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March 30 My SurroundingsYes, Computer Surroundings Week is upon us once again. My 'Surroundings' are pretty minimal due the fact that my so-called desk is actually a library table, but I do manage to fit as much as I can on to it. In other words, it's a cluttered but fairly organized mess! What you see is what you get!!!
  The green whistle and the spray bottle are for the dogs. lol! And yes, I multi-task!! The desktop is a Dell E510 and the laptop is a Dell Inspiron 1520. The headphones are BOSE and the speakers Altec Lansing. Too much information?? Sorry....
I'm looking forward to seeing all of your surroundings!! Oh yeah, and 'Pimp Your Ride Week' begins April 13 so start taking photos of your cars..... Or roller skates, buses, hovercrafts, etc! And for those of you living up north, ice skates are acceptable.
Beautiful song by Vince Gill today but I'm running out of bandwidth again so this one might be playing for awhile.
Have a Great week yall!!!
March 27 Dan Seals One of my favorite Country singer/songwriters passed away yesterday.
Dan Seals, who as part of the duo England Dan and John Ford Coley sang the hit “I’d Really Love to See You Tonight” and other 1970s soft-rock touchstones, has died. He was 61.
His death was caused by complications related to lymphoma, said Marty Martel, a talent agent who worked with Seals. The singer died at his daughter's home in Nashville, the Associated Press reported. Although he was a Texas native, Seals called himself England Dan to avoid trading on the family name that his older brother Jim had made famous as half of another soft-rock pairing, Seals & Crofts.
England Dan and John Ford Coley were known for ballads with lush harmonies and acoustic-based songs. Their 1976 album "Nights Are Forever," which had a fuller sound, drew comparisons to the Eagles. The pop-rock duo also had Top 10 hits with the late 1970s singles "Nights Are Forever Without You," "We'll Never Have to Say Goodbye Again" and "Love Is the Answer." After Seals went solo in 1980, the singer-guitarist returned to his roots -- and his given name -- and eventually became a country star while staying true to his signature soft sound.
Between 1985 and 1990, he had 11 songs top the country charts, including “Meet Me in Montana,” a duet he recorded with Marie Osmond. Other hits included the danceable "Bop," the rodeo story "Everything That Glitters (Is Not Gold)" and "You Still Move Me." He came "naturally to his loose, intimate country sound, which has a Ricky Skaggs-like amiability," People magazine said in 1985. His sound was a "judicious, commercially successful blend of honky-tonk traditionalism, mild country rock and pop slickness," Mike Boehm wrote in 1989 in The Times. An unplanned performance by the Seals brothers at Nashville's Grand Ole Opry in 2002 convinced them that they should make it a habit. "We played 'Summer Breeze' and 'Diamond Girl,' " Dan later recalled, referring to two Seals & Crofts hits. "When it was over, the audience stood up and . . . just kept clapping." "Now workin' with my brother Jim, it's almost like a dream," Dan said in a promotional video for their act, Seals & Seals. The brothers had recorded about eight songs, which reportedly will be released. In interviews, Jim praised his brother's songwriting skills and said "he's got a great voice. He can sing anything." Dan Wayland Seals was born Feb. 8, 1948, in McCamey, Texas. By age 4, he was standing on an apple crate to play stand-up bass in the Seals Family Band formed by his father, E.W. "Waylon" Seals, who was a pipe-fitter for Shell Oil. When his parents split up, Seals moved around Texas with his mother before settling in Dallas in 1958. In high school, Seals played in garage bands, where he met Coley. They performed in a band called the Shimmerers, which became known as Southwest F.O.B. Seals and Coley had started playing acoustic country-folk music together and left the group in 1969 to perform as a duo. Their breakthrough song, "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight" was written by Parker McGee and released in 1976. After the duo split up, Seals had financial trouble while battling the Internal Revenue Service over taxes. By 1983, he was experiencing success on the country charts. With the arrival of Garth Brooks on the country landscape, Seals found his quieter style out of favor, according to "All Music Guide" and effectively became a touring artist in the late 1990s. A statement on the said Dan would be "remembered for his gentle smile, easy going demeanor, his enduring faith and endless generosity." In addition to his brother, Jim, Seals' survivors include his wife, Andrea; four children; and seven grandchildren. In honor of his passing I will play my favorite song by him. Country music has lost a good man and friend. March 26 YIKES!!! Eastward Ho!!Well now, this was certainly some disturbing news to read first thing in the morning. We have earthquake insurance but still!!
At the Salton Sea, a warning sign of the Big One?
Scientists are watching closely to see if small faults crossing under the Salton Sea are transferring energy to the larger, more dangerous San Andreas fault after a series of small quake swarms in the area.
