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.

Home Remodeling

Next month, my dad and I are tackling a home remodeling project where we'll replace two old windows and re-side a portion of the house. The windows are different sizes from what is currently in place, so we have to create new rough openings, make some minor repairs inside the house where the new windows will be installed and then eventually re-side two portions of the front of the house. This type of construction is what we've done on our house in the past - but dealing with vinyl siding is something we both have never dealt with before. My dad is more familiar with installing new windows more than I, but it has been years since he's done such work. So we're going to be a little rusty when it comes to actually performing the work in the new month. But I must admit, doing these kinds of projects really gets me worked up and it's something I enjoy doing.

We've made big improvements to the house over the years. Probably the biggest project we've ever finished was an addition to our garage. I can't remember the exact dimensions - but it was somewhere around a 24' x 18' addition. We had an old storage shed where the new addition currently sits and it sat atop a small embankment. It was an older building - if I was to guess when it was constructed, I'd say the 1950's or '60's at least. The timbers supporting the structure were beginning to rot and the embankment was slowly starting to erode away. We were running the risk of having the building slide into our existing garage, so we decided to make the move and demolish the old shed. It was something I really looked forward to doing, that I ended up tearing the entire shed down by myself. I was probably 15 or 16 years old then. It only took me a couple of days to bring the structure down, too. It wasn't a huge building by no means, but it probably was something that should've been handled with two people. But I was so eager and anxious to get the structure down - I didn't need any help. And I took the building down piece by piece. There were no backhoes, power tools, or other heavy machinery used to bring it down. All I needed was a crowbar or two and a hammer. I actually enjoyed it.

Once I had everything cleared from the old building site, my dad decided that he wanted something to replace the old shed. And seeing that the old building sat directly behind the garage, the piece of land would be perfect for an addition. The only trouble was, the building site was built up some six to ten feet above the existing garage structure, so we had to have the area dug out. What made it even worse was that the area could not be accessed with a backhoe because of terrain and building issues. My dad and I had to dig the entire area out by hand in order for any thoughts of an addition being built there could happen. So that's what we did. We hauled load after load of soil over to my uncle's property where we helped him build a new road on the backside of his property to access one of his buildings. Eventually the digging got even tougher as we got into some bedrock. I remember my dad and I swinging a big sledge hammer to break up many different slabs. We eventually hauled this gravel-like material over to my uncles and laid that ontop of the soil we previously put down on the new road. Heck, we became road builders, too!

I think it took us two years before the area was finally dug out enough to where construction could finally take place. However, we had to have some material brought in - sand to be specific, so a cement floor could be laid. Also, since the south end of the new addition would actually be built into the ground, much of the walls on the south and west side had to be constructed of cement block. Neither one of us had ever dealt with laying cement walls, so we had that and the pouring of the cement floor contracted out with a couple of local guys. They did a decent job and I know they were much quicker with it than both my dad and I ever could've been. So we let the cement cure for a good few weeks at least before we purchased lumber and started building walls. And really, we didn't have too many walls to build since a lot of the structure would already be cement. That part was probably the easiest. Once the walls were completed, our biggest challenge would be setting the roof trusses. My dad ended up recruiting my uncle and his son to help us out. And with those two extra helpers, it really went fast! Before we knew it, we were able to start tacking down some plywood. I do remember my dad becoming very frustrated in building new valleys for the addition connecting to the house - which he needed my uncle to come back and help us with. So with that out of the way, we were able to put on a roof. We went with a metal roof for the addition, which I think looking back, my dad probably wished he went with shingles. But nontheless, what's done is done. He's now looking to put metal roofing on the rest of the garage as the old portion of the garage is shingled.

Eventually we'd get the metal roof installed, have the windows and doors installed, put up the siding, and the structure would finally be all-weather proof. Our work would now be focused on the interior, where we'd make the new addition more of a work shop and portion to the east side set aside for a sauna. The sauna took us some time to complete as we had to construct it with cedar paneling and make it moisture resistant. When it was done, it was certainly worth the wait. Heck, after nearly 10 years later, our sauna is still often used. And our new garage workshop gave us much more room for storage. We really ended up doing a good job with the project which is why it's one of our most memorable home remodeling projects ever.

My dad and I probably are not done with the home remodeling work on the house yet. Just this afternoon, he was discussing with me his plans to buy two more windows and replace them in his bedroom. I know we were looking at doing this next year - but he may be seriously considering doing this fairly soon. Whatever the case, it needs to be done. The house isn't getting any younger and he really needs to get it fixed up before he retires. Then, he won't have to worry about any major improvements to the house for the rest of his life. Whether we do that this summer or next, I know it won't be the end of our construction work. And I'm not afraid to admit that I certainly don't mind.

