Friday Music

It's Friday. I need music.

It's also Christmastime, so the subject of this week's FM is holiday favorites. They can be traditional, modern, edgy, funny -- whatever. As always, please post links to all suggestions.

We did a holiday theme last year as well, in case anyone feels like checking out some of those suggestions.

Happy holidays!

Friday Music

It's Friday. I need music.

This week's topic comes to us from Jeff K., my friend and co-worker from Brooklyn. Jeff says: "Here's one I was thinking about this week: favorite back-to-back songs on an album. You know, songs that were born to go together - if you hear one, your brain automatically starts playing the other one when it's over."

So there you have it. Please post links to your suggestions!

Friday Music

It's Friday. I need music.

My friend Rob Zero suggested a cool topic for this week: Songs that were used perfectly in films.

As always, please post links. Happy Friday!

Friday Music

It's Friday. I need music.

My pal Teoh posed a good topic suggestion: Songs NOT to play at a wedding. This one should be fun.

As always, please post links.

Friday Music

It's Friday. I need music.

My daughter has a piano recital this weekend at the WVU Creative Arts Center, and I can't wait. She loves playing so much that watching her does my heart good, and to see her in a more formal setting like this is exciting to me (even though she doesn't seem to care too much one way or the other).

So this week's theme is performing -- as always, interpret it however you want. (If you're new here, just post links to songs that you like that somehow fit the category.)

Here's one to get it going....

Friday Music

It's Friday. I need music.

It's been one crazy week, folks. No matter what your political persuasion or who you were supporting to be the next president of the United States, one thing is for absolute certain: this isn't the same US of A that it used to be.

So, while it might seem a bit cliche right now, I also think it's appropriate -- this week's theme is change. (One thing hasn't changed, though -- link it up!)

Friday Music

It's Friday. I need music.

Tonight I'm going out with some friends to see local legends Todd Burge and Owen Davis play at a little watering hole called Gene's Beer Garden. It's a flashback to 15 years ago for me, so I'm pretty excited about it. So this week's theme -- and I think this might be a repeat -- is music from where you're from. I'll start with a little of West Virginia's Todd Burge. As always, please link it up.

Friday Music

It's Friday. I need music.

This week's theme: black and white.

As always, please post links. I'll start with this one.

Friday Music

It's Friday. I need music.

We're going to the mountains this weekend to celebrate the DM's birthday and (hopefully) have a weekend of relaxation. I'm excited about it, so I'm in the mood for fun music. Let's go with a simple, repeat theme here: '80s music.

Please post links to the songs you're requesting, and feel free to respond to others' suggestions.

I'll get it started with a classic song by The Cure:

Friday Music

It's Friday. I need music.

Because I'm obviously having trouble commenting on all of the fine suggestions from Friday Music each week, I'm going to change up the format for a while. Commenting on posted suggestions is open to everyone.

In the spirit of this free-for-all approach, today's topic will be determined by the first person to pose one. As always, please post links as well.

Friday Music

It's Friday. I need music.

Dear Casey,

Ten years ago I was a lonely child living on a small island off the coast of Maine. I didn't have many friends in my life, so I often escaped my dreary existence through the pages of classic novels. My best friends were Tom Sawyer, Holden Caulfield, and a boy named Pip. But that all changed when I made a real friend: Abraham.

Abraham was even smaller than I was, and even quieter, but when he came to the island, I knew I finally had a friend who understood me. I'd never met anyone so willing to listen to my problems, and together we worked through them all, no matter how big. I was happier than I'd ever been in my life.

Unfortunately, my happiness didn't last. Abe had only been around for a little over a year when my mom broke the news to me: He had contracted a disease and died. I was devastated. My only friend, gone in an instant. Suddenly I found myself even lonelier than I'd been before he arrived.

The next year my father took a job inland and I transferred to a much bigger school. We moved to a neighborhood teeming with children and, for the first time in my life, I finally had a circle of friends. But to this day, I've still not forgotten my very first friend.

Casey, could you please play Queen's "You're My Best Friend" for my best friend -- and the best goldfish I ever knew -- Abraham.

--------

This week's theme is long-distance dedications. Links, please.

Friday Music

It's Friday. I need music.

I've missed Friday Music these last couple of weeks, but I'm happy to be back -- hopefully I haven't lost all of you.

This week's topic is: Music you would listen to if you were sitting alone on a bench in the park in the pouring rain. I realize that this scenario is perhaps unlikely, but put yourself there anyway and let's see what you come up with. As always, please post links to all suggestions.

Me? I would listed to this.

Friday Music

It's Friday. I need music.

You know what I want to listen to today? The kind of music you'd expect to hear when you feel like everything is spinning. The kind of music you'd expect to hear in a state of delirium induced by lack of sleep and excess of caffeine.

The kind of music you would think would emanate from an unexpected parade of fantastical creatures through a dreamlike forest world.

So let's make the topic: bizarre.

I have obviously been slack in my responses to suggestions these last two weeks. I think this week, I'll just open the floor up to everyone. It's a Friday Music guest-hosted by all Friday Music regulars. Hopefully you guys will help me respond to suggestions this week.

As always, please post links to all suggestions.

Friday Music

It's Friday. I need music.

This week features a two-part topic.

1. Music by the lesser-known. Try to post up something that'll be new to most people.

2. Music by the well-known, but lesser-known music. Music by established acts, but songs that won't be making it onto Greatest Hits albums.

As always, please post links with all suggestions.

Just because I'm feeling a bit sadistic today, I'm going to lead with a little Atilla, which satisfies both categories, I think. This isn't your grandmother's Piano Man.

Friday Music

It's Friday. I need music.

I bought a piano today. My daughter has been taking lessons for a couple of years, thanks in part to a borrowed electric piano, but it's going back to its owner. I found a solid used console piano from a local shop, and I'm pretty excited about it, as I've wanted to learn to play forever. (Oh, and she needs a piano too!) It's being delivered on Monday.

So this week's theme is piano. Make it work however you can, and please include links.

I may have already posted this at some point, but it's worth an encore:



One of these days I might just do Fiona Friday:

Friday Music

It's Friday. I need music.

And so does my friend Wildflower, who is struggling to compile a CD of cool love songs to give out to the guests at her brother's upcoming wedding. So I told her I would be happy to ask the Friday Music set to help out with some ideas. That's this week's topic: the RtN Wedding Mix.

The good thing about her brother is that he has great taste in music, so there's no need to go dropping cheesy, typical stuff. I don't need that on a Friday and neither do you. This mix needs to be cool.

To get it going, I'll mention the two songs Wildflower has already decided to include: Rich and Chris Robinson's "Cold Boy Smile" and Elvis Costello's "The Very Thought of You." (Okay, that's the Billie Holiday version, but I couldn't find Elvis' version.)

So hook a sister up! Even if you don't know how to make links like this, please try to post at least standard links with each of your suggestions.

Three Things

1. I'm exceedingly pleased to show you the cover of our next issue of Racer X. Our cover story is by Craig Schulz -- son of Peanuts creator Charles Schulz and longtime Racer X reader -- and through him we obtained the rights to run the gang on our cover and in our cover story. It's by far the most unique, unexpected thing we've ever done on page 1, and I'm looking forward to seeing how it's received by our readers.