The quakes appeared to be tapering off by Monday afternoon, according to the monitoring system run by the U.S. Geological Survey and Caltech. But in a 48-hour period starting Saturday morning, 42 quakes shook just south of Bombay Beach on the Salton Sea. The quakes ranged in magnitude from 0.5 to 3.3, with three larger than 3.0 hitting the area Saturday afternoon. Scientists are particularly interested in the area because an earthquake that starts in Bombay Beach and ripples northwest along the San Andreas fault could be the Big One that devastates Los Angeles, said Graham Kent, a research geophysicist at UC San Diego.
These quakes appear to be taking place at the hazy intersection of several recently mapped faults crossing beneath the Salton Sea and the the San Andreas fault. The worry for scientists comes from a case in 1987, when a magnitude-6.2 earthquake on one of the crossing faults appeared to trigger a 6.6 quake 12 hours later on the Superstition Hills fault to the south. The San Andreas fault is north of these crossing faults and the geometry is similar, Kent said. This swarm, he said, "is a flashing yellow light that tells you to be prepared and to spend some time trying to understand the significance."
These last time a swarm of this type occurred in the area was 2001, so they are not especially unusual, said Kate Hutton, a seismologist at Caltech. Hutton said scientists do not yet know if quakes this small can trigger anything dangerous on the San Andreas. "Every time you have a swarm of earthquakes, it does raise the chances of having a larger quake, but it doesn't raise it a huge number," she said. Yeah, sure Kate!! Like we're not already living on the edge.
This Rascal Flatts song is their latest and my favorite. They just keep getting better!!! Tomorrow, anything but Rascal Flatts for awhile.
Take care
March 24 State MottosI posted this a year ago but I have so many new friends that I thought I would share it again!! Too Funny!!
STATE MOTTOS: (almost certain to offend someone!)
Alabama: Heck Yes, We Have Electricity!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Alaska: 11,623 Eskimos Can't Be Wrong! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Arizona: But It's A DRY Heat ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Arkansas: Literacy Ain't Everything ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ California: By 30, Our Women Have More Plastic Than Your Honda ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Colorado: If You Don't Ski, Don't Bother ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Connecticut: Like Massachusetts, Only The Kennedys Don't Own It --Yet ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Delaware: We Really Do Like The Chemicals In Our Water ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Florida: Ask Us About Our Grandkids ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Georgia: We Put The "Fun" In Fundamentalist Extremism ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hawaii: Haka Tiki Mou Sha'ami Leeki Toru (Death To Mainland Scum, But Leave Your Money) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Idaho: More Than Just Potatoes ... Well Okay, We're Not, But The Potatoes Sure Are Real Good ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Illinois: Please Don't Pronounce the "S" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Indiana: 2 Billion Years Tidal Wave Free ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Iowa: We Do Amazing Things With Corn ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kansas: First Of The Rectangle States ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kentucky: Five Million People; Fifteen Last Names ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Louisiana: We're Not ALL Drunk Cajun Wackos, But That's Our Tourism campaign ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Maine: We're Really Cold, But We Have Cheap Lobster ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Maryland: If You Can Dream It, We Can Tax It ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Massachusetts: Our Taxes Are Lower Than Sweden's (For Most TaxBrackets) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Michigan: First Line Of Defense From The Canadians ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Minnesota: 10,000 Lakes ... And 10,000,000,000,000 Mosquitoes ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mississippi: Come And Feel Better About Your Own State ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Missouri: Your Federal Flood Relief Tax Dollars At Work ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Montana: Land Of The Big Sky, The Unabomber, Right-wing Crazies, and Very Little Else ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Nebraska: Ask About Our State Motto Contest ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Nevada: Hookers and Poker! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ New Hampshire: Go Away And Leave Us Alone ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ New Jersey: You Want A ##$%##! Motto? I Got Yer ##$%##! Motto Right Here! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ New Mexico: Lizards Make Excellent Pets ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ New York: You Have The Right To Remain Silent, You Have The Right To An Attorney ... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ North Carolina: Tobacco Is A Vegetable ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ North Dakota: We Really Are One Of The 50 States! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ohio: At Least We're Not Michigan ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Oklahoma: Like The Play, Only No Singing ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Oregon: Spotted Owl ... It's What's For Dinner ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Pennsylvania: Cook With Coal ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Rhode Island: We're Not REALLY An Island ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ South Carolina: Remember The Civil War? We Didn't Actually Surrender ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ South Dakota: Closer Than North Dakota ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tennessee: The Educashun State ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Texas: Si' Hablo Ing'les (Yes, I Speak English) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Utah: Our Jesus Is Better Than Your Jesus ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Vermont: Yep ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Virginia: Who Says Government Stiffs And Slackjaw Yokels Don't Mix? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Washington: Help! We're Overrun By Nerds And Slackers! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Washington, D.C.: Wanna Be Mayor? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ West Virginia: One Big Happy Family ... Really! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Wisconsin: Come Cut The Cheese ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Wyoming: Where Men Are Men ... and the sheep are scared! Rascal Flatts songs are almost over, In fact, Wednesday will be the last Flatts I play .... At least until ther new CD comes out on April 7.
