The thing I enjoy most about this silly blog is that it seems to be a simple portal to memories of growing up ... my history (short & sweet as its been). One of the best sets of memories are the times I was fortunate enough to spend w/ Mr. Bob Gleichsner. Mr G, along w/ having maybe the hardest surname to spell this side of Krzyzewski, was one also one of the wisest people I have ever met.
He had the wisdom to stay young at heart. He was always able to talk w/ you about things that he knew interested you. I'm certain that if he'd been born into the early computing generation, he'd have been a Bill Gates or Steve Jobs, he seemed to have an infinite curiosity for how computers/technology worked. He was always ready to try new things. I remember an early internet-chat tool called ICQ. I had it installed on my computer, as did Mr G. He used to "ring" me just to say, "Hey, I see you're online. Shouldn't you be working."
He had the wisdom to be a UofL fan. We had many spirited discussions whenever the glorious St. Louis University Billikens took on the Cardinals. He was always patient w/ my impudent trash talking whenever the Bills edged the Cardinals. And he was always generous the many more times that the Cards thrashed poor SLU. Mr. G had one of the best lines of any sports fan w/ his "Well, this one's over." Whether it was a three-pointer in the waning minutes to put a game out of reach, a touchdown that pulled Louisville to w/in 21-7, or even sometimes the first basket of the game ... we could always expect a call from Mr. G saying there really wasn't much reason for watching the rest of it, because the contest had already been decided in Louisville's favor. The times we spent w/ the Gleichsners in Memphis, St. Louis, & Cincinnati watching Conference USA tournaments were some of the best days of mine & Kristy's lives.
What I'm most grateful for is that he also had the wisdom to share his wisdom. I'm not sure what the motives were for the origin of the Red Bench Gang, but for teenagers & college folk in our neighborhood there was no better place to observe how upstanding adults interacted, how friendships should be maintained, how your character should be built, & what you should look for in a mate (someone brave enough to withstand the RBG approval process). Is there any thing wiser than purposely devoting parts of your days to conversation w/ friends?
And the amazing thing is, he touched SO MANY people in the same way.
From a book, I wouldn't be surprised if Mr. G read at some point, I saw this poem from Charles Wesley:
If death my friend and me divide
Thou dost not, Lord, my sorrow chide
or frown my tears to see
restrained from passionate excess
Thou bidst me mourn in calm distress
for them that rest in Thee
I feel a strong immortal hope
which bears my mournful spirit up
beneath its mountain load
redeemed from death, and grief, and pain,
I soon shall find my friend again
within the arms of God
Pass a few fleeting moments more
and death the blessing shall restore
which death has snatched away;
for me Thou wilt the summons send,
and give me back my parted friend
in that eternal day
Monday, January 29, 2007
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
APD's 10th B-day
Sunday we had a b-day party at the Ice House, an ice skating rink. He had six friends there for cake, pizza, and ice skating. Everyone seemed to have a lot of fun. When Dolberry was on the ice, they seemed to enjoy much baiting me into chasing them, then lapping me & trying to push me over from behind.
Monday we had our family party. We'd been talking about getting him the HeroClix figure he's most talked about. Thanos. You could find him on e-Bay for $20. We never got around to doing it, & just got him two packs instead. Amazingly enough, Thanos was in there (odds about 200-1). It was that sort of birthday for him. He really enjoyed all his gifts: 20 Questions, gift cards, the Games DVD, checks, etc. We got him a Game Boy w/ a Marvel cartridge which he really seemed to enjoy.
Plus, as an extra bonus it is Spirit Week at his school this week, so he got to wear Pajamas into school on his birthday. Today he got to wear all his Bears gear for Sports Day. Tomorrow is "Tacky Day". That ought to be interesting. We'll try to get a picture for the blog.
Hope everyone's having a nice week.
Monday we had our family party. We'd been talking about getting him the HeroClix figure he's most talked about. Thanos. You could find him on e-Bay for $20. We never got around to doing it, & just got him two packs instead. Amazingly enough, Thanos was in there (odds about 200-1). It was that sort of birthday for him. He really enjoyed all his gifts: 20 Questions, gift cards, the Games DVD, checks, etc. We got him a Game Boy w/ a Marvel cartridge which he really seemed to enjoy.
Plus, as an extra bonus it is Spirit Week at his school this week, so he got to wear Pajamas into school on his birthday. Today he got to wear all his Bears gear for Sports Day. Tomorrow is "Tacky Day". That ought to be interesting. We'll try to get a picture for the blog.
Hope everyone's having a nice week.
More Global Warming Support
CEOs of major corporations (inc. Duke Energy, GE, Caterpillar, etc.) call for legislation for significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. http://www.us-cap.org/
If business and evangelicals are behind this issue, who's going to be the last conservative to the party?
If business and evangelicals are behind this issue, who's going to be the last conservative to the party?
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Today was an exceptionally good day!
