my thoughts

MF Saints Album Burn- review

2007-09-21T17:26:00.000-07:00

With a market completely saturated with prefabricated American Idol crap, people are screaming for a bit of truth. They are tired of hearing the same droning monotonous junk that bleeds through our airwaves. Frustration is prompting them to turn the radio off and look to the underground. Here they find the warriors who call themselves the Mutherfckin Saints. Led by Chris Webster, who sings with a voice that drips with anger, the MF Saints present to that struggling mass a new light in the darkness of music. The latest musical endeavor by this heartland of America heavy metal band, Burn, delves into the darkness of one's soul and questions the authority that lies within the establishment of our system.Flanked by his cousin Jason Vculek on bass and vocals and backed by his brother Ben Webster, the double peddle drum pounding fiend, Webster shows proof that a band can grow and mature while still staying true to who they are. Remember, they "breathe this shit."
The album was recorded in the basement of Webster's Lincoln home by Aaron McCoy who also engineered it. The standout track on this DIY album is the acoustic country blues venture "A Reason 2 Die For." Webster himself said that it was inspired by the likes of current roots country bands, J.B. Beverley and the Wayward Drifters, Bob Wayne and the Outlaw Carnies, and William Elliot Whitmore. Burn shows that the MF Saints continue to stick to the music and the anger that has done them so good for so long. It also shows that they are not afraid to grow and mature.

Review of Ministry's last studio album "The Last Sucker"

2007-09-02T18:13:00.000-07:00

If it wasn't clear before, it should be now. Al Jourgensen, front man for the hard core industrial band Ministry, isn't very fond of George W. Bush or his administration. If there is any doubt at all after listening to Ministry's latest ride The Last Sucker then you truly most have been one of the mindless twits who voted for the man all those years ago.The third in the "uber-critical" trilogy (House of the Mole 2004 and Rio Grande Blood 2006) aimed at "W," Jourgensen launches a frontal attack on Bush with lyrics that mock, challenge and outright scream at the hypocrisy and degradation of the last seven years.
"Now it's my turn for something to say, You made me king so I could have my way, The people hate me and I don't know why, They hate me with each and every lie" The Last Sucker is brutal, thought provoking and honest. Not caring who is "watching" or "listening," Jourgensen lets everyone know how he feels. Declaring Dick Cheney to be the son of Satan and reminding us that we are forever being watched in everything we do, The Last Sucker is the final album ever to be released by Ministry.
I find it interesting that it coincides with the ending of the Bush administration. Or maybe it is on purpose. Maybe as we prepare to enter the final year of Bush, Jourgensen feels he has said enough. Now it is up to those that are listening to make sure everyone understands.
The truth is that Jourgensen says he is at the top of his game and it's time to call it quits. According to a recent interview on MTV.com, Jourgensen said that it will be nice to end on a high note instead of keep releasing shitty records well into his 60's. Whatever the reason, this album shows that after 27 years and 11 albums (The Last Sucker will be the 12th), Ministry still kicks ass. They haven't slipped and they do not miss a beat. The band is planning a world tour to support their final installment and you can bet that at more than 40-years-old, Jourgensen will still incite a wild and hard hitting mosh pit for fans of all ages. The final two tracks culminate everything that is, was or ever will be Ministry. Titled "End of Days Part One and Two," both songs breathe Ministry. As the two part song comes to a close, the last four minutes are, oddly enough, from a Republican president. Jourgensen skillfully mixed in Dwight D. Eisenhower's farewell speech as President: "Balance between actions of the moment and the national welfare of the future...."The Last Sucker was recorded and mixed at Jourgensen's own studio in El Paso, Texas. The album is 11 tracks long and is to be released September 18.