Hope your weeks are Great ones and the weather is warming.
March 23 A Violent Sunday In CaliforniaTGIM (Thank God it's Monday) Mournful calm follows Oakland firestorm It was early Saturday afternoon, and Curtis Mixon was talking with his 26-year-old nephew. Lovelle Shawn Mixon had called on a cellphone from his newly purchased 1995 Buick as he drove through east Oakland. The uncle listened as his nephew -- stopped on MacArthur Boulevard less than two blocks from a police station and around the corner from his sister's apartment -- spoke with a motorcycle officer and searched for his driver's license and registration.
Mixon told his uncle he would have to call him back. He never did. What followed was an almost inexplicable chain of events that left Mixon and four Oakland police officers dead and sent this city into an all-too-familiar ritual of municipal grief and self-examination.
According to authorities and witnesses, Mixon opened fire as two motorcycle officers stood behind his car, apparently checking his papers. He had been released from prison in November and was wanted for an alleged parole violation. Sgt. Mark Dunakin, 40, died despite a citizen's efforts to revive him. Officer John Hege, 41, was taken to Highland Hospital, where he was declared brain-dead Sunday. John R. Hege's father, John S. Hege, said in a telephone interview later Sunday that his son, a former Eagle Scout and high school physical education teacher, loved being a police officer.
"He wanted to be an Oakland policeman. I think that's what he most wanted to do," Hege said.
Mixon, according to authorities, had a long criminal history. In addition to a conviction for assault with a deadly weapon, he had earlier convictions for marijuana possession, auto theft and a string of violations committed as a juvenile, Thomason said.
He had served nine months in prison for identity theft, forgery and grand theft before being released in November. According to state prison officials, Mixon missed a mandatory meeting with his agent last month and was deemed a "parolee at large." A warrant was issued for his arrest. ****************************************************************************************************************************************************************
San Diego officers shot and killed a 50-year-old man who lunged at them with a 10-inch knife after his wife had made a panicky call to police for help, authorities said Friday. Willard Anthony Bradley stabbed a police dog before advancing on officers, police said. Bradley was pronounced dead at the scene. His 50-year-old wife, whose name was not disclosed, was found dead in the living room of their home in the Paradise Hills neighborhood.
The police dog, an 8-year-old German shepherd named Earp, was rushed to a veterinary clinic, bleeding profusely from deep wounds in his neck. The incident began when a woman called police saying that her husband had a knife and was threatening suicide. When police arrived, the man announced that he had killed his wife and planned to kill the police, according to Lt. Terry McManus of the department's homicide unit. A motive for the attack on the woman has not been determined, police said. Police Chief Bill Lansdowne was at the clinic as the police dog underwent emergency surgery. The dog was within weeks of being retired from the K-9 corps. "It was close there, but he's going to make it," Lansdowne said. "I'm going to give him a medal." Veterinarian Rob Tugend said Earp was near death when he arrived at the clinic in the back of a police car with its lights flashing and siren blaring. "He was pretty far gone, a couple more minutes and we'd have lost him," said Tugend, who is the Police Department's veterinarian and has treated Earp during his years with the department. Transfusions provided blood and fluids to the dog while the blood vessel was stitched up and the bleeding finally stemmed, Tugend said. About eight hours after surgery, Earp was released to his handler, Sgt. Jeff Havin. A follow-up visit is planned for today, Tugend said.
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And finally.....
Suspect in deaths of two gas company workers shoots himself
It started Tuesday night when a technician for the Southern California Gas Co. was fatally shot outside the company's Anaheim office. The next day, a second gas company employee was gunned down outside his Pomona home as he was preparing to leave for work. On Thursday, the alleged gunman in both shootings drove to the Anaheim Police Department, parked and shot himself in the head, police said. Detectives are now trying to sort out what happened and what the motive might be for the violence.
"We don't know what he was thinking," said Sgt. Tim Schmidt, adding that detectives believe the man could have been planning to harm additional Southern California Gas employees. "We were shocked." Phong Thuc Tran, 36, of Fountain Valley was found with a gunshot wound to the head about 1:30 a.m. Thursday after an officer driving by spotted Tran's silver Toyota RAV4, Schmidt said. "The officer saw that the window on the driver's side had been blown out," Schmidt said.