2. It appears I have a children's book out. I remember writing it (and getting paid for it), but I've never seen the cover, I've never seen the book itself ... but it's apparently for sale already. Interesting. Perhaps I'll receive a copy of it one day? I wish I could have had one of my guys design the cover.

3. I was quoted in the last issue of Rolling Stone, in a story about my friend Robbie Maddison. Of course it was in the issue with the Jonas Brothers on the cover. The previous issue featured Barrack Obama and the new issue has Robert Downey Jr. on the cover, and I had to make the the Jonas Brothers issue. Still, it was kinda cool.

Enough about me. What's up with you?

Friday Music

It's Friday. I need music.

Here's an interesting topic: songs you think could start movies.

If you link it, they will come.

Joe

As my friend and co-worker Keith and I were flying back from Portland last night, we heard a terrible sound. I immediately knew something was wrong, and I looked up and saw an elderly gentleman a few rows up and on the other side of the plane having what appeared to be an intense seizure. I still remember the exact sound he was making. The airline hostesses reacted quickly, and within moments one of them said over the speakers: "Is there a medical person on board? We have a passenger who is having a stroke." (This on-the-fly diagnosis surprised me, and in retrospect I think she must have meant seizure.)

Soon a doctor from first-class and a couple nurses from coach appeared and went to work. Their presence made me feel a little better. The doctor barked out orders from the start: "Get out of my way" she said to someone who was tending to Joe (that was his name) before she got there. "Get me blood-pressure cuff!" She then started talking to Joe, who was obviously still in a very bad way, and she continued to try to get him to acknowledge her for what seemed like 15 minutes. "Joe? Joe? Can you hear me, Joe? Stay with me, Joe, you're going to be okay!" It didn't seem to me like anything was getting better. Joe wasn't in seizure anymore, but he also wasn't responding. To be honest, I thought he was dying, and I know I wasn't the only one who felt that way. Especially after I heard the doctor say, "He's not going to make it," though we think now she meant he wasn't going to make it all the way to Pittsburgh.

Maybe the worst thing of all was that the only person Joe was traveling with was his young grandson -- he was probably 12 or 13 -- who was seated beside him at the window. He was right there for all of this, trapped in what was probably the scariest experience of his life. I sat in my seat hoping with everything I had. I actually tried to mentally connect with Joe, to talk him into coming back. This was no place to die, and it was certainly no place to watch your grandpa die. Come on back, Joe. You don't want it to happen here.

Then a bit later he started to come around. I could tell he was eking out responses to the doctor's questions. Soon I saw the doctor raise his arms above his head, and he actually held them up for a second. This was the moment when I though he would make it. He started to respond even more, and the doctor's demeanor relaxed, which was another good sign. That's when the decision was made to land in Chicago so Joe could get more help. Keith and I were both surprised that the decision hadn't been made earlier, as this whole scenario seemed to last well over 30 minutes. Maybe my judgment is off there, but if it is, it's not by much.

So the doctor sat in the aisle seat beside Joe and the plane banked hard and descended more rapidly than any large aircraft I've ever been on. It didn't seem reckless, necessarily, but it was pretty intense, especially after the experience everyone had just had. Keith wondered if this is the type of situation a commercial pilot lives for.

We landed and obviously taxied immediately to a gate, and an emergency crew was on board in a flash. That's when the best thing of all happened -- Joe weakly stood and took a step to the waiting wheelchair. If you'd asked me 30 minutes before, I would have guessed he was done for, and here he was getting to the chair on his own. His grandson followed, obviously shaken, and they vanished out the door and I assume to the extended hope of a hospital. A hospital that seemed impossibly far away just minutes before. The airline had some paperwork to process, and relatively soon we were back in the air, on our way to Pittsburgh. We got back to Morgantown around 2 a.m.

So that's all we know about Joe. Keith tried doing a search today to find more information on him, to no avail. I'd like to think he's doing fine now. He's a pretty old guy, and he's not going to live forever, but at least he made it through this one. Attaboy, Joe.

Friday Music

It's Friday. I need music.

But I'll be on a plane to Portland, Oregon, so I've asked my blog buddy Helen Mansfield to fill in for me this week, and she's graciously accepted. Here's a note from Helen:

This Friday, I am asking readers to build their own super group, as I did on this old post.

Doesn't matter if members are living or dead, gather your dream together.

Think Judy Garland should be lead singer for The Buggles? Cool, but give me some links so we can all get an idea of what they would sound like.

Also, give me a short play list of what you think your super group would perform.

Enjoy!

Wow, Helen Mansfield is taking Friday Music to a whole ... nuvva ... level. It'll be interesting to see what everyone comes up with for this.

Link and let link, I always say. Link and let link.

Friday Music

It's Friday. I need music.

This week's topic is: goodbye.

Everyone is encouraged to post music suggestions that somehow fit this category. Please include links to your suggestions.

We'll be on a family vacation starting this weekend, so I'm not sure when I'll post comments on the suggestions, but I will at some point.

I'll start with this classic:

Friday Music

It's Friday. I need music.

Only it's Wednesday. But Friday is a holiday and most people probably won't be near a computer, so we're doing Friday Music on Thursday. Got it? Great.

My buddy Crusseldrums and his wife are expecting their second son any day now, so in honor of their growing family, this week's topic is: children.

Remember, it's linkin' park up in this joint. If you don't know how to make text into a link, just paste the URL after the suggestion.

We start with a rock anthem for the ages.

Friday Music

It's Friday. I need music.

I went out for drinks with some friends last night and Mungerphut suggested a great topic for this week: The Elements--earth, air, fire, and water. So let's see what music you guys come up with for that.

You can link if you want to, you can leave your friends behind. 'Cause your friends don't link and if they don't link, well, they're no friends of mine.

What's All This Business Stuff, Anyway?

My friend Molly sent me an interesting question on my Facebook dealio last night.

Okay Bryan, what is this TSGB about? I haven't grasped the concept. Is it a place to network?

So I've been asking myself -- really, really asking myself -- just what the hot new phrase "That's Some Good Business" is really all about. The answer isn't a simple one, and perhaps it's best to start with a few things that TSGB (pronounced, roughly, tisgebuh by the kids) is not.

• TSGB is not just the first line of a bitchin' haiku
• TSGB is not just some catchy sticker slogan thought up by some businessman in a suit. (I almost never wear a suit.)
• TSGB is not just a widely-accepted generational catch-phrase -- it spans generations and has the shelf life of a Twinkie.

So I guess the simple answer is: That's Some Good Business is the hottest new phrase on the streets of the United States of America -- nay, the world. In fact, it's been translated into numerous languages already, much like the Bible and Baywatch. Following are some examples.

• Dutch: Dat is één of andere goede zaken!
• French: C'est quelques bonnes affaires !
• German: Das ist irgendein gutes Geschäft!
• Greek, even!: Αυτή είναι κάποια καλή επιχείρηση! (for you, Olive!)
  
• Italian: Quello è un certo buon commercio! (for you, Zee!)
  
• Japanese: それはよいビジネスである!
• Portuguese: Aquele é algum bom negócio! (for you, Devil Mood!)
• Spanish: ¡Ése es un cierto buen negocio! (for you, Dora!)

