American Idol 8 - Top 36 Group 1

And here we are! It's the start of the season eight of American Idol performance review blogs here on Luke's Ponderings. Last night we had one group of semi-finalists perform and tonight we will find out which three will advance to the top 12. I'm not sure I'm digging this new format that American Idol has adopted quite yet - that is still up for debate. Anyways, it is what it is and we'll have to live with it for now. So tonight, we'll find out which top vote getting female and male contestant makes it through to the finals. Then, the third highest vote getter, whether it's female or male, will also advance. To be honest, there were only about three or four that sang that well last night, so the voting by the American public should've been pretty easy. On with the reviews!

Jackie Tohn - "A Little Less Conversation" : Jackie is probably our one and only true female rocker on this season of American Idol. I definitely liked how she put her own spin on this classic Elvis song. However, some of the phrasing of the lyrics was a bit awkward at times. It almost seemed as if she performed this song in the past. She certainly is a good performer, even though the vocals might not be spectacular. The performance didn't blow me away, per se, but it was still quite entertaining. Was it one of last night's best performances? It was up there, but not the best.

Ricky Braddy - "Song For You" : It's rather a shame that the producers did very little to promote this guy during the past few weeks because he's actually a very good singer and a likable guy. We certainly know a ton more about Michael Sarver and Danny Gokey than we do with Ricky. I think his lack of screen time will hurt him in the end. I was pleasantly surprised by his performance as he displayed great vocal control and had no trouble hitting the right notes in the song. It was basically a pitch-perfect performance and he injected a great amount of soul into the song. Simon said he may not have star quality - which he himself should accept some of the blame, seeing that Ricky's received very little air time on Idol thus far.

Alexis Grace - "Never Loved a Man" : She has definitely changed her image from the first time we saw her during the audition stage of the show. She looks more edgy and grown up, if you will. She's got a very big voice for such a small person. Another very soulful performance, like her predecessor. It was a very sassy, almost sultry performance. Who knew she had this in her? It was a very strong vocal performance and certainly not boring. In fact, it was a joy to watch. It ended up being one of the highlights of the night - the best female performance of group one. Showed a ton of confidence.

Brent Keith - "Hicktown" : It appears Brent would like to become a country star if he happens to make it far on Idol. He seems to have that country look to him and if he can succeed, he could go far. I am not familiar with country music, so I don't know anything about this song. It sounds like a country-rock kind of song; definitely something fun to dance to. It's up-beat and he's rocking out to it, but I don't think it's exactly the right song for Brent. I agreed with Kara's comment in that it was a safe song choice. He could've picked something that showed off his vocals more. At least he had fun with it.

Stevie Wright - "You Belong to Me" : Stevie was one of my favorites from the very beginning of this season. We really didn't see a whole lot from her during Hollywood Week, so I was pleased she made it through to the top 36. However, this song for her was the absolute wrong choice. It doesn't even start off all that well. It's very pitchy and it almost seems too low for her. She struggles with that lower register in the song. Yes, it's a fun up-beat song and it's a safe selection, but she doesn't even sing it half-way decent. I suspect her nerves may have gotten the best of her. It just didn't work out for Stevie last night.

Anoop Desai - "Angel of Mine" : Anoop is probably considered a front-runner of the competition thus far. And those are high expectations when the live shows are only just beginning. Like Randy commented, I thought this was a very interesting and ambitious song choice for Anoop. I don't necessarily believe it was the right song for him, either. At times it seemed too high for him and he had his struggles during certain moments. He's definitely a great vocalist and he did a decent job with the song. But it certainly wasn't his best; not as spectacular as it could've been. And that may hurt him at this stage of the competition.

Casey Carlson - "Every Little Thing She (He) Does is Magic" : Casey is a very good looking, cute girl. Just her overall image alone probably made the AI producers salivate. However, you have to be a good singer to complete that package. And Casey didn't do that last night. It turned out to be the wrong song choice again (and we saw that a lot last night). I don't necessarily believe that singing a song made famous by someone of the opposite sex is always a wise choice. Sometimes it works and other times, particularly in this case, it doesn't. Some of her facial expressions seemed inappropriate and it was like she was making a joke out of the whole process. Still, she had fun despite the performance being littered by off-pitch moments.

Michael Sarver - "I Don't Wanna Be" : I'm beginning to feel that this song should be one of those banned by Idol producers (even though no song will probably ever be banned) because it's becoming over sung. Personally, I enjoy Gavin DeGraw's interpretation of it as well as a few other past Idol contestants. However, Michael didn't end up hitting a home run with it. It was just okay for me. Michael seems more into the country genre than anything - he definitely has that look to him. This song never did properly display his vocals in the way that it should've. An example of the kinds of songs he should sing are like his performance during the sing-off, before the judges selected him as a semi-finalist. He can do a lot better, in my opinion.