Tran was taken by ambulance to UCI Medical Center, where he was said to be alive "but was not expected to survive," Schmidt said. Three handguns were recovered inside the vehicle, but police had not determined which, if any, were used in the attacks. I have GOT to move to another state!!!!
Yet more Rascal Flatts tonight....
March 21 I’m NOT Posting Today!!And the Pope is Jewish!! Our Moroccan friend , Medhi, went surfing this this morning (50F!!!) and thank god he wore a wetsuit. He brought us lunch! We weren’t sure what it would be, but it turned out to be Pakistani food!! Can you say HOT?? Can you say ‘Burn the taste buds off your tongue??’. He returned from surfing and wanted to serve leftovers….. I passed!!! I will already be paying tomorrow!
My little Dachshund was feeling feisty today so he decided to patrol the front gate!! He is sooo tough…. NOT!! But he sure is cute!! Ears and tail dragging on the ground and his little legs making him shaking his butt! I always smile!!
Another Rascal Flatts song from the concert!! So glad I didn’t post tonight!!! Have a Wonderful Sunday!!!! March 20 Finally Friday!!!Yes…. Finally!!! Seemed like a long week to me. But Spring has sprung and it’s officially the weekend! I LOVE Fridays!! Then this happened…. Three months ago I received a bill from our city for $13 to renew Buzz’s dog license with a note telling me that they needed an updated Rabies Certificate. I checked my copy, which i had sent them in November and it clearly said ‘Expires 11/29/2011’. So I sent the $13 and told them to check their records. A month later I get another bill, again asking me for the new Rabies Cert. So I return their bill with another copy of the Rabies thing with the expiration date highlighted. So TODAY!! I receive yet ANOTHER biil with another $25 charge on it!! It’s now up to $63 (apparently they have now forgotten the original $13 I paid with a check that has cleared). That was IT!! I grabbed the bill and a copy of the Rabies Certificate and drove to city hall. I was SO ready! I march up to the front door and…… It’s LOCKED!! Closed on Friday!! ARRRRRGGGHHH! So I have all weekend to get ready for Monday!! *************************************************************************************** At the grocery today there was a homeless guy, not Billy, who I had seen there before. He asked for spare change and all I had was 31 cents. He thanked me and as he ambled across the parking lot I felt bad so I chased him down and gave him $2. Might have been a mistake. He started in on the economy, our Governor Arnold and the recession in general, going on and on. I’m thinking, ‘How is any of this effecting you?? Less handouts?? You haven’t worked in years!’, but then I realized that there, for the grace of God, go I! Begging for change and holding a little cardboard sign. It happens people, which is why I always give a little something. **************************************************************************************** Weather is still perfect here and Spring has arrived!! But rain on Sunday….. GOOD!! The song tonight is another from the concert. Remember to go to my main page at http://ruserious0947.spaces.live.com/ to hear it. Have a GREAT weekend Yall!! March 19 March Madness – NCAA TournamentThe NCAA Basketball Tournament begins today and to be honest, it’s the only time I watch College Basketball. Now I realize the most of you who read my blog are female and couldn’t care less about basketball of any kind, but I’m throwing this out there. The reason being my favorite writer, Chris Erskine of the L A Times, wrote a very clever, funny article today. This guy cracks me up! There's a method to this March MadnessThe NCAA basketball tournament is a crime against insanity -- a bizarre, inexplicable, wonderful festivus of longshots, no-shots and saggy underwear. For once in America, hope trumps hype. March is madness, sure, but it's also trombones to the back of the head and Hail Mary shots from 40 feet. It's hicks from French Lick and Chris Webber calling a timeout with nothing in the bank. My buddy Paul grumbles, too, that all the schools seem to play the same systems now, any variety in offenses lost to a fog of coaching clinics and too much TV exposure. "I miss variety," he says. *************************************************************************************** Long Run
Three sled dogs died in the 1,100-mile Iditarod race in Alaska won Wednesday by Lance Mackey. Before the event, the Wall Street Journal suggested sled dogs were “the planet’s best athletes.” David Swain, an Old Dominion professor, estimated that a 55 pound mush dog burns 10,000 calories a day during the Iditarod, while a Tour de France rider who weighs three times as much burns only 6,000 calories each day. Amazing!! But Three dogs died???? Spring begins TOMORROW!! Have a Wonderful last-day-of-Winter! March 18 Bits And PiecesThe weather here is absolutely gorgeous today!! 75F, not a cloud in the sky and a nice onshore breeze. Perfect!! And Spring is still two days away! I’m sure that most of you can’t wait but I’m thinking it’s gonna be a really hot Summer with lots of mosquitoes. Our niece Kate has been here all week. She’s a school teacher in Phoenix and she has really matured. It’s been a pleasure , but then again it always is. Oh, and by the way, she had use of the 350Z all week!! She leaves on Friday. Ok, I know I promised, but two more Rascal Flatts items. Their latest single is ‘Here Comes Goodbye’ which I love (and I will put on my space today)!! It’s been on the radio, they played it at their concert, I saw the music video for the first time today on GAC (Great American Country), it’s already in the top ten on the country charts and number 30 something on Billboard. But the weird thing is, the CD doesn’t even come out for 3 WEEKS!! Of course, I’ve already pre-bought it! lol! It WILL be their next #1. So Listen!! I’m told you have to come here to my main page to hear music. Last bit….. Jessica Simpson opened