The Lair of the Green Rob

New CDs to my collection (09/06/2008)

2008-09-09T02:20:00.000-07:00

Each payday, if I'm able to talk my wife into letting me buy a few new discs, I'll be listing them and giving them a short review here. Some of the CD's I may have owned at one point, but through circumstances beyond my control (theft) I need to buy again. This week I got 4 new ones, 3 I have owned at some point, and 1 I have never heard before. Let's get down to it shall we?

Iron Maiden: Number of the Beast

Iron Maiden have many incredible albums to choose from, but time and time again the one that gets mentioned as the absolute classic is the masterpiece that is 'Number of the Beast'. For the bands third album, due to the departure of Di'Anno, the band was joined by new vocalist Bruce Dickinson, bringing a whole new level of uniqueness to the band. Dickinson could belt out the vocals like nobodies business. Some of my favorite Maiden songs come from this album, like "22 Acacia Avenue", "Invaders", and "Run To the Hills". Though not my favorite album from Iron Maiden, 'Beast' definitely ranks high up there.

Metallica: Master of Puppets

One of the greatest albums of all time, and probably the greatest metal album ever recorded, 'Master of Puppets' shows Metallica in fine form. The material on this album is top notch from start to finish. There are eight classics to choose from here, including the title track, "Battery", the incredible "Damage, Inc.", the instrumental "Orion", and the iconic "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" just to name a few. I'm personally a huge fan of Metallica past and present, but this album will likely remain my favorite output from them forever.

Rush: Permamanent Waves

This is the first Rush album I ever really owned. I remember wearing my casette out playing this thing over and over again. The shortest album in the bands catalogue, there are only 6 songs to choose here, ranging from the classic ("The Spirit of Radio", "Freewill", and "Natural Science"... my favorite Rush tune) to the fan favorites ("Entre Nous", and "Jacob's Ladder"). The band are in fine form as the begin shifting gears from the side long conceptual pieces of yesteryear and move towards the shorter more concise pieces that they churn out to this day. It's great to have this one back in my CD rack and amongst the few other Rush discs I still own.

Richard Morse: Rychard

I haven't had a chance to listen to this one yet, and I can't find the album cover image to put up here, but I'm looking forward to digging into this one. Richard is of course the brother of Neal Morse and Spock's Beard guitarist Alan Morse. Neal plays on and produced this album and from the one review I was able to find, I believe that my money has been very well spent. I'll post an actual review when I get the time to give it the ear that it deserves.

Well, that is all I was able to get this pay day, althought next payday I will definitely be adding the new Metallica disc ('Death Magnetic') and hopefully a few other things I saw at CD Tradepost this past payday.

A Few Discs I'm Playing A Lot

2008-09-05T02:00:00.000-07:00

Anybody who knows me knows that I love music, and I have been digging some great tunes lately, so I thought I would share...

Neal Morse: Sola Scriptura
I've had this CD for a very long time but have only just recently realized what a masterpiece it is. For a change of pace Neal had decided to craft a progressive concept album (his joke, not mine, hehe). The concept is centered around the life of Martin Luther, a man that walked through hell to make this world a better place for Christians (and humanity). There are utterly beautiful moments on this disc, but also some all out rocking moments. With only 4 songs, three of them are very long epic pieces, while the lone ballad "Heaven In My Heart" is a more radio friendly length. This one is a must for Prog Fans.

Metallica: St. Anger
I didn't listen to this album for the longest time on the opinion of the majority... I should know better! There may be some production flaws but the music of this disc is top notch. The songs are excellent rockers, tunes like "Frantic", the title track, "Invisible Kid" and "Some Kind of Monster" (just to name a few) are just as good as anything these kings of metal have written. There is a bit of a lack of guitar solos, but like 'Vapor Trails' (Rush) it works for the tunes. Definitely one worth checking out and not just taking the word of others.

Neal Morse: ?
Here is another disc that I didn't spend a lot of time with initially, but finally came back to. This one is sixty minutes of pure progressive bliss. Neal proves once again that he can craft a concept album that is both excellent musically and conceptually. Personal favorites of mine are "The Outsider", "Outside Looking In", and the incredibly uplifting "Entrance". There are some people that left Neal behind when he parted ways with Spock's Beard and turned to Christian themed album, and these people are the ones that need to check out this incredible music for themselves.