Ann Marie Boskovich - "Natural Woman" : She was another one of my personal favorites prior to Hollywood week and she appeared to have a fan following. Ann Marie performs an incredibly huge Aretha Frankin song. Obviously Aretha is an incredible singer and you really need the vocal chops to perform a song like this. Unfortunately it falls short for me. She's off-pitch right from the start and she appears uninspired, just as one of the lyrics says. Yet again, another example of the wrong song choice. Just as with Casey, Ann Marie is very pleasant on the eyes but her singing is only sub-par.

Stephen Fowler - "Rock With You" : In my opinion, Stephen had a good chance to sneak into the top 12 if he presented a stellar performance during semi-finals. He really had a great tone to some of his earlier performances (except for that David Cook song where he forgot the lyrics). But he chooses a Michael Jackson song that is probably one of his least popular. This really fell flat and I agreed with some of the judges criticism in that it was all a bit corny. Even though he says he's not that strong performing behind a piano, what does he have to lose by giving it another shot? Overall, I was disappointed to see Stephen do so badly.

Tatiana Del Toro - "Saving All My Love for You" : Oh brother. Here we have everyone's favorite psycho contestant who is definitely one of the more talked about performers of season eight. Could it be possible that Tatiana could help to lift the spirits of the overall Idol audience by performing half-way decently? I was really questioning Tatiana's decision to pick a Whitey Houston song, much like Randy did. But all in all, it really wasn't that bad. I mean sure, it wasn't perfect; but it was probably the second or third best female performance of the evening. I thought it started off rather shaky and she was a bit hard to understand. But once the song got into a higher register for Tatiana, she performed much better. We'll see if America has fallen in love with Tatiana's antics after tonight's results show. Does she make it through?!?

Danny Gokey - "Hero" : Last but not least, it's Danny's turn to wow the audience. You know, maybe the producers were doing us a huge favor by scheduling Danny to sing last because he really lifted up my spirits after a dismal performance night. He's actually taken some harsh criticism from some of the on-line community because of the back-story involving his wife passing away four weeks before he auditioned. They feel he's been over-pimped by the producers and basically shoved in all of our faces. Give the guy a break already. It's not his decision to be so prominently displayed during these early rounds. And after all, he's a tremendous singer. He's set to go very, very far in season eight. He's already a consummate pro.

So, how do I rate tonight's perfomers? Here is a listing of the top six males and the top six females:

Top Six Male Performers:
1.) Danny Gokey
2.) Ricky Braddy
3.) Anoop Desai
4.) Michael Sarver
5.) Brent Keith
6.) Stephen Fowler

Top Six Female Performers:
1.) Alexis Grace
2.) Jackie Tohn
3.) Tatiana Del Toro
4.) Ann Marie Boskovich
5.) Casey Carlson
6.) Stevie Wright

And last but not least, who do I think will advance to the Top 12:

M - Danny Gokey
F - Alexis Grace
M - Anoop Desai

Enjoy the results tonight!

American Idol Season 8 - And So it Begins!

Ladies and gentlemen, let season eight of American Idol officially begin! Okay, so this season actually began over a month ago already. But to me, the real season of Idol begins next week. It all starts when America gets a say and votes for their favorites. I am pretty psyched for the semi-finals to begin where the top 32 perform live. This year, 12 contestants will perform per week with the three highest vote-getters moving onto the top 12. After three weeks, nine contestants will be selected by America to compete for the top 12. The remaining three singers will be considered "wildcards" and be selected by the judges. This will be an interesting twist to the competition; something that was done in previous seasons of Idol but not in quite some time. I guess I'll have to wait and see how things turn out before I like or hate this new selection process.

So far, no one is really jumping out at me as being a clear-cut favorite or front runner. In fact, I'd have to say that prior to the top 32 performing, this competition is about as wide open as it can get. I mean sure, there are definitely a lot of good singers in this season's semi-finalists. Danny Gokey, 28, from Milwaukee, Wisconsin is excellent. He has a sort of raspy singing voice; but in a good way. He has a voice similar to the lead vocalist of Blues Traveler, John Popper. He has a blusey-soulful sound to him. Simon made a comparison that he's like Elliot Yamin from season five. I can't say I disagree with that assessment. I will say this, however. I was greatly disappointed that his best bud Jamar Rogers got the axe. You can't tell me he was worse than the girl with the annoying laugh, Tatiana Nicole Del Toro or the slapstick comedian Nick Mitchell (who by the way, is very funny). As I said, I was disappointed the judge's didn't move him through. I think the show is being dictated more by the producer's who would rather see contestants that bring the highest amount of drama to the show versus those with actual singing talent. And honestly, what was up with the whole "judge's mansion" location this year? What was wrong with the "elevator ride of agony" like in previous seasons? Has American Idol jumped the shark?

Anyways, more contestants - others whom have a strong chance of making the top 12 include: Anoop Desai - honestly, he rarely ever goes off pitch! Matt Giraud - I thought he got better and better as Hollywood week moved along, plus he's also a fellow Michigander. Lil Rounds - she has major vocal chops; but she better lay off those Whitney or Mariah songs (don't these contestants ever learn?). As for everyone else - they are all equally as good. It's really hard to decide who's the best because they are all pretty decent. What will matter, however, is how they perform when they need to the most. If there's any pitchiness or forgotten lyrics, this year more than ever, it will prove costly.