Softball signups. Only about 7 weeks 'til first practice. I think I can make it.
Friday, January 19, 2007
Thoughts on Global Warming
Typically, the DCV will avoid issues political & religious ... generally you're only going to irritate people. However, at the AMS conference, I attended several interesting presentations on climate change (though, probably only 10% of what was offered). Here's what I gathered based on the data/summaries:
1. Global mean temperatures are increasing at a rate that is w/in the bounds of uncertainty of the climate model predictions.
2. While the number of global tropical systems is very consistent over the past 40 years (basically the full satellite record), hurricane intensity is up over the last 20 years. This increase in intensity correlates very well w/ increases in sea surface temperatures. This is also consistent w/ climate model predictions.
3. Stratospheric temperatures are rapidly cooling. This is consistent w/ surface warming (more trapping of radiation). The stratospheric cooling exceeds that which has been predicted by climate models. Further, this long-term cooling effect is not due to volcanoes, which tend to have effects on the order of 1-2 years.
4. Snow cover in the U.S. is trending downward, except in the lee of the Great Lakes. (Lakes that don't freeze over will have a longer lake effect season.)
5. Some models now predict the Arctic Ocean will be completely ice-free in the summer by 2050.
6. Extreme precipitation events have been increasing upward, consistent w/ the fact that a warmer atmosphere will contain more water vapor. Climate models predict this trend will continue.
Presumably, there was more that I didn't see.
Some additional thoughts on the subject. The Weather Channel climate expert, Dr. Heidi Cullen made a blog comment to the effect that the AMS should refuse to certify meteorologists who don't accept global climate change just as the Society wouldn't accept anyone who didn't accept the idea that Atlantic hurricanes rotate cyclonically (counter-clockwise). I think this is an inappropriate stance, as I don't think you ever want to discourage healthy scientific debate. The response from the rabid anti-warmers has been instructive. If this group is a true sample, the main objections to the global climate change arguments are the following:
1. Al Gore won't debate anyone about climate change & Heidi Cullen is a idiot.
2. Scientists are promoting global climate change solely to earn grant money.
3. Global climate change supporters are left-wing socialists who want to take your car away.
4. We were once in an ice age. We've been warming ever since.
5. Sunspots occur in cycles. Plus, there's volcanoes. And ice sheets are growing in Antartica.
6. It's cold out right now where I'm at. (Um, it's January 20th, you're going to get some cold.)
If you weigh the two lists of six against each other, even accounting for the bias of the compiler, there seems to be more hard evidence on one side than the other. Something that is very exciting to me though was this week's "Urgent Call to Action" by the National Association of Evangelicals which wrote to President Bush the following:
1. Human-induced climate change is real. (based on the IPCC report primarily)
2. Climate change consequences will be significant & hit the poor the hardest.
3. Christian moral convictions require a response to climate change.
4. The need to act is urgent and we all have a role to play.
This was signed by a Who's Who of evangelical leaders: Bill Hybels, Rick Warren, Duane Litfin (President of Wheaton College), Robert Yarbrough (Chair of NT Studies, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School), etc. Amen.
Anyway, I think the anti-global climate changers need to understand three things. It's just my opinion.
1. Nobody's blaming anyone for this. At least I'm not & nobody should be. For me this is like abortion ... the past is the past. It can't be undone. But let's make the future better. We are all complicit.
2. Scientists have been wrong in the past. Logically, this allows the possibility that the science is wrong here as well. It is, of course, illogical to assume that because theories have been disproven in the past that this one will be as well.
3. The initial steps to solve this problem will be relatively painless & will almost certainly have large benefits. This seems to be the irrefutable law of "low hanging fruit". There are steps that can be taken now (energy efficiency, hybrid cars, more sensible fuels) that will reduce the manmade influence that will not cost any more than getting lead out of gasoline, or eradicating severe acid rain, or lowering smog levels by 20% over the past 20 years.
Here's a bonus 4th observation ... just because the conservatives, right-wing, Republicans were wrong on this one ... doesn't mean they're/you're/we're wrong on any other particular issue. This never should have been a partisan/philosophical debate, at least in the terms it has degenerated into. At some point though, the stonewall response reflects an unflattering image.
Pat D. (standing in for Dolberry)
1. Global mean temperatures are increasing at a rate that is w/in the bounds of uncertainty of the climate model predictions.
2. While the number of global tropical systems is very consistent over the past 40 years (basically the full satellite record), hurricane intensity is up over the last 20 years. This increase in intensity correlates very well w/ increases in sea surface temperatures. This is also consistent w/ climate model predictions.
3. Stratospheric temperatures are rapidly cooling. This is consistent w/ surface warming (more trapping of radiation). The stratospheric cooling exceeds that which has been predicted by climate models. Further, this long-term cooling effect is not due to volcanoes, which tend to have effects on the order of 1-2 years.
4. Snow cover in the U.S. is trending downward, except in the lee of the Great Lakes. (Lakes that don't freeze over will have a longer lake effect season.)