But it's more than just a catch phrase that defines goodness for people across the globe, Molly. It's a lifestyle. It's a cosmic connection with the idea that this world doesn't have to suck. It's a reminder that there are still people out there who believe in giving credit where credit is due, and they're enthusiastically slapping TSGB stickers on the backs of their cell phones to make sure that, while they're carrying on phone conversations, and as long as they're holding their phones in such a way that you can still see the sticker, the whole world knows how they feel. It's like one big celebration, Molly, where we, the warriors of the TSGB tribe, shout at the top of the highest mountain, as if life were one big retro Coke commercial:

THAT'S SOME GOOD BUSINESS!

That, my friend, is what TSGB is all about. I hope that clears things up for you.

If anyone would like to join the That's Some Good Business Facebook group, where you'll be sure to never miss the hottest news about the TSGB movement, you'll be welcomed with open arms. There are no obligations (beyond the initial contractual agreement to supply me with 25 percent of your annual income and a $20 gift card to iTunes), so I hope to see you all there.

Volcano

Friday Music

It's Friday. I need music.

And so does Teoh, who returns for another round of hosting RtN's weekly playlist. As always, the guest chooses the topic, and Teoh got a little crazy with this one. He said:

"I'd like to mix it up and see people's playlists consist of one each of:

- songs about money
- rock chicks who look scary in their music videos
- the whitest rap, like, ever
- music made famous by a commercial"

Interesting -- this one is pretty out there. As always, linkidy link link link.

The Feet is Opening the Pack

Today I asked our new intern Alissa if I could have a piece of gum, and she said sure, but the unopened pack was giving her a bit of trouble and she said, "The feat is opening the pack."

This instantly almost made my head explode, as I envisioned referring to one's own feet in the third person and as a singular entity.

"The feet is opening the pack!"

I almost died.

NuTsie

You know what rules? NuTsie rules. It's a lot like Pandora or the other "playlist" sites that are out there, but on NuTsie, when you want to listen to, say, Joseph Arthur, you can listen to all Joseph Arthur. It's a great resource and it'll make for a handy site on Fridays.

Animals as Allies

I think I heard a story about dolphins saving a surfer from a shark recently, or something like that, and I've been thinking about animals as allies ever since. How many animals can really be considered allies of mankind? I guess just two: dogs and dolphins.

Dogs are a no-brainer. There's even a best-friend cliche. They show concern for us all the time. Dolphins are of course more mysterious, and our alliance with them isn't nearly as solid. But it's pretty selfless when they help us in wild situations, considering the things we've done to them and the threat we continue to pose. What do they have to gain from rescuing a surfer from a shark? Do they think the surfer is going to head back to shore and convince everyone to stop killing them? They're less likely to be killed by the shark, and for this, I consider them true allies.

What about horses? Cats? Pet pigs? Do these animals care about us, or do they just coexist peacefully with us? Would they intentionally help us out in a tight spot if they weren't personally in that tight spot as well?

I don't know. The Electric Orchid Hunter will probably tell me there's a monkey in Africa that likes to give tired people back rubs. But for all I know, only dogs and dolphins really have our backs.

Speaking of TEOH, you should check out the photos from his laboratory in Colorado. There's some good business over there.

Behind the Back

Earlier, as I was walking back to my desk, I had a red Sharpie in my hand that I use for marking up pages, and I decided to toss it up in the air behind my back, spin around, drop back into my chair, and catch the pen, which had rotated several times in the air, in my hand, in writing position, ready to proof. Because that's the type of thing that I do. I think my success rate at this type of thing is usually pretty good, but in this case I was off by about 18 inches. Instead, the pen dropped on the back side of my monitor, hitting my mosque alarm clock and sounding off the chanting alarm.

A moment ago, I was in the kitchen, and I crumpled up the wrapper from my veggie wrap, and tossed it across the room behind my back into the garbage can for a perfect swish. I thought it went unnoticed, but my friend Hattica saw the whole thing.

As far as I'm concerned, I'm 2 for 2.

Bird Droppings

I've been thinking a lot lately about birds dying mid-flight. Certainly there are birds that have heart attacks or other instantly immobilizing health problems while they're flying, but I can't say that I've ever seen one just drop out of the air. Wouldn't that be surprising? Imagine if you were just walking along, or maybe riding your motorcycle or something, and a hawk comes crashing down on your head.

That would be surprising.

Friday Music

It's Friday. I need music.

Since I didn't post Friday Music last week, and I've been punished with reruns of horrible television shows, I've decided to take no chances this week and post it early. So here we go.

This week's guest commenter is my pal Rob Zero, who's a fellow editor and play bass guitar for New Jersey rockers the Jukebox Zeros. It's a kick-ass band that has been featured many times in our Racer X Films. He's also a regular here on RtN and Friday Music and a very cool dude.

The topic Rob has chosen is this: The Beatles. I think this is the first time a band has been a topic, so we're breaking new ground here. I'm looking forward to seeing how creative people get with their responses.

As always, please link to your suggestions.

AWOL, and an Offering

Sorry for dropping the ball on Friday Music last week -- I don't know what came over me. This Friday, my pal Rob Zero will be guest-hosting, and next week, The Electric Orchid Hunter will be at the reigns. That's two weeks of guest hosts; exciting!

In the meantime, I offer this, my discovery of the day, as penance. Mr. Martin Sexton.

Addictions

My pal Jeff has a great blog at Cigarettes and Coffee. If you haven't checked it out, I suggest you do. He often writes about comics and video games, but his mind wanders from time to time, and his latest post is about his current addictions.

If anyone knows where to get peppermint-stick ice cream in New York, could you let Jeff know?

Friday Music

It's Friday. I need music.

I know, I know ... I still haven't finished my comments from last week, and I do believe this is the first time this has ever happened. I will, as always, but I need an extra day or two this week.

But it's not going to stop me from putting up this week's FM post, because I still need music today! Today's topic is music that is somehow related to animals.

Links, please!

The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest

This week's cartoon-caption contest at NewYorker.com is a good one -- lots of possibilities here. Feel free to leave caption ideas as comments, as I will.

The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest

This week's cartoon is pretty cool. Check it out here, and feel free to post your captions as comments, as I'll do.

Friday Music

It's Friday. I need music.

The DM and I are 1 for 3 on concerts so far this spring. We had tickets to see Radiohead a few weeks ago, but we had to cancel a few days prior due to a number of things that conspired against us. 0 for 1. Then last weekend, us being jackasses and all, we realized at 5:30 pm that the Swell Season show we had tickets to see in Baltimore on Sunday was actually taking place on Saturday night, in just two and a half hours, and we were still at least five hours away from possibly being able to make it to Baltimore. 0 for 2.

But two nights ago, Clutch came to Morgantown, and we didn't miss that one. Our friend Olives stayed home with the kids, and we were treated to one of the most kick-ass shows we've ever seen in Morgantown. 1 for 3.

So this week's theme is: Music by the musicians who played the best shows you've ever seen.

Video Post: The Day Has Come

For context, see this post.

This clip was 100 percent inspired by Erin O'Brien.

Friday Music

It's Friday. I need music.