I will say this - no season will probably ever compare to the joy I had in season seven. The top 12 from last season was probably the strongest ever in the history of American Idol. Last year I couldn't get enough American Idol and when that week's worth of shows was over, I couldn't wait until the next week. It was so addictive last year and although I was hoping I wouldn't get too caught up in the competition this season, I kind of hope something similar happens again this year. But so far, I am not feeling the excitement that I felt going into the top 24 of last season. Right from the start, David Archuleta was my favorite and I rooted him on to win right until the very end. But you just never knew what was going to happen. How can we forget the shocking elimination of Michael Johns? You just never know when that next shocking elimination might happen. And although I was disappointed that David Archuleta didn't win the crown of being the American Idol, I was still okay with it because I knew he'd be fine. His debut song "Crush" has already reached platinum status and is only 500,000 copies away from going double platinum. His debut album has sold 600,000 copies; certified as gold. He's about to emerge on a solo tour across the country - with many stops already sold out. Archie will do just fine, as will just about everyone else from the top 12 of season seven. Obviously the higher up you go in the show, the better off a contestant will be. But seeing how strong the top 12 was last season, I don't really think it matters what position a person was in.

With live performances taking place next week as American Idol moves into the semi-final round, be sure to watch for my Idol recaps next week. Usually they will be posted that night after the show is over or sometime the next day. It's finally here; season eight of American Idol!

A Blast From the Past - Old Journal #1

Back when I was in high school as part of an English course I was taking, we had to write journals on a regular basis. It wasn't a typical journal where you could write anything you wanted. The teacher handed out a schedule we had to follow along with specific journal topics we had to write. Overall, it was a fun thing to do - at least for me, anyways. I was going through all of my old assignments from high school and college tonight just for kicks because I hadn't really looked at those things for quite awhile. I tell ya, it really brought back some good memories. Anyways, here's one journal in particular that really hit home for me, especially at this time. The topic of this journal involved us writing about a situation or situations that made us realize we were no longer children. I got to see my Uncle John for the first time in many years when my grandma was dying in her hospital bed. That is why this particular journal is so poignant.

Journal #42
Written 5-5-1998

There have actually been a number of experiences in my life that made me realize I was no longer a child. They are just small instances that made me think at the time but didn't stick in my mind for long.

Probably the biggest incident happened at Christmas time in 1995. It was a couple days after Christmas day and we were headed out to my Grandma's house to visit and also to open some presents. When we got there, just my Grandma, her son, and two of my Uncle John's sons were there. We had a little Christmas dinner first, then we opened presents.

When I grabbed my Uncle John's present, I didn't know what to expect. He had always given me these strange presents before so I was a little leery about opening this one. I kind of shook it around at first to guess what it was but I couldn't tell, so I began to open it.

When I saw what the gift was, I was shocked. I had never gotten that kind of present before. But it was something appropriate for my age. It was cologne. Everyone in the room was chuckling a bit but I wasn't. I threw it in the box and never looked at it again. I always got some kind of toy from my Uncle John but never something like that. I guess that is something to expect from everyone as I grow older.

All the other incidents are less significant. The Christmas one is probably the most important as it does stick out in my mind as an event that made me realize I was no longer a child.


And you want to know something? I still have that cologne from that Christmas in 1995. I never became a big cologne wearer but I have used that particular cologne once in a great, great while. Ah, such great memories. It's really fun to go back and re-read these old journals. Don't be surprised to see a few more of these show up on certain occasions.

Street Lights

To start off the month of February, I am going to write about something that has occurred in the town where I grew up. Needless to say, I don't live there regularly anymore but I still visit quite often. It's a small town so not a lot goes on - but when something does, it definitely gets noticed, especially by me. During the past week, the power company has been changing street lights along the roads in the village - that includes the local roads and the state highway. In my opinion, this is a long time coming. Back in the early 1990's, the power company changed all of the street lights through the downtown section of the village and left the remainders throughout town in tact. The new lamps that were installed are the high-pressure sodium vapor lights; the ones that have an orangish-yellow glow. All of the rest were the old-style mercury vapor lights; which has the bluish-white glow. So all these years later, the power company has finally taken the initiative to make the switch. But I don't think they entirely had a choice.

Back in 2005, Congress passed an energy bill that basically phased out mercury vapor bulbs and ballasts. MV lights are the least efficient high intensity lighting that exists, except for an incandescent bulb which is worse. Sodium vapor and even metal hallide are much better and use much less energy to create light. So back in 2005, MV lights got their walking papers, so to speak. Production of MV ballasts ended in January of last year, meaning when an existing MV ballast fails, they have to be replaced by something else. If a MV bulb burns out, you can still find them but that is about it. So, if you live in a community that still has mercury vapor lights adorning the streets or you have one in your yard, eventually they will be replaced by something else.