5. Some models now predict the Arctic Ocean will be completely ice-free in the summer by 2050.
6. Extreme precipitation events have been increasing upward, consistent w/ the fact that a warmer atmosphere will contain more water vapor. Climate models predict this trend will continue.
Presumably, there was more that I didn't see.
Some additional thoughts on the subject. The Weather Channel climate expert, Dr. Heidi Cullen made a blog comment to the effect that the AMS should refuse to certify meteorologists who don't accept global climate change just as the Society wouldn't accept anyone who didn't accept the idea that Atlantic hurricanes rotate cyclonically (counter-clockwise). I think this is an inappropriate stance, as I don't think you ever want to discourage healthy scientific debate. The response from the rabid anti-warmers has been instructive. If this group is a true sample, the main objections to the global climate change arguments are the following:
1. Al Gore won't debate anyone about climate change & Heidi Cullen is a idiot.
2. Scientists are promoting global climate change solely to earn grant money.
3. Global climate change supporters are left-wing socialists who want to take your car away.
4. We were once in an ice age. We've been warming ever since.
5. Sunspots occur in cycles. Plus, there's volcanoes. And ice sheets are growing in Antartica.
6. It's cold out right now where I'm at. (Um, it's January 20th, you're going to get some cold.)
If you weigh the two lists of six against each other, even accounting for the bias of the compiler, there seems to be more hard evidence on one side than the other. Something that is very exciting to me though was this week's "Urgent Call to Action" by the National Association of Evangelicals which wrote to President Bush the following:
1. Human-induced climate change is real. (based on the IPCC report primarily)
2. Climate change consequences will be significant & hit the poor the hardest.
3. Christian moral convictions require a response to climate change.
4. The need to act is urgent and we all have a role to play.
This was signed by a Who's Who of evangelical leaders: Bill Hybels, Rick Warren, Duane Litfin (President of Wheaton College), Robert Yarbrough (Chair of NT Studies, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School), etc. Amen.
Anyway, I think the anti-global climate changers need to understand three things. It's just my opinion.
1. Nobody's blaming anyone for this. At least I'm not & nobody should be. For me this is like abortion ... the past is the past. It can't be undone. But let's make the future better. We are all complicit.
2. Scientists have been wrong in the past. Logically, this allows the possibility that the science is wrong here as well. It is, of course, illogical to assume that because theories have been disproven in the past that this one will be as well.
3. The initial steps to solve this problem will be relatively painless & will almost certainly have large benefits. This seems to be the irrefutable law of "low hanging fruit". There are steps that can be taken now (energy efficiency, hybrid cars, more sensible fuels) that will reduce the manmade influence that will not cost any more than getting lead out of gasoline, or eradicating severe acid rain, or lowering smog levels by 20% over the past 20 years.
Here's a bonus 4th observation ... just because the conservatives, right-wing, Republicans were wrong on this one ... doesn't mean they're/you're/we're wrong on any other particular issue. This never should have been a partisan/philosophical debate, at least in the terms it has degenerated into. At some point though, the stonewall response reflects an unflattering image.
Pat D. (standing in for Dolberry)
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Trip to San Antonio
Glad to say these travels were less eventful than last work trip. Went to the American Meteorological Society annual meeting. Didn’t do any blogging as the wireless internet at the hotel was $16/day & was relatively busy rest of the time. Will spare all the details & hit the highlights (though it’ll still be in the characteristically tedious style that DCV readers expect, nay demand).
Weather: Had to leave 73 sunny degrees in Raleigh on Sunday afternoon to go to 31 wet degrees in San Antonio. The cold rain and freezing rain started on Monday & didn’t let up until Wed. afternoon. Flights were fine today (Thurs). The roads seemed fine to me, but all the trees, traffic lights, & basically anything elevated had a nice glaze on them. The only real impact on the conference was that lots of restaurants (including most on Riverwalk) were closed. The humorous thing was that from the baggage carousel on Sunday to every TV broadcast during the “storm”, the inclement weather was blamed on the “convention of meteorologists” in town.
Conference: I saw several interesting presentations over a broad range of subjects (climate change, TV meteorologists & blogging, developing meteorological material for K-12 instruction, & of course a lot of air quality stuff). My two posters seemed to be well received. Spent most of those 90 minutes sessions talking w/ random inquisitors. Also manned the EPA AirNow booth periodically … dispensing free pens, touting the merits of our products, & talking w/ students looking for jobs. My feet were sore from the standing & my brain is tired from all the conversations. That said, these conferences really fire me up again about my job. There were over 2000 attendees.
