A to Z Challenge 2016: A is for Animal and a Battle

 


It is April Fool's Day! Welcome to my humble blog, I have my trusty jesters hat on and I am ready to kick off the A to Z: Challenge 2016! Normally on the first of the month I participate in another Blog Fest called the Battle of the Bands. This month is no exception.

Here are the rules are simple I usually pick a song and present a couple of bands battling it out with the song.  This time I am deviating a little. Today I am pitting to famous drummers against each other in a drum battle. You pick the one you like best by casting your vote in the comments. Why you voted the way you did and other comments are always welcomed. The musicians thought it was tie so your vote could settle the debate. This time round just one video, two drummers, man versus puppets.

Please check out the other battles I defer to the master list found on this site STMcC Presents 'Battle of the Bands'. It is also the place to sign up! I will post results on Sunday April 10 another deviation. I'm feeling pretty deviant today.

Tying in to the A to Z Challenge A is for Animal.  I have Animal who gained fame through The Muppets battling it against Dave Grohl.  I've placed him behind the drums like his Nirvana days and Them Crooked Vultures. No Foos today all fighters!

Please vote! Tune in on April 2 for something to do with B.

The Day Before the 2016 A to Z Challenge

No theme reveal here. Maybe one year. I just blog like I normally do accept I'll follow the A to Z format. It is all pretty much flying by the seat of my pants.

This time around the challenge appears more daunting to me. I've done the challenge each year starting back in 2011, so I know I can do it. Time is the battle for me. I know I will have at least 28 posts in April. Two Battle of the Band results and 26 A to Z posts. I know these posts will compete against time for work, time for family, time for other writing projects, time for other pursuits so time is the huge obstacle for the challenge. If you are doing the challenge what is your biggest obstacle?

If you want to join the insanity, I mean the fun you can still sign up here. The challenge has over 1700 bloggers signed up. I'm in there at #640. What's your number? I wonder how many will finish?

I do like the challenge of the challenge. I really enjoy meeting all the bloggers. I end up following a few more and some even follow me. The math with 1700 people doing 26 blog posts that is over 44,000 A to Z blog posts. I will only be able to visit so many.

Are you ready? Can you wait one more day? Thoughts on the challenge please share!

Favorite Book Genre

I responded to one of my friend's facebook quiz which featured 52 books everyone is supposed to read atleast once in your lifetime. She had read half of them, and I had read a humbling 12. I could just be waiting for my next lifetime to catch up.

Anyway she asked me what is my favorite genre? The question is straight forward, but it is one that made me think.

My answer was adventure trop fiction. Examples would be Hemingway, Benchley, Steinbeck, and Bob Morris.

Really any adventure would work as I really enjoyed The Call of the Wild and The Kite Runner.

I didn't go into nonfiction on my facebook reply but I will here. It is split between music biographies. That being said if I find someone interesting who isn't in music I will read that biography too. As I mentioned before I do alot of reading on the subject of business. My favorite business books are on the subject of leadership.

Since the question was a good one in my opinion. I will ask you my readers what are your favorite genres? Just for fun if you answer and feel like sharing what is your favorite book or author in that genre? 

The Month in Concerts: Joe Satriani

For my second concert of the month I went to another Saenger Theatre this time in Pensacola. The artist this time around was Joe Satriani who was dong a career spanning tour. Joe Satriani has been nominated for 15 Grammy Awards



He played a two set show with no opening act and played well over two hours.



The merchandise tables also sold Cds by the sideman who were performing with him, which I though was pretty cool. It was an enjoyable date night for me.

A Day in My Life: Easter Funday!

Sundays in general is my family day. There are exceptions. However, with Sunday being my only set off day it is the day that I am most available. My random day off in general is my day. Of course my day sometimes gets taken over by errands and family when available.

Well today was Easter Sunday, a traditional family day which we spent together as a family. The family day was much needed since my daughter just got back from a week long trip to Texas. Unfortunately for us the weather decided to rain most of the day.

My girls woke up to Easter baskets over flowing with goodies. Though the wife said the Easter bunt didn't like her as much this year as there was no wine in the basket. Well the girls all got all fancied up and we went to the traditional Easter Sunday Church service.