What a day already. It's just after 8 a.m. and I'm already all fired up, thanks to miserable weather and terrible report I heard on NPR this morning, where I got to listen to a bunch of ignorant fellow West Virginians make asinine remarks about Barrack Obama, embarrassing themselves and our state in the process. The recent spotlight on our state has revealed some pretty ugly things.

So I think I'm going to try to reverse the day's negative momentum with a live concert by one of the most well-known WV bands ever, Rasta Rafiki. If their infectious brand of positive reggae can't turn me around, I suppose nothing can. Want to check them out? Go here to hear a great recording from '95, and if you only listen to one song, check out "Cousins." There's a little mini-player embedded in the top right, so you don't have to download anything. Just click play.

Which brings us to today's topic: Positivity. It's what the doctor has ordered for this day that started out in the shitter.

The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest

Dang, I haven't done one of these in a long time. This week's New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest toon is here.

Take a look at the toon, and if you feel compelled, post your caption idea as a comment. I'll be submitting the best one I can come up with, and I encourage you to submit yours too. I'd love to see a RtN regular make the final three.

Friday Music

It's Friday. I need music.

I'm going to try something really different this week: a Friday Music chain.

I'll start by posting some music, and hopefully the next person up will comment on it before posting stuff of their own. Then the next person comments on the second batch of music before posting his or her music. And so on.

I fully realize that this may be a disaster, and that even if you guys play along, there could be some confusion along the way, with multiple people playing off of one person's suggestions. That's okay, though. If it starts getting weird, feel free to just bend the rules to your liking.

I will say, however, that whoever follows me will probably be the luckiest person of the day, because they get to comment on the most exciting find I've made in a while: Eli "Paperboy" Reed and the True Loves. Wow. Just plan on listening to every song on that MySpace page, and if you're like me, plan on listening to them a whole bunch of times.

Friday Music

It's Friday. I need music.

Let's do European music this week, covering as many countries as possible. That's a bit of a twist.

I'll start off by notching Ireland off the list with a little Pogues.

Dancing with the Stars

The Dalai Mama and I had another one of our crazy conversations the other night, this one about what it would take to get us to watch Dancing with the Stars. We came up with a list of "stars" that would definitely get us to tune in. We don't know how many people are actually on the show, so we're going to come up with ten.

1. Jason Hawes, one of the lead investigators on Ghost Hunters
2. Donald Faison, who plays Turk on Scrubs
3. Yao Ming, the 7'6" Houston Rocket who is currently the tallest player in the NBA
4. Stephen King, the king of horror
5. Robert Byrd, the 90-year-old West Virginia senator (no, we don't want him to die)
6. Amy Poehler of SNL
7. Amy Winehouse, the English singer-songwriter-trainwreck
8. Serena Williams, the tennis great
9. Giada De Laurentiis, the Food TV chef and personality
10. Wendy O. Williams of the Plasmatics

Someone call the suits and see if they can make this happen, 'cause if they do, we're watching. I'd love to see some of your lists.

Friday Music

It's Friday. I need music.

And so does Clash! My man is a regular here at RtN, but he doesn't actually have his own blog. He is, however, the host of the biggest internet motocross radio show in the world, DMXS Radio, not to mention he's just a peach of a guy. And Clash is going to host Friday Music this week as I travel to Seattle to watch a championship (or two?) get determined and drink some damn fine coffee.

As I always do when I have a guest host for FM, I offered Clash the opportunity to pick the topic. This was his response:

While it seems like a cop-out, I’ll go with whatever the mob spins….. “People's Choice Awards” Friday Music. I would have gone with the “movie-themed” or “80's...etc,” but to be honest, I like the unpredictable nature from the gang.

Some of the best songs I’ve heard on FM, I’ve never heard before. We will keep it simple and let folks set the tone from their bag of tricks.

So there you have it. It's name your own tune here this week, and Clash is on the receiving end of your love. As always, please post links.

Wanna Buy a Castle?

Today I posted over at Picture West Virginia. I do hope you'll follow me there, even if it's just to see the coolest house for sale in Morgantown.

Oh, and if you'd like to listen to a good new album for free, check out Freddie Stevenson's All My Strange Companions. It's well worth the listen, courtesy of his U.S. publicity company, Fanatic.

A New Slogan

There was quite an uproar when our state's slogan was changed a while back from "Wild, Wonderful West Virginia" to "West Virginia: Open for Business." The name was changed to promote a positive business environment in the state, but that wasn't enough to sell a lot of people (myself included) on the change.

Fortunately, I've come up with a new slogan that I think everyone can live with. It's so obvious, in fact, that I'm surprised it took me so long to figure it out.

My proposed slogan? West Virginia: That's some good business!

Picture West Virginia Launched

My new blog, Picture West Virginia, has been launched as of today. I hope you guys will check it out, comment on submissions, and, if you think of yourself as a West Virginian (even at heart), send me your own submissions. We started things off with a couple of really cool photographs by Charleston teacher and artist Rebecca Burch -- check 'em out!

Friday Music

It's Friday. I need music.

I was reading a silly feature in Wired magazine last night about intelligence when I came across something that interested me. Their #10 way to "supercharge your brain" is to employ visual cues to help remember things, which is a method I've used to help me remember things since I can remember. The example they cite is memorizing all of the nations of Africa. I like the idea of being able to locate every African nation, so I've decided to use the exact method they describe -- dividing the continent into five sections and then creating visual cues for each country, one section at a time, until I know them all. I've started with the the northern section, which is easy because I knew most of the five nations anyway. There's Morocco, which I don't need a cue for, then the Atlanta of the north (ATL: Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya). Algeria is particularly easy to remember because it's western border is like an A on its side. Then of course there's Egypt, which I also don't need a cue for. So there -- five countries down, easy as can be. It'll get a bit tougher from here on out, but I'm game.

So this week's topic is music with places in either the song title or the band name. I think I'll get it started.



Links, links, links.

Motorcycle PSA

It's Spring, so more and more motorcycles are on the road. If you drive, please watch for us.

Picture West Virginia

I've started a new blog called Picture West Virginia, loosely based on Friday Music in concept, and I'd like to invite everyone over to check it out. I'm still ironing out the details, so it's not officially launched yet, but because this is a community blog that will rely on posts by various people, I need to spread the word a little now so I'll get some submissions. You don't have to be a West Virginian to post -- if you're originally from here, if you went to school here, or if you have some other connection that makes you care about the state, your submissions are welcome. And of course I encourage everyone, regardless of where you're from, to stop by comment. Maybe you'll see how wrong Hollywood's stereotype of our state really is.

Here's how PWV works: Each week there's a topic, and people use the topic as inspiration for a creative response. They send it to me and I post it and open it up for comment. That's pretty much it. I've posted my response to the first topic -- "My Town" -- and I'm taking submissions for more. I'll be posting them as I get them. You'll also see that the next two topics are announced, so there's plenty of time to think about them.

I hope you guys will stop by and consider participating!

Friday Music

It's Friday. I need music.

But before I get into that, I just want to send a little "word up" to my friend Melissavina for sending a little "word up" to me. It moves me that Friday Music moves you, Melissavina. It really does. I suggest everyone head on over her way to check out the songs she posted as a tribute to FM, and to check out her cool new blog header and layout.

