Just a short post in honor of Memorial Day.
Whether you have the day off, or have to work,
please take a moment today to remember those who gave all.
Those men and women who sacrificed everything
so we as a nation can live free.
Monday, May 28, 2012
Thursday, May 24, 2012
"Tanked" on the Animal Planet Network
(Today's word will be in red, and bold.)
I've mentioned in other posts how I don't watch TV much, especially reality shows. I've since discovered though that I do watch more reality shows than I thought. Shows about ghosts, hoarders, cakes; all of these are in the realm of reality TV.
Sometimes shows catch my attention, not because of their content, but for other reasons; sometimes it's as simple as a name. That's the case with the show "Tanked". Though I like fish and am fascinated by aquariums, "Tanked" probably wouldn't have been a show I'd have checked out, had it not been for the name WAYDE King.
"Wayde" is how my brother's name is spelled, and you rarely see that name with a "y" in it. When I saw how King's name was spelled, I decided I had to check the show out; I've been hooked ever since.
Besides King, the main cast features Brett Raymer, Heather King, (Brett's sister and Wayde's wife), Brett and Heather's dad, Irwin Raymer, Robert "Robbie Redneck" Christlieb, and Agnes Wilczynski.
The family is originally from New York, but now live and work in Las Vegas, Nevada running their business, "Acrylic Tank Manufacturing".
From large and custom tanks built for people's homes, to displays in hotels, etc., there isn't a job too big or hard that these guys can't handle.
I think one of the things that I really like about the show is how much detail Wayde and Brett put in to every aspect of the aquariums they build. One that really stood out to me was a tank that the crew built for a couple in Las Vegas.
The couple was originally from New York, and wanted an aquarium that would remind them of their old stomping grounds even while living in Nevada.
Brett found an old phone booth, and convinced the others that he could make it into something the couple would love and associate with New York.
Not only did Brett's idea work, the details continued right down to the types of fish that were to be put in the tank. I don't remember the names of any of the fish, though what I do remember is why they were chosen. There were several blue fish, to represent the police in New York, yellow ones to represent taxis, and red ones for fire trucks. There were other fish, all representing something to do with New York. The aquarium was then set up in front of a New York background, with a few other little details to round out the display.
It was those little details that kept me watching "Tanked". It's those kind of little things *I* do when I'm creating something; finding all the little ways to tie things together and enhance it even more.
Of course, the aquariums are the real stars of "Tanked"; however, if the cast wasn't so fun to watch, the show wouldn't be as good as it is.
This is just one small aspect of the show "Tanked", seen Saturdays at 9pm on the Animal Planet channel. If this has peaked your interest to see more of what the "Tanked" team creates, check out their page at, http://animal.discovery.com/tv/tanked/
There you can check the bios of the cast, see the many photos of Acrylic Tank Manufacturing's creations, and watch previous episodes of "Tanked".
I've mentioned in other posts how I don't watch TV much, especially reality shows. I've since discovered though that I do watch more reality shows than I thought. Shows about ghosts, hoarders, cakes; all of these are in the realm of reality TV.
Sometimes shows catch my attention, not because of their content, but for other reasons; sometimes it's as simple as a name. That's the case with the show "Tanked". Though I like fish and am fascinated by aquariums, "Tanked" probably wouldn't have been a show I'd have checked out, had it not been for the name WAYDE King.
"Wayde" is how my brother's name is spelled, and you rarely see that name with a "y" in it. When I saw how King's name was spelled, I decided I had to check the show out; I've been hooked ever since.
Besides King, the main cast features Brett Raymer, Heather King, (Brett's sister and Wayde's wife), Brett and Heather's dad, Irwin Raymer, Robert "Robbie Redneck" Christlieb, and Agnes Wilczynski.
The family is originally from New York, but now live and work in Las Vegas, Nevada running their business, "Acrylic Tank Manufacturing".
From large and custom tanks built for people's homes, to displays in hotels, etc., there isn't a job too big or hard that these guys can't handle.
