Hey!

Rock on back to the 1980's! I have another blog I maintain, featuring music videos from the 80's on different themes for each day of the week. Go to http://www.rockingthe80s.blogspot.com and watch some videos and leave some comments and tell your friends!

Wordless Wednesday #43

Chinese Art at the Belz Museum in Memphis, TN

Ten On Tuesday #12

Ten Places I'd Take a Tourist in my Hometown

Oakland Cemetary - Georgia and Atlanta History

The Cyclorama - The entire wall of the circular viewing room is a painting depicting the Battle of Atlanta. The auditorium seats rotate as features of the painting are highlighted and explained.

Amicalola Falls - One of Georgia's State parks

Six Flags Over Georgia

Centennial Olympic Park - which can include the surrounding attractions of the CNN Center, The Tabernacle, and the Georgia Aquarium.

Turner Field - formerly Olympic Stadium. The stadium was converted and renamed to be the home of the Atlanta Braves.

Kennesaw National Battlefield Park

Georgia's Stone Mountain Park

The World of Coke (also at Centennial Olympic Park)

Zoo Atlanta - we have pandas!

The Varsity - It's the world's largest drive-in restaurant with a very long history and a reputation for eats even approved of by Rachael Ray. You have to try the chili dogs, onion rings and either an orange freeze (shake) or a chocolate shake.

From the Talkmaster

Found today at boortz.com

THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO DO ....
.. but I just know I would get the absolute dog squeeze kicked out of me:

Walk up to some guy with a nice brand new car and ask him where he got that nifty dealer sticker on his trunk and ask him if he could maybe get one for me.

Ask some guy with a fat wife: "Did she weigh that much when you married her?" I could ask the same question of some lady with a fat husband, but I really don't care all that much.

Walk up to some clown on a loud Harley and shove something up his exhaust.

Stand at an urban street corner with one of those compressed gas horns. When some jerk comes up with $10,000 worth of woofers in his auto sound system I'll stick the horn in his window and give him a blast.

Hang around a golf tournament and kick the first idiot that screams "get in the hole" right square in the nads.

Stand at the door of a welfare office collecting cell phones.

The next time I encounter a screaming ankle biter in a restaurant just walk right over there and administer a good spanking.

Hang around a grocery check out stand saying "You're welcome" to every person using food stamps as they check out ... just praying that one will say "welcome for what?"

Walk up to some sleeveless walking graffiti display and ask if I can make a rubbing of their tats.

Dare I even think of a comment?

While checking the local news and weather this morning at www.ajc.com I noticed a peculiar link on one of the columns to a story about "10 Cool Destinations for Gays and Lesbians."

The media is widely accepted to be liberal, and liberals (to me) seem to promote a we should all get along and live in harmony kind of attitude. So, why is it that they would publish a story promoting the places ideal for a subset and not ideal for all?

I looked at the list, hoping to laugh at one of the options being a place called Closet (pronounced claus-say if it's French). Instead I found Dublin, Ireland. Well there are a lot of Catholics there and we know what priests seem to like sexually. And there was Denver, Colorado, heterosexuals beware, they are vacationing in Denver. Marsielles, France, okay, they can have that one. Santiago, Chile, for your third-world gay and lesbian adventure. Shanghai, China, for your communist gay and lesbian adventure. Austin, TX is one I can't understand, unless you use the Louis Gossett, Jr. line regarding Oklahoma in "An Officer and a Gentleman" regarding steers and queers.

I should probably mention that this same newspaper ran a story a couple of years ago about Key West, FL and how it's no l0nger the Mecca for gay vacationers, awwwwwww. Perhaps Jimmy Buffett ruined it for all of them by living there and writing songs about the place. So Jimmy, what can you sing about Denver, "An Omelet Looks at 40?"

Corporate Preferences

Though Memphis is definitely part of the South, and Coca-Cola is king in the South, the Pepsi ad on this building on Beale St. is pretty unique. Over where the pigeons flock, it's clear who their celular provider of preference is.