for them at the concert and tried to sing 3 songs. But she was booed off the stage when she couldn’t remember the words to 2 of them!! WTH?? I guess she should have had her sister teach her how to lip-sync!! Take care yall!! Spring and the weekend SOON!!! March 17 Last Rascal Flatts Blog…. I Promise!But I will continue to post their songs from the concert. I understand that some of you are unable to to hear music on my space and am not sure why. I blame msn but you might want to check your mute button. The following is a discography of their work. Rascal FlattsIn early 2000, the group made their debut with their single "Prayin' for Daylight". This song, which reached #3 on the Billboard country charts. This was the first of four consecutive Top Ten hits from their self-titled debut, which was issued in early 2000 on Lyric Street. Following "Prayin' for Daylight" were "This Everyday Love", "While You Loved Me" and "I'm Movin' On", which respectively peaked at #9, #7, and #4 on the country charts. "I'm Movin' On" was awarded Song of the Year by the Academy of Country Music in 2002. MeltMelt was the title of their second album, released in 2002. Unlike their previous album, Rascal Flatts co-produced Melt. Its first single, "These Days", also became their first Number One hit. This song was followed by "Love You Out Loud" at #3, "I Melt" at #2, and "Mayberry", their second Number One. "I Melt" featured a controversial music video which featured partial nudity, and as a result, the video was banned from the Great American Country network. Feels Like TodayRascal Flatts' third album was entitled Feels Like Today, and it was released in late 2004. Although its title track quickly fell from a peak position of #9, its follow-up, "Bless the Broken Road", became their biggest Number One, with a five-week run at the top of the country charts. This song had previously been recorded by Marcus Hummon (who co-wrote it with Jeff Hanna of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band), and had previously been a #42 single in 1998 for Melodie Crittenden. "Bless the Broken Road" also brought the group to the Adult Contemporary charts for the first time, peaking at #20 there. Following "Bless the Broken Road" was their fourth Number One hit, "Fast Cars and Freedom". While this song was climbing the charts, a hidden track from Feels Like Today, entitled "Skin", also received enough airplay to chart in the Top 40. Due to the success of "Skin" on the charts, it was then officially added to the album's track listing on later presses, and was shipped to radio under the title "Skin (Sarabeth)". This song went on to peak at #2 in late 2005, and was the final single from the album. Me and My GangRascal Flatts' thirteenth chart entry, "What Hurts the Most", was released in December 2005. This song, which had previously been recorded by Mark Wills in 2003, was the first single from their fourth album, 2006's Me and My Gang. This album also brought a new producer in Dann Huff. "What Hurts the Most" was a crossover hit, not only spending four weeks at the top of the country charts, but also topping the Adult Contemporary charts, and reaching Top Ten on the Billboard Hot 100. This song was followed by the album's title track at #6, and then two more Number One country hits in "My Wish" and "Stand". Also in 2006, the group charted in the Top Ten on the Billboard Hot 100 with a cover of "Life Is a Highway", which they recorded for the Pixar film Cars. Although "Life Is a Highway" was not released to country radio, several country stations began playing the song, causing it to chart as high as #18 on the country charts while "My Wish" was also climbing. As a result of its chart success, "Life Is a Highway" was added to later presses of Me and My Gang. Me and My Gang had the highest US debut of 2006, with 722,000 units in April. The album spent 15 weeks as the number one album on the Billboard Country Chart and was the second-best selling album of 2006 (behind High School Musical) with sales totaling 3.5 million by year's end. The album's success led the band to take the spot of top-selling artist for all genres of music, which hadn't been accomplished in 15 years by a country group. Still Feels GoodNumber One hitCarrie Underwood and Rascal Flatts performed together at the 2007 Grammy Awards ceremony. Later the same year, the group released the single "Take Me There", a song which Kenny Chesney co-wrote and had initially planned to record himself. A Number One hit by September of that year, this was the first single from their album Still Feels Good. It was followed by "Winner at a Losing Game" and the ballad "Every Day", both of which peaked at #2. The fourth single from Still Feels Good, entitled "Bob That Head", became their first official country release to miss the Top Ten, when it peaked at #15. The album's fifth and final single, "Here", was released in August 2008 and became their ninth on the chart week of January 3, 2009. Greatest Hits Volume 1Rascal Flatts released their first Greatest Hits CD, Greatest Hits Volume 1 on October 28, 2008. The album contains 13 of their biggest songs, starting with "Prayin' for Daylight" and going through "Life Is a Highway". The limited edition of the album contains a second disc with three Christmas songs: "White Christmas", "Jingle Bell Rock", and "I'll Be Home for Christmas". UnstoppableRascal Flatts released the first single "Here Comes Goodbye" from their upcoming album, Unstoppable, to radio on January 20, and the album will be released on April 7, 2009. The song was co-written by American Idol season 6 finalist Chris Sligh If you buy any album of their CDs, get Greatest Hits Volume 1. I bought mine on Amazon for around $12. As this concert was on their “Bob That Head” tour, they had to play the song I posted tonight! OK, that’s it for Rascal Flatts posts. Back to the goofy crap in a day or so. Hope you all are having a nice week. PS: Becky's cousin dropped by, all ready for St. Pats Day!!
HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!
March 16 Still Up From The Concert!
No Really!! It was Great!! One of the highlights was at the very beginning when Gary LeVox (lead singer) was lowered to the stage in something that looked like a spaceship (?????). Corny as the dickens but effective and fun. The lead singer kept taking breaks and the guitar player (Joe Don Rooney) and the bass player (Jay DeMarcus) would sing the songs that they sang lead on. BTW, their fiddle player was amazing! He played a solo and ended up tossing his bow away and playing it like a guitar. Another highlight!! Following is a short background on Rascal Flatts: Rascal Flatts were founded near Columbus, Ohio. Gary LeVox and Jay DeMarcus were second cousins from a musical family. DeMarcus's brother-in-law, James Otto, is also a country music artist. DeMarcus moved to Nashville in 1992, earning his first record deal as part of a Christian group called East to West. In 1997, he finally convinced LeVox to leave behind his job with the Ohio Department of Mental Retardation and follow his musical dreams as well. DeMarcus soon joined Chely Wright's band, and there he met Joe Don Rooney. DeMarcus and LeVox were working in a Printer's Alley nightclub, and when their part-time guitarist could not make it one night, DeMarcus invited Rooney to sit in. Eventually, they took the name Rascal Flatts and began performing together, getting signed to Lyric Street Records in late 1999. Tonight’s song is the second one they played at the concert titled “Here”. Another of their great tunes! March 15 Rascal Flatts Concert!!!!WOW!! Or more exactly, WOWIE, WOWIE, WOW, WOW, WOW!!!!!!! I've been to alot of concerts over the years including Jimi Hendrix, Chicago, Pink Floyd, Led Zepplin and Jimmy Buffett but nothing like this one! Over three hours of music and so many set changes that you didn't notice until they happened. It was flawless. And the weather was perfect!!!
After leaving the limo it was a longggg walk to our seats and my bad foot started giving out. Sure enough, I stepped on something and fell down. Immediately there were four staff people helping me up and when I told them I had foot and nerve problems, up pulled a golf cart. They took our loge tickets and gave us VIP tickets (no stairs) so we ended up in row 10! I've GOT to remember that!!
I took lots of photos (photo album) and noted which songs they played, which seemed like every song they ever recorded. During the concert a young woman was brought up on the stage in the middle of their song "God Blessed The Broken Road" and they paused the song while her boyfriend appeared and proposed to her. He had apparently left her to the restroom but went backstage. She seemed very surprised and of course, said Yes!! They then finished the song. Nice!!!
There also was a 'confetti cannon' which was right behind us. That was pretty cool but I'm still finding confetti in the strangest places! lol How did it get in my shoes..... and pants???
As we left the concert for the longgg walk back to the parking lot, we both really, REALLY had to pee! (I would have settled for a bush!). We got to the parking and realize that we have no idea where our limo is. So we called him and asked where he was. His reply? "I'm here, in my limo!". Idiot!!!!! By then we REALLY, REALLY had to pee so we asked some redneck where the port-a-potties were and he points them out...... ten feet away!! Then he says, "Don't use the big one!". Just then the limo driver pulls up and we jump in. Little did we know that it would take 30 minutes just to get out of the parking lot! When we got home it was sweet relief...
But it was a Super Fun night!! If you ever have the chance to see Rascal Flatts in concert, do it!! Just remember to fall down near a event staff employee!! lol!