The church Easter Egg hunt was moved inside and then we went home and changed. Due to the weather her other Easter Egg hunt was postponed until the evening.

Then on to the less traditional things on the schedule. Certainly the Easter Bunny is important but sometimes it is important to realize other things hop, like a kangaroo...



I never knew kangaroos were so soft!

However, Easter has a lot to do with eating. I thought I would let my daughter feed a kitty cat...



I tried to explain to her that handling a tiger is a once in a lifetime opportunity. However, it was just two years ago when this happened...



I told her the fine print to that was unless you have a Dad like me! As for the Easter Egg hunt my daughter did pretty good finding 89 of the 97 Easter Eggs. Needless to say she is sound asleep as I write that. Well I hope your Sunday was fun as well!

R.I.P Gary Shandling

Gary Shandling an award winning comedian, television personality, film star and writer passed away suddenly yesterday at the age of 66. Best known for his television show s It's the Gary Shandling Show and The Larry Sanders Show.

They earned him 19 Emmy Nominations. He won a Primetime Emmy Award. He also won three American Comedy Awards.

A clip from The Larry Sanders Show ...

On The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson...

Here he discusses the difference between himself onstage and off...

Sad to lose him he will be missed. His legacy is archived and is influence is apparent.

This Month in Concerts: Robert Plant

I had mentioned I was able to catch a couple of shows this month and someone had commented on who I had seen. Well to start the month I caught Robert Plant in Mobile, Alabama. My friends and family knew I was going to catch this tour the mystery was where I was going to catch it. I chose the venue nearest my home.

Artwork outside the Saenger Theatre in Mobile...



I ended up with great seats..my view



The opening band was The Sonics which my Battle of the Bands friends may recognize from this post.

The Sonics in action..

Of course I was there to see this guy..

I am sorry I didn't catch another show on this tour since Robert Plant is mixing up set list on this tour. The pictures were taken by me, if you use them it would b cool if you gave me credit.

My thoughts on the show. He has stretched the songs making them more psychedelic. I liked his version of "That's The Way" the best.

The setlist included six Led Zeppelin covers and a few blues covers as well that teased Zeppelin. Only 4 songs were from solo albums. While his takes on his old band are bold and adventurist, I would have liked him to have performed more solo songs. However, the show was a fun time!

Thoughts on Brussels

It wasn't too long ago that I wrote a post about Paris now I write about Brussels. I send up prayers for the people of Brussels. I humbly offer them positive vibes.

If you did not hear there was an attack in Brussels that killed 34 and wounded about 200. I am sure the number that is mourning is greater.

I wish the senseless violence would end. I wish peace would flow throughout  the world.

The world is smaller, we are closer than ever. Today we share the grief of Brussels.

Battle of the Bands Results:

The Searchers dominated the Battle of the Bands defeating Earth, Wind and Fire 15-1!

They had a hit with this cover of "Needles & Pins"...

An original "Sugar and Spice"..

Stay tuned for my next Battle of the Bands on April 1st!

March Madness Begins

I have blogged recently about the madness of my life this month. There is another madness going on called March Madness which is the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. The play in games happened Wednesday and last night the bracket busting started in earnest.

It is called March Madness because fans fill out brackets trying to guess who will win the tournament and every year huge upsets happen. This year is no exception.

Let's hear it for the 12th seeds!

Yale upsetting Baylor...

Arkansas-Little Rock upsetting Purdue..

Yale and Arkansas Little Rock were 12th seeded teams in their brackets and they both upset 5th seeds in their respected regions.

More Madness the 11th Seeds

The Wichita State Shockers shocked 6th seeded Arizona.

Gonzaga stuns 6th seeded Seton Hall.

Don't worry the Tournament is just starting there will be more upsets!

Happy St. Paddy's Day and Rainy Day

The Rolling Stones were right "you Can't always get what you Want but you just find you get what you need." It all depends on your perspective. I mean I need to cut the grass but due to the rain that's not happening. Today is my random off day from my job and lets be honest cutting the grass is not a fun way of spending said off day.

I did manage to get a two and a half mile walk in. The walk came with a free shower !

Now my want is to go fishing. That's not happening suppose to be thunderstorms. Something about sticking a line in a boy of water and waiting for electricity to strike doesn't sound like the wisest decision. However, I have been known to make so me decisions that haven't been the wisest.