It's nice to see the old hometown get with the times, although I think they didn't care as long as they had street lights. It all came down to the power company in making the switch. I had grown accustomed to the old lights around town; even in the neighbor's backyard. That one also got replaced this week by a new sodium vapor fixture. I never would've thought it could make a difference like it did, but even though the light is on our neighbor's property, it still basically lights up much of our backyard. Hey, we're not complaining about it, either. But just like with anything, it takes getting used to something all over again when you're accustomed to what used to be there. The street light across from our house seemed to shine more in our driveway than it does with the new lamp. But it's not too much of a difference, really. It's all about energy efficiency and in this day and age, that seems to be the norm.

Meaningful Songs in Times of Sorrow

The last few days I've been listening to songs that hold great meaning for me. There's one that's uplifting, others are reflective and one that's celebratory, of sorts. Some of them really help to bring out some emotion in me. If anything, they make me very sentimental. As I'm sure you know, this week has been pretty trying. Each new day is a tad bit better than the last; but it's going to take it's time. I can't expect myself to get over my grandmother's death in an instant; if I did, I'd consider myself to be downright heartless. Apparently I didn't realize how much of an effect she really had on me. Believe me, when she was in relative good health, she could be a pretty sassy woman. I know my mom would get disgusted with her in regards to some of her comments or actions. But I really think her illness tamed her. And I guess "illness" is the best way to describe it, because she had a multitude of problems. It's not like she had cancer; but it was very similar to cancer. Diabetes is what ultimately caused her death. It's been well over 10 years since she was diagnosed with it. As years passed by, her arteries got clogged. She even had to have some of her veins in her one leg bypassed because they were plugged. Then, arteries in her stomach became clogged and at that point, they couldn't do anything for her. They tried stents, but they were useless. She was in too weakened of a state to undergo bypass surgeries, so she was left to live out the rest of her life. And thus, that brings us up to the present day.

I got back to my apartment last night after an extended visit home. I was supposed to be back at work Tuesday morning but because of my grandma's death, I was on funeral leave for three additional days. Not exactly a great way to extend your weekend, that's for sure. But upon settling down, I walked over to the table and saw the Christmas cards I had received over the recent holidays. I picked up the one I received from my grandma with the signature saying "Love Grandma." I couldn't help but to tear up a little. I had other cards from various holidays stacked up under my table and I purposely went through the ones my grandma had sent. Each one holds a little more meaning for me now. Typically after awhile, I'd throw them out. I think I'll hold onto all of the ones I've collected from grandma for a long, long while.

Anything she gave me for gifts over the years will hold extra special meaning for me; there's no doubt about it. There are many shirts she's gotten me; one I've been wearing quite often lately because of our recent cold spell. It's a black and white checkered flannel shirt. It's so darn comfortable that I'll be wearing it a lot; as long as the weather stays cold. The slippers on my feet that I'm currently wearing were from grandma. The towels in my bathroom, the lunchbox in my closet, to the large canister of peanuts. Those are all from her. My grandmother may be gone in person, but she'll always remain with me in spirit. And all of those physical items will help me to remember her by in the years to come.

I hope for the readers of my blog, whether you follow it fairly frequently or check in every once in awhile - that you don't mind me rambling on and on about my grandma and her recent passing. I think in a way it's helping me to grieve by getting my words out there. In time, my blogs will return to discussing every day topics. But in the meantime, this is like a written memorial to my grandma. This blog initially started with a musical theme in mind but soon transitioned into my emotional state. Well, the meaningful songs I've been listening to lately have also helped me to grieve in a way. Their messages are poweful; and they really get you thinking about life. One of them I wrote about a little while back as part of my "inspirational music" series. It's a song by Kansas titled "Dust in the Wind."



Last but not least is a classic by ol' blue eyes himself; Frank Sinatra. I don't know how I happened to think of this song but it is just so fitting for circumstances like these. It's definitely a song of reflection, one of contemplation and of life choices. It's definitely a song that focuses on life and the decisions that went into completing this "life." And at the end of the day after the reflecting is over, this individual lived this life to their choosing because after all, "Yes it was (my) their way." It's none other than "My Way."

The Spiritual World

It's been three days since my grandmother passed and although I still have difficult moments in dealing with her death, overall I'd say I'm doing fine. She didn't want us to grieve too much for her and we have to keep in mind that she is in a much better place now, no longer having to suffer with the pains of her illness that she had to put up with for so long. What still gets me down is when I think about her laying in that hospital bed suffering and so drugged up. Then her telling my mom two night's before her death that she's going to miss her. Death is just so final. There's no turning back; no way to turn back time. All that remains are the memories. My grandma was just short of her 80th birthday, which she would've turned in June of this year. My mom and sister were going to plan a small party for her and as a matter of fact, they were talking about this a few days prior to her getting deathly ill. Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be.

My grandmother's passing was the first real death I've had to deal with in my family ever since I was real little, when both of my grandfather's passed away less than a year apart when I was five years old. It's been a real eye-opening experience for me. And what makes it easier to deal with is the fact that we've had two to three years to prepare for her ultimate passing. We knew it would happen eventually; we just didn't know when. Luckily for us, she was able to be with us for a lot longer than the doctors had initially predicted. Now I am left to wonder what it must've been like for her to die in those circumstances and leave everything behind. Dying is a part of life. We all must experience it at some time or another. Some experience it sooner than others. But I have to wonder what it must be like for her up in heaven now. What was her journey like from the real world to the spiritual world? What is it like to see friends and family members that have passed before her again? All of these truly are fascinating topics to ponder.