Roadgeek

So, are you a roadgeek? I admit that I qualify under that term. And there's a majority of people out there who probably don't know what a roadgeek is. Well simply put, the definition of "roadgeek" as found on Wikipedia is this: "an individual involved in "roadgeeking" or "road enthusiasm" - an interest in roads as a hobby." As far as I can remember, I've always been interested in roads and road construction. Now there are such people out there who are hardcore roadgeeks where they travel hundreds if not thousands of miles across a particular region just to see what the particular numbered state route or freeway looks like. Take for example in Michigan, where hardcore roadgeeks travel all across the state to "clinch" their trips to see all of the M-numbered highways, US-numbered highways, and Interstate highways in the state. Some even take pictures of the designated highway shield as proof they've been there. Now I don't take it that far and if I happen to be traveling through a particular area that I've never driven or haven't visited in awhile, then I take notice but always focus on the roadways. I admit, seeing the discrepancies in highway construction and planning can be quite fascinating.

Take for example here in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. As many of you may know, the U.P. is pretty isolated with miles of trees taking up a lot of the acreage up here. Most of the highways here are two-laned, except when you hit the bigger towns and cities where they tend to be four-laned. The U.P. is home to only one Interstate highway and that's I-75 that starts at the Mackinac Bridge in the Southeastern corner of the U.P. and heads north to Sault Ste. Marie where the highway heads up into Canada. I live in the central portion of the peninsula and it's pretty rare for me and my family to see that end of the U.P. since it's a couple of hours away. If we go anywhere out of the area, usually it's to the south and west. We have at least five US-numbered highways with the majority of them being two-laned (but four-laned in bigger towns and cities). And then of course the state routes, which have the letter "M" in front of the route numbers, like M-28 which is the longest route in the Upper Peninsula. These are very similiar to the US routes up here. There's not a lot of major road building that takes place up here. The population generally stays pretty flat from year to year, so the state department of transportation doesn't feel the need to upgrade the routes to freeway standards. And for the most part, I agree with their decision making. However, they could stand to invest a little more money in the highway transportation needs up here.

You take for example the state of Wisconsin. US-41, the major north to south route up here, makes it's way south through eastern Wisconsin, beyond Milwaukee and heads out of state. Wisconsin is currently undertaking a major upgrade to the final segment of the highway that's two-laned between the communities of Oconto and Peshtigo. Currently it's a busy stretch of road with many vehicles traveling north or south on just two lanes. Traffic accidents have been more frequent as well, so Wisconsin stepped up the plate and began upgrading the route. So the need to upgrade that strech of roadway makes sense. So what are they doing here in Michigan on US-41? Not much of anything. But then again, the state of Michigan is hurting financially as it is. So it's not really much of a surprise that the state is laying low in expanding their routes. They're having a hard enough time as it is maintaining good pavement quality on their roads statewide as it is. But here in the central and western Upper Peninsula, a major north to south four-laned divided highway is sorely needed. Heck, we don't even have a divided highway that goes east and west along the entire length of the peninsula. And I know what the traditionalists and preservationists are gonna say - if you want to keep the U.P. scenic and natural as it is now, don't build major highways. But goods and services need better means of getting across the U.P. than on two-laned highways. Also, if we're to have more higher paying jobs come to our area, we need the bigger highways. It's as simple as that. Marquette, the largest city in the Upper Peninsula, is not served well by our current highway system. Major development is occuring along the highway through the city already and it's causing the roadway to become very congested. So there is definitely room for improvement when it comes to transportation issues here in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

I could go on and on about roadway issues up here, but I'm probably boring a lot of people out there on this topic. It's a topic I am passionate about and hopefully someday the traffic issues up here will begin to be improved. Obviously it's not going to happen overnight and with the way our economy is these days, it may be years and years before we finally see something evolve. Like I said earlier, it's not like our roadways up here are congested beyond belief and there's no relief in sight. Most of the highways up here are adequate but there are areas needing improvement. I see how much more aggressive the state of Wisconsin is when it comes to repairing and doing major construction on their highways and it's often like night and day between the two states. Then again, they pay more for their gasoline taxes to repair their highways. They say the state of Michigan's roadway system is crumbling with each passing day. And with an antiquated funding system currently in place for our roads, they'll only get worse before they get better. That's a pretty scary thought. Before you know it, we'll be driving on gravel roads more than paved roads soon enough (locally, at least).

Steel

It's amazing how quickly things can change in a matter of years; especially if you look at the steel industry in the United States. Earlier this decade, the steel mills and iron ore mines across this nation were struggling big time. Many were closing up completely or companies were consolidating. When I was a summer student were I currently work in 2003, we were amongst a large group of our fellow hourly workers where a group of management told us how bleak things looked for the future and how we'd probably only sustain another five years of operations. Now fast forward to today - where we can't make enough steel for demand. Prices for steel are through the roof and continue to go higher. Look at scrap iron across this nation, the money for such commodities is incredible. And guess who we have to thank for this? The Chinese, of course!