The Punching Goat Knows Not What He Does, Only That He Means To Do It

2008-09-05T01:49:00.000-07:00

Hello all, been a while since I posed here and a lot has happened since. Most importantly, Robbie and Selena have moved up a grade in school. Robbie is in 1st grade, and my little Bucket is in Kindergarten! I can't believe how old they are getting. Sometimes this saddens me, they are both growing up so fast, but I am so proud of them and who they are turning into.

Also growing quickly is the Squishy Baby, Samantha. She babbles a lot these days, and some of the things she says actually turn out to be words, she is so cute. Of course there are two sides to every coin, and there are times when she can try our patience. She gets in to everything, mostly photo albums, remotes and phones. She loves to play with my cell phone. I would have to say that her favorite thing to do is dance. If she likes the song she will do her cute little Squishy dance.

Janae started back at PCSI again, and this time she seems to be getting along well here. She tries so hard to get her hours in and I'm proud to call her my wife. I know she wants to help her family, and is doing a great job. Even is she weren't working though I would be proud of her. She is a great mother and you can tell that the kids adore her. I really don't think that I could live without her.

Anyway, that's my update post. After this I will immediately move on to a second post updating my world of music.

NW: Earth 2 - Episode 2

Interesting Read on success of new Journey CD

2008-07-17T21:46:00.000-07:00

I didn't see this posted and found it interesting... and true! I'll also note that I bought the album for the reason stated below, and love the music, but would not have bought it at regular price.

From melodicrock.com:

LEFSETZ ON JOURNEY/WALMART:
Interesting comments from industry commentator Bob Lefsetz on the Journey/WalMart package earlier today. On the topic of disecting this week's Billboard chart positions, Lefsetz stated:
18. Journey "Revelation" Sales this week: 23,778 / Percentage change: -4% / Cume: 308,777
"And that's what it is! Not the incredible pipes of their Filipino lead singer, but the PRICE! Irving's the leader on this... He told me if Dave signed off on it, he was going to put out a Van Halen DVD for $7.99!
Maybe I'm talking out of school here, not that Irving said this was off the record, but this is a very important point. PRICE MATTERS! Stop weeping over the death of the CD, the declining margins, and just lower the damn price so music becomes an impulse item. Lower the price enough and it doesn't PAY to steal!
And you wonder why the established acts would rather go with Irving and Wal-Mart than Doug and Universal. Wal-Mart pays, the act gets the lion's share of the money and the customer is HAPPY!"

Neal Morse: ? Live

2008-07-16T03:08:00.000-07:00

There is such an incredible vibe during the "? Live" album from Neal Morse. I don't know how anyone can listen to something like this and not be touched or moved in some way. Especially "Entrance" and "Inside His Presence". I hate that I ignored Neal's Christian lyric albums for so long, even though I have owned them. Once again I am reminded what an amazing person and musician Neal is. Anytime I listen to Neal's albums I can actually feel myself closer to God, and say what you want about me for this, I love the feeling. It's great to believe in something and I won't apologize for it.

Anyhow I just wanted to share.

NP: Neal Morse - Inside His Presence

Doctor Who: The Planet of Ood (series 4, episode 3)

2008-05-21T03:08:00.000-07:00

And with "The Planet of Ood" I do believe I am a fan of this incredible show. The writing on this episode was so surprising that I can't believe I didn't latch on to this show sooner. The story was sci-fi at it's very best, and gone was the immense cheese factor of episode two of the 4th series.

The storyline tells of the great injustice of slavery and deals out its own kind of justice on the main slavedriver. The bit charachters were so well written and played, and the doctor and Donna were magnificent throughout.

Oh, and lets not forget the puking of the new brain... that was great. Don't know what I'm talking about? Check out "The Planet of Ood" and you will know, and will likely be just as impressed as I was.

NP: Rush - Far Cry

2008-05-09T04:48:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I'm not entirely sure why I'm writing today, but I just feel frustrated and the hell of it is that I don't have any idea why. I feel like I'm on the verge of creating a better hampster wheel and yet nowhere near even working on the project. I guess that probably doesn't make sense, but then again nothing I ever say really makes sense anyhow.

There is something wrong with my head I think. Like, for example, I don't want to die and yet I do nothing to help prevent it. I feel depressed and yet I have no reason to be would be a good second example. A third would be the extremely creative person living in me that doesn't want to let any part of him come out.

ARRRRGGHHH!