Needless to say, my grandmother's death has sparked my interest in knowing exactly what happens when people die. People have all sorts of opinions on what actually happens when we die. Some believe nothing happens when we pass on, while others believe we make the journey into heaven. A lot of our opinions are based on the religion we are part of. The common belief is that that there is a transition that takes place between human life and the spiritual. For those individuals that have experienced near-death occurrences, they claim to have had an out-of-body experience where a person's soul is outside of the actual body over looking the surroundings at the time the person has died and the soul not being able to communicate with anyone else who may be there. Then there's a transition to a light at the end of the tunnel; a darkened space which gradually opens up to a lighted area. People have also claimed to experience the overwhelming feeling of love upon arriving to the spiritual world, where they are greeted by spirits; angels if you will. There, they are communicated to - and for those who aren't ready to die yet, they are sent back to their bodies to live out the rest of their life. For those that may not believe in this kind of thing, you should check out some of the real-life accounts on YouTube. I am not here to sway people into believing something completely different from what they are used to. But the process of transitioning from human to spiritual life is a fascinating, yet heavy topic. Some people just aren't comfortable talking about it. That is completely understandable, too.

I guess you could say what actually happens to us after we die is still mostly a mystery. People have had first hand accounts of nearly dying but then coming back to life. Are we to believe that what they recall is true? There definitely seems to be a pattern amongst all of these near-death experiences. But it still is a secret; a mystery that we'll never be able to understand until we've reached that point. The idea of not knowing can be frightening, yet fascinating as well. We just can't completely shut out that idea - otherwise we'll be in for one big surprise once we get into the spiritual world.

Saying Goodbye

How do you begin to say goodbye to someone that's been part of your whole life? That's what I'm about to do in this blog, in speaking about my Grandma Lillian who passed away earlier this afternoon from a lengthy illness. Me and my family went to visit her yesterday - which ended up being the final time I got to see her alive. Seeing her in the condition she was in was very hard. But it was even harder when it was time for us to leave. She wasn't responsive the whole time we were there, which was about two hours. Her body seemed so lifeless, although she was still breathing. She would flinch every now and again and was in a very deep sleep. But she never opened her eyes. And I didn't get a chance to speak with her one last time. Either way, I still think it would've been difficult saying goodbye to her. As it was as we exited her room, when knowing that was going to be the final time I'd see her in person, I began to weep uncontrollably. I thought I did a good job of staying strong up until that point. I got a little misty-eyed at times, but I just couldn't hold it in at that point. Well, what are you gonna do? She was my grandmother after all. And now, the grieving process begins.

She died around noon with my sister, one of her sons, and a grandson by her side. In somewhat of an amazing coincidence or simply a matter of fate, my sister entered the room and just as she arrived, my grandma took one final, long breath and then passed away. My sister is a nurse at the hospital where she was and although she wasn't officially on duty the past few days, last night she took care of grandma. My sister woke her up at one point, communicated to her who all had been there the past few days to see her, which then she moaned a response, kind of cleaned up her face, and then told her she'd be there the next day to see her. Even though it seemed like grandma wasn't responsive, we still believe she knew what was going on. She knew that my sister was going to be back that next day around 11:30 and noon, and she waited. She waited to stick it out just a bit longer for my sister to arrive before breathing her last breath. Take it how you will, but my sister probably held the deepest connection to my grandma out of all of us. Her temperament, personality, to even physical features mirrored my grandma. So it only makes sense she would be there to see grandma pass away.

I'll say this about Grandma Lillian, she was a very strong woman. During her illness, she endured a lot of pain; oftentimes excruciating pain. I never saw her cry about anything and she wasn't afraid to speak her mind. No, she wasn't the sweet, pleasant granny you see in cartoons. But it's what made her unique. She didn't put up with a lot of crap but she was sweet in her own ways, too. She always sent cards for important occasions and never stopped giving presents, either, even in her deteriorating condition. Whenever she needed something fixed at her house, either my dad or I would help out. We've done a lot for her over the years and although her illness was slowly zapping energy away from her, it was still grandma. She was feisty, stubborn, funny, sometimes zany, and usually a lot of fun. All of these and more are reasons to miss her.

You know, it's difficult to recall every single fond memory about grandma in just one blog. I had been trying to remember some of the most prolific to write about in preparation of her death. We knew as of Saturday that she wasn't much longer for this world. I had began thinking of the times when she would tag along with me and my parents when we went to watch both of my sisters play basketball in high school. No matter how far away they were, she'd come along. If the games were close enough to one of the bigger cities that had a fast food restaurant, we'd make a stop before going home to have a bite to eat. Just having her be in our presence was a real treat during those basketball trips. And when I got old enough to start playing basketball, she'd come to my games. But eventually she couldn't hack sitting in the bleachers anymore as they would hurt her back. So it got to the point where she couldn't come anymore. Oh well, it didn't matter anyways as I would end up quitting basketball altogether after my freshman year. Still, she was one supporter I enjoyed seeing in the stands.