Simply Amazing

This was the scene this afternoon in Orlando, FL at the Bay Hill course which Tiger Woods calls home. In a four-day event, playing 18 holes of golf per day, Tiger was behind the leader by 7 strokes after playing Thursday and Friday. On Saturday, he shot a round in which his score was 7 strokes better than the leader, resulting in a tie after 3 rounds with the final to be played today.
Approaching the final hole today, Tiger was tied with a different player than the leader Friday/Saturday. That leader played the final hole before Tiger and completed it in 4 strokes. Three strokes would have placed him ahead of Tiger and would require Tiger to complete the hole in 3 strokes in order to tie. As it turned out, the co-leader needed 4 strokes to complete the 18th hole, leaving the possibility of a tie-breaker if Tiger also shot 4. Tiger shot 3, putting a perfect 24 foot shot downhill to the cup to win the tournament and become tied at third place on the all-time list for PGA tournament wins. Tiger is 32 years old.

Friday Feast #42

Appetizer - On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 as highest), how much do you like your own handwriting?
8

Soup - Do you prefer baths or showers?
Baths, but who has the time?

Salad - What was the last bad movie you watched?
Alpha Dog - does it count as watching it if you turned it off after 20 minutes?

Main Course - Name something you are addicted to and describe how it affects your life.
I prefer not to answer out of personal shame

Dessert - Which instrument is your favorite to listen to?
Guitar

and don't forget to visit www.rockingthe80s.blogspot.com if you love or miss the music of the 1980s!

Crazy 8's Meme

About a week ago (maybe a little longer) I was tagged by my blogging friend Frigga for something called the Cray 8's Meme. Here are my responses.

Name 8 Things I Am Passionate About.
Disclaimer (my own) the term passionate is a bit unsettling, so I will ist things I care about a great deal.
My wife.
Poker
Baseball
College Football
My friends.
Lost
80's music
Photography

Name 8 Things I Want To Do Before I Die
Visit Greece
Have kids
Enforce the law
Lose enough weight to fit on a standard height/weight chart
Play in the World Series of Poker
See the Philadelphia Phillies win another World Series
See the Atlanta Thrashers play in the Stanley Cup Finals
Own a Chevrolet Avalanche

8 Things I Often Say
Thank You For Calling Walgreen's This Is Mike, How May I Help You?
AbsoSMURFly
I am a big fan of common sense
You know how I know you're gay?
I'd like to order for delivery
Kevin, you have a call parked on line 101. Kevin 101 please.
http://www.valtool.blogspot.com/
Pickle, pickle. (calling to my brother's cat, named Pixel)

8 Books I've Recently Read or am Currently Reading
True Light - Terri Blackstock
Wicked - Gregory Maguire
Son of a Witch - Gregory Maguire
How to Win Friends and Influence People - Dale Carnegie
The Witness - Dee Henderson
Heartbreak & Triumph, the Shawn Michaels Story
Night Light - Terri Blackstock
Blue Like Jazz - Donald Miller

8 Songs I Could Listen To Over and Over
"Comfortably Numb" - Pink Floyd
"Rooftops" - Lost Prophets
"Drinkers Hour" - Vaughan Rhea
"Home" - Disney's Beauty & the Beast - Cast Recording
"I Won't Say I'm In Love" - Disney's Hercules Soundtrack
"On My Own" - Les Miserables Cast Recording
"Holy Water" - Big & Rich
"Don't Let it End" - Styx

8 Things That Attract Me To My Best Friends
The Willingness to Accept me Despite the person I am
The Willingness to Accept me Despite the person I am
The Willingness to Accept me Despite the person I am
The Willingness to Accept me Despite the person I am
The Willingness to Accept me Despite the person I am
The Willingness to Accept me Despite the person I am
The Willingness to Accept me Despite the person I am
The Willingness to Accept me Despite the person I am

8 People I Think Should Do Crazy 8's
April @ Discovering God's Plan
Jeff @ Eeyorejeff
Amy @ Amy's Random Thoughts
Steven @ Russell's Abode
Carlos @ Ragamuffin Soul
Sparky Duck @ Blujackit5
Bubba's Sis

Wordless Wednesday #42

Monday Trivia

So it's Monday. We actually got enough of our team together to go play trivia tonight. It was Me and Amy, with Dave from small group and his trivia friend Mike (whose wife is also named Amy).

