip to town to get construction supplies and we didn't leave as soon as we would've liked. Then we spent too long in the home improvement store. And then another day, my sister and her kids were over, so our entire focus wasn't on the project for a good day in a half. Those two things slowed us down, but to be honest, I was pretty happy with all we had accomplished. All that we have left now is to install the vinyl siding, which I was able to start on this past Monday. I figure it should take us a couple of days to have the vinyl completely installed on the house and we can be 100% completed. Of course that's not taking into account other delays that could pop up and further disrupt our progress.

In the midst of all the construction work that was taking place, I developed an infection on one of my fingers which nearly made me take a trip to see a doctor. To make a long story short, it was caused by a bad habit that I still have been unable to shake for all these years - nail biting. Usually when I'm nervous is when I start to bite my nails or a lot of times, I like to trim off the hang nails that develop with nail clippers. I think what happened is I trimmed a hang nail from the side of my ring finger and dirt got stuck in there from work. Then in a matter of days, an infection formed. I will be honest, I've gotten these sorts of infections before, but my fingers usually just got red and it hurt to touch the sore area. But within a few days, my finger would be as good as new. Not this time - my ring finger only got worse and worse and before long, it was puffed up near the first knuckle and the skin was turning green near the side of my finger nail. I was getting pretty concerned, so I got on-line to see exactly what it could be. And wouldn't you know, it didn't take me very long to find out exactly what it was. I had Paronychia and it matched exactly the symptoms I had. At that point, it probably would've been a good idea to see a doctor for it the next day, but I figured I could at least attempt to fix it myself. So I got some hydrogen peroxide out, put some of it around the infection and see where things went from there. A little bit later, I got the nail clippers out and tried to open up the infected area and not before long, pus started to ooze out from one area. I soaked my finger in peroxide a few more times that day and by the time the next day rolled around, it was about as good as new. But that is one thing I have never experienced before - my finger being infected that bad. Hopefully it'll end up being a lesson-learning event for me. That's not really something I care to go through again anytime soon.

Another thing that has been bothering me as of late and started around the time of the construction project is the irritated and itchy skin around my ears, neck, and face. It all started with my ear lobes being really itchy at times and it seems to have progressed further and further to my face and neck. I think it's due to dry skin which is not really much a surprise because we haven't gotten much rain as of late and the humidity in the air has been pretty low. But I don't ever recall having dry skin around my face like this. I don't know if it's a combination of the weather and the soap I'm using - which I've never had a problem with before, or if it could be an alergy of some kind. If it keeps progressing, it's probably going to be something I'll have to get checked out. There have been moments when I can't stop itching and other times when it's been okay. I've been putting lotion on my face now which seems to be helping a little bit. I'll see if it ends up making any difference as the days move along.

So we are reaching the end of August and there's still lots that I intend to do. Hopefully in the midst of everything going on, I can still get out and enjoy the nice weather we've been experiencing. The temperatures have been really nice for this time of the year - hanging out around 80 during the day and in the mid 50's during the night. So that's one thing we can't complain about - although it would be nice if we did pick up some rain. The grass is starting to look quite parched and it wouldn't hurt if we got a nice soaking rain for a change. We'll see what happens as the rest of the month gradually comes to a close.

David Archuleta - "Crush"

Alright all of you David Archuleta fans out there - if you haven't heard yet, David premiered his first debut single from his upcoming album this morning on the Elvis Duran Morning Show. It is titled "Crush" and all I have to say is that it is fantastic! So far there has been a ton of positive reviews and this song will soon be headed up the charts! It's definitely a pop-kind of song and probably is for the younger audience, but even older fans are loving it, too. It has a nice beat and as always, David displays his excellent range and emotion in the song. Today officially starts day one of his post-Idol career and here's hoping it's long and very successful. If you don't mind me saying, he's off to a great start.

Listen to "Crush" by David Archuleta HERE.

To see In-Studio Video of David listening to the song play live for the first time on radio, as well as view a variety of pictures from today's premiere event and read listener comments, go HERE.

To visit a fan page created especially for David, to view a variety of pictures of David from not only today's event, but from the Idol's tour, click HERE.

And be sure to watch out for any exciting new David Archuleta news here at Luke's Ponderings! I may not update the blog about David Archuleta very often - but I follow the progress of David's fledgling music career all of the time. So if something important happens to him, I'll more than likely blog about it.