The mine where I work has always been targeted for closure even when I was a summer student. When the steel industry was going through a rough patch in 2001, the company made numerous cutbacks and nearly shuttered the mine completely. You can bet they're glad they didn't. Now, old grinding mills that haven't ran for close to two years are being brought back to life. Basically when they were shut down for mechanical problems, they were deemed too unimportant to fix and re-start. We were doing just as good focusing on the grinding lines we had running and repairing those on a timely basis. Now it appears we need every grinding line we can get. The company has contracted out the work on these two particular lines and contractors are all over the place repairing corroded structural steel, installing new equipement, and basically making these grinding lines like brand new. It's an amazing transformation to the old mill and I kind of find myself in amazement to see it all happen. Additional grinding lines are also being looked at to see if they can be brought back into the system as well; but those require much more extensive repairs since they've been down much longer than a couple of years. In addition, our plant has two filter bays - an old side and a new side. On the old side, several of the old filters have been shut down for years because the tank that holds the slurry before it gets dried had become too corroded and were rusted out very badly. The company is installing three new filter tanks, allowing us to filter much more dirt. We also need vacuum in order to dry out the dirt as they are filtered in the filter bay. One of the components that allows us to do this is running vacuum pumps. Many of the vacuum pumps on the old side are old - circa 1950's and 1960's and when they break down, parts end up being hard to come by because those pieces of equipment are basically obsolete. So the company has purchased a brand new vacuum parp - a much more modern version that's over twice the size of our older pumps which should increase our vacuum capacity greatly. It's so great to see this much work being completed in the old mill. Heck, in three short years, we were scheduled to close. Now would the company be putting this much money into the plant if we were going to close then?

But of course, the company did hold an important news conference about a month back annoucing the expansion at our mine. The life of the mine has been extended until at least 2018 - and I've got to believe it'll be longer than that. And it's also rather hard to believe that in almost a month, our current labor contract will expire. As of now, a new contract has not been reached but probably the most suprising thing of all - none of us have heard a thing about how contract negotiations are going, whether it looks like we're going to strike or not, or if the company plans on hiring scabs to run the facilities if we go on strike. Because the way it looks right now, all indications are that management will run the two mines in our area with scabs or salary personnel. It's actually amazing how different the mood of the employees is between 2004, when the last contract was hammered out to now. I mean, the company is making billions of dollars and the morale of the employees, for the most part, is good. Now, that's not to say that things could change very quickly in just a matter of days. That's the funny part about where I work - one day things are so positive and everyone's sprits are high, then the next day everyone is down in the dumps because of some negative rumors. It's like a rollercoaster ride; you never know which part of the track you'll be on from day to day.

So needless to say, things at work right now are quite positive. I know I've discussed the contract situation in this blog in the past and the uncertainty that awaits everyone working in the mines. I wouldn't say the uncertainty has diminished completely; but it's diminished a lot. I would be quite surprised if we end up on strike considering how well the company is doing and the amount of work that is occuring within the plant itself. But in this day of shrinking pensions and eliminated health care plans, you never know. I know we're looking at the opposite end of the spectrum with this comparison, but look at GM. They were once the pride of America. Now they are struggling to stay afloat and are taking the medical coverage away from their retirees. The company that I work for just might follow that trend despite the good times that we're currently in. But that's what we have a union for; to fight to save those important issues. Do I expect to have a pension when I retire in 2030 or beyond? Probably not; but that's what my 401K is for. Always expect the unexpected in the steel industry.

Neighbor Troubles

Once upon a time, we had a wonderful neighbor that lived next to us. She was elderly but minded her own business. Actually a lot of times, she wasn't even around because she'd be galavanting with her two sisters. She kept her property in good shape; always mowed her lawn when it started getting long and did the usual maintenance to the house and other out-buildings when they needed it. In fact, upon our suggestion that she have two maple trees on her property cut down because they were beginning to rot, she did so. We even made the slight suggestion that she cut down a large white pine tree nearest to our house but actually on her property because it could pose a hazard to our house if it were to fall; and she granted our wishes and had it cut down. It was often thought that she had the nicest home in the entire community. She even went out and bought very beautiful and extravagant hanging baskets to hang up along her sidewalk. I mean, there was no denying it, she really kept her home in nice shape and it certainly didn't go unnoticed, especially by us. And we'd even help her out on occasion and we definitely didn't mind.