Old friends: Saw three fellow students & a teacher from the U. of Chicago days. We had lunch one day & talked thru all the old memories. Thankfully, I’ve repressed many of them & believe I’ll be able to repress them again. Many laughs … in the end the consensus agreement was that it was not the best of times for anyone & we were all glad to be gone, but that there was no permanent damage & that the experience had probably left us for the better. One is a fire weather expert at NCAR. Another is a TV meteorologist for the ABC affiliate in Detroit. Another works for the IL State Water Survey & teaches at Ill. St. The main feeling I always associate w/ U of C is failure, but the past few days have made me feel better about it though … feel good about my place in the met world. Also got a chance to talk w/ one of my old professors, Dr. Roscoe Braham. He is/was an expert in cloud physics … one of the first to understand the dynamics of thunderstorms. It was really gratifying to get to talk w/ him & thank him for his teaching me cloud physics. (It was one of the few classes I really got into & aced.) He was elected to the AMS Hall of Fame this year. Ironically, my advisor, Dr. Ramesh Srivastava won the award for Teacher of the Year for his “patient mentoring”. He was always nice to me, though I’ve seen more effective mentors. Unfortunately, he wasn’t there to achieve the award.
Other than that, got to hobnob w/ a few cool meteorologists at a few dinners & during hallway conversations. There was a crazy party we crashed run by Harris Corp. where they gave out cowboy hats at the door, had a mariachi (sp?) band, & offer line dancing opportunities (passed). The main attraction to most may have been the open bar. Ethics rules prohibit us from accepting gifts/services of any sort exceeding some de minimis level (disagreement whether it was $15 or $25.) I think I stayed under the $15 limit as long as the going rate for shrimp is $0.15 per pound. The head of NOAA & frequent DCV nemesis, Vice Admiral, Baron von Lautenbacher VII was there gorging himself at the corporate trough (allegedly). I was going to interview/grill him for the blog, but the stuffed mushroom table impenetrably separated the Admiral from the Dolberry. And to think I questioned his skill as a military tactician. Another cool thing was I got to stand in a hurricane wind tunnel w/ winds up to 78 mph. A colleague got a video of it … will try to post on blog sometime. It didn’t really seem all that windy, but w/o the blowing debris (e.g. sand, tree limbs) I imagine some of the impact is muted. I did pantomime the Stormtracker pretending to broadcast live from the teeth of the storm, like ~97% of everyone else I saw in the exhibit the rest of the week.
Anyway, I’ll start blogging more again. Looking forward to a 3-day weekend.
Weather: Had to leave 73 sunny degrees in Raleigh on Sunday afternoon to go to 31 wet degrees in San Antonio. The cold rain and freezing rain started on Monday & didn’t let up until Wed. afternoon. Flights were fine today (Thurs). The roads seemed fine to me, but all the trees, traffic lights, & basically anything elevated had a nice glaze on them. The only real impact on the conference was that lots of restaurants (including most on Riverwalk) were closed. The humorous thing was that from the baggage carousel on Sunday to every TV broadcast during the “storm”, the inclement weather was blamed on the “convention of meteorologists” in town.
Conference: I saw several interesting presentations over a broad range of subjects (climate change, TV meteorologists & blogging, developing meteorological material for K-12 instruction, & of course a lot of air quality stuff). My two posters seemed to be well received. Spent most of those 90 minutes sessions talking w/ random inquisitors. Also manned the EPA AirNow booth periodically … dispensing free pens, touting the merits of our products, & talking w/ students looking for jobs. My feet were sore from the standing & my brain is tired from all the conversations. That said, these conferences really fire me up again about my job. There were over 2000 attendees.
Old friends: Saw three fellow students & a teacher from the U. of Chicago days. We had lunch one day & talked thru all the old memories. Thankfully, I’ve repressed many of them & believe I’ll be able to repress them again. Many laughs … in the end the consensus agreement was that it was not the best of times for anyone & we were all glad to be gone, but that there was no permanent damage & that the experience had probably left us for the better. One is a fire weather expert at NCAR. Another is a TV meteorologist for the ABC affiliate in Detroit. Another works for the IL State Water Survey & teaches at Ill. St. The main feeling I always associate w/ U of C is failure, but the past few days have made me feel better about it though … feel good about my place in the met world. Also got a chance to talk w/ one of my old professors, Dr. Roscoe Braham. He is/was an expert in cloud physics … one of the first to understand the dynamics of thunderstorms. It was really gratifying to get to talk w/ him & thank him for his teaching me cloud physics. (It was one of the few classes I really got into & aced.) He was elected to the AMS Hall of Fame this year. Ironically, my advisor, Dr. Ramesh Srivastava won the award for Teacher of the Year for his “patient mentoring”. He was always nice to me, though I’ve seen more effective mentors. Unfortunately, he wasn’t there to achieve the award.