Tom Glavine gets 300 win in New Yorks 8-3 win over Cubs

2007-08-06T20:29:00.001-07:00

The lights shone bright on Wrigley field in Chicago as the ninth inning came to close on the Mets/Cubs game.
After having high-fived everyone in his dugout, one man strolled out across the field as the rest of the team filed out behind him. First he met the catcher and gave him a big hug, then he went down the list of all the starters before ending once agin with the catcher who had came back around to give him a ball. Then it is was his manager and and coaches. Slowly he came to his kids and then his wife.
Without hesitation he kissed her and they embraced. Tom Glavine had just secured his 300th win. Glavine is the 23 player in the history of baseball to win 300 victories. Most recently it was done by his former teammate Greg Maddux and Roger Clemens before him.
Glavine had made a bid for his 300th win early last week against the Brewers when he left the game with a 2-1 lead. Unfortunatley the bullpen did not come through for him. Tonight Glavine seemed to say it was time. Infact it was Glavine who hit an RBI single to score the first run for the Mets the last time that was done was by Steve Carlton.
Having left the game in seventh, Glavine handed the bullpen the game with a 5-1 lead. Two pitchers and two runs later, Glavine would begin to sweat as the Cubs now only trailed by two. With the eighth inning coming up, Glavine placed his fate firmly in the bats of the Mets offense.
Luis Castillo, who had struggled since coming to the mets until this game, got his fourth hit of the night to lead off the eighth inning. Also struggling, David Wright hit a single. Castillo stole third to place himself in a better position to score. He later left the game with heat exhaustion. With Wrtight on first and Castillo on third, Carlos Delgado blasted a double into the ivy in centerfield. Moises Alou followed Delgado with a walk and injured Paul Lo Duca drilled a single to score Wright. Adding two more runs to their score, Glavine could breathe a little easier.
The wind was clearly deflated from the Cubs sail after losing Alfonso Soriano to an injury earlier in the game. Although getting one more baserunner in the ninth inning, they could not stand up to the power of the Mets. The boys from New York scored again after Jose Reyes drilled a ninth inning triple.
Turning the game over to Billy Wagner, the Mets finished their stay in Chicago on an upward beat and with Glavine finally able to end his bid for 300. Glavine pitched 6 1/3 innings. He gave up 6 hits, 1 walk, 2 runs and had 1 strile out. Collectively, the Mets had 16 hits and seven walks in support of their pitcher. The final score in Chicago, was New York 8 and the Cubs 3.

Coach Bill Walsh dead at 75

2007-08-06T20:27:00.000-07:00

At the age of 8-years-old, I was on my first football team. The local team had trouble filling all the positions so they opened it up to eight year olds and up. Needless to say I jumped at the chance. That was 1983. I didn’t understand football and knew that I needed to try and figure out what I was doing.
My dad was never much of a sports fan and neither was my mom. The only person that I knew of in my family that enjoyed football , besides my older brother, was my grandfather and he was a Cowboys fan. So I said "why not" and started watching the Cowboys games. It was cool at first but I found myself drawn to the other team. It was a team in red and gold with an SF on the side of the helmet. Calling the shots was some guy named Joe Montana with the number 16 stitched on his white jersey. My attention was peaked but at eight how long can your attention truly be held. The next year I wasn’t allowed to play football. Apparently there was plenty of 10 and older boys who could play so I was told no. Oh well I was nine and still had other things I could do. Not playing though, caused my interest in football to fade. The next year I was 10-years-old and I was ready to take on the big kids. I was also kinda ready to watch football again. My brother had established himself a fan of the Miami Dolphins, and I still kinda liked that one team in red and gold. I flittered with watching football until I noticed that my brother had become really interested in a game late in January. So I decided to watch. Now I should say that my brother -although we are very close now- was not always the nicest to me. He was bigger and tougher than I and frequently made me the target of his aggression. Needless to say this forced me to try and find other ways to get back at him. As a result, when I noticed that he was cheering for the Dolphins to win this game called the "Super Bowl", well I cheered for the other team. I was firmly introduced to my first love.
I remember getting excited as I watched the 49ers win the game. How great it was for that my new favorite team had just beaten the team that the object of my fear rooted for. How sweet it was. I then took it upon myself to become a young super fan. I had t-shirts, pants, shoes, socks, posters, jackets, cards, posters and so much more. I wouldn’t be surprised if the people in Fairbanks Ak, thought of me as the crazy kid that likes the 49ers.
Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, John Taylor, Ronnie Lott, Roger Craig and Tom Rathman these were the names of my childhood heroes. The leader of the giants on the my field was none other than "The Genius" Bill Walsh. He took this team and made them into greatness. Successfully guiding and building players like Montana and Rice. When Walsh left the coaching field for the 49ers, he finished with a record of 102-63-1. He won ten out of 14 post season games, six division titles and master minded three Super Bowl wins. After leaving the team that I loved, he was replaced by George Seiffert, a man every bit as important as Walsh.
Looking through my e-mails here at work today, I was stopped cold and a lump formed in my throat. Bill Walsh, the man who led and created my heroes was dead. At the age of 75, leukemia had finally taken him. Long since retired are my heroes of the gridiron. Although they still walk among us as normal people, they now have to do it without their coach. Good-bye Bill, may you rest in peace.