Also, another big thanks to Devil Mood for her fine hosting job of Friday Music last week. It excites me when people host it -- sort of like somebody having a party in my house and inviting me to it, and I don't even have to clean up. Who's got the booze? I have my eye on a few other potential future hosts, and I can only hope they'll accept the invitation.

One other aside: This week I scored pit tickets for the Cleveland Radiohead show. Yeah, pit, as in in front of the first row of seats. That'll be the second time we'll see them this year -- we're hitting up the D.C.-area show in less than a month. The DM and I have already reserved our Cleveland room. EoB, you and the Greatest of All Time are cordially invited to the tailgate.

Okay, this week. Let's see. I do believe I want to rock. Bring it. All of you.

(Links, si?)

Tech Decks and Click-Throughs

First it was Heelys, now it's Tech Decks. A couple of weeks ago I bought my son a pack of two finger boards. When we got home, he gave one of them to me with a "Here, Daddy, this is for you, to keep." Which was really sweet and was what I was secretly hoping he would do. Since then I've been bugging the DM as I click away at it all over the house. She hasn't said anything about it, but it's got to be annoying. I usually try to wait until she's not around, but sometimes I can't help myself. When she goes into another room, I start clicking at it like I'm sneaking in a smoke. This is just the latest in tickish things I like to do.

As I mentioned a couple of days ago, I've learned to ollie, and I've also been thrashing on the bathroom bowl sink. Now that I can feel how it works, I can see getting much better at this thing.

Yes, I'm a dork.

----

I've added Google ads to RtN, which is kind of silly because it's just a personal blog with unimpressive traffic numbers. Still, I'm interested in click-through rates, as I have another site in mind where I would definitely want to use them. I also added an Amazon link to purchase my favorite book, A Confederacy of Dunces. If you've never read it, I suggest you do, no matter where you get it.

Insomnia

When it's 3:05 a.m. and you aren't the slightest bit tired, and your alarm is set for 6:30 a.m. -- you just know Tuesday is going to be a real hoot. I think I'll go set the coffee pot.

It's Sort of Like I Just Got Kicked In the Face

So many things to be happy about today! For starters, I got to ride my motorcycle. Also, I finally learned to ollie the Tech Deck I got for, er, my son. But the best news, of course, was that Cafe of India finally opened again today. It closed down a couple of years ago, reminding me of Barry Sanders' decision to retire at the top of his game. Finally word started to spread that they would be reopening in a building that's a short drive from our house. The DM and I have been looking forward to this day for months.

We got there at 5:30, and though we were seated early, we were pretty frustrated when our drink order hadn't even been taken nearly an hour later. Our kids did the best they could, but asking a 6-year-old and 3-year-old to sit still in a restaurant where others are eating without having so much as a piece of bread? For an hour? Well, that's just asking too much. The trip ended in two children crying and all of us leaving. The kids had their hearts set on pakoras -- or, as they say, Indian hushpuppies -- so I did the best I could to come through by taking them through the Long John Silvers drive-through. I was starving at this point, so, against my better judgment, I ordered LJS too. Yes, I went from eating my favorite food in the world to eating cold, deep-fried, low-grade dog food. The kids thought it ruled, though.

Kicked in the face, I tell you.

Friday Music

It's Friday. I need music.

And so does my blog friend Devil Mood. She's super cool, loves music, and has a great blog over at Love is Stronger than Pride that you should definitely check out. This week she's guest hosting "Friday Music."

She picked a great topic, which she explains well:

My request is that people provide links to music that reminds them of "Teen Love". I specifically highlighted that I don't mean songs that talk about teen love but the songs that remind people of their teenage loves. (It can be both if it's the case, of course).

So reminisce and suggest away. Please post links!

It's On!

This one's for all the Morgantownies who make it to RtN. You've heard that Cafe of India is opening back up. Well, I did a little investigative reporting, and it turns out it's opening ...

drum roll, please ...

on freaking MONDAY! Glory, glory, hallelujah!

A Brand New Hat

I'd like to send a huge 'thank you!' out to my blog friend Dalyn for making a new header for me. I think it's real bitchin' and will wear it proudly. Thanks, Dalyn!

Here's a video that most of you have probably seen, but just in case it squeaked by some of you ...



That's just one of the best things I've ever seen.

Big Business near Chi-town

After a day of good actual business in a Chicago suburb, my co-worker and I decided to find a spot for some deep-dish pizza pie. If we were downtown I'm sure we'd be pointed to lots of locally owned hot spots, but options were more limited and we went to what I believe is a sizable regional chain called Giordano's. To our admittedly ignorant taste buds, the pie was fantastic, as were the local brews. Here's an iPhone image of the pie:

We also had a great waitress who steered us in the right direction throughout the entire meal. I felt like she deserved more than just a monetary tip, so I also presented her with her very own "That's Some Good Business!" sticker. She was quite appreciative, and even said something like, "That's the hot new phrase I've been hearing all of the kids say." While that did my heart good, I was even happier when she immediately peeled the sticker off of its backing and affixed it to her otherwise virgin ticket holder. As you can see, she placed it near the top, which means it'll peek out of her apron indefinitely as she serves more work-weary customers a few slices of excellence after their long days.

And that, my friends, is some good business.

Going Places

So I'm in a hotel room in Chicago, and I'm thinking about some other trips we've got lined up in the near future. I'll be heading to Seattle in late April for a race, and later this summer the DM and I are taking the family to the Finger Lakes of New York for a week, which should be lots of fun. We're also going to the D.C. area for a Radiohead show in May, and to Baltimore the week after that for a Glen Hansard/Marketa Irglova show. Later in the summer, the DM and I will be heading back to Washington (state) for another race.

While this is all cool, the trip I'm really thinking about is our 10th Anniversary trip, in May of 2009. The DM and I are trying to figure out where to go. We've talked Ireland, Mexico, Costa Rica, even Nicaragua. I also can't stop thinking about Positano, though that place is just so freaking expensive and we want to go somewhere that won't break the bank. Maybe even southern France, even though the DM has been there before. We just don't know, but it sure is fun to think about it.

Any suggestions on a good spot for our 10th Anniversary trip? What are the best places you've been?

Friday Music

It's Friday. I need music.

This is also my 300th post. I didn't stick with making paper models, but I guess I stuck with blogging!

I can't really think of a good theme today. I considered songs that remind us of movies, but I'm thinking I maybe did that one already. I thought about songs of celebration, being that it's Friday and this is a tricentennial post and all, but I'm not really feeling that much either.

Anyone have an idea for a theme this week? If not, let's just do a free-for-all. I'll start with this:



Next week my blog pal Devil Mood will be guest hosting Friday Music.

The Finger

I've decided to make a post anyone can use to give something the finger. I know it's a negative post, but it's just what I'm feelin' tonight.

I'm going to start by giving dementia the finger. I've lost three very close relatives to dementia, and I'll never forgive it. If it ever grabs hold of me, do me a favor and cut it off at the pass.

This one's for you, dementia.

Friday Music

It's Friday. I need music.

I finally finished my latest paper model, and it's got me thinking about butterflies. I guess a fleeting life of freedom is better than a lifetime of imprisonment. So this week's theme is freedom.

Like Devil Mood said, I like links!

Cigarettes and Coffee

Great news! My good friend and coworker Jeff has finally resuscitated his blog, Cigarettes and Coffee. Jeff is an awesome writer, so it should be fun, especially if you're into comics. Which I'm not ... but still. Pay him a visit!