Anyhow, I really didn't have much to say, but mostly because that jerk inside of me only shines out for very brief moments before I get bored and move...

(editors note: Rob seems to have stopped writing sudden...)

NP: Dream Theater - Repentance

Spock's Beard - V

2008-05-09T04:37:00.000-07:00

‘V’, the 2000 release from Spock’s Beard is an album of great music sandwiched between two of the greatest epic songs ever written, making this album an absolute essential for any fan of the so called “Progressive Rock” genre.

Putting aside the opener and closer of the fantastic disc for just a moment, the four songs in the middle are anything but filler material. “Revelation” is an all out rocker, with blistering guitars, a rhythm section wrought with fury, and a very ballsy performance in the vocal department.

“Thoughts, Pt. 2” is a song with many dynamic changes, and really doesn’t have too much to do with the original “Thoughts” (found on the ‘Beware of Darkness’ album). It is also the albums nod to Gentle Giant.

In a perfect world the next tune “All On A Sunday” would have been the albums hit single, as it follows the formula of the perfect radio formatted rock tune, catchy music, melodic vocals, and is just a fun track from start to finish. Alas this is not a perfect world and to my knowledge the video the band made got little to no airplay anywhere.

“Goodbye To Yesterday”, the last of the more concise tunes on the album is a beautiful ballad with heart wrenching vocals and lyrics and a beautiful bit of acoustic guitar work. Again, I think this song could have been a nice hit single in a perfect world.

Now back to those two songs that we set aside for a moment, the first of which being “At the End of the Day”. The shorter of the two epics this track clocks in at a measly 16 minutes. This track features the band at their absolute best, both in terms of their playing and their writing. Easily one of the best tunes in the bands already impressive catalogue.

I try to stay away from clichés but the since the band couldn’t help it neither can I, we have saved the best for last, the monster epic “The Great Nothing”. Lyrically the song is about the disillusions of the music business and what a crap shoot it really is. Musically it is nothing short of a masterpiece. Personally I think that this song shows just how diverse the band is musically, and Neal Morse is vocally. The music on the track is all over the place, from all out rock, to acoustic, to atmospheric exploration, and of course the very prog driven sections the band have come to be known for. In my opinion perhaps some of the best 25 plus minutes of music ever committed to CD.

Spock’s Beard would go on to record just one more album with Neal Morse (the 2 CD concept piece ‘Snow’) before parting ways, and while ‘Snow’ is a masterpiece in it’s own right, it is ‘V’ that I find myself listening to time and time again.

NP: Dream Theater - The Dark Eternal Night

Doctor Who: The Fires of Pompeii (series 4, episode 2)

2008-04-16T04:01:00.000-07:00

Let me start off by saying that the line "We're in Pompeii, and it's Volcano Day" is without a doubt the cheesiest line I have ever heard in my life, however the episode itself was highly entertaining.

The episode takes place in Ancient Rome, the day before the infamous Pompeii disaster, where many lost their lives... a disaster apparantly caused by the Doctor and a Spock like decision ("the needs of the many outweight the needs of the few"). I found it to be an entertaining way to explain one of the worst natural events of mankinds reign on this planet.

The episode itself was a bit of a hit and miss for me at first, a little bit creepy and strange at times. Fortunately things really pick up when the Doctor and Donna head in to the volcano.

I love how this show can really make you feel for its cast, even though the majority is only around for a single episode. I have been immensely impressed with each episode thus far and can't wait to check out the new one next week.

NP: Rush - Something for Nothing (live)

Doctor Who: Partners In Crime (series 4, episode 1)

2008-04-09T00:37:00.000-07:00

Adipose is a revolutionary new pill that allows a persons fat to just "walk away"... literally. The fat is supposed to break away from a person while they sleep and became a cute little glob of lard with legs and hands and charming facial features. They are really quite cute. The only hitch is that the customers don't know how they are losing the fat, they just know that they are. All of this is an evil plot masteminded by a tyranical and seemingly insane company head.

The conspiracy unfolds with a typical villain mistake of revealing the evil plan to a reporter who is tied up, while Donna (a nosey woman with a past in the show) and the current Doctor.

The story is extremely corny with many moments of very thick cheese, and yet it is surprisingly (or not so surprisingly given the nature of the show) interesting from start to finish. I must admit to not seeing very many episodes of the series and so the background story tie-ins don't make a whole lot of sense to me, but the main plot line held up enough for a casual viewer to enjoy the first episode of this season).