Other than that, got to hobnob w/ a few cool meteorologists at a few dinners & during hallway conversations. There was a crazy party we crashed run by Harris Corp. where they gave out cowboy hats at the door, had a mariachi (sp?) band, & offer line dancing opportunities (passed). The main attraction to most may have been the open bar. Ethics rules prohibit us from accepting gifts/services of any sort exceeding some de minimis level (disagreement whether it was $15 or $25.) I think I stayed under the $15 limit as long as the going rate for shrimp is $0.15 per pound. The head of NOAA & frequent DCV nemesis, Vice Admiral, Baron von Lautenbacher VII was there gorging himself at the corporate trough (allegedly). I was going to interview/grill him for the blog, but the stuffed mushroom table impenetrably separated the Admiral from the Dolberry. And to think I questioned his skill as a military tactician. Another cool thing was I got to stand in a hurricane wind tunnel w/ winds up to 78 mph. A colleague got a video of it … will try to post on blog sometime. It didn’t really seem all that windy, but w/o the blowing debris (e.g. sand, tree limbs) I imagine some of the impact is muted. I did pantomime the Stormtracker pretending to broadcast live from the teeth of the storm, like ~97% of everyone else I saw in the exhibit the rest of the week.
Anyway, I’ll start blogging more again. Looking forward to a 3-day weekend.
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Not much going on obviously
Let's see ...
Alex made Principal's list again last quarter.
We joined a new fitness club / pool, but it doesn't open 'til May.
I go to San Antonio tomorrow for the AMS conference. Is supposed to be abnormally cold there.
Was super nice here again today. Rode my bike 15 miles on a hilly but nearly car-free route.
Alex & I tossed the ol' horsehide around some. That was fun.
The Billikens are beating Xavier at halftime 29-17, after getting off to a 15-2 start.
I beat Alex in HeroClix today which is rare.
Order Spring Training tix today. Less than 2 months away. Yay!
Alex made Principal's list again last quarter.
We joined a new fitness club / pool, but it doesn't open 'til May.
I go to San Antonio tomorrow for the AMS conference. Is supposed to be abnormally cold there.
Was super nice here again today. Rode my bike 15 miles on a hilly but nearly car-free route.
Alex & I tossed the ol' horsehide around some. That was fun.
The Billikens are beating Xavier at halftime 29-17, after getting off to a 15-2 start.
I beat Alex in HeroClix today which is rare.
Order Spring Training tix today. Less than 2 months away. Yay!
Saturday, January 06, 2007
DCV Top 40 Bands of the 80's
Before we start the countdown, I'd like to thank all those responsible for global warming. It was a nice 72 deg here & while that was impressive, there were similar temperatures in Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire. I got out my bike today & rode ~10 miles. I've been a little scared of riding since Carrie's accident, but as they say "if you're sister falls off a bike, you gotta get right back on it". Anyway, thank you anti-reasonable-environmental-regulation types.
The scoring system at play here is a combination of how much I liked them in the 80's (60%), how much I like them now (30%), & how popular they were w/ other folks (10%). The DCV will also be employing a liberal interpretation of "band", so Springsteen & Mellencamp are eligible. W/o further ado, here's 40 thru 36. Keep in mind, being in the DCV Top 40 is huge, even if you're toward the top of the list.
40: Paul Simon:
Included here principally for his Graceland album & the Concert in Central Park w/ Garfunkel. My biggest memories here are listening to the CiCP tape on the way to/from SLU and home & always either tearing up or singing vociferously at "Homeward Bound". I believe I was slow to the party on Graceland ... think one of the sisters pointed me in that direction, but it's a pretty exceptional album & truly innovative for American pop music at the time. Won a Grammy for Best Album of Year & is typically ranked between 50-100 in all-time best albums among professional music reviewers. Also, Ron & I did a mean cover of "I Am a Rock", even though the song was recorded earlier.
Best songs: Graceland, Mrs. Robinson (live), Boy in the Bubble
Worst song: You Can Call Me Al ('though the video was funny)
39: The Clash:
The Clash were huge among a very small subpopulation of Trinity HS students. I wasn't part of that, but I did admire their skinny ties, PIL buttons, and especially their nouveau hairstyles from a safe distance. London Calling was released in the US in Jan 1980 & that's typically regarded as one of the best albums of all time. The main album of influence on Dolberry was Combat Rock (which according to Wikipedia was supposed to be titled Rat Patrol from Fort Bragg) & the classic songs "Rock the Casbah" and "Should I Stay or Should I Go". I defy anyone to listen to the beginning of "Rock the Casbah" and not be singing along by the time you get to the chorus. The song was prompted by Kholmeni's banning of rock in Iran upon his ascendence to power. Now that's worth protesting against! It was the first song to be played on Armed Forces Radio during Desert Storm. It's still in commercials today (rock the catbox). "SISoSIG" was a school dance staple; it's background lyrics were always rumored to be filthy but are actually an echo of the chorus in Spanish. Now you know.
Best Songs: Rock the Casbah, Should I Stay or Should I Go, & Train in Vain
Worst Song: probably one of the 36 songs on Sandinista!