One of her passions was bingo. Prior to her getting sick, she'd go bingo every night she could. I even accompanied her one time along with my mom to bingo. Neither of us won anything, but just seeing her in her glory was a real treat. I'll never forget the time when she, my mom and sister all won these huge jackpots at a bingo hall that has since closed up. I swear, that was the biggest highlight of her life when she won that much money. Even when she was pretty frail, just a year or two back, she'd venture out just to go bingo. It was an activity that was the highlight of her elderly life. I often think she loved it more than life itself. But it allowed her to get out of the house and to stay active. It didn't matter how many times we told her to quit, she still went anyways. I wouldn't say she was addicted, but pretty darn close. She didn't gamble away her money at least, although she never lived a truly extravagant life, either.

I don't care how much a person tries to prepare themselves about losing a loved one. For us, we had two, even three years to prepare for her ultimate death. She proved a lot of people wrong, especially the doctors who told her she had six months to a year to live. She lost weight and people thought that was such a great thing. No it wasn't great because she was starving herself because of the immense pain she would get in her stomach if she even tried eating a lot. She would eat just tiny portions as that's all she could handle. Like I said, she was a tough woman. She lived with diabetes for at least 15 years, suffered from a stroke that left part of her left side paralyzed, endured a heart attack during one of her last operations that left her heart weak, and stomach problems that ultimately cost her life in the end. The veins in her stomach ended up getting calcified and because of her condition - there's no way she could've gone through surgery and survived. Her intestines became blocked and gangrene set in. She struggled for a long time and put up with a lot. She outlived the projections they gave on her life. She was an amazing woman and I couldn't be more proud of her. And with that, I ultimately say goodbye, god bless, and may Grandma Lillian rest in peace up in heaven. She no longer has to suffer.

Layoffs Begin

It's hard to believe that it's January already - almost 60 days have passed since I informed you that layoffs would take place where I work, affecting some 350 employees. I am relieved to say that I am not one of those individuals being laid off. But there are a lot of co-workers that are, people I work with day in and day out and for them, I feel very sorry for. Many of them have families and are raising young kids, even. They can't afford to be laid off. There's unemployment - but that's nowhere close to a regular week's pay. You just have to hope that for everyone involved, the economy will make a quick turn around and we'll be producing iron ore pellets just like we've been able to do for the past few years.

The problem is, nobody seems to know how long this economic downturn will last. The best predictions seem to say at least a year, if not longer. But like I said, that's not even set in stone. Additionally, another 75 people will be laid off beginning in March. People with more seniority than me are being laid off in the next round. Now I have a job that has pretty good job security which is why I shouldn't get affected with the newest round of layoffs. But who's to say they don't need as many people with the same job classification as me? Maybe they only need half as many people that's required to run the place right now. That could mean I'd be laid off as well. You just never know how things can turn up. And with the amount of rumors that have been going wild at that place for the last month, you can't really pay much attention to it. All you can do is stay vigilant and hope for the best and to not let all the rumors get to your head.

So it's official; the layoffs will begin starting this Sunday and another round comes in March. The full listing of names on the new list have not been revealed, but I am expecting not to be laid off then. But I'm not counting my chickens before they're hatched, because anything can happen. I don't want to get my hopes up too high that'll I'll be safe, otherwise I might be in for a big fall. Our production has been cut back to 2.7 million tons of pellets for the year, compared to the 5 million we produced last year. So as you can see, it's a big drop off which is why we won't need near as many people running the plant as in the past few years. From one end of the plant to the other, it's 0.75 of a mile long. I would say only 0.25 of it will be running this year. And until the global economy picks up and there's more of a demand for steel, that's probably where it'll stay.

Eye Exam

For those of you who have known me personally for quite awhile, you know that I've worn glasses since junior high (and actually I should've been wearing them prior to that - I was just scared of wearing them. I think that's covered in another blog). Every couple of years, I go and have an eye exam done and if my vision has gotten worse or my glasses are ready to fall apart, I go ahead and get new ones. The lenses on my current glasses became all scratched and at some point during late-summer to early-fall, the lenses got coated with a residue, something like spray paint over spray. We were able to get the residue off but the lenses need to be replaced because they are so scratched up. So I figured it was as good of time as any to get an eye exam and new glasses. This took place on Saturday.

Going in to see the eye doctor is not a favorite thing for me to do; but it's just one of those things that has to be done. I must say, the place that I go and get my eyes checked are real good at what they do. They've been around for about five years, if I'd have to guess, and they're such great supporters of the community. The eye doctor there has the ability to take pictures of the back of your eye to see if the muscles and the base of the eye all look healthy. I would say the extent of the examination of the eyes at this place is very thorough, so if he saw anything that was of a concern, he'd definitely be able to discover it. The good thing is that both eyes were healthy and my vision had only changed very slightly for the worse. That's always a good thing.