Stay tuned to this blog for more reviews of "Doctor Who" and a huge amount of reviews of the original Star Trek series.

NP - Pink Floyd: Take It Back

Something has to give, or else...

2008-03-14T04:46:00.001-07:00

I honestly think that I am losing my mind, and nearing some kind of breaking point. I'm physically and emotionally exhausted. I don't know what to do at this point, and am positive that it's only my kids that are keeping me alive. To love someone so much and be such a constant source of hate and disappointment for that person hurts...

I think I need help, but not sure if I want it at this point...

Something has to give.

So

2008-03-13T23:27:00.001-07:00

Why is it that Janae has to treat me like shit? Seriously, I want to know
:(

A Dream I Had

2008-03-13T03:28:00.000-07:00

I had a dream yesterday that I just can't seem to get out of my head, and now that I think about it it's more of a nightmare really.

The dream didn't touch on the circumstances surrounding it, but Janae left me. I spent the entire dream crying and trying to get her back, but she kept treating me like I was nothing. I would see her and she wouldn't see me and I had no idea what I had done to make her hate me so much.

From that dream I realized just how much I love Janae (not that I didn't already have a pretty good idea). I don't think I could live without her. I think I would literally wither up and die. From the moment I met her I think my soul attached to hers and mine can't go on without hers.

I don't know if what I'm saying makes any sense, but there it is. I wish the memory of this dream would go away because when I think about it I feel an empty kind of feeling in my heart. I don't want to feel that empty feeling, that feeling of living without her. I need her, and I always will... I just hope she feels, truely and honestly, the same way that I do.

-Rob

Happy Valentines Day

2008-02-14T00:56:00.000-08:00

Today is the 9th year Janae and I have been together on the 14th of February. We have had many great years together, and I look forward to many more.

I love you Janae, I always have and always will.

New Movie: Adventures of Power

2008-02-07T02:02:00.000-08:00

The trailer speaks for itself:

With an apparant cameo of Neil Peart as... Neil Peart

NP: Jethro Tull - A Passion Play, pt. 2

Nobody Cares

2008-02-05T03:43:00.000-08:00

If the pain I am feeling can not go away
And I can't find a way out of my agony
I'm going to leave you today

If the desperation doesn't ease in my heart
And the sadness won't leave my tired mind
My soul from this world will soon depart

But nobody knows that I'm crying
Nobody knows that I'm dying inside
Nobody cares

I'm left alone in my misery
I'm living alone with my pain
And nobody cares at all

If the hate that I feel for myself doesn't fade
And I can't stop feeling sorry for myself
The last choice that has to be made
Is to take myself away

But nobody knows that I'm crying
Nobody knows that I'm dying inside
Nobody cares

Bootleg: Rush - Live In Buffalo, NY (05-21-1980)

2008-01-25T00:33:00.000-08:00

Rush's 'Permanent Waves' tour has one of my very favorite setlists. The band rip through four out of six songs from 'PeW' as well as some of the best from their back catalogue. Unfortunately it is hard to find good shows from this tour (even though the Kiel show is probably the best sounding boot from the band, it is incomplete) so I have to settle for decent shows. 'Live In Buffalo, NY' is one of the decent shows.

First off, the sound is quite muted and overall a bit distant but all of the instruments do come through pretty well most of the time. There aren't any annoying distractions from the obviously fired up audience (well, some lady during the intro for "Natural Science" did scare the hell out of me), and that is always a plus.

Now on to the music: The band is right on this night. They tear through an inspired rendition of the abbreviated "2112" that has been a staple in the set since it's release in 1976. Geddy is fairly talkative tonight. The vocal phrasing on the older songs is pretty much static this tour so don't be surprised when there are obvious changes in tunes like "By-Tor and the Snow Dog" and the closing medley.

A couple highlights for me are an inspired rendition of "Natural Science", the abbreviated "Hemispheres" with some VERY cool effects (though Geddy does strain a bit on some of the vocals), an absolutely smoking "A Passage To Bangkok", and the afformentioned closing medley.

I've heard a lot of Rush shows in my life, some of them absolutely horrible (the 'ATWAS' tour New Years Eve show), and I've heard some smoking shows (several 'T4E' shows for example) and I can say this is about middle of the pack, listenable and very enjoyable.