I think one of the things that I really like about the show is how much detail Wayde and Brett put in to every aspect of the aquariums they build. One that really stood out to me was a tank that the crew built for a couple in Las Vegas.
The couple was originally from New York, and wanted an aquarium that would remind them of their old stomping grounds even while living in Nevada.
Brett found an old phone booth, and convinced the others that he could make it into something the couple would love and associate with New York.
Not only did Brett's idea work, the details continued right down to the types of fish that were to be put in the tank. I don't remember the names of any of the fish, though what I do remember is why they were chosen. There were several blue fish, to represent the police in New York, yellow ones to represent taxis, and red ones for fire trucks. There were other fish, all representing something to do with New York. The aquarium was then set up in front of a New York background, with a few other little details to round out the display.
It was those little details that kept me watching "Tanked". It's those kind of little things *I* do when I'm creating something; finding all the little ways to tie things together and enhance it even more.
Of course, the aquariums are the real stars of "Tanked"; however, if the cast wasn't so fun to watch, the show wouldn't be as good as it is.
This is just one small aspect of the show "Tanked", seen Saturdays at 9pm on the Animal Planet channel. If this has peaked your interest to see more of what the "Tanked" team creates, check out their page at, http://animal.discovery.com/tv/tanked/
There you can check the bios of the cast, see the many photos of Acrylic Tank Manufacturing's creations, and watch previous episodes of "Tanked".
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Oh, the Frustration!
(Today's word will be in red, and bold.)
Well, here it is, the Tuesday blog post for KUPL listeners...What is it about today? It's about what I can't post at the moment!
You see, I do have a post I'd like to put here; however, it's still missing a key element, so it's not *quite* ready yet. Not exactly sure when it will be; hopefully it will be soon though. It's very frustrating to have it and not be able to post it yet!
In the meantime, this is a short post to let readers know they haven't been forgotten. A post and word are still available to you today; though as you can see, no photo accompanies the offering; my apologies for this.
Well, here it is, the Tuesday blog post for KUPL listeners...What is it about today? It's about what I can't post at the moment!
You see, I do have a post I'd like to put here; however, it's still missing a key element, so it's not *quite* ready yet. Not exactly sure when it will be; hopefully it will be soon though. It's very frustrating to have it and not be able to post it yet!
In the meantime, this is a short post to let readers know they haven't been forgotten. A post and word are still available to you today; though as you can see, no photo accompanies the offering; my apologies for this.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Is This Really Necessary?!
No matter what type of music you listen to, it's pretty well guaranteed everyone's heard of Loretta Lynn.
Lynn became popular in the 60's and 70's for her straightforward, and at times controversial, songs. Now it seems Lynn's past has stirred up some controversy of it's own. According to a story by Cory Strombland, posted on Taste of Country's website, Loretta Lynn is under fire for lying about her age.
http://tasteofcountry.com/loretta-lynn-age/
I first became aware of the story from a post on Facebook. My first thought after reading the story was, "so what, people lie about their age all the time". From the responses I saw to the post, I'm not alone in how I feel.
Yes, the age discrepancy does affect the actual timeline for when Lynn was married, became a mother, etc.; and it changes the history of her autobiographical song and story, "Coal Miner's Daughter". Really though, over all, it's not a big deal; let's face it, bigger things in history have been changed over the past, what's a couple of years?
The age difference didn't changed Lynn's contributions to country music in any way. She would still have the many hits she's had, the awards, you name it. Lying about her age had nothing to do with her ability to sing. So again, who cares? There are bigger things in the world to worry about than if Loretta Lynn is 77 or 80 years old.
I say, leave the woman alone, focus on the positives Lynn brought to the world, and not about how old she is. It just doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Music Industry Loses Two More
It seems of late that more than the average number of singers and musicians have been passing away. We're only half way through May, and two more have joined the growing list of celebrity deaths.