So it ended up being another excellent eye exam for another couple of years. And seeing how the insurance at work has changed, I have the option of getting an eye exam every year now. If my eyes get any worse within the year, I can go back and get a new pair of glasses again! I don't forsee that happening, as ever since junior high, my eyes have changed very minorly each time I've visited the eye doctor. I still don't feel comfortable to the idea of having contacts, plus it'd be one less of a hassle I'd have to deal with. So for now, I'm happy with my glasses. And in about a week's time, the new ones should be in.

Closing Down

Rumors have been running rampant that Hudson's Classic Grill in Marquette will soon be closing it's doors, on the heels of other eateries like Fazoli's and The Waterfront Restaurant. I had a hard time believing a place like Hudson's would be closing - because it always seemed like one of the more popular restaurants around. There always seemed to be people coming in and out of that place and for awhile and they advertised pretty heavily on the local radio. But after eating at this restaurant tonight, I've gotta say the writing is on the wall that Hudson's will be the next eatery to close down in the Marquette area - and I can't totally blame the economy on this one.

We get there around 4:00 in the afternoon - and it's Saturday. You would think it would be a little busier than it was, but only a few tables in the restaurant were occupied. We sit at one of the booths in the non-smoking section and wait for our server, as the person who showed us to our table said she would. She was no where to be found, so he got us our drinks and we waited for her to show. She finally did; and we were ready at that time to order. So we waited, and waited, and waited some more for our order to arrive. Like I said, the restaurant was not very busy at all. The food should've arrived in a much more timely fashion than it did. There wasn't a single person around us and the only other customers at this restaurant were at the other side of the room! Still, we waited and my dad was getting more and more pissed by the minute. I honestly think he was about to say something right before our food came. Did I mention the prices in the entire menu went up by about a minimum of a dollar for each item? Yeah - some of their food is getting to be downright outrageous. Let's just say we had very poor service the entire time we were at Hudson's. Our waitress only asked us one time if our food was ok; and that was after we had almost consumed everything. We hardly even saw her at all the entire time we were there! She didn't ask either me or my dad for a refill - that job went to one of her fellow employees who just happened to notice as he walked by. Needless to say when we left, we didn't leave a tip.

I had no gripes about the food; it was as good as always. But the service in general was very poor. We had a long wait for our food despite the fact that the restaurant had very few customers, our waitress was very poor in her service and the price of our meals were outrageous. That, and you combine the fact that on a Saturday afternoon when at least half of that restaurant should be full when only a few tables were occupied, all of the signs are pointing towards an impending closure of Hudson's. I hope I am wrong, because it's been one of my favorite local eateries since it opened last decade. But the writing is on the wall that this place won't last very much longer into the new year if this continues.

Songs I Dig - Top 10 Songs of '08

Howdy folks; welcome to this very special edition of the "Songs I Dig." Instead of presenting to you five new or recent songs that I find to be great to listen to as of this moment, I am going to look back upon 2008 and present to you the songs in which I think are the top ten of the entire year. All of these seletions were on the "Songs I Dig" blog at some point during the year, so I can promise you no surprises. It took a little bit of work and deliberation on my part in deciding exactly which song should receive top honor for the entire year and where the rest of the songs should fall in the countdown. For those that follow this blog regularly, rarely do I ever present the SID blog in a countdown format. Well, the year-in-review SID blog will be a countdown. So, with all of that out of the way, I now present to you the top ten songs of 2008, as part of the "Songs I Dig" blog at "Luke's Ponderings." Enjoy!

#10 - "One Step at a Time" by Jordin Sparks: 2008 was a very good year for season 6 winner of American Idol Jordin Sparks. Her debut, self-titled album has achieved platinum status here in the United States and all three of her songs off the album have been hits, including "One Step at a Time." Now Jordin will have to step to the plate and deliver a strong performance for her sophomore album. It might be a tough follow-up for her.

#9 - "Disturbia" by Rihanna: Here is an artist that had a huge year in 2008. It seems like everything she touches turns to gold (or platinum). Not only did she release the catchy and unique song "Disturbia" in the past year, but also other hits such as "Don't Stop the Music," "Take a Bow," and "If I Never See Your Face Again," a duet with Maroon 5. Don't look for her to stop anytime soon; her fourth studio album is set for release in 2009.

#8 - "Broken" by Lifehouse: This turned out to be a favorite of mine during the year, as "Broken" is a soothing power ballad with great vocals and a haunting sound. It was the third song from their fourth studio album, "Who We Are." In my honest opinion, "Broken" is probably the best song released from the album, but it's kind of neck-and-neck with "Whatever it Takes," which was another big hit for Lifehouse in 2008.

#7 - "Say" by John Mayer: I get the feeling that John Mayer is an artist that doesn't get the kind of recognition or respect that he deserves. Say what you will about the guy; one thing he most certainly is is an established singer/song-writer. "Say" brought him great success in the year 2008, propelled after the song was featured in the soundtrack to the movie "The Bucket List" featuring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. Don't sleep on John Mayer, either, as it won't be long before we hear another future hit from him very soon.