Something I Stumbled Upon

Do any of you use Stumble Upon? If so, feel free to add me as a friend on there -- my username is SleekPelt.

It's a pretty cool thing, really, and I've seen a bunch of cool sites as a result of signing up for it. One of them is this one, which links to 100 free, downloadable paper-craft projects. This might sound really dorky, but as soon as I saw this, I knew I had to do some of these bad boys. I started with these four, which were very easy.

The one I'm working on now is a bit more complicated, but so far, so good. If I stick with this longer than, say, I stuck with making beer, maybe I'll even work my way up to this one. I mean, is it just me, or is that really freaking cool?

Easy Money

All of Morgantown seems to be abuzz about the eight women in the Monongalia County tax office who won last weekend's big Powerball jackpot. The advertised value was $276 million and the lump sum was $138 million. That is truly a lot of bread. (Story)

The receptionist in my office used to work in that tax office. She was the one who organized the Powerball pools when she was there, so of course she was (jokingly) kicking herself and talking about it all day. Five bucks says she's talking about it right now.

I spent a summer in college working temp jobs in Lexington, Kentucky, and every one of them was on an assembly line. This is where I learned to love coffee and Led Zeppelin, and it's also where I started forming my opinion of the lottery and thinking more seriously about my future. Any time there was a big jackpot to be won, it was the center of conversation during every lunch break. Assembly line lifers would talk about the money, what they would do with it, how much they would give their co-workers, friends, and family, how many tickets they were going to buy, etc. It was always clear to me that the chance at easy money was a form of escapism (with perhaps a little real hope mixed in) for people who had been working their asses off for their entire lives, with little chance of moving on to greener professional pastures. I didn't blame them, though. I probably even joined in on the discussions from time to time. But I remember thinking a lot about the reality of getting up and going to work gluing rubber rings on the ends of rubber tubes, for eight hours, the day after losing the jackpot once again. "Yeah, but nobody won. It's a push! It'll definitely get over $200 mil by Saturday!" That's how it was, and it was definitely not for me.

That's when I promised myself I was going to find a career that I loved, something that I'd want to do no matter what, and that's how I'd make my way through life. I was never going to let the practically imaginary lure of instant, "unlimited" wealth cloud what was really possible in life with hard work and a strong belief in myself. Conor Oberst of Rob Zero's favorite band Bright Eyes wrote, "I'd rather be working for a paycheck than waiting to win the lottery." He was using it as an analogy for love, but the literal meaning rings true for me. I'm happy to say that I found the career I was looking for.

Of course, some people do win the lottery. It just happened in my town, and a dude named Jack Whittaker from a small town in WV won even more money a number of years ago. Here's where it gets crazy, though -- Whittaker's life is in shambles. He's constantly been in legal trouble, his granddaughter died of a drug overdose at 17, which was surely facilitated by her ridiculous allowance ... I saw him on TV once saying that he wished he'd never won the money. It just brought trouble. It turns out that all of that easy money wasn't so easy after all.

Maybe Whittaker is just an idiot, and if you or I all of the sudden came into $300 million, we'd be responsible with it, and it would make us happier. But maybe not. Once you get past the most obvious benefit of having that kind of money -- security for your children's financial future -- I think it gets a bit cloudier.

Friends, for example. What happens there? I have some of the best friends a guy could ask for, and I'd want to help them out in a big way with some of that cash dropping out of my pockets. But here's where you have to start making weird decisions about just how close your friends are. Maybe you have one lifelong buddy who you don't hang out with much, but you've always been close and you still talk to occasionally, and you decide to hook his kids up with a $10,000 college fund. Pretty cool, right? Sure, until the next time you see your buddy and he's wearing a "My best friend won $300 million and all he got me was a lousy $10G" T-shirt. I certainly think really deep friendships could withstand the pressures that this sort of thing places on a relationship, hopefully, but I bet these same pressures wreak havoc on less established friendships.

I think I'd feel like a target if I won the lottery. Making that kind of money honestly is one thing, but I bet winning it just makes you an immediate bull's eye. People would drive by your house, knock on the door asking for help (uh oh, gotta live in a gated community now), every relative and person you sorta knew at one point would contact you, hundreds of charities and random strangers ... and watch out for those pesky lawsuits.

Some people like to say they wouldn't change if they won the lottery. I think that's highly unlikely. So you think you'd still be driving your Jetta if your bank account is bulging at the seems? Yeah, right. To a large degree money is power, and I bet $300 mil seems pretty limitless. Lord Acton said, "Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely." I totally believe this. (And so did J.R.R. Tolkien; just ask Gollum.) Oh, you'll change alright, and who's to say the change is necessarily for the better?

Who knows what it would really be like? I guess if somebody walked up to me and handed me a check for that kind of bread, I'd take it and hope for the best. But in the meantime, I'm going to focus on the life that I do have and try to enjoy as many moments of contentment as possible. Good family? Check. Good job? Check. Good friends? Check. Who needs the lottery?

Tagged 2

I was tagged by the DM. It's the one where you just list five things about yourself and then tag other people.

1. If I could have dinner with any living person, I'd choose Gillian McKeith. She's bloody awesome.
2. I think it would be extremely weird to see photos of the ten people throughout time who have looked the most like me. Not including relatives of course.
3. I used to make beer and I probably will again one day.
4. I once broke two fingers playing spin the bottle.
5. I became a pescetarian a few years ago on Thanksgiving. It was instant and definite.

I don't mind being tagged, but I'm sheepish in tagging because I don't know if people really like to do them, and some blogs seem a bit too structured (Teoh). But I'll pick: Rob Zero, Dalyn, Inarticulate Fumblings, EoB, and good ol' Josh Williams. This tagging is so optional that I'm not even going to leave comments on your blogs -- if you read this and you want to do it, word.

Friday Music

It's Friday. I need music.

I think I'll go with an '80s theme this week. Here are some early '80s songs to start things off that would likely not appear on a typical '80s various-artists album.





And last but far from least:

The Best Business Yet

You may have read my previous posts about the hot new saying "that's some good business." Well it just so happens that the first printing of the official sticker is currently in production, thanks to the excellent folks at makemyownstickers.com. (This is a really good company -- one I've worked with for a long time -- so be sure to check 'em out if you're in need of personalized stickers for any reason. They're super fast and the stickers are surprisingly affordable.)



If you want one, I'm offering them now at the low, low price of absolutely free. Just shoot me an e-mail. Help me spread the word(s)!

The Squirrel Assault Course

Thanks to Josh Williams for e-mailing me this little gem.

Friday Music

It's Friday. I need music.

And so does Erin O'Brien, who's guest commenting this week! If you haven't checked out Erin's blog yet, head on over to the Erin O'Brien Owner's Manuel for Human Beings. It's chock full of hilarity and brilliance, including this YouTube video, which has garnered a more than impressive 1.4 million views. She also wrote Harvey and Eck, which I fully intend on reading after I finish a few books, including The Sparrow and Small Town Punk.

Anyway, Erin's in the hot seat. This week's topic: Mixes. You're making a mix -- what's the first song? (It's up to you what kind of mix it is, what mood it appeals to, etc.) And feel free to post more songs from the mix as well. As always, please try to post links.