But then she began ailing. She had surgery done on her back and ever since that point, she was never the same. Gradually her health had gotten worse and worse. By that point in time, we had taken over the lawn mowing duties at her place and still managed to keep the grass in tip-top shape. By the next spring, she was gone. She had succumbed to whatever disease was ailing her and it was actually quite sad to know we'd never see her around. It's funny; even though we have new neighbors own the property (whom I will be discussing as we go along), we still refer to it as her property. I don't think that'll ever change because we're so accumstomed to her owning it. And even though we didn't know her really close, I certainly couldn't help but feel a sense of loss when she was gone. It just felt weird that we wouldn't see her walk around and make her precense known. I am sure you know how hard it is to accept change whenever something is different for the first time in years. This was one of those situations for us.

Her house would be vacant for a few years and during those two summers, we continued to keep the lawn in good shape. Her daughter would check in on the place every now and again and would pay us for taking care of the lawn. But other than that, there it sat. Then came word late in the winter that there was someone interested in the place. They were very serious in buying the house and the daughter was a very motivated seller (y0u can understand after it sat for two years). We knew the inevitable situation of someone else owning the property was coming; it was still rather hard accepting it. But knowing it was someone I knew from high school made that fact a little easier to take. Recalling from memory what he was like in high school, I thought he would do a really good job of maintaining the property from falling into disrepair. I couldn't believe how wrong I ended up being.

First of all, even though the chances are pretty slim that the people I am talking about in this blog ever catch wind of this; there's always that chance. So let me say that I don't intend to hurt anyone's feelings by writing about this situation. In fact, I think it's best to leave out names to keep this annonymous as possible. But the reason I am bringing this up is to let out some of my family's and my own frustrations. It really is a nice way to vent about something and that is what I am doing in this blog. Anways, during the first summer they starting living next door, we noticed that the lawn was being seldom mowed. Every two to three weeks, he'd end up mowing. By the time we got into late summer, they were pretty much saved by the fact that it didn't rain for some 70 plus days so the grass basically dried up and died. Once we got rain into early fall - the grass did start growing again, but it wasn't mowed again the rest of the season. Now let's jump ahead to this summer. It ended up being a very cool spring and the grass was late in growing. Finally by the last week in May, we started mowing our lawn because it had gotten long enough. You know how long it took the neighbors? About three weeks after we mowed ours. It was like a hay field it was so long. My mom was beginning to get very frustrated with the lawn situation that she was going to talk with someone involved with the village council. It never did get that far as they finally had some motivation and started mowing the long grass. From what I understand, people out in the community were discussing the neighbor's lawn. I have a feeling someone from the village council gave them a warning about their lawn or they were hearing so many negative comments "out there" that they felt they should do something about it. Ever since then, they've had a teenage boy come over every Monday and mow it.

Then late last fall, they were having trouble with their septic tank. Sewage was starting to back up into their basement, so they decided to have it pumped out. Not knowing where it was, they had someone with a back-hoe try to "poke" around and see if they could find it. The back-hoe operator ended up breaking a sewer line near the tank itself. So they had to get that fixed and also had the septic tank pumped out. You can't blame any of this on them because it was the previous "owners" that left them to deal with this. It was getting very late in the season and we were in and out of freezing temperatures. They had everything set in place; all they had to do was put the dirt back in around the broken pipe and ontop of the tank and they'd be in good shape for the winter. Well, they never got around to it and that big mound of dirt and uncovered septic tank cover remained during the freezing cold months. They were lucky to have a back-up septic system; otherwise there'd be no way they could live there without an adequate septic system. So this spring, the mound of dirt stood there until at least mid-May before the neighbor finally borrowed his father's tractor and pushed it all into the hole that was dug for the septic tank. Not only did the tractor create rut marks in the lawn that still exist, he didn't bother removing the large boulders that came out of the hole and pushed those in along with the rest of the mound. So needless to say, the dirt was never properly smoothed out and even at this point, that area of the lawn isn't even being mowed because it's so uneven and jagged with rocks. They've even had to dig up the septic tank cover one additional time recently to get the tank pumped out again. If they continue to have problems with it, they just might need a new septic system; something they can't exactly afford at this point in time.

The shovels, rakes, and various other tools they used to dig up the lawn and dirt around the septic tank prior to getting a back-hoe have remained near their front porch ever since last fall. They are still resting up against the house at this very time. They did have one of the boy's they regularly hire to mow the lawn try and clean up the area around the septic tank cover. They managed to fill up a wheel barrow full of weeds and rocks and left it near their main entry way for a good month at least before it was finally disposed of. A spare tire from the Toyota pick-up they often borrow from his father is sitting on the corner of their sidewalk near their main entryway to the house and it's sat there since early spring. A lot of good that's going to do when the truck gets a flat tire several miles away. Rugs they've brought to "air" out several months ago are still draped on the back fence or on the clothes line. I could go on and on regarding certain things but I'd be here all night and I've got to end this particular blog at some point.