We found ourselves in first place (tied) at the end of regulation. To get there we had to answer questions like

Mariska Hargitay of Law & Order SVU is the daughter of what late blond bombshell?

In what movie did Gwyneth Paltrow's character have her head cut off at the end?

What British Invasion band was lead by brothers Ray and Dave Davies?

Approximately how many weeks does the Tour de France last (1, 2, o2 3)?

Michael J. Fox appeared on which sitcom longer, Family Ties or Spin City?

These were all answers that I gae our team correct responses to. They were, Jane Mansfield, Seven, The Kinks, 3, and Family Ties.

Our final bonus was, place these four cities in order from Northernmost to Southernmost.... Madrid, Spain, Mogadishu, Somalia, Rio de Jinero, Brazil, and Bombay India. I had the correct order but it did not matter because a. we decided to bid 0 and hope other teams got it wrong, and b. Dave wanted to use a different order anyway. So we bet 0 and wound up not placing in the prizes. At least we have Wednesday coming, with our game at Winston's with friend Charlie playing with Amy nad me.

Excerpts from a movie monologue

A man's actions don't equal the sum of the psychological parts It just doesn't work that way.

It doesn't work, Frank. God doesn't punish the wicked and reward the righteous. Everyone dies. Some die because they deserve to, others die simply because they come from Minneapolis. It's random and it's meaningless.

Stuff, American Idol, 80's music

We are watching the "results" show of American Idol and so far all is well in the world of AI. Kady Malloy and Luke Menard have been announced as two of the four contestants who will not be continuing on to next week. Our hope is the other two are Amanda and Danny. We now know that Amanda is safe. She is the www.votefortheworst.com female favorite to vote for despite not deserving it. It's down to Asia'h and Kristy Lee as the last two of whom one is not advancing.... the one voted off is.....Asia'h is heading home. I'm okay with that choice. So one guy to go still.... it's down to Danny the gay guy and Chikizie the one-named black dude.... going home is.....Danny Noriega! So Vote For The Worst got beat early in the season!

If you like music from the 1980's, which was the theme for American Idol this week, please check out this website, http://www.rockingthe80s.blogspot.com I am the moderator and we get a music video from the 1980's every day and sometimes some other articles and flashback materials. Today would be Long Distance Dedication Friday, but I don't have any requests or dedications to post this week. Last week was a blast with a friend from college dedicating "Cars That Go Boom" to her sister. Email me at mjchristopher@comcast.net to make your dedication and request.

Friday Feast #41

Appetizer - If you could be any current celebrity for one whole week, who would you want to be?

Simon Cowell

Soup - On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being highest), how much do you enjoy talking on the phone?

3

Salad - Name a charitable organization to which you have donated (or would like to).

Compassion International and Love Without Boundaries

Main Course - What is a food you like so much you could eat it every single day for a month?

Four Seasons - Chinese dish of beef, pork, chicken, shrimp and vegetables.

Dessert - Have you or anyone in your family had the flu this year?

Not that I am aware of. I have a bit of a chronic cough right now, but it's not the flu.

My American Accent

This poll nailed me exactly. I have been told I have a good voice for radio or TV, and I was raised outside of Philadelphia.

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Midland   "You have a Midland accent" is just another way of saying "you don't have an accent." You probably are from the Midland (Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and Missouri) but then for all we know you could be from Florida or Charleston or one of those big southern cities like Atlanta or Dallas. You have a good voice for TV and radio.
Philadelphia
The Inland North
The South
The Northeast
The West
Boston
North Central
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

American Idol 8 girls

Asia'h' Epperson - Whitney Houston - I Wanna Dance With Somebody - It was okay, nothing great, nothing horrible. The judges (Randy and Paula) liked her a lot more than Simon, and I think I'm with Simon on this one. It was good enough to survive the cut.

Kady Malloy - we don't know the song or the artist, neither Amy nor I have heard it before, but Ryan said something about Queen before the commercial break. Being an unknown song, even if sung well, can be dangerous. It worked for Bo Bice, but I don't think it will carry for Kady, she is vulnerable. Paula thinks it's Kady's best performance to date. Simon says it's an improvement but she lacks personality while she's performing.