Transformers the Movie

2007-07-05T15:41:00.000-07:00

When it comes to producing a comic book or cartoon movie, the cast and crew get one chance to get it right. They need to be able to appeal to the legions of fans that have followed the series from its inception to whereever it is at the time. They also need desperately to appeal to potentially new fans that the film will create.
In the case of Transformers, they succeeded. Now, I should note that I am a long-time fan of the “robots in disguise.” I began when I was in fifth grade by watching the cartoons and collecting the toys. Soon I was collecting the comics and cherished every single new edition.So when I learned that the movie was coming, I was concerned. I was concerned that it would be screwed up. Truthfully though, I was anxious. I was anxious to see the joys of my childhood on the big screen, and so were my two boys.
So when the July 3 opening date rolled around, we loaded up and headed to the theater. We took our seats and prepared for what could possibly be an absolute flop — or not. Admittedly I avoided reading any reviews for this movie.The movie began well enough and progressed interestingly. Aside from noting a few Hollywood changes, I was enjoying it. Then came the meeting with the first Transformer, Blackout, and my jaw hit the floor. Even the sound they used to indicate the transformation was dead on! Holy crap! Here were the Decepticons blasting away a military base in Qatar.
I just kept thinking, “when are the Autobots coming to rescue these guys?” Of course it didn’t happen and I was okay with that.So now off to the United States and Sam Witwicky. Sam is on a quest to get a car and a girl. Purchasing an old Camaro from a less then honest used car salesman (Bernie Mack), Sam drives off in what Transformers fans know to be Bumblebee. The personality of the car is cool but it gets better when it finally transforms into the robot we all love. As the rest of the Autobots make their way to earth (Optimus Prime, Ironhide, Ratchet, and Jazz) the movie really picks up. Small fights involving Bumblebee and the Decepticon, Barricade, as well as Soundwave and the U.S. government, prepare the viewers for the ultimate battle at the end. The showdown between the Autobots and the Decepticons (Megatron, Starscream, Devestator, Blackout, and Bonecrusher) was intense. It was like the Matrix meets the Transformers with an amazing display of acrobatics by giant robots. Autobot medic Ratchet slugs it out so hard that any fighting medic would be proud. The whole movie is packed with fun scenes like Bumblebee leaking lubricant (peeing) on government agents and all the Autobots doing their best to hide from Mr. and Mrs. Witwicky.The special effects and booming explosions electrified the captive audience as time and time again my four-year-old grabbed his ears. Speaking of four-year-olds, during the main confrontation, when Optimus Prime finally shows up, my boy jumped out of his seat and cheered! I don't mean silently pumping his fist but truly raising his hands and yelling for joy — I think I was doing the same inside!This movie did everything I hoped it would do and nothing I feared. It changed the story line some and made modifications to the robots themselves (Prime was a snub nosed semi). More than any of that, though, it gave a Dad and his two boys the chance to cheer about something together and walk away smiling.