So I guess you could say we have our challenges when dealing with our new neighbors. Obviously we knew things weren't going to be the same when they moved in, but we didn't expect things to be as bad as they are. But let me say something about them personally before I continue bashing on their upkeep; they are pretty decent when talking to them and it's not like they are nasty or rude. It's just they lack motivation when it comes to finishing jobs on their property or putting tools away. A lot of things sit for months and months before one of them does anything about it. And most of the time, it's the man of the household that does anything. I think I've only seen her lift a finger once since they've started living there. All she does is take care of her own "humane society" of pets. And she has a lot of them!

It's not like me to talk negatively about anybody but sometimes, it's justified. I am sure this isn't the end of our game of charades with the neighbors, but at least we're not involved in some nasty feud with them. It just gets rather tiresome seeing all of the junk laying out in the yard for months and months before something is ever done about it. I am sure this isn't my last blog talking about them either! Stay tuned...

Work Can Be Dangerous

For those that may be unaware of what I do for a living, I work at an iron ore mining facility. It is one of two in the area that I live and is also one of the largest employers in the area. It's a modernized mining facility in that it's an above ground mine - where ore is extracted from an open pit, brought to a primary crusher, and is sent inside the concentrator where the ore is further ground down into a slurry. From that point, it is filtered and set to the pelletizing plant where it gets balled up into small pellets which then get shipped to various steel mills in the country. Obviously the process is a lot more detailed than that and it's actually quite an extraordinary process. I am amazed how complex it is and the fine tuning it must have gone through to get where we are today to make steel. I actually find it pretty cool to be able to work where I do and on most days, I enjoy it. I doubt that I would've stayed very long if I didn't find it satisfying. And although it is a modernized mining facility, it still can be a dangerous place. There are many moving pieces of machinery where any person can easily lose limbs or even their lives. We witnessed that back in 2005 where an individual lost his life in the pellet plant. It's easy to lose concentration while at work and it's particularly dangerous where I work. As long as a person stays level headed and focuses on the job, they won't get hurt. But even then, something can get you when you least expected it. That nearly happened to me this past Sunday morning.

Now keep in mind, I was at no risk in losing my life in this particular instance. It wasn't that serious, but it could've been a situation that sidelined me from work for awhile. We were preparing to shut down a grinding line for a maintenance repair. One of the things we do to grind down a line is to rake the apron feeders that dispense the dirt onto a conveyor belt that travels to a primary mill. The apron feeders need to be raked so that the maintenance personnel working inside the discharge chutes of the feeder and the conveyor belt below don't get seriously injured by falling material from above. So what we have to do is extend a rake inside the feeder to pull out any potentially dangerous falling material. I was doing this on early Sunday morning, midnight shift. I was raking a rather large boulder out of the apron feeder when it started to drop from the discharge chute. My right hand was clenched around the handle of the feeder and as I pulled back, my hand got wedged up against a pipe about five feet away from the discharge end of the feeder. As the rock fell, it pushed up my hand against the pipe and nearly crushed my hand. Thankfully it was only a near miss and not something more serious. I think my hand was positioned just enough that it didn't break and the force of the rock coming down against the rake was more of a glancing blow near my pinky finger knuckle. It didn't help that I nearly did the exact same thing shortly thereafter - as if I didn't learn my lesson once. Raking feeders is something I did not do a whole lot of but it's definitely not an easy job to do. The lighting back in that area is not very good, especially inside the feeder where lights cannot physically exist. It was just one of those situations that ended up being a lot better than what it could've been and I am thankful I am not nursing a broken right hand at this point. Otherwise, I couldn't be writing a blog to you right now!

That's not the first injury I encountered while working at the mine. Most of them have involved wounds to my fingers. There are a lot of pinch points, particularly inside apron feeders. A lot of times they get hung up - where rocks lock together just right and block the feeder. This is where we need to insert a thin steel rod inside the feed end of the apron feeder and knock down the blockage. When the rocks come down, it's loud and pretty dusty. If your hanging onto the rod, it'll jostle you around if you're not prepared. I have never been injured from knocking down a hung feeder, thank goodness. But I have gotten hurt fingers from unplugging the discharge end of a feeder before. We use this thick feeder bars to unblock feeders and sometimes you hit your fingers against the edges of the feeder doors. I did that a few months ago with my thumb and it hurt like crazy. Not only was my thumb sore for a couple of weeks, but it was bruised. They say you are supposed to report injuries even if they are minor, but this one I didn't feel the need because I knew if would heal in time. Sure enough, it's back to normal now. If I feel I've done something to myself that could require medical attention at some point, I'll report it. But that particular incident I felt I would be okay.