Amanda Overmeyer - Biker Nurse and female favorite of www.votefortheworst.com - Joan Jett & The Blackhearts - I Hate Myself For Loving You - good pick for herself because it lets her sing a raspy yelling song and well, that's the only manner in which she can sing. She can not leave the show soon enough. I don't care what the judges say.

Carly Smithson - I drove all Night - Roy Orbison, Cyndi Lauper - Amy says there's something about Carly she likes. I am distracted in a negative way by the arm full of tattoos. Her voice is decent, but there's also the whole thinag about her having had a record deal before and failing, so why does she deserve a shot here?

Kristy Lee Cook - Journey - Faithfully - She gave it a country edge, and changed the lyrics a bit, and it worked well. The judges liked the performance, but Simon called her forgetable.

Ramiele Malubay - Against All Odds - Phil Collins - the judges liked her a lot more than I did. For some reason Paula's first comment was about how pretty her face is and I was stuck thinking, "this is a singing contest, right?"

Brooke White - Pat Benatar - Love is a Battlefield - it's an acoustic arrangement and I like it. The odd thing is she's wearing Underdog's giant ring with the secret compartment. Randy liked it and they got off on a tangent about Paula as a choreographer. Simon applauded her originality in making the song hers because a performance of the original arrangement would not have worked for her.

Syesha Mercado - Whitney Houston - Saving All My Love For You - She nailed the song. I dont like the song. I don't like much of any Whitney Houston as you will notice she has been absent for two months on my 1980's blog www.rockingthe80s.blogspot.com. It was obvious that the judges knew they were short on time as they all said one or two word comments and moved back to Ryan.

We expect Kady Malloy will be gone, and my hope is Amanda will be the other one. My expectation is Ramiele is the next most vulnerable. I don't know what the judges love about her, but her performance tonight was pretty dry.

American Idol - 8 guys

Our friend Jeff has been singing the praises of the guys over the girls, and I have to agree, except for last night. For the most part, the guys sucked.

Luke Menard - Wham, Wake me up (Jitterbug) - weak song, no vocal challange, Simon was right, he won't be back next week.

David Archuletta - Phil Collins - Another Day in Paradise - the kid has a cute factor, the song was not great but not bad. He'll continue.

Danny Noriega - Soft Cell - Tainted Love - Paula called him a "bright light," I think she had the right idea, but it's a flame and it's bright. This is the hero of www.votefortheworst.com I can't stand him. They spent a ton of time on his attitude and his hair and the fact he speaks in "text talk."

David Hernandez - All Coming Back to Me Now - It's a song written by Jim Steinman, recorded by Celine Deon and later by Meatloaf. I would swear the song was in the 90's unless someone else recorded it earlier. Amy liked his performance, as did the judges. This is the contestant with the newest controversy because it has come out that he worked as a stripper in a gay club until last September.

Michael Johns - Simple Minds - Don't You Forget About Me - This is the Australian guy who lives in Atlanta. We like him, he rocks and he has a good voice. His performance is one of the best of the night and he'll have no problem advancing. The weird thing is when talking with the judges, Randy says something about the Aussie going home for 80's night. I don't know if Simple Minds is from Australia, but I know for sure that they recorded this song and not INXS which makes it weird that Randy mentioned Michael Hutchins.

David Cook - Hello - Lionel Richie - I like this guy, he rocks, and he reminds me of Homer Simpson. He did a great job adding some juice to a very recognizable ballad from the 80's. Rock on.

Jason Castro - Hallelujah - many performers over the years. Most people know it from the Shrek soundtrack. The judges loved it, and I thought it was okay. Personally I think the dude is a poser with the dredlocks.

Chikizie - She Builds Me Up - various versions including Luther Vandross and as Simon won't get past, Whitney Houston. It was fair, not worth bumping him, but not great either.

Wordless Wednesday #41

Some Memphis Pics

Sunday, just after Noon, and the blues is being played on Beale Street.

The Memphis Trolley Line

Mississippi River from the roof of the Peabody Hotel

Beale Street Northbound

Beale Street Southbound