On May 17, 2012, the music world lost the "Queen of Disco", Donna Summer. Summer was 63, and suffering from cancer; cancer she believed was caused by harmful things in the air after the 9/11 attacks. Summer lived near where the attacks took place in 2001.
Robin Gibb, one third of the mega-group, the Bee Gees, passed away May 19, 2012. Gibb, who was 62, had recently been in a coma in the hospital, due to a bout with pneumonia. At the time doctor's didn't think Gibb would survive; however Robin did come out of the coma, and was seeming to make great progress in recovering. It was the return of the colon and liver cancer, on the heels of the pneumonia, that caused Robin Gibb's death.
Being a lover of music, it's always sad to hear that the music world has lost more talented artists. Honestly, even those in their 60's really aren't that old to be dying so soon.
I never had the privilege to see Donna Summer in concert; though I did like her music. On the other hand, I've been a Bee Gees fan since the 60's and saw them in concert at the height of their disco heyday in the 70's.
Whether you were a fan of the disco era or not, there's no denying that both Donna Summer and Robin Gibb, (as part of the Bee Gees), contributed greatly to the music world. As with other great artists that have passed on, both will be sorely missed.
On May 17, 2012, the music world lost the "Queen of Disco", Donna Summer. Summer was 63, and suffering from cancer; cancer she believed was caused by harmful things in the air after the 9/11 attacks. Summer lived near where the attacks took place in 2001.
Robin Gibb, one third of the mega-group, the Bee Gees, passed away May 19, 2012. Gibb, who was 62, had recently been in a coma in the hospital, due to a bout with pneumonia. At the time doctor's didn't think Gibb would survive; however Robin did come out of the coma, and was seeming to make great progress in recovering. It was the return of the colon and liver cancer, on the heels of the pneumonia, that caused Robin Gibb's death.
Being a lover of music, it's always sad to hear that the music world has lost more talented artists. Honestly, even those in their 60's really aren't that old to be dying so soon.
I never had the privilege to see Donna Summer in concert; though I did like her music. On the other hand, I've been a Bee Gees fan since the 60's and saw them in concert at the height of their disco heyday in the 70's.
Whether you were a fan of the disco era or not, there's no denying that both Donna Summer and Robin Gibb, (as part of the Bee Gees), contributed greatly to the music world. As with other great artists that have passed on, both will be sorely missed.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
The Phenomenon of Simplicity
(Today's word will be in red, and bold.)
Sometimes the simplest things get more attention than even the most extravagant, over-the-top things. This is true of anything, including music. A good example is Toby Keith's "Red Solo Cup".
A cute little ditty written by Brad and Brett Warren, along with Jim and Brett Beavers, "Red Solo Cup" , was recorded by Toby as an internet video, for fun; it wasn't initially meant to be a radio single for Keith. The video sparked so much attention that the song went on to actually become a radio, and internet phenomenon. It didn't matter what genre of music people liked, it seemed like EVERYONE had heard "Red Solo Cup".
Even while the song was still climbing the charts, the hit TV show "Glee" honored the tune on one of their episodes.
The internet, especially YouTube, has been inundated with covers and parodies of the song almost from the time people became aware of Toby's video. As is the norm, some are good, some not so much.
Cledus T. Judd, country's version of Weird Al Yankovic, has put together a great parody; his version is called "Double D Cups".
While searching for video to use in this post, I ran across another great parody by someone on YouTube; I don't know the person's name, however, whoever it is, I love their "Big Sonic Cup".
Then there's the video that started me writing this post in the first place. A hip-hop version by $ick$wag that my son showed me.
It's amazing how such a small, simple song has become not only an internet phenomenon, but a genre crossing one as well.
Sometimes the simplest things get more attention than even the most extravagant, over-the-top things. This is true of anything, including music. A good example is Toby Keith's "Red Solo Cup".
A cute little ditty written by Brad and Brett Warren, along with Jim and Brett Beavers, "Red Solo Cup" , was recorded by Toby as an internet video, for fun; it wasn't initially meant to be a radio single for Keith. The video sparked so much attention that the song went on to actually become a radio, and internet phenomenon. It didn't matter what genre of music people liked, it seemed like EVERYONE had heard "Red Solo Cup".