This next injury was one I felt pretty foolish doing then and now I just have to laugh at myself - and one I ended up reporting. We are able to drive these small electric carts inside the mill to get from one end of the plant to the other. They really save on the legs and feet, that's for sure. I was driving one of these carts when I made a right turn. The steering wheel on the cart was rather stiff and I took the corner too sharply. I ended up flying into a steel beam and hitting my right knee pretty hard on the dash edge of the cart. Needless to say, there wasn't any cushion on the dash and I was writhing in pain. I was able to walk it off and it felt pretty good, although my knee still felt pretty stiff. I didn't know if I ended up doing something serious to my knee that may need to be looked at down the road, so I reported it. I never did need to have it looked at and it heeled just fine in a week or two. But still, it is one of those incidents I won't quickly forget and it really reinforced my safety while driving a cart.

I've strained my thumb, hurt an index finger, and strained my back a couple of different times at work. But it comes with the territory of working at such a place like a mine. The goal for every person there is to work injury free 365 days a year. Sometimes it just doesn't work out that way. But any injury that occurs, as long as it remains minor, then we're all better off. It's certainly pretty easy to take things for granted there. That's why it's always important to keep your head in the game and to perform all tasks as safe as possible.

David Archuleta Update

It's been a couple of months now since American Idol ended and I know I said I wouldn't write anything more about it here anymore (since I will be creating a spin-off blog for it soon ... I hope). And technically, this blog won't be about American Idol - only about this season's runner-up and the variety of things he's been doing since the finale in May. The American Idol's Live Tour is well underway and the top ten Idols just finished up their tenth show of the tour last night in Salt Lake City, Utah. Salt Lake City is the "hometown" of David Archuleta and the fans went absolutely ballistic for him at the concert (and rightfully so). I have been following the stops along the tour since it began and by far, last night David received the largest ovation thus far. In some of the performances from the concert uploaded on YouTube, the screaming is so loud that you can barely make out what he is singing. He even got emotional at the end of his last performance and was wiping tears away even before the song ended. The outpouring of support from his home crowd really overwhelmed him and it truly humbled him. I am so happy for him; it seems like he is now able to do what he's always wanted and he definitely has the fans to back him up.

One of the truly magical performances from David's American Idol run happened during Hollywood week but was one that nobody ever got to see. David's first audition that week had him performing Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" on the piano. Paula commented that it was awesome while Simon went all out and called it incredible. If Simon were to say that, you know it had to have been good. The only problem is, American Idol was never allowed to show it! Apparently those involved with Gnarls Barkley wouldn't allow the song to be cleared. Jason Castro also performed his own rendition of the song in Hollywood week and naturally, his version never aired, either. So for David Archuleta fans everywhere, "Crazy" was one song that we've all been craving to hear him sing. He received such glowing comments from the judges during Hollywood week and for Simon to say what he did about it; well you know he doesn't give that good of praise all that often. I am happy to say that David Archuleta fans everywhere finally got their wishes to hear this song as of yesterday. While in Salt Lake City, he stopped by the local FOX station and performed "Crazy" in front of a keyboard. And let me just say, it was worth the all the hype we had heard about during his prior version in Hollywood week. It's definitely slowed down quite a bit and very soulful. He does such an amazing job changing things up with all of his songs and "Crazy" is no exception. Check it out for yourself:



David was amazingly strong for someone 16 years old in Hollywood week and it was becoming clear that he was someone to be reckoned with. Although we never did get to see his first audition there, we did see him for his second audition. This time, David selected a Bryan Adams' classic, "Heaven." You could tell that Randy Jackson became a fan of Archie after this performance and the rest of the judges knew he would be in the competition for a long while. People watching on TV had already became familiar with his vocal cord problems and how well he was able to perform with that obstacle. For Archuleta fans, "Heaven" was another song they craved seeing again. That time we were able to see him sing the song, but it was only a very short snippet. The fans were wanting to hear the full version of the song. Well, we got our wishes granted during the finale - somewhat. "Heaven" and a few other of Bryan Adams' classics were performed as a medley by the top six guys during the finale. David did get to sing a portion of "Heaven" as a solo, but that wasn't good enough. We all wanted to hear him sing it by himself. And David did just that today, as a matter of fact, on another Salt Lake City local TV program. He sounded just as good, if not better that he did in Hollywood week singing this song. Check it out for yourself:



Now all we need is another rendition of "Shop Around" and we'll be all set - LOL. Somehow I don't think we'll be hearing that one from him for awhile - but I think a lot of people really do like his performance of that song since it's an upbeat song he was so successful with. I don't he personally thinks it was very good which is why he never could watch it back all the way through (but even he said he can never hear or watch his previous performances). Nontheless, it was another performance that really set the bar high and it was becoming clear he just might become the frontrunner of the competition. And the rest is history.