Jeff Dunham, Salina Ks May 16, 2007

2007-05-20T11:46:00.000-07:00

Fans poured into the Salina Bicentennial center all wanting to see famed comedian/ventriloquist Jeff Dunham. Wading through the thick lines and extremely tight security, fans made their way into the midway and found the seats. All sorts of refreshments both alcoholic and non were available to anyone wishing to partake.
Starting a few minutes late, fans of comedy were pleased to welcome Jason Dixon, a comic who has spent time in Kansas City but recently moved to Los Angelas. Dixon warmed the crowd up well as he started by asking the audience if they thought he was gay. Needles to say, just to be ornery, there was loud whooping and cheering. Dixon kept the crowd laughing throughout his routine as he poked fun at the size of the mall in Salina, and the overall lack of terrain in Kansas. At one point he made the comment about the surprising amount of astronauts coming from Kansas. Although when he thought about it he understood why.
"If you grew up in a small ass town in Kansas you would want to get as far away from as you could too!"
Dixon left the stage to huge applause which only got louder when Dunham was announced. Graciously accepting the applause, Dunham broke straight into his routine. Telling funny stories about his dogs and what he and his daughter do to torment them, Dunham eventually brings out the ones everyone wants to see. Reaching inside his storage chest, Dunham was joined by the grumpiest of old men Walter.
Walter immediately launches into his tirade about everything. He gripes about his wife, "They say marriage is forever, MINE'S TAKING TO LONG!" He gripes about security in the airport and how they always want to look into the trunk and what he and Dunham do to have fun with security,
"They open the trunk and I pop out and say CLOSE THE DOOR!"
Of course Walter also rips into Dunham about owning a Toyato Prious saying that when it drives past it makes a sound like "IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM gay."
After being called a dumbass several times and poking fun about suicide bombers, Dunham eventually puts Walter away and out comes Achmed the dead suicide bomber.
Achmed talks about the infidels and when people laugh at his comments he would scream "SILENCE! I'll kill you," and raise his eyebrows up stare menacing at the crowd, as menacing as a puppet can get.

Being just a skeleton with a pair of underwear as a turban -the last thing that went through his brain was his ass- Achmed constantly yells at Dunham to fix his foot. Achmed confesses to the crowd that his biggest fear is Walter (to which we hear Walter respond form the trunk "dumbass") and also that he was not a very good suicide bomber. Achmed admits to being killed after answering his cell phone while filling up his gas tank.
Achmed finishes his time on stage before the quite nerdy Melvin the Superhero guy joins the routine. Melvin and Dunham enter into an exchange about which superhero Melvin is most like. When asked if he was like Superman and if he could stop a speeding bullet, Melvin replies, "Once, it hurts like hell." As the crowd laughs at Melvins' responses he tells them in his high pitched voice to shut up.
Melvin tells the crowd to that his biggest enemy is his wife, once a month when she turns "evil".
Wearing a purple and yellow costume, Melvin claims that the big D on his just stands for his theme song (da dada DA!).
Eventually Melvin is put away and is put away and out comes the purple woozle "on crack" Peanut. Peanut is met with huge applause as he like Walter proceeds to degrade Dunham. Peanut even insinuates that he is sleeping with Dunhams wife. After berating Dunham about all things (car, web site, etc) Dunham and Peanut are joined by Jose Jalapeno.
For more than ten minutes the three argue about Jose's immigration status. Jose eventually tells Dunham and Peanut that his "green card" is in his other stick. Which has Peanut looking under Jose and freaking out about how the stick is placed in him.
Brought to Salina by BR Promotion, Dunham announced at the end of the show that he was filming his new DVD. The routine that fans just observed is destined to be on his newest effort. The crowd cheered and hollered as Dunham bowed many times. Eventually Dunham showed his improve skills as he told the audience that he would bring Walter back on stage if they would like to ask him a few questions.
Welcoming Walter back with a standing ovation, questions began to fly at the bitter old man. Walter stay true to character and answered every question in his bitter often sarcastic manner.
As the audience began to filter out of the Bicentennial Center, laughter could still be heard as people began reflecting already on what they had heard and seen. Dunham is an amazing talent with skills as a ventriloquist that very few would be able to compare to.
The audience was made up of fans both young and old. His quick wit and fairly clean show had everyone laughing hysterically. Dunham showed no fear as he used his puppets to make fun of himself. A quality comedian, Dunham stayed away from major racial slander, politics and religion.
Dunham was complemented well with Dixon as the opening act. If Dixon continues with Dunham, the two are sure to thrill fans everywhere as they finish the tour.