38. The Call:
It seems as if the purpose of being a teenager is to transition from being a child to an adult. Rebellion is an embedded element of that process as one determines which things taught from childhood (by elders) are to be kept and which are to be discarded in favor of alternate elements (from self or peers or other elders). I don't look forward to this process w/ APD, because clearly Dolberry's way is better (meta-reference to first ever blog entry), but I'm sure we will make it through. Dolberry himself was a rebel, if but a minor one. Seems to me that most of my rebellion was expressed via music, either by playing it too long & too loud, or by listenting to tunes that allowed me to vicariously rebel along with the singer. The Call fit that bill w/ their brooding "The Walls Came Down". "I don't think there are any Russians. And there ain't no Yanks. Just corporate criminals. Playing with tanks." This was followed by about 90 seconds of well-intentioned "Yi Yi Yi Yi ... Yi Yi Yi's"). They closed the decade with two other pretty exceptional songs "Let the Day Begin" and "I Still Believe", both of which are extremely positive, Christian-themed tunes that could fit nicely into U2's portfolio.
Best songs: The Walls Came Down, I Still Believe, Let the Day Begin
Worst songs: Undercover
37. Queen
Queen's Greatest Hits album released in 1981 is the all-time best selling album in the U.K. (just ahead of Sgt. Peppers). I can distinctly remember joyously singing along w/ Sis 1 and Sis 2 in their bedroom when we had the singles for "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" & "Another One Bites the Dust". Obviously, Queen had some earlier, Kong-sized, gems prior to the 80's that were theme songs for any number of cultural groups ("We Will Rock You" and "We are the Champions") in the 80's from THS football to other groups that were still mostly invisible to early-80's Midwesterners. Freddie Mercury was a genius artist that died way too soon, one of too many on this list.
Best songs: Another One Bites the Dust, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, One Vision
Worst song: Radio Ga-Ga
36. Billy Idol
After four straight bands that were generally more critically appreciated than commercially appreciated in the 1980's, comes the motorcycle-crashing, MTV-darling, William Michael Albert Broad. The story goes that he took his name from an high-school report card that shamed with the comment "William is idle." Anyway, I think Idol was one of the first to tread in the dangerous waters of pop-punk which is probably my favorite musical subgenre. The key is to maintain a punkish-enough attitude to appeal with music that doesn't intentionally antagonize the listener. Anyway, more of the DCV Top 40 leans toward the Idols of the world than the Calls, so I'm glad he was #36, so as not to give the wrong impression (i.e., that Dolberry was already a snob twenty years ago).
Best Songs: Rebel Yell, White Wedding, Dancing with Myself
Worst song: Mony Mony (& worst is insufficiently negative to describe the loathing I have for this one)
The scoring system at play here is a combination of how much I liked them in the 80's (60%), how much I like them now (30%), & how popular they were w/ other folks (10%). The DCV will also be employing a liberal interpretation of "band", so Springsteen & Mellencamp are eligible. W/o further ado, here's 40 thru 36. Keep in mind, being in the DCV Top 40 is huge, even if you're toward the top of the list.
40: Paul Simon:
Included here principally for his Graceland album & the Concert in Central Park w/ Garfunkel. My biggest memories here are listening to the CiCP tape on the way to/from SLU and home & always either tearing up or singing vociferously at "Homeward Bound". I believe I was slow to the party on Graceland ... think one of the sisters pointed me in that direction, but it's a pretty exceptional album & truly innovative for American pop music at the time. Won a Grammy for Best Album of Year & is typically ranked between 50-100 in all-time best albums among professional music reviewers. Also, Ron & I did a mean cover of "I Am a Rock", even though the song was recorded earlier.
Best songs: Graceland, Mrs. Robinson (live), Boy in the Bubble
Worst song: You Can Call Me Al ('though the video was funny)
39: The Clash:
The Clash were huge among a very small subpopulation of Trinity HS students. I wasn't part of that, but I did admire their skinny ties, PIL buttons, and especially their nouveau hairstyles from a safe distance. London Calling was released in the US in Jan 1980 & that's typically regarded as one of the best albums of all time. The main album of influence on Dolberry was Combat Rock (which according to Wikipedia was supposed to be titled Rat Patrol from Fort Bragg) & the classic songs "Rock the Casbah" and "Should I Stay or Should I Go". I defy anyone to listen to the beginning of "Rock the Casbah" and not be singing along by the time you get to the chorus. The song was prompted by Kholmeni's banning of rock in Iran upon his ascendence to power. Now that's worth protesting against! It was the first song to be played on Armed Forces Radio during Desert Storm. It's still in commercials today (rock the catbox). "SISoSIG" was a school dance staple; it's background lyrics were always rumored to be filthy but are actually an echo of the chorus in Spanish. Now you know.
Best Songs: Rock the Casbah, Should I Stay or Should I Go, & Train in Vain
Worst Song: probably one of the 36 songs on Sandinista!