So David will be on tour until the middle of September and then afterwards I'm sure he'll get a much needed break. In the midst of all these concerts, David is also currently working on his new album, which he's been doing his own song writing, collaborating, and recording. Whether or not his own songs will end up on the album remains to be seen. But whatever the case, I'm sure it'll be a truly epic album that'll sell millions of copies. David already has a huge fanbase and it continues to grow each and every day at the different tour spots. Even people who were never Archie fans originally are enjoying him now. That right there is a clear sign he'll be successful for a long while to come. And although his new album likely won't be released until sometime in November, the first single from it is rumored to be released in August and it titled "Crush." In the meantime, watch this blast from the past as David sings his very first song on American Idol "Waiting on the World to Change" during his hometown stop of the Idols Live tour. And it wouldn't be complete without a lyric flub, either! That's the David we all love, now isn't it? Enjoy!

Summer is Almost Over (Apparently)

I just got back from a trip into a local discount store and did some browsing of a variety of different products. They've got some great deals going on - but I couldn't help but notice what the majority of those items had in common: they are all summer stocked items. So naturally, all of the shorts, tank-tops, flip-flops, garden supplies, plants, and summer-themed dishware all had discounts or were marked down on clearance. So what gives, is summer almost over? According to the national retailers it is.

What floored me the most is the beginnings of the back-to-school area of the store being set up. The signs were hung from the ceilings, backpacks are appearing on the shelves, and the looks on the faces of kids seeing this when it isn't even 4th of July yet is absolutely priceless. But let's be clear about something - didn't the grade schoolers just get out of school only a few weeks ago? And already we're ushering in the end of summer. Unreal.

It always makes me a little sad to see the greenhouses out in the parking lots of many different stores begin to come down. It really gives me a reality check in that summers are so short around here that we need to embrace how little of the season we have. That is especially true this year where it seemed spring lasted into part of June. Heck, the leaves on the trees didn't fully pop out intil the first of June and the lilacs weren't in full bloom until about a week later. Yet we're already starting to usher in the end of summer in stores. Where is the justice in that?

The good thing is that we don't have to pay any attention to what the national retailers are telling us. In our minds, summer is still alive and strong. Even though we'll start to see winter coats, boots, hats, mittens, and all of the other assorted winter gear slowly start to appear, we'll know that we still have many more days of glorious sunshine and warmth to enjoy. As I said, we haven't gotten to summer's official holiday and the celebration of our nation's birth, Independence Day. You can't get anymore summer than that.

And that leaves me with this final thought. This time of year when we are closing in on the 4th of July, I can't help but to think of the classic Chicago song "Saturday in the Park." It's another one of those great summer songs, similar to the Corrs "Summer Sunshine," although it's much more memorable to a wide variety of people. The lyrics, "Saturday in the park ... I think it was the Fourth of July ... People dancing, people laughing ... A man selling ice cream..." Now doesn't that make you smile? Get out there and enjoy the summer of '08!

TV Worth Watching this Summer

Are you finding yourself bored this summer not being able to watch some of your favorite programs because they are in re-runs and won't return until the fall? First of all, I recommend you spend part of your day outside and take advantage of the nice weather (especially if you live in a northern, typically cold climate) - then, you can succumb to the couch and flip through the channels on your remote control. I know, a lot of us have to work and then who feels like doing anything after you get home? Half the time I feel like taking a nap first before doing anything else. Well anyways, here are some television shows that I recommend everyone try checking out. At least watch an episode and see what you think. Lately I have become a big fan of the Discovery Channel and the plethora of reality-based programming on there. They certainly aren't scripted shows and whatever they film actually happened. So most of the shows you see on this list are from the Discovery Channel, but there may be one or two other exceptions.

America's Got Talent (NBC) - This is not a program from the Discovery Channel, but it's a show shown exclusively in the summertime on the Peacock Network (NBC for short). America's Got Talent is in its third season and it has proven to be a popular program for all reality junkies. It's produced by media mogul Simon Cowell and it's similar to American Idol - except anyone with a talent can audition, which includes singing. But, it's not exclusive to soloists, as many times you will see groups perform together as well. Also, people of any age can try out on this show. I've seen kids as young as four years old sing and an old lady attempt to tap dance while in her 80's. So the age range is pretty far but some of the people/groups that try out are quite talented. It seems to me they tend to focus more on the groups that move on than the people who absolutely stink at what they're attempting to do. And the judging panel, I'd say it's more tame than what you see on American Idol, although Piers Morgan does his best to be the Simon Cowell of his show. Sharon Osbourne is typically the nicest of the panel and does compare to Paula Abdul in some ways - but in no way is she as ditzy as Paula can be. And David Hasselhoff does a respectable job as a judge; gives a positive or a negative critique when warranted. America's Got Talent airs Tuesdays at 9:00 PM (EDT) - but we are only in the audition rounds so far. The future schedule of this show is subject to change.