Spider-Man Pop-Up review

2007-05-07T17:16:00.001-07:00

Stunning visuals literally jump off the pages as readers flip through "The Amazing Spider-Man Pop-Up" book. Released as the forerunner in the four book, True Believers Retro Character Collection from Marvel Comics and Candlewick Press, Spider-Man and his famous villains leap to life with every turn of the page.
Comic books collectors young and old will be scrambling to get their hands on this highly collectible book. Vintage comic scenes and descriptive bio's on all the major players will please the old-time spidey fan while informing the new. The book takes the reader through Peter Parker's transformation to Spider-Man and also highlights his seven deadliest foes, including Dr. Ock, Mysterio and Sandman. Designed by Andy Mansfield and Published by Candlewick Press, this book is sure to be hit with Spider-Man fans everywhere. The hard cover of the book and the durability of the pages make this book suitable the younger web head fans as is recommended on the book (ages 5 and up).On a side note, my four-year-old fell in love with this book. An avid Spider-Man fan, he was thrilled as he turned every page albeit sometimes a little rough. Luckily the strength of this book withstood his excitement and mine. Truly a great start to what is going to be a series with strong collectability.

Jared "Pete" Gile- Live 3/31/07

2007-04-01T19:32:00.000-07:00

Even with a last minute venue change, fans of local singer/songwriter Jared "Pete" Gile packed into the small Cafe Gaston in anticipation of hearing songs off his new album. Gile was originally scheduled to play at a dfferent location but when the venue closed because of legal reasons, he was forced to find somewhere else.
Although not the smoke filled bar that he is used to playing the crowd still packed in with at one point standing room only. Working off a dimunitive stage, Gile worked a few covers into a set list that comprised mostly of originals.
Originals that told the story of his the young singers life. A life that although short is filled with an understanding and a depth that is far beyond his age. Ripping the audiences heart out with songs like "Running Low on Angels" and following it up by filling everyone with laughter with "Just How Drunk" Gile told stories of heartache, death, drinking and a young mans wows while trying to get laid.
Working as a solo performer, Gile interacts with the audience with quirky little stories and funny anectdotes. Stories for every song that he plays, stories that show each song is a part of him. His excellent display of flat and finger picking shows his skills with his Takamine six string. A six string that shows signs of being a partner of Giles for many years now and more than likely many more to come. CHildren as young as four years old and adults as old as 90 sat tapped there foot or clapped there hands as the blue eyed singer held them captivated.
Gile ended his show by taking requests from the audience. Numerous songs were shouted out with Gile saying no to most of them. He finally settled on one request that showed his musical knowledge... Hank WIlliams. Evidence of Giles influence can be heard throughout his music guys like, Haggard, Nelson, Jennings and so on. He is showing that there is still hope for country music in the pre fabricated Nashville world that we live in.
Gile will be touring throughuot the midwest region including, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. Don't miss your chance to go see him.
Gile is celebrating the release of his new CD "More of Me". It showcases his growing skills as a musician and a maturity in his voice that was not so present on his previous cd.