The Shoo-In

There was a cover story in USA Today yesterday about Brett Favre's recently announced retirement. Here is a direct quote from said story, by Larry Weisman:

"With his all-but-certain Hall of Fame career on a late upswing and the Green Bay Packers resurgent, 38-year-old Brett Favre chose this moment to announce a retirement hinted at repeatedly over past years and seemingly more likely then than now."

Um ... excuse me? Did he say "all-but-certain"?

Brett Favre could cheat on his wife with a hotel maid, then kill her with a hunting knife, then admit to betting on the Packers to lose in the playoffs this year, and he would still be a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame. The only question whatsoever about this guy is: Is he the greatest quarterback who ever played the game? His place in the Hall was secure long ago.

All-but-certain? Please.

Sweet Redemption

So a month or so ago, I had my first gig as a parent reader in my daughter's kindergarten class. I was stoked about it, too. I'd chosen the books that my girl loves the most, which I figured would be an indication that the other kids would love them too.

Wrong. I went in thinking I was going to bring the house down with my animated storytelling style and character voices, but I fell flat.

"This book is too long!" one kid said as i trudged on through Seuss' Horton Hatches an Egg. I noticed some of the kids looking around the room as I moved through The Old Woman Who Named Things. What the hell!? This is a great book! I just didn't understand, and I was bummed when I left. I was also nervous for my next gig, slated for 8:30 am on March 3.

Last night, when the Dalai Mama reminded me that my next reading session was today, I broke out in a cold sweat as I tried to contain my panic. Were they going to bring rotten fruit this time?

I had to show up big this time, so I went for shorter books that I was sure would engage even the antsiest of kiddies. I knew my opener was vital, so I pulled out all the stops and went with Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late, much to my daughter's delight. This book starts out with a fella asking the readers to make sure the pigeon doesn't try to stay up late, then the pigeon goes through legions of excuses about why he should be allowed to stay up until, fatigued from his antics, he passes out. Was it a good choice for an opener?

One kid broke out in uncontrollable laughter that forced me to delay mid-book until he could semi-regain his composure. Every other kid in the circle was in stitches, and they cheered when I finished. And this was just the first of five books, folks!

I was on a roll, basking in the glory of their five-year-old approval. I moved into the more serious When You Grow Up, about a bear who has discussions with his mother about his future as an adult, all of which involve him living with his mother. Despite the more serious tone, it was also a hit. Then I read Franklin Is Bossy, which turned into a grand discussion on taking turns, treating your friends right, etc. The last book I had brought was My Dog Never Says Please, about a snooty little girl who decides she wants to be a dog so she won't have to watch her manners, clean her room, etc. This one also had the kids howling, and when I realized that I still had seven minutes left of stage time, my daughter chose a simple, silly Seuss book off the bookshelf for me to close with: There's a Wocket in my Pocket.

When I closed the fifth and final book of my set, I got the ovation I'd been missing ever since that first gig all those weeks ago. It was sweet success, folks. I nailed it.

For booking information, please contact my agent.

Friday Music

It's Friday. I need music.

Another week, another magazine down. Tomorrow begins our 109th issue, so I'm looking for some inspirational music this week.

I think the topic will be: songs that you freaking loved the first time you heard them.

Here are a few I'll start with:

Friday Music

It's Friday. I need music.

I think I'm in the mood to do a theme this week, so let's go with: covers. What are your favorite covers ever? As always, I'll listen and respond to everything.

I'll start things off with this little bit of pure beauty.



Okay, the Flying Burrito Brothers actually recorded the song first, but Keith and Mick wrote it. Does that count as a cover? I guess not, but I'm starting the day with it anyway.

The A Confederacy of Dunces Excerpt of the Day

"Ignatius! So you got yourself fired."

"Please, Mother, I am near the breaking point." Ignatius stuck the bottle of Dr. Nut under his moustache and drank noisily, making great sounds of sucking and gurgling. "If you are planning now to be harpy, I shall certainly be pushed over the brink."

"A little job in a office and you can't hold it down. With all your education."

"I was hated and resented," Ignatius said, casting a hurt expression at the brown walls of the kitchen. He pulled his tongue from the mouth of the bottle with a thump and belched some Dr. Nut. "Ultimately it was all Myrna Minkoff's fault. You know how she makes trouble."

"Myrna Minkoff? Don't gimme that foolishness, Ignatius. That girl's in New York. I know you, boy. You musta really pulled some boo-boos at that Levy Pants."

"My excellence confused them."

Buy A Confederacy of Dunces.

Planet of the What the Hell Are Those Things?

So, like ... uh. Yeah.

A Space for Entertaining

You know what drives me nuts? On those home-improvement shows, why does everyone always have to call rooms spaces? ALWAYS. Even when they already said the name of the room.

"I really like this kitchen space. It's got lots of room for entertaining."

Which brings me to entertaining. I can't believe the amount of entertaining that goes on in these people's homes. I usually just have friends over, personally.

In my world, a space for entertaining is called a stage. And if I hadn't recently developed an apparent allergy to alcohol, I'd be down with playing the Spaces Drinking Game. "Ooh, this is a great space." Glug glug glug. "We'd really have fun entertaining in this outdoor space." Double-whammy, glug glug glug glug glug glug.

I guess I wouldn't make a very good interior designer.

Friday Music

Guest commenter: Dalyn's Life

Happy Birthday, Small, Young People!

My female small, young person turns 6 tomorrow, and that's kinda crazy. My pal Raoul Duke's female small, young person turns 1 tomorrow. I bet that's crazy to him. They're so, so sweet, and I love them very much.

Happy birthday, small, young people!

Love,

Daddy/Uncle SleekPelt

(Off-subject: Does anyone else forget how to write in cursive?)

[Ed. note: Thanks, m@.]

New Business Watch 2

The win streak for business continues. RtN's Matthes used it in his wildly popular column "Observations" over at Racer X Canada's site. He said:

" Team Yamaha/San Manual Band of Mission Indians' Chad Reed kept his business rolling, but just like Anaheim 3, he made it interesting."

Nice, Matthes, thanks! Also, full props go out to Weege for dropping it four times during the webcast on Saturday night.

Does anyone have Sal Masekela's number? Clash, you probably do....

New Business Watch

Yes! My boy Weege came through already! Check out his latest post, straight from the press box at San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium. Read it all the way to the end, and you'll see that the business has begun. I knew you'd come through, Weege! I'll be listening tonight.

Business Development

Sometimes I just don't think. Honestly. Here I am trying to get Rob Dyrdek to bust out business on TV, ignoring some of the tighter, if somewhat less substantial, contacts that I personally have.

For example: Jason Weigandt. "The Weege" is a bonafide, autograph-signing celebrity in the high-action world of AMA Supercross. (The only motorsport bigger than ours in the USA is NASCAR.) Not only is he one of the most popular writers in the sport, but he's also the host of the live audio feed that goes out to tens of thousands of people every supercross race. And I originally hired him years ago! That's right, Weege was a green punk out of New Jersey, looking for his big break, and who gave that to him? That's right -- yours truly. So he owes me. (Plus he still kinda works for me.)