38. The Call:
It seems as if the purpose of being a teenager is to transition from being a child to an adult. Rebellion is an embedded element of that process as one determines which things taught from childhood (by elders) are to be kept and which are to be discarded in favor of alternate elements (from self or peers or other elders). I don't look forward to this process w/ APD, because clearly Dolberry's way is better (meta-reference to first ever blog entry), but I'm sure we will make it through. Dolberry himself was a rebel, if but a minor one. Seems to me that most of my rebellion was expressed via music, either by playing it too long & too loud, or by listenting to tunes that allowed me to vicariously rebel along with the singer. The Call fit that bill w/ their brooding "The Walls Came Down". "I don't think there are any Russians. And there ain't no Yanks. Just corporate criminals. Playing with tanks." This was followed by about 90 seconds of well-intentioned "Yi Yi Yi Yi ... Yi Yi Yi's"). They closed the decade with two other pretty exceptional songs "Let the Day Begin" and "I Still Believe", both of which are extremely positive, Christian-themed tunes that could fit nicely into U2's portfolio.
Best songs: The Walls Came Down, I Still Believe, Let the Day Begin
Worst songs: Undercover
37. Queen
Queen's Greatest Hits album released in 1981 is the all-time best selling album in the U.K. (just ahead of Sgt. Peppers). I can distinctly remember joyously singing along w/ Sis 1 and Sis 2 in their bedroom when we had the singles for "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" & "Another One Bites the Dust". Obviously, Queen had some earlier, Kong-sized, gems prior to the 80's that were theme songs for any number of cultural groups ("We Will Rock You" and "We are the Champions") in the 80's from THS football to other groups that were still mostly invisible to early-80's Midwesterners. Freddie Mercury was a genius artist that died way too soon, one of too many on this list.
Best songs: Another One Bites the Dust, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, One Vision
Worst song: Radio Ga-Ga
36. Billy Idol
After four straight bands that were generally more critically appreciated than commercially appreciated in the 1980's, comes the motorcycle-crashing, MTV-darling, William Michael Albert Broad. The story goes that he took his name from an high-school report card that shamed with the comment "William is idle." Anyway, I think Idol was one of the first to tread in the dangerous waters of pop-punk which is probably my favorite musical subgenre. The key is to maintain a punkish-enough attitude to appeal with music that doesn't intentionally antagonize the listener. Anyway, more of the DCV Top 40 leans toward the Idols of the world than the Calls, so I'm glad he was #36, so as not to give the wrong impression (i.e., that Dolberry was already a snob twenty years ago).
Best Songs: Rebel Yell, White Wedding, Dancing with Myself
Worst song: Mony Mony (& worst is insufficiently negative to describe the loathing I have for this one)
Friday, January 05, 2007
1/05 Update
KMD reports that APD's play went great. One mom asked if he was going to be part of their drama program. Guess he was really into it ... delivering his lines w/ some flair. Apparently, the teacher wrote the skit w/ certain "actors" in mind, so it sounded like he was playing APD almost as much as Doubt. (But, that seems to work for many actors.) I wish I'd have taken a few hours off of work to see it. Live and learn.
Also, he got his 2nd Q report card & got all A's and A+'s making the Principal's list. He's really loving school.
KMD is going to a job fair tomorrow morning for Lifetime Fitness. She says she's feeling a "wave" of confidence, so that's good. She's not at all sure what it's all about, though. S'worth a shot.
All is fine w/ me. Am on Day 4 of diet & am doing well, but that's boring enough discussion face-to-face, let alone in a blog, so I won't bother you w/ it any further.
Also, he got his 2nd Q report card & got all A's and A+'s making the Principal's list. He's really loving school.
KMD is going to a job fair tomorrow morning for Lifetime Fitness. She says she's feeling a "wave" of confidence, so that's good. She's not at all sure what it's all about, though. S'worth a shot.
All is fine w/ me. Am on Day 4 of diet & am doing well, but that's boring enough discussion face-to-face, let alone in a blog, so I won't bother you w/ it any further.
Thursday, January 04, 2007
New DCV Feature: Top Bands of the 1980's Countdown
They say you should write about what you know & there's not much I know better than the pros and cons of almost every band that showed their mullet and/or spandexed-self (I'm looking at you here Mr. Roth) on MTV at some point in the 1980's. So, I'm going to indulge myself here w/ a prolonged countdown of the Top 40 bands of the 1980s, what their best & worst songs were, & what role they played in Dolberry's formative years. It won't be every day, but when I don't have anything else to share, I'll use this as blog filler.Anyway here are the bands that just missed the Top 40 (in no particular order): REO Speedwagon, Madness, XTC, Guns and Roses, AC/DC, Eagles, Icicle Works, Saga, Asia, Outfield, Pink Floyd, Alan Parsons, the Alarm, GoGos, and the Cure.
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Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Some notes from the first day back at work after 12 days off
It wasn't quite as painful as I expected, but all things equal (i.e., they still pay me) I'd rather be off.