Jayhawks Down Texas

2007-03-03T12:37:00.001-08:00

In a game that decided the fate of the Big Twelve Championship, the Kansas Jayhawks survived the Texas Longhorns Saturday, March 3. Stumbling in the first, the Jayhawks came up big in the second securing their 1,900 win in Allen Field House, 90-86.
The Jayhawks came out quick against the Longhorns with Julian Wright hitting the nylon with two quick baskets. Longhorn T.J. Augustine hit a two-spot to give Texas theirs but drew a foul, making his lone attempt. Augustine's three points sparked an eight point run with five points coming from Kevin Durant.
Durant appeared unstoppable, drilling home 25 points against the Jayhhawks in the first half of play. Durant hit five three-pointers, shooting 100 percent beyond the arch.
Kansas struggled against the high paced offense of the Longhorns as the lead separated by as much as 16 points for the Longhorns. The Jayhawks showed some strong defensive skills as three shots in a row got stuffed on Texas but the offensive tidal wave was too much.
Points flew on the scoreboard for the Longhorns as Durant, Augustine, and A.J. Abrams teamed up to steamroll the Jayhawks defense with the long-ball.
Kansas was able to string together seven points when Durant got a break but floundered when he came back in. As Head Coach Bill Self, led his team into the locker room, the Jayhawks trailed 42-54.
Kansas charged out of the locker room hard against the Longhorns, completely revitalized and ready to play. Sasha Kaun and Wright established strong rebounding on the Longhorns side of the court while Chalmers electrified Allen Field House connecting on three-pointers. Brandon Rush began zeroing in on the basket, nailing them outside the arch while Wright and Russell Robinson teamed up on a couple of slam dunks.
The Jayhawks held Texas to only free throws for almost five minutes until Abrams finally broke free for two. On the ensuing possession Texas fans fell silent as Durant charged into the paint grossly twisting his ankles as he put up the ball. Obviously in pain, Durant was escorted into the locker room setting the stage for Kansas' dramatic comeback. Kansas took advantage of the loss of Durant establishing some distance between them and the Longhorns. Kansas led by ten points before Durant finally came out of the locker room, reentering the game.
Durant was slower moving up and down the court and took fewer chances when trying to make shots. Kansas held him to seven points in the second half. As time ticked away the Longhorns battled back and closed within two. The Longhorns forced a couple of turnovers and were able to capitalize by hitting a two and three point shot but could get no closer then four.
Kansas brought the ball back down the court and controlled the clock forcing Texas to commit three fouls. As the final buzzer sounded, the Jayhawks extended their winning streak to eight.Texas come into the game having won in double overtime on Wednesday against Texas A and M. With the loss Texas' six game win streak came to an end.
Stats: TexasJames 4-7 4-4 12 Durant 13-22 0-0 32 Abrams 6-17 1-1 18 Augustine 7-14 3-4 19 Mason 1-6 0-0 3
Kansas Kaun 3-6 3-3 9 Wright 8-14 1-2 17 Robinson 5-9 4-7 17 Chalmers 7-9 2-4 21 Rush 5-12 2-2 15