Even while the song was still climbing the charts, the hit TV show "Glee" honored the tune on one of their episodes.
Cledus T. Judd, country's version of Weird Al Yankovic, has put together a great parody; his version is called "Double D Cups".
While searching for video to use in this post, I ran across another great parody by someone on YouTube; I don't know the person's name, however, whoever it is, I love their "Big Sonic Cup".
Then there's the video that started me writing this post in the first place. A hip-hop version by $ick$wag that my son showed me.
It's amazing how such a small, simple song has become not only an internet phenomenon, but a genre crossing one as well.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
'A" Is For...
(Today's word will be in red, and bold.)
Ahhhh, avocados! It's one of those things people either love or hate; very few people ride the fence on their like or dislike of this fruit. There are several varieties of avocados; the most popular one though is the Haas type.
I'm the only person in my family who really likes avocados. My mom likes guacamole, sometimes; my dad can take it or leave it, and my son despises avocados completely.
What got me thinking about the love/hate of avocados was this weekend. For Mother's Day, my son grilled several types of meat, vegetables and fruit for us and his grandparents. Chicken, steak, red peppers, pineapple, and, for me, avocados.
He also grilled some red onion for me, so I could make one of my favorite things, "Grilled Guacamole". Basically, grilled guacamole is regular guacamole; the difference is, the ingredients have been grilled before being turned into the tasty dip.
I also took the guacamole to work with me Monday, to share with co-workers. Much like my family, there are those who love the stuff, and those who despise it. As one co-worker put it, "more for the rest of us; they don't know what they're missing".
For those interested in trying "Grilled Guacamole", it's very simple to make.
Cut red onions and red peppers into rings, and grill them until tender. Then chop the rings into 1/4" to 1/2" pieces.
Cut each avocado in half, and remove the pits. For each half, cover lightly with lemon or lime juice, olive oil, and minced garlic. Put the avocados cut side down on the grill and set a timer for five minutes. When done, let them cool, then scoop the centers from the skins, into a bow, and mash them. Add the red onion and red pepper, stirring well to mix. Serve with chips, or use on sandwiches, etc.
There are no real measurements for this recipe; five medium avocados makes about 16 ounces of guacamole. The amount of the other ingredients depends on the person's taste when making it. Add as much, or as little of the listed ingredients as you want.
I'm the only person in my family who really likes avocados. My mom likes guacamole, sometimes; my dad can take it or leave it, and my son despises avocados completely.
What got me thinking about the love/hate of avocados was this weekend. For Mother's Day, my son grilled several types of meat, vegetables and fruit for us and his grandparents. Chicken, steak, red peppers, pineapple, and, for me, avocados.
He also grilled some red onion for me, so I could make one of my favorite things, "Grilled Guacamole". Basically, grilled guacamole is regular guacamole; the difference is, the ingredients have been grilled before being turned into the tasty dip.
I also took the guacamole to work with me Monday, to share with co-workers. Much like my family, there are those who love the stuff, and those who despise it. As one co-worker put it, "more for the rest of us; they don't know what they're missing".
For those interested in trying "Grilled Guacamole", it's very simple to make.
Cut red onions and red peppers into rings, and grill them until tender. Then chop the rings into 1/4" to 1/2" pieces.
Cut each avocado in half, and remove the pits. For each half, cover lightly with lemon or lime juice, olive oil, and minced garlic. Put the avocados cut side down on the grill and set a timer for five minutes. When done, let them cool, then scoop the centers from the skins, into a bow, and mash them. Add the red onion and red pepper, stirring well to mix. Serve with chips, or use on sandwiches, etc.
There are no real measurements for this recipe; five medium avocados makes about 16 ounces of guacamole. The amount of the other ingredients depends on the person's taste when making it. Add as much, or as little of the listed ingredients as you want.
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