The first song I'm playing here is the first one they played. Great Song!! And my Photo Album is up!! March 14 Finally!!!The long awaited Rascal Flatts concert is 4 hours away!! Got my Western clothes ready to go and I can’t wait!! Taking lots of pics and playing the songs they play tonight. It may take awhile coz I heard that their concerts last three hours! Our niece Katie is here for the week so she will be ‘entertaining' the dogs tonight. Baxter just LOVES her!! She is so sweet!! A school teacher ……… Smart and alot of fun! My gardeners are here doing their thing and I gave them their usual bottles of water but mainly I’m trying to calm down here!! Here is a pic I took yesterday. BIG blog tomorrow!!
Are they the cutest???? March 12 Lead-Up To The Flatts ConcertFirst off, as you can see, I FINALLY got my music back!! So you KNOW what will be playing on this space for awhile. 2 days until the concert and since the tickets were free, my wife rented a limo! Anyhow, I thought it would be fitting to post some of Jeff Foxworthy’s redneck jokes, so here goes!
You Might Be A Redneck If…. You’ve ever been blacklisted from a bowling alley. You own more than three shirts with the sleeves cut off. There is a stuffed ‘possum mounted anywhere in your home. You’ve ever done your Christmas shopping at a truck stop. Your lifetime goal is to own your own fireworks stand. You prefer to walk the excess length off your jeans rather than hem them. You grow your sideburns longer and fuller because it looks so good on your sister. Your junior-senior prom had a day-care center. You own a denim leisure suit. Directions to your house include “turn off the paved road.” You know how many bales of hay your car holds. You’ve ever used a Weed Eater indoors. You’ve ever been kicked out of the KKK for being a “bigot.” Your dog has a litter of puppies on the living room floor and nobody notices. You use your mailbox to hold up one end of your clothesline. During your wedding, when you kissed the bride, your John Deere hat fell off. You think baseball players don’t scratch enough. Hail hits your house and you have to take it to a body shop for an estimate. You have a tattoo that says “Mother” and it’s spelled wrong. and last but not least… Your family tree does not fork. That’s all I got….. for now!!!! Have great rest of the week March 11 It's Me Again!! Baxter!Kicking A$$ and taking names now!! Ever since I turned 4 I decided that I had taken enough of Bonnie’s crap. So I have been fighting back. In fact, I have been on the offensive!! I just jump her puny butt and go for her neck. Mommy seems a little annoyed but Daddy says “Good Boy!”. Buzz just seems fascinated! He still has my back but who needs him, right? I’ve taken over the big dog bed and let Buzz have the tiny one, which he barely fits in. As for Bonnie, she gets the floor….. if she’s lucky. Well, my nose is getting tired from typing and I think Buzz has something to say. Peace out peeps! I’m gonna take a nap in the BIG bed.
Umm… Hello. This is Buzz, the peacemaker. All I can say about Baxter is WOW!! What crawled into him?? I have to admit that it’s nice to see Bonnie being taken down a notch. She’s even being nicer to me! Not gnawing at my hind legs nearly as much. And when she does do that, Dad squirts her with his water sprayer thing, but sometimes he hits me by mistake. I hate that thing and wish he would improve his aim. Uh Oh!! Here comes trouble! Bonnie is…..
Yeah! Move over fatso!! Let me tell ya! I’m still the #%$@^&* Queen around here! I’m gonna tie a bell around his neck so he can’t sneak up on me anym……… OOMPH!! Get off me Bozo!! I’m gonna fix your wag…OUCH!!!!!
(Sigh) This is Bob. Sorry about that folks. I guess I need to change passwords again. These dogs are smarter than I thought.
**************************************************************************************** I get my music back tomorrow and then it will be Rascal Flatts, Rascal Flatts and more Rascal Flatts!! Now I have to have a talk with my dogs! March 09 Blank Page, Blank Brain…But since I haven’t posted in 2 days, here goes. I’ve been hearing horror stories recently about folks losing their hard drives due to excessive heat building up in their laptops, so I made the dreaded trip to WalMart and bought this: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=9203344 Around $20 and it works really well. It also raises the back of your laptop about 2 inches so it’s easier to type and you don’t strain your neck. Of course, going to Wally World is always a strange and less than wonderful adventure. Whenever I walk in there my first thought is ‘These People Live Among Us’!! *************************************************************************************** The antibiotics are finally starting to kick in and my arm is looking better. I guess it takes awhile for those things to start flowing through. It feels and looks alot better and NOTHING will keep me from the concert Saturday!! 5 DAYS!! And my music is finally back in 2 days! I will be writing down what songs they play, play them on my space and make a photo album! By the way, I found out that there are actually 10 members in Rascal Flatts but the lead singer, guitar player and bass player are the only ones they show on the CDs. I had always thought the others were studio musicians. I wondered how the other guys learned the songs so quickly! lol Can you tell that I’m excited??? *************************************************************************************** Well, that’s all I have except to tell you that Dell (www.dell.com) is having a huge sale so if you’re looking…. Take care and have a Super week!!! March 07 Dinner Party Animal
I found another column by my favorite newspaper writer. Always low key but very funny and witty. This is one of his typical columns: Dinner party makes for a big night outSometimes it's good to get out of the house and enjoy other people's company, and their food. Especially their food. Chris Erskine So we go off to a little dinner party, barely speaking to each other, my wife and I. Not sure what sparked the silent treatment. Might've been when I flippantly offered to give her driving lessons. Sometimes, I can be such an . . . Then I tell the story of how we renovated an old Victorian house there. Posh has heard me tell this story so often, she actually falls out of her chair twice from boredom. I quickly kiss her awake and prop her back up at the table. *************************************************************************************** Today I installed new track lights in the kitchen. I might install another set on the opposite side of the skylight. Aren’t they purdy???