So I'm sending him an e-mail after I finish this post, and I'm going to ask him to start using business in context at least three times during every broadcast. Hattica was already kind enough to give some racing examples on my last business post.

Speaking of Hattica ... Hattica, who posts here all the time, writes two very popular weekly columns that are read by legions of people all over the world. Hey, Hattica -- next time you write "Rev Up" and "Number Cruncher," give me a little business, would you?

Next ... Matthes. Yes, Matthes, who used to be a regular poster here on RtN until I stopped posting. Good ol' Matthes is the host of a very popular weekly podcast that is also listened to by thousands of people, many of whom are north of the border in his home country: Canada. Matthes, I checked out that David Vuillemin interview you did and there were at least 40 opportunities for you to drop the business. How about a bone next time, yo?

Last but not least is you, my fellow bloggers. Inarticulate Fumblings and Dalyn have already agreed to run business in Canada, and that's just hot. If the rest of y'all could just find a place for it, here and there, in posts, at the club, in the post office, wherever, you'll be doing your part to set this brilliant word free.

Thank you -- I love you all.

Friday Music

It's Friday. I need music.

I don't think I'm going to do these every Friday anymore, but today is a good day for it. I'm starting the day off with Colin MacIntyre's newest masterpiece, released Tuesday: The Water.



Next?

More Business

Long time no talk! The good news is, I've finished my book, and my consulting gig is nearing its end. I look forward to getting back to my normal crazy schedule and hanging out more with you, my blogging peeps.

The reason for my post today is to talk about my latest campaign to get the word business into the lexicon of youthful slang. Unfortunately, since my post in September, the use of the word doesn't seem to have spread much. So I've decided to call out the big guns.

I sent an e-mail describing the term to a friend who's good friends with Rob and Big. He forwarded it to Dyrdek. The examples I used in the e-mail:

"Fettucini Alfredo? That's some good business right there."
"Man, I gotta change my jeans, I got all kinds of business up in these pockets."
"You got so much crusty business in your eyes you could bake an apple pie."

I feel like this could be businesses big break. If Rob reads the e-mail and sees how good of a word it is, he may say it on his television show. The kids will start saying it instantly.

So I have hope. Even though my friend said Rob's horrible at e-mail and I'll probably never hear from him.

Notes from the Good Doctor

I sure love Dr. Seuss, and luckily, so do my shorties. Here is some of my favorite Seuss.

It's a troublesome world. All the people who're in it
are troubled with troubles almost every minute.
You ought to be thankful, a whole heaping lot,
for the places and people you're lucky you're not!

-Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?

Here's a good one to think about while working.

Think they work you too hard...?
Think of poor Ali Sard!
He has to mow grass in his uncle's back yard
and it's quick-growing grass
and it grows as he mows it.
The faster he mows it, the faster he grows it.
And all that his stingy old uncle will pay
for his shoving that mower around in that hay
is the piffulous pay of two Dooklas a day.
And Ali can't live on such piffulous pay!

So...

He has to paint flagpoles
on Sundays in Grooz.
How lucky you are
you don't live in his shoes!

-Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?

Horton knows what's up.

Their voices were heard! They rang out clear and clean.
And the elephant smiled. "Do you see what I mean?...
They've proved they ARE persons, no matter how small.
And their whole world was saved by the Smallest of All!"

-Horton Hears a Who

This one always killed me as a kid, and now it's one of my girl's favorites.

Now, bicycles were never made
For pale green pants to ride 'em,
Especially spooky pale green pants
With nobody inside 'em!

-What Was I Scared Of?

Yertle, meet the karma police.

And today the great Yertle, that Marvelous he,
Is King of the Mud. That is all he can see.
And the turtles, of course ... all the turtles are free
As turtles and, maybe, all creatures should be.

-Yertle the Turtle

And last but far, far from least, the good ol' Lorax.

"Mister!" he said with a sawdusty sneeze,
"I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees.
I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tounges.
And I'm asking you, sir, at the top of my lungs"--
he was very upset as he shouted and puffed--
"What's that THING you've made out of my Truffula tuft?"

"Look, Lorax," I said. "There's no cause for alarm.
I chopped just one tree. I am doing no harm.
I'm being quite useful. This thing is a Thneed.
A Thneed's a Fine-Something-That-All-People-Need!
It's a shirt. It's a sock. It's a glove. It's a hat.
But it has other uses. Yes, far beyond that.
You can use it for carpets. For pillows! For sheets!
Or curtains! Or covers for bicycle seats!"

The Lorax said,
"Sir! You are crazy with greed.
There is no one on earth
who would buy that fool Thneed!"

But the very next minute I proved he was wrong.
For, just at that minute, a chap came along,
and he thought that the Thneed I had knitted was great.
He happily bought it for three ninethy-eight.

I laughed at the Lorax, "You poor stupid guy!
You never can tell what some people will buy."

-The Lorax

Friday Music

It's Friday. I need music.

I'll leave it at that. I'll listen to everything today, but I probably won't respond until next week. Hook it up!

One

You know how much I've been working lately? So much that I haven't really not been working since we got back from Vegas. I've basically been working myself to sleep. My career is always pretty gnarly, but I'm also up to my knicks in a freelance project -- I'm writing a children's book and consulting on five others (it's a six-book series). My book is due Monday. I shouldn't even be making this post.

I've been so busy that I missed my birthday. Yep, I started Reversing the Numbness a year ago yesterday with this little post. Things haven't turned out like I thought they would, but that's okay. I'm glad to stay in touch with some of my best friends through this blog, and I've also met some very cool people. It's like my own smoky little bar.

I will definitely get back to posting more regularly, and reading my favorite blogs more regularly. I can't wait until I see some daylight! Thanks to everybody who's a part of RtN. I'm glad you're here.

Friday Music

It's Friday. You know who needs music?

My friend The Electric Orchid Hunter. He's going to do what I normally do on this weekly post: listen to every music suggestion and post his thoughts. I'm stoked that he's being a good sport about my request for a substitute. (I'm not actually going anywhere; just wanted to try something different.)

So here's how we'll do it this week. Feel free to post any songs you want -- links are always appreciated, and I bet Teoh will think so too -- but try to leave at least one song under this theme: great driving songs.

I hope everyone who stops by RTN will join in this week. Oh, and if you want to read some exceptional writing about things you probably didn't know you'd be interested in, I seriously suggest checking out Teoh's blog, Eclectic Epiphytes and Electrophoretic Epigrams. It's one of the best blogs I've ever read.

Television Nirvana

The DM just told me something that is blowing my mind. I'm sure this is common news to people who pay attention to entertainment news, but the last episode of Scrubs this year -- the series finale -- will have a Princess Bride theme.

It could be the greatest thing that's ever happened.

So, in homage to both:

Substitute Feature

I'd like to try something a little different this week. Anybody want to sub for me on Friday Music? It's easy; people will post some songs, preferably with links, and you'll just check them all out and say what you think (within a few days). I'm hoping at least one person will volunteer, and more is better. Anyone? Anyone? Anyone?

Tonight I'm Gonna Party Like It's 1999

Check out this video from 1967. (The DM saw this on Snopes.com, and it's legit.) Talk about nailing it.

So here we are, still in the infancy of the information age (though this puppy is growing up fast!). What will it be like 30 years from now?