I probably should have taken a blog break from the Battle of the Bands at the first of the month. As I have been very busy. Most of it really good stuff, but good stuff can keep you busy too!

I've been to a couple of concerts, I had to go out of town to see my daughter perform, and then there is life. So a rainy day isn't that bad as I get to catch up with my Battle of the Bands visits, visit some other blogs and catch up with things. I've been thinking about the upcoming A to Z Challenge in April now that's gonna be crazy. This is going to be my sixth in a row somehow I have been able to manage to complete them.

Well wear green, be safe and I will see you soon!

Battle of the Bands: Where Have All the Flowers Gone

Spring is getting close. A time to thing about flowers. Like these roses..



I am going with a folk song today called "Where have all the Flowers Gone" written by the late Pete Seeger.

Here are the rules are simple I pick a song and present a couple of bands battling it out with the song. You pick the one you like best by casting your vote in the comments. Why you voted the way you did and other comments are always welcomed.


Please check out the other battles I defer to the master list found on this site STMcC Presents 'Battle of the Bands'.

Contestant One: Earth, Wind and Fire

Contestant Two: The Searchers

I look forward to your votes and I will be back soon with results!

R.I.P Keith Emerson

Being a classic rock artist today is a dangerous occupation now days. The world lost another one as Keith Emerson the keyboardist for Emerson, Lake and Palmer passed away at the age of 71.

This piece is a good place to start, it is one of my favorite Emerson, Lake and Palmer tunes. "Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends" well it ended today. It also includes "Guaranteed to blow your head apart" well Emerson had a gun shot wound to his head (possibly self inflicted.)

Here they are with "Lucky Man"..

Keith Emerson was known as one of the best keyboardists from the Prog Era.

Here he is with The Nice...

Here he is performing under his name...

The world lost another musician!

February Reads: The Classics

In his century I have found myself having an  interest in Eastern Culture. No I am not converting religions just exploring more.
  Tao Teh Ching by Lao Tzu was a short read. All about the Tao or the way.

It is a good thing I like to explore. Because as a reader I tend to go back and read more works by an author. In my March reads which aren't classics I am revisiting an author, I'll blog about that during the A to Z Challenge.

I read  The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. I had read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer a few years back so it was fitting that I read the sequel.



My classic reads were quite different and had many contrasts. I will read more classics I'm sure. Right now I am well to my second book for March. I have moved away from the classics for now and I am reading some contemporary fiction.

What are you reading? Are you doing any reading challenges?

R.I.P George Martin

Sir George Martin passed away yesterday at the age of 90. You might not recognize the name but you certainly have heard the tesults of his work. He was a record producer who is most famous for his work with The Beatles. He won some awards producing my favorite guitarist Jeff Beck "Blow by Blow" record. He also produced Jeff's "Wired" album. He worked with several other artists as well.

Below is a tribute to him...

A (long) while back a tribute album came out in his honor here is Sean Connery...

May he rest in peace he certainly will be missed. He was involved in so many masterpieces.

Battle of the Bands Winner: The Young Rascals

The Young Rascals ruled "The Midnight Hour" with a decisive 9 to 4 win!

"How Can I be  Sure"

They could count the votes and see. Later the group would become simply The Rascals.

For contrast a morning song...

Who will be in my next Battle of the Bands? I don't know but please come back on the 15th and find out!

Battle of the Bands: Midnight Hour

I finally made it running late! Quickly here are the rules are simple I pick a song and present a couple of bands battling it out with the song. You pick the one you like best by casting your vote in the comments. Why you voted the way you did and other comments are always welcomed.


Please check out the other battles I defer to the master list found on this site STMcC Presents 'Battle of the Bands'.

Okay my battle of the bands was delayed but here it is! Fittingly I went with Wilson Pickett's "In the Midnight Hour" because it is in the Midnight Hour!

Contestant One: The Mirettes

Contestant Two: The Young Rascals

Vote for the cover you like best in the comments! I'll be back with a follow up post in about a week with the results.

BOTB Postponed

Due to incredible amount of insanity going on in my life the scheduled BTOB post has been postponed. I still plan to post one it will just be really late today/tonight.

Nothing super bad going on. However life is just a bit crazy at the moment.