A Haunting (The Discovery Channel) - Now we're going to start getting into many of the Discovery Channel shows I enjoy. The first one is a show on the supernatural which includes real-life stories of people dealing with ghosts and other supernatural entities. This isn't the show where a group of people actually enter a haunted house and try to find ghosts for themselves. This show features people and their re-created accounts of how ghosts impacted their lives at some point in time. If you don't believe in ghosts now, try watching this show and seeing if you change your mind. It really helps to open your eyes on the paranormal universe. A lot of the stories featured are of families dealing with haunted houses. One such story had a family of five moving into this beautiful farmhouse in the country. Everything about the house was immaculate except for one of the bedrooms which was in rough shape. It appeared teenagers were worshipping some kind of spirit in the room, as candles were aligned in a circle and weird signs were painted near an old firehouse. It turns out these teenagers ended up opening a portal to demons. One demon was terrorizing the entire family when they had some paranormal experts come in and "cleanse" the house. They got rid of the one demon, but a few weeks later, a new one makes havoc of the house again. The only way for the family to get any peace of mind were to move to a new place - which they did. The only question I have about the show is that more often than not, couples or familes end up moving away from the haunted house, but they always put the place up for sale and never tell anyone about their experiences. All they are doing is passing their terror right onto the next person. I guess they want their money back just like the people previous to them did. You can often find "A Haunting" around 2:00 PM (EDT) during weekdays (check local listings).

Dirty Jobs (The Discovery Channel) - I would have to say this is probably the first show I really came to enjoy watching on DC. Mike Rowe, the host of the program, and his crew go to the dirtiest jobs in all of America and gives us viewers a first-hand account on what makes them so dirty. This program has already done 100 episodes on a variety of dirty jobs and have criss-crossed the country finding these places. They've gone to underground mines, sewers, a taxidermy shop, a charcoal plant, farms - you name it, they've probably been there. And Mike makes a great host for this program because he's definitely not shy to tell people his true thoughts about what he's doing. He also displays a true respect for what many of the people who work these dirty jobs have to do for a living. After all, all he does is work in TV - he doesn't have to get dirty if he really didn't want to. But that is what makes this program so great. He's not afraid to get down and dirty and go to some of these faraway places to do so. As long as they are dirty jobs in America, Mike Rowe and the Discovery crew will find them. Dirty Jobs airs frequently throughout most days on the Discovery Channel, but Sundays at 8:00 PM (EDT) is a good time to catch new episodes.

The Deadliest Catch (The Discovery Channel) - This is a show I really started getting hooked on towards the end of last season and whenever I see this program on, I end up watching it until the very end. It's probably something that any regular Joe would never think of watching on television, but the drama aboard these ships is absolutely captivating. The Discovery crew features about four or five fishing vessels off the coast of Alaska as they attempt to catch the most crab out of anyone. You'd be surprised how much a pot (a trap) of crab would be worth but basically what it comes down to is this - the more crabs in a pot, the more money the boat and it's crew earns. And they don't go out into beautiful sunny weather to do their crab fishing either, afterall, this is Alaska. A lot of the times they face terrible conditions out on the open seas. From heavy freezing sprays, waves that frequently crash on the main deck of the ship, winds strong enough to knock anyone over, and horizontal precipitation. Believe me, the guys on these ships earn whatever they make crabbing. And the cast of characters on each of the different ships are one of a kind. You cannot script this program up because no way would it ever be the same. The crab season is relatively short and they need to do everything possible to reach the set quota of crab for their season to be successful. If one season ends up being a disappointment, well, there's always next year. "The Deadliest Catch" airs Tuesdays on the Discovery Channel at 8:00 PM (EDT).

How it's Made (The Discovery Channel) - This is another ingenious program to air on the Discovery Channel. Have you ever thought about how a particular product ends up being produced? Let's say an office chair, a fishing lure, a horse saddle, or even some of your favorite candies and sweets. I bet you never thought twice about how these items get made. Well, it just so happens that there is a program that documents how certain items get produced. They start from the very beginning through to the production line right up to the very finish of the product. Most of the items you see are able to be produced in a very short amount of time with the help of factory machinery and robots. However, other products need to be installed or stitched together very precisely - requiring human involvement all the way. It's another program that really helps educate the viewer on what all is involved in making a variety of these products. And I think a lot of time, people take for granted how many of these products end up being created. Well not anymore - especially not with a program like this. I tell ya, it really opens the eyes of anyone watching. "How it's Made" often airs throughout most weekdays around 4:00 PM (EDT). But you can also catch it in primetime at 8:00 on Wednesdays.

That about wraps it up this time around. But believe me, this isn't all of the programming you'll be able to find this summer. I'll be writing another blog in the future about a few more shows that I find to be quite interesting and ones I think you ought to check out. These listing of shows should tide you over until then. Happy TV watching!