APD is in a play at chapel at school on Friday. His character is Doubt, or Dr. Doubt as he prefers. His main line & the reason his teacher cast him in the role starts out w/ the expression "Actually ..." He delivers it well. He has some other funny lines as well & he gets to "drop dead" on stage. Unfortunately, I have to work Friday. Maybe KMD will blog us an account.
We went to see Night at the Museum yesterday afternoon. 5 stars all around. Inventive, clever, non-offensive, funny, good use of CGI, & Ben Stiller is funny as always. Plus, it has a monkey in it. Saw the trailer for the Simpsons movie & Silver Surfer (a HeroClix guy) which both come out this summer.
APD is in a play at chapel at school on Friday. His character is Doubt, or Dr. Doubt as he prefers. His main line & the reason his teacher cast him in the role starts out w/ the expression "Actually ..." He delivers it well. He has some other funny lines as well & he gets to "drop dead" on stage. Unfortunately, I have to work Friday. Maybe KMD will blog us an account.
We went to see Night at the Museum yesterday afternoon. 5 stars all around. Inventive, clever, non-offensive, funny, good use of CGI, & Ben Stiller is funny as always. Plus, it has a monkey in it. Saw the trailer for the Simpsons movie & Silver Surfer (a HeroClix guy) which both come out this summer.
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Orange Bowl Champs!!!!
C - A - R - D - S!
Thought team played exceptionally well, esp. Brohm, Douglas, Jackson, Gay, Grady, Okoye, O Line, all the way down the line really. Think there was only one UL penalty all game. I give WF credit. They were tough through three quarters, esp their DBs.
Looks like we'll finish #3 in the country & maybe #2 if ND wins (doubtful). Unreal.
I can wait until February to hear who's coming back & where we'll be ranked in the preseason. Will savor this for a long time.
Hope everyone who went down there had a good time & gets back home safely.
Thought team played exceptionally well, esp. Brohm, Douglas, Jackson, Gay, Grady, Okoye, O Line, all the way down the line really. Think there was only one UL penalty all game. I give WF credit. They were tough through three quarters, esp their DBs.
Looks like we'll finish #3 in the country & maybe #2 if ND wins (doubtful). Unreal.
I can wait until February to hear who's coming back & where we'll be ranked in the preseason. Will savor this for a long time.
Hope everyone who went down there had a good time & gets back home safely.
Monday, January 01, 2007
Barkley
We had to take Barkley in to be euthanized last Friday. She had large cancerous mass (sarcoma) on her front leg that was oozing blood. She hadn't really eaten (beyond a nibble) in nearly two weeks. She was suffering. Couldn't walk more than a few steps w/o resting.
It was an emotional Friday, having basically made the decision (as advised by vet) after picking her up on Thursday after getting home from Louisville. It was a blessing that she didn't die while we were gone as we got to have one last day to pet her & just have her around.
Barkley'd been part of our family since Dec 1995 and the shelter estimated she was two when we got her, so she was probably 13. There are lots of indelible memories, many of which form the foundation of our family. I have a horrible memory but I can still remember the room where we first met her. (Ironically, it was a lot like the room where she left us. Guess most vet / animal hospitals use the same floor plan.) I "got" her for Kristy for Xmas 1995, but we went as a couple to pick her out. I remember liking her, because she was the quietest (ha, fooled me). She was so shy & had probably been abused previously (found as a lost dog). It took a few minutes to coax her over to us & then when Kristy first petted her she accidentally shocked her (dry static air) & Barkley retreated to the wall. We remember the early times w/ Alex. When Alex would cry it would alarm Barkley ... she'd get nervous. She was always great w/ Alex, but didn't like it early around kids. (Though by moving down to NC, she was fine w/ them.) Her favorite activity in IL was when we'd go on "hikes" in the Forest Preserve in Naperville. We'd let her off the leash & she'd just roam along w/ us ... she LOVED that. Years later, you could still get the floppy ear to go erect if you said anything that ended in "ike". I think she loved having her own backyard down here. When we added Cherish last fall there was a transition period, but it enlivened Barkley (sure it added at least a year to her life). She even joined Cherish in digging up the backyard on occasion.
She was incredibly loyal and fiercely protective of us ... even nipping at least two people. Interestly, Cherish who was always junior backup security dog, loping to the door whenever the doorbell rings as opposed to Barkley fierce barking charge, has taken up the doorbell duty over the past few days. Odd.
Anyway, we all cried a river & I wish she was still here. APD & I spent a bawling moment outside the vet (Kristy was inside w/ her for the process) & he asked "Why". I blubbered that it was all part of life & that's why we needed to appreciate the everyday things that make up a life. He knows that already, everyone knows that already, but I think I needed to hear it anyway.
Miss ya pup. Hope you're somewhere where you can run to your heart's content, w/ a pack of friends, and a full bowl of food & a nice comfy bed waiting for you when you're ready to rest. Hope it works out that we see you again someday.
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