NP: Rush - A Passage To Bangkok

Selena Taylor Mallory

2008-01-22T23:44:00.001-08:00

Selena Taylor Mallory
Born: March 10th, 2003

I find it hard to believe that Selena will be 5 years old about a month and a half. I'll never forget the hectic night before she was born, leading into the day of her birth. I had an errand to run to my friend Erts house, and when I left I found I had a flat tire. Luckily Nick fixed it. The morning of the 10th we dropped Robbie off at my moms and went to the hospital. The delivering doctor was late and so was Selena (obviously). This time Janae was conscious and got to spend a few brief moments with our first daughter.

Selena was named after Rush drummer Neil Peart's daughter, and I think the name is just beautiful.

I love my daughter, and always have, but she was a bit of a nightmare as a baby. She cried nearly non stop and needed constant attention (much like today :) . The picture of her in her Christmas dress here is one of my very favorite pictures of Selena. I just love the pose, and she loves to pose. She has always been a kid that loves getting her picture taken. On the flip side of the coin, she loves to look at pictures, often getting in to our photo album and going through them asking about a thousand questions.

When Selena arrived, Robbie was very reserved towards her. He tried to keep his distance and looked at her with curiosity. Thankfully it didn't take him long to realize that this baby was here to stay. He wasn't always trying to help with her, but when he did it was always with a smile on her face.

When she was newborn she had to go back to the hospital fairly soon after she came home because she had a horrible case of jaundice. In almost all of her newborn pictures she is noticably yellow. One of the hardest things I've ever done was leave her alone in a hospital room one of the nights she was there. Looking back I wish either Janae and I would have stayed. Thankfully she was soon able to come home, and has been a pain in the ass ever since.

I'll never forget the first time I held Selena, namely because she peed all over me, it was a major bummer dude (haha). Selena is a child of many nicknames, and one of her first was "poopers". Why you ask? Because the first time I ever changed her she decided to shoot poo at me, it was one of the most disgusting things I have ever been party to in my life.

Selena is a very happy kid, who more often than not has a huge smile plastered on her beautiful face. She is also a very funny kid. Sometimes out of nowhere she will start laughing uncontrollably, we often do not know why. She also loves to read. If given a choice of things to do, most times she will grab a book and either asked to have it read to her, or make up her own story to go with the pictures. She is very creative, and I think she may be a writer someday.

She also loves school. This picture is of her first day of full day pre-school, and she is doing great in school. Her teacher says she is very smart and she works very hard at making others happy, and to make the other kids like her. Selena also likes to sing, and has a very pretty voice for a child of her age. She wrote her first song when she was only 3 (I believe). A fun little ditty called "I Wash My Hair".

I wash my hair

I wash my hair (bend the pitch of the last word repeatedly until out).

When Samantha was born in January of 2007 Selena became a big sister and was constantly trying to help out with the baby. Trying to feed her, hug her, and give the baby her constant attention (which was sometimes a real pain in the ass, but that is okay). This is a picture of all three of monkey's in a tree. You can see that out of the three Selena is without a doubt the goofiest of the lot. I think she gets that from me, and that is just fine, because she is my little princess, and I love her with all of my heart.

And so to my little bucket, this is in tribute to you. I love you bean bag, I always have, and always will. You are my princess, and I wouldn't trade you for the world.

A story I'm writing with Janae for fun

2008-01-18T01:51:00.000-08:00

I'm tired of walking. I wish we could stop. I need water.
We have been driven from our home. It's so late so dark.
Mom's crying.Dad's yelling. My brother and sister are crying. We all just want to go back home. And yet we all know that that is not possible. We will not stop tell we get to George town. That's where my Aunt lives. Please God I hope we make it.

The men came as we we're all asleep. They took us from our bed's put us in a truck. We drove to the woods and they told us to get out and start walking. And that we could never return home. That they would make sure we did not come home. We asked why,why.
They said never mind just walk.

So here we are walking we have been walking for over 3hrs. We dont know how long it will take us to get to Aunt Amanda's. I'm hungry and tired. I wish the sun would come up. I'm scared.

The coldness is biting into my skin. At first it wasn't too bad, but as time passes we get even colder. My parents are arguing about something, but I've blocked them out, I can't hear it anymore.

My mind is a jumble of mixed emotions; where is everyone else, why were we taken from our home, will we ever go back, is Tyler okay? About half hour ago Jenny, my little sister, stepped on a piece of glass but we could not stop to properly take care of her so we've been taking turns carrying her. Luckily she is not too heavy, so even though she gets passed often each of us are able to take a shift.