DVD Review" Tenacious D in The Pick of Deatiny

2007-03-03T08:02:00.000-08:00

Newly released to DVD comes Tenacious D in the "The Pick of Destiny". This movie is ridiculous, stupid, makes no sense, full of bad jokes and has a small plot. I loved every minute of it.
As is classic to Jack Black he plays over the top characters and you either love him or hate him. In this case I loved him. Wild antics mixed with good guitar playing make for a ride through the minds of Tenacious D.
Fans of the band will catch the not so subtle references to their first album to include a friend named Lee, cock-push ups and Kyle quitting the band. The movie opens with a young JB (Jack Black) rebelling against his fanatically religious family and being convinced to leave home by Ronnie James Dio after JB's father (Meatloaf) spanks him and explains to him that rock is the devils work. JB sets out on a journey to Hollywood. Travelling to the correct Hollywood takes JB years and he arrives in California older. Within minutes of his arrival Black runs into Kyle Gass.
Black convinces Gass to teach him everything he knows about rock after being assaulted in a manner that borrows directly from "A Clockwork Orange". Black soon learns that Gass is struggling just like him and the two form the band that is destined by the marks on their captains quarters. Some viewers might find it disturbing to see Black and Gass pressing their rear ends together. I on the other hand found it grossly amusing.
The two learn of a magical pick that was forged from the tooth of Satan and has propelled every great guitar player in rock and roll history to greatness. So now the band is off to steal the pick and pay their rent (Gass spent all the rent money buying Black a new guitar).
The trip to steal the pick of destiny sees the band breaking up (tits over destiny for Gass), breaking in and defeating the evil of all evil. There is an interesting scene with JB eating mushrooms and hallucinating that he is a Sasquatch and is protected by his daddy sas.
Viewers should get a kick out of Dave Grohl portraying the Devil and doing pelvic thrusts referring to how he is going to treat Gass when Tenacious D losses the "rock off".
All in all it is a funny attempt at a rock opera like movie. Black is his usual out of control self and Gass although not an actor buy any stretch of the imagination supports Black well enough.
If you are looking for an Oscar class movie with quality acting, directing and cinematography then don't watch this movie. If you want to see a movie that in my opinion has the potential of being a cult classic, then don't rent, just buy it.

Hiss and Pops

2007-02-17T21:42:00.000-08:00

I did something tonight that I wish I had done a long time ago, I got my record player to work. No I am not talking about my CD player but a bona-fide vinyl record player.
See I have had this thing for almost a year. A lady knew that I was interested in owning one and she pulled hers out of the basement and gave it to me for a modest fee. A simple hug and thank you.
Now I may not be the smartest fella in the world but when someone who reminds you of your grandmother offers you something for a hug and a thank you, well dammit you take it.
I took the machine home and anxiously hooked it up to my receiver and was saddened by the fact that I could not hear anything unless I turned the volume way up a pressed my ear firmly against the speaker. Just imagine the looks I was getting from my children over that one!
I went to Radio Shack to try and figure out the problem but found the service there to be absolutely useless-this is not a slam against Radio Shack but the one where I live is really bad-.
Desperate to solve my problem I called the one person I knew that had strong working knowledge of record players, my dad.
My father currently owns about 5000 records. I would bet he will listen to almost everyone of them this year. The man works hard transferring his records to cd via his computer, a item he did not want to learn until he was told he could put his records on CD.
His record player has been with for almost thirty years and I would bet at least 30 more.
He tells me that I need to replace the needle. I inform that Radio Shack was no help and he has me give him the make and model number of my player. Within a week he mails me a diamond needle. Here is my stupidity, I thought a needle was a needle but according to my dad this was one the one I needed to be using, it was also the most expensive. No worries because Dad footed the bill!
So I installed my needle onto the record player that was hooked up to a newly acquired receiver and waited for the sound. Still nothing. I called my pops once again and now he tells me that I need a receiver with a phono mode to play it.
Hmph so much for that idea. Well life happened as it does and I forgot about my Record player.
It still sat on the shelf longing for me to blow the dust away and use it but I needed to buy other things before infesting in a new receiver.
A new job for me brought with it new responsibilities and also the need to be able to tape radio broadcast on a system that would automatically flip the tape. I learned from a friend that he had an old stereo system that he had stopped using 5 years ago and would be willing to part with it for $20.00. Thinking to myself that it was a good idea, I bought the system.
I began hooking up the system when much to my joyful surprise I saw like a beacon in the night, phono hook ups.
Quickly I ran through the functions on the new system and sure enough it had a phono setting! How could this be! Something I was buying for work was now going to allow me to listen to the albums I had sitting on the bookshelf!
I got everything hooked up and then began trying to hook up the record player. Much to my chagrin the cables were to short to reach the stereo.
To hell with it I thought I will do it some other time. It was late and I do have to be up early for work.
Tonight though as I left the basketball game that I had to cover, I was determined to go home and get my record player to work.
I began rearranging my entertainment center with helpful guidance form my wife and soon I had it all ready to go.
I grabbed an album that I had never heard (Tiger Army: Ghost Tigers Rise) and I set it on the turntable and powered it up and waited. Nothing happened.
I was now convinced that this unit was ruined. I set about unhooking it when I discovered that although I plugged it into the outlet, I never plugged it into the stereo! Boy that was dumb!
I replaced Tiger Army with another album and hooked the player up to the stereo. Low and behold I heard the familiar pops and cracks of my youth.
Suddenly through the speakers came the thrumming of the bass. I sat and sipped my coffee and listened to a recording of a song as it was supposed to be in the 70's. A song that I had heard thousands of times on cd but never on Vinyl and never this version.
Soft warm tones with pops and hiss mixed well as Peter Murphy and Bauhaus played Bela Lugosi's Dead.
Wow. That truly was all I could say. Wow.
So now I hunt. I hunt for more albums of bands that I learned about after leaving home and the comfort of my dads Technics. I hunt to hear music the way it was intended for us to hear it without all the digital remastering
Currently I await the release of J.B. Beverley and the Wayward Drifters album Dark Bar and a Jukebox to be released. It is scheduled to be released on Vinyl soon and I have already pre-ordered my copy.
So if you miss the hiss and the pops or maybe you want to feel nostalgic, then get yourself a record player and relive those days when music was pure and not digitized.