#6 - "Fall for You" by Secondhand Serenade: Congratulations are in order for this group, who became a household name in 2008 after their smash single "Fall For You" was released from their album "A Twist in My Story." "Fall For You" has already been classified as a platinum hit, and it's not very hard to understand why. It's one of those love songs that's easy to get behind and understand. Heck, it easily could become a new couple's wedding song, it's that good.

#5 - "Shake It" by Metro Station: Who would've thought that a Cyrus family member other than Miley would've had one of the best songs of 2008? Metro Station is comprised of Trace Cyrus, Blake Healy, Mason Musso, and Anthony Improgo and together they composed a very catchy, upbeat, and fun song to dance to in "Shake It." The song is what really propelled them to stardom in 2008 and it wouldn't surprise me to hear from them again in the new year.

#4 - "Come On Get Higher" by Matt Nathanson: I love it when an artist with very little notoriety releases a song that becomes one of the biggest hits of the whole year. Matt Nathanson is no stranger to the music industry, but he's never had a hit song quite like "Come On Get Higher." And with only two songs released from his current album, "Some Mad Hope," expect one or two more releases from his album in 2009.

#3 - "Viva La Vida" by Coldplay: Talk about one of the biggest hits of the year; it was unusual NOT to hear this song played every hour this past fall. With the way this group continues to put out hits, I'd be surprised if they broke up anytime soon (there was talk of them putting out new music for a limited time). The success of "Viva La Vida" alone has pushed their current album to sell over 2 million copies in the United States.

#2 - "I Kissed a Girl" by Katy Perry: And the award for newcomer artist of the year goes to Katy Perry! Although the song deals with a taboo subject, it's catchy and downright fun. It reminds me of the song "Stacy's Mom" released a few years back by Fountain's of Wayne in that it deals with a touchy subject yet it's so much fun to sing along to. Even though 2008 was Katy's breakout year, I have a feeling we'll be hearing a lot about her in the years to come.

And with the "Songs I Dig" 2008 song of the year:



#1 - "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz: "I'm Yours" was probably the most played song in 2008 in addition to it being one of the best (and the very best if you value my opinion). The folksy-jazzy sound of the song really makes it a fun one to listen to. One of the things I like about Jason is that his music is always upbeat and positive. It's a song that I know pretty much by heart now and it will remain one of my favorites into the new year.

And there it is, your top ten songs of 2008. Nothing scientific went into this as it's based on my own opinion. I must say all of these songs I enjoyed listening to most and some I listened to more than others. But that wasn't the deciding factor in who got #10 and who got #1. Radio play and general public popularity also factored into my decision. I hope you enjoyed my selections and agreed with the placements. Be sure to look forward to more "Songs I Dig" blogs in 2009!

Ringing in the New Year

So I didn't do anything extravagant for New Years Eve - just took things easy and watched all of the festivities from the comforts of home. I don't know about you, but whenever the countdown begins towards the new year, a sense of joy comes over me. Then as the clock hits midnight, chills come over my body. I don't know what it is; the pure excitement of a new year starting or just the fact that it's like a clean slate for everyone to start over again. And with the way 2008 turned out for a lot of people, maybe 2009 will turn out to be that much better for a lot of people. For me, celebrating the new year in the quiet comforts of home is rather enjoyable, to be honest. I've never been one for the party scene, so it's only fitting.

We are now into 2009 and I have to think, where have the years gone? You know what they say about aging, the years just go by faster and faster. It's unfathomable to me that we are in the final year of this decade. 2010 starts a whole new decade and by the time 2019 comes around, we will all be that much older. Ugh, enjoy each and every year while you can and don't take things for granted. This present decade was a pretty memorable one; from graduating high school, starting college, living on my own, graduating college, and living an independent life and earning my own money by working full-time. Of course there are goals such as buying my own home and starting a family that still need to be achieved. But it's only a matter of time before those important goals come to fruition.

I remember when the year 2000 was a huge deal for the entire world. We weren't sure if our electronics and technology could handle the conversion to a new millenium. If it couldn't, we could be sent hurdling towards a new dark age. Obviously that was blown way out of proportion and our transition into a new millenium was a very smooth one. Hard to believe that was already nine years ago. And the whole "party like it's 1999" craze was exactly ten years ago. WILD! Like I said, where have the years gone?


Please be sure to check out my latest edition of the "Songs I Dig" blog. I had started composing it on 12/29/08 and just finished it this evening. That is why it is showing up in the December 2008 archive. Here is a handy link to go back to this specific blog entry: Luke's Ponderings: Songs I Dig - 12 . You can also scroll down just a few entries down to find it, as well.

2009 Blog Notes

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

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

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

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

Songs I Dig - 12

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy Holidays!

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

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

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

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

$1.50 for a Small Fraction of Fame

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

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

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

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

A Week of Being Sick

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

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

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

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

A Great New 'Toon

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

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

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

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

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

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

Economic Crisis Hits Home

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

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

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

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

Classic TV Advertisements

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



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

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



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



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



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

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