It's hard to believe that just 4 hours ago I was at home sleeping safely in bed. Sure I had to get up in the morning and go to a school I hate, and take a test that I knew I was going to fail, but I would give anything to have that back. Nothing is worse than being forced to do something and not know why. I know I'm with my family but I feel so utterly alone, and more scared than I have ever been in my life.

A gun shot comes at us from out of the night, and we have no idea where from. It sounded maybe two or three miles back. The gun shot was horrifying in and of itself, but the blood curdling scream that followed it was the worst part. The scream sounds like it came from a child, no more than ten years old.

My mother just passed me Jenny, who is still crying. Dad took the glass out of her bare foot, but it is still bleeding, and she needs medical attention. I feel so bad for her, my heart aches and I pray that this will end soon. I can almost feel the blood fall on to my leg, but there is nothing that I can do but reassure her that everything will be okay, and that we'll be at Aunt Amanda's soon, but deep inside I feel that is a lie. I feel it's a lie because everything just feels wrong.

Then as I was holding Jenny I can remember my teacher telling us how to stop the bleeding on a cut. So I took my shirt off and tryed to stop the bleeding. I layed her down in the ditch. I told my dad to give me his shrit to keep her warm. After about 20mins the bleeding stopped. There was a little puddle that looked clear. So I cleaned up her foot and saw that it wasn't that bad. It would just hurt for a while. I took Jenny to the bath room. At first she would not go. I had to tell her this is the only way at the time. After we had all sat and got some rest we began to walk again. It was 4:30 at this point. I was kinda happy because the sun would be up soon. I just dont understand why know cars have come by. Where are we? Are we going the right way? Man I'm so hungry. I'm about to eat this grass. The cows do it how bad can it be. My mom and dad are a little bitt ahead talking. At least there not yelling anymore. My brother Jon is right in front of me holding Jenny. Soon it will be light. Thank God for light. It is now 5a.m. about 1 to 1 hr and a half to the sun comes up.

1 Hour Later:

The sun is playing on the horizon, but with it only comes more despair. As more light touches the Earth we can now see other people walking in these god forsaken woods. They all look to be in the same boat as us, siking to the bottom of the ocean in dark despair.

All around us people are walking but saying nothing. Some of the people are bleeding, and others are covered in blood that may not be theirs, in fact I'm pretty sure it is not. I try to speak but nothing will come out... maybe that's for the best. Even if I could speak what would I say? Besides it doesn't look like anyone would answer me.

Out of the corner of my eye I can see a man running towards my father, but it was too late to warn him. In the flash of an eye the man pulled a knife and stabbed my dad in the neck. Blood erupted from the wound like water from a hose on a hot summer day. The attacker quickly ran off for another group of people and stabbed a young child, no more than five years old. Before anybody could stop to think the man pulled a gun out of his pocket and shot himself.

"Dad", I screamed running to him. My mom stood speechless next to him, staring at the blood pouring out of his neck. He started gasping for breath but could no longer draw air. I did all that I could to save him but it was too late, two minutes later my daddy died.

The king of the whales is nowhere to be found!

2008-01-16T23:31:00.001-08:00

Well, I finally went to my doctor appointment (although I fought Janae kicking and screaming). There is only one reason I hate going to the doctor office; I hate getting my blood drawn. Everytime I go there is an inept nurse who has to shove that needle into my arm (thus creating a whole 'nother hole in my arm) from 3 to 4 damned times. Well today, as I was prepared to pass out and come back puking into a kidney shaped bowl I was surprised to learn that this new nurse was done! She stuck me once, drew the blood and that was it. She is my new hero and I should wish to subscribe to her newsletter.

I am very upset with myself though; after not seeing the doctor for over a year I went back to learn that I have gained 2 pounds. Now that may not seem like much to some people, but when you are close to "whale status" like I am, every pound counts. I've got to get rid of those two (and a few more wouldn't hurt) before my next appointment in three months.

Anywho, today I also had a quick foot exam. The nurse sort of poked several places on the bottom of each foot with a piece of wire and asked if I could feel each poke. Thankfully I did, so for now my feet are still attached.

So I guess that's all I have for now.