I hope yall are having a great weekend and don’t forget to set your clocks forward. Spring is close!!!! March 05 Kids Who Love Sports Are Depression-ProofI read this today in the L A Times and just had to share. I love Chris Erskine!! What a wonderful writer. Chris Erskine With a little luck, my son's T-ball team will remember this Not-So-Great Depression simply as a time they played ball twice a week and had a lot of fun. At the end of the game the parents would bring snacks. If the dads were worried, they didn't show it . . . not much anyway. Not as much as they probably should have. When Dad seemed depressed, you dragged him out to the frontyard for a game of catch -- to this day, the best free activity the world has ever known. I hope you enjoyed this. 9 days until Rascal Flatts !!! March 03 Dagnabbit!!! X2!I had sort of a rough weekend and beginning of the week. Not really a big deal, but..... :
Dagnabbit #1
I've lost my music for the next eight days. Apparently I used up my monthly allotment (100GB) and can't download or play music on my space. I guess I went a little wild to use up 100GB! Dagnabbit!!
Dagnabbit #2
On Friday night I rolled over in my sleep and fell out of bed, hitting the nightstand on the way down. Tore off several layers of skin from the back of my right armm(6" x 2"). Of course it HAD to be my right arm! It bled and hurt like the dickens all weekend but I've been taking care of it and it's doing better today. Then I went to Albertsons!!!!! I was standing in the checkout line behind a little, 90+ lady. She was having trouble getting some items out of her cart so I unloaded it for her. She said, "Well, aren't you just a sweetie" and GRABBED MY SORE ARM!!!! I about went to my knees and she turned to the cashier and said, "Awww! He has tears in his eyes!! Such a nice young (?) man!!" She started back towards my arm and I used my cart to block her! LOL!!!
So in eight days I should be healed and I WILL have my music back.
Have a Greaat rest of the week!!
March 02 St Pat’s Dinner – Trial RunSince I only make Corned Beef and Cabbage a few times a year, and because our friend Anthony
will be in the Czech Republic on St Pat’s day, I decided to cook it this weekend. He brought his roomate and our friend Jimy with him. And no, he’s not French!! Or a Mime!! LOL! Just a really nice guy!
Also, we invited our good Moroccan friend Mehdi
Handsone guy!! Just got accepted to Wharton Business School in Philadelphia. Working on his THIRD masters degree!
Saturday night Becky made Tiramisu and it turned out GREAT!!
Then on Sunday i cooked the Corned Beef. I like braising it because you can really control the temperature and the simmer. Braising is really easy! I place the brisket in a Dutch oven, add the spice packet, a handfull of whole peppercorns and a bottle of Guiness Stout (the alcohol evaporates). Then add enough water to almost cover it. Bring it to a boil on the stovetop while scooping off the foam that forms. Then into the oven at 275F for about 3 hours. I then lay it on a cutting board and cover it with foil. The Dutch oven goes back on the stovetop where I add the baby red potatoes and carrots and let them simmer for 30 minutes. At this point I turn the brisket fat side up and cover the top with yellow mustard and sprinkle on a 12 to 1 mixture of brown sugar and ground cloves. Back in the oven it goes, in a shallow casserole, while I add the cabbage wedges on top of the veggies in the Dutch oven and let the cabbage cook/steam no longer than 15 minutes. Then turn everything off, uncover the Dutch oven, pull out the brisket and let everything rest for 5 minutes. Carve the brisket AGAINST the grain, place it on a large serving platter, add the veggies and pour some of the juice from the Dutch oven OVER and serve with some good, crusty bread! And GOOD FRIENDS!! If you have a choice, buy the ‘Flat cut’ rather than the ‘Round’ cut with corned beef. Much more tender and juicy!
A fine time was had by all!!!
Now I’m ready for the real St Patrick’s Day!! Sorry folks but Rascal Flatts until the concert!! 12 Days!! |
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