NP: Dream Theater - Finally Free

(bootleg post) Rush - Power Windows Demo

2008-01-13T13:18:00.000-08:00

A month back the Rush community were stunned to learn that a demo tape for 'Power Windows' existed, shortly thereafter the demo tunes were released. These are very interesting for 'PoW', and Rush fans alike. It is a rare glimpse into the the creative process of the band.

Thanks for the Castle of Rush (a great site for MP3 sourced Rush boots) blog for getting this up on rapidshare:

'Power Windows Demo'

NP: Spock's Beard - Devil's Got My Throat

Robert Duane Mallory Jr. (Robbie), pt. 1

2008-01-10T01:33:00.000-08:00

Robert Duane Mallory Jr.
Born: September 22nd, 2001

It seems like just yesterday that Robbie was born. I'll never forget the first moment when I held him in my arms. Janae was still in surgery and my mind was trying to convince me that she was dead because she was cut open (Robbie was a c-section baby). When the doctor put that kid in my arms I knew I would give my life to protect him. His eyes were still shut, but for the first time mine were open. I had always wanted to find some sort of meaning in my life, and with him I had it. Making my father proud of me was no longer as important as making sure that Robbie knows how proud of him I am.

This is Robbie just before his first birthday (Janae has always been good at making sure we have pictures taken professionally for each kids' birthday). One thing I'll never forget is that he always had his tongue out. We were actually concerned that maybe his tongue was too big and he couldn't fit it all in his mouth. As a result of this he always had a rash under his bottom lip, as you can tell. This is easily one of my very favorite pictures of Robbie. He still had long hair, something he has not had since it was first cut shortly after his first birthday. He was such a happy kid (again, something you can see here).

Robbie was a very busy kid, always on the go... unless there was something on the tv that intrigued him (JJ the Jetplane for example). He loved anything that would spin. It really didn't matter what the toy was as long as it had something that he could sit and continuously make spin. He would sit and use all four fingers to continue the spinning, moving his fingers towards himself, with a smile or a questioning look plastered on his face. That was our Robbie, a fun loving spinner. He was (and still is) my pride and joy.

I tried my best to spend as much time as possible playing with Robbie, and it was around his 2nd birthday that he developed a huge love of trains (or maybe it was Christmas that year, can't recall exactly). But he also loved to watch my use the computer. He would stand and just watch me play whatever game I was into at the time (at this time it was Roller Coaster Tycoon II). He loved watching the roller coasters and would impatiently wait for me to build the next big ride. He wasn't a huge attention getter, and would often play with whatever toy was currently holding his interest (not like Selena, who would prove to need constant attention). He was so full of energy, like a monkey bouncing of the walls, and we had to keep constant tabs on him. It was a full time job keeping this kid safe, and I think Janae and I did very well at doing just that.

One thing that Robbie has always loved, unlike any other kid I've ever known, is a nice nap. Even today he can still take a nap at a moments notice, oftentimes coming right home from school to catch some z's. In this picture he is curled up with his orange PB (Robbie speak for blankie), but usually he has this ugly blanket thing that my mom made for me long before Robbie was born. This thing is hideous, but he had to have it to sleep. There is a pink section that for some reason is the most important to Robbie, and he has to smell it before he'll go to sleep. Every now and then Janae will wash it against his wishes, because even though he insists it has some special scent held deep within' it's fabric that makes him happy, all we can smell is, well the exacty opposite of something that would make us happy.

His first sister, Selena Taylor Mallory, was born when Robbie was just 18 months old. At first he was really shy and stayed away from her. I don't know if it was because she scared him, or he was afraid of hurting her, but he mostly stayed away from his little sissy. It took some time but he has turned into a great big brother, and I am so proud of him for that.

Anyhow, that is my little boy. I'll have more to add to this, but for now I think you get a good idea about who he is. He is Robbie, and his daddy loves him very much!

NP: Rush - YYZ

The Wings of the Winged Wingless

2008-01-09T14:06:00.001-08:00

So, how are you all? I have new wings, they grew in last night. They're still kind of itchy and still coming in, but I've got enough out of my back to life me off the floor a little. I can't remember what made me decide to get these things, but I'm glad I did. In a few days, after an immense amount of pain (hey, ya gotta take the bad to get the good) I'll be flying everywhere.

There is one downside, when you have wings you have to give up another feature of your body, so when they are fully in I will no longer have a uh... ahem... a sac. Still, small price to pay for wings.

So if you see me flying by you in the next couple of days wave goodbye because I'm far above you and much quicker.

Thanks,
The Flying Flyer of Flying Flights

Album of the Day - Darwin's Radio: Eyes of the World

2008-01-09T00:11:00.000-08:00

I mentioned recently that there were a lot of 2007 albums that I needed to spend more time with... well, I guess there are even more from 2006 that fall by the wayside. One of not is the album "Eyes of the World" from the band Darwin's Radio. Tonight I'm giving this one multiple listens, but only intended on one at first. I was so floored by how good this album was that I'm on my 3 play right now.

The disc kicks off in fine prog rock fasion with the nearly ten minute epic "Erase...Rewind". What we go here is a pretty hard rock driven tune with plenty of keyboard flourishes to compliment the sound that the band keep up with for the entire album. This tune is nothing short of incredible, and there is even a rather short keyboard run that really reminds me of the theme to the final fortress in the original Zelda. After the instrumental opening the song has a short piano interlude before the vocalist comes in. Vocalist Declan Burke (who also plays guitar) really fits with the music on this, and the rest of the album. I hear so many musical styles in here, from a very Genesis sounding part at around the 6 1/2 minute mark, to a very Flower Kings sort of style immediately following (not to mention some very rocking DT-esque interludes).

With an opening cut like "Erase...Rewind" one may assume that the rest of the disc goes downhill, but in my opinion the whole disc is an incredible piece of music from start to finish. The second cut, "Stronger", is a more straight-forward rock tune (with plenty of keys of course). There are some very Derek Sherinian-moments in this very cool song, which is held together by a pretty consistant bass lead. Once again the vocals are very fitting with the tune, and the chorus is a melodic monster in every sense of the term.

"Windows To Your Soul" is the first ballad on the album. It's a beautiful piece with mostly keys and drums, with some emotion drenched vocals from Declan. This song really shows the bands diversity, and actually flows nicely with the rest of the disc, while often-times the slower tune seems to drag the disc down (ie: Dream Theater - "Repentance").

The fourth track, "Glass Tiger's Eye" is another straight-forward rock tune, with a guitar lead that harkens back to the arena rock of yesterday. "Lapse of Sensation" is a very Marillion sounding prog tune, while "Eccentric Orbits" is a balls to the wall instrumental track that kicks my ass. "Amber Skies" is a gorgeous ballad that gives me goosebumps. One of the best ballads I have ever had the pleasure of listening to.

The album closes with the near 12 minute epic tune "The Vast Within". Like any good epic tune there is a bit of an intro section that eases people into the song, a very ballad-esque section, before stepping up the tempo only slightly by the 3 1/2 minute mark. After a brief guitar solo the song finally launches into the prog-fest I was really hoping it would be. Some great guitar/keyboard trade off's, and the rest of the song only gets better.

I don't know how this song missed my top of 2006 list, but I guess it's proof that things like top 10 lists can not be written in stone. I highly recommend this disc to any prog fan.

Bootleg: Aerosmith - Done Live With Mirrors

2008-01-07T23:26:00.000-08:00

The first thing I thought when previewing this amazing 'Done With Mirrors' tour boot from Aerosmith was "Is this really a boot?" The sound quality is incredible. I have heard my fair share of soundboard shows, but this one seems almost too polished to be anything but an official release, but I can find no evidence supporting it, so I'm going with boot on this, but I'm still floored by that fact.

This show was recorded March 12, 1986, and rivals any of the bands official live releases. The show starts off with five of my favorite Aerosmith tunes, "Back In the Sadle", "Same Old Song And Dance", "Big Ten Inch Record" (with a smoking guitar solo from Perry), "My Fist Your Face" and "Last Child", and just these songs are worth the price of admission alone.

The band are really playing well this nice, and everything comes through beautifully (even the bass guitar, and oftentimes that is the instrument that is hardest to hear). The playing is tight and Tyler sounds just incredible as they rip their way through favorites such as "Sweet Emotion", "Dream On" and an absolutely stellar performance of "Train Kept A Rollin'". There are also quite a few new tunes in evidence tonight, "The Hop", "Sheila", "She's On Fire", and another one of my favorites "Let the Music Do the Talking". The only song missing, that I personally would have loved to hear from 'Mirrors' is "The Reason A Dog", otherwise this is an amazing find, and I hope to come across more like it.

I can't remember exactly where I tracked this one down at, but if anyone is interested in getting this, let me know and we'll work something out.

NP: Aerosmith - Some Old Song And Dance