Beloit High Boys 1-12

2007-02-15T17:21:00.000-08:00

BELOIT-Players slid across the floor as Beloit High School Boys triumphed over the Knights of Sacred Heart here Friday night in the Beloit Junior Senior High School gymnasium 53-46.
Beloit scored first on Sacred Heart as leading scorer Grant Brown drove hard to the basket.
Defenses dueled back and forth before Sacred Heart finally manged to find the net.
As Beloit brought the ball back to their end, Sacred Heart forced a turnover and scored taking the lead with 5:00 left in the first 4-2.
Sacred Heart continued to outscore Beloit pulling ahead by four.
Beloit passed the ball to their side of the court but a wild ball sent Brown sliding across his back and saving the ball. Cole Kruse was able to catch the desperate pass from Brown but missed his shot and the ball went wild again this time sending Todd Dunstan flying to the floor. Dunstan was unable to save the ball and the Knights regained possession.
Sacred Heart scored on the turnover and regained their four point lead. Both teams scored again and the first quarter ended Beloit trailing 8-10.
The second quarter started with Dane Simoneau hitting a three pointer and adding some distance to their score. T.J. Duntz answered right back with three pointer of his own bringing the Trojans back within two.
Sacred Heart forced a couple of turnovers and quickly jumped ahead of the Trojans. Beloit trailed by six, 13-19.
Beloit would only add four more points to their total as Brown scored seconds before the buzzer sounded. As the teams made their way to the locker rooms, Beloit trailed 17-23.
Beloit attacked first on the third quarter scoring quickly. As the Knights made their way down the court, Dunstan stole the ball and used his speed to propel him down the court and fly to the basket. Beloit closed the distance to one, 21-24.
The Knights held the Trojans scoreless as they ran the board for four points. Beloit finally managed to get to the net and score making it 23-28.
Sacred Heart's Conner Martin hit back to back three pointers giving the Knights a nine point lead, 25-34.
Trojan three point shooter Duntz hit another three pointer and rallied the team to fight back. With one minute left in the third quarter, Beloit trailed 34-38.
Time was running out as Duntz shot a high arcing three pointer that fell gently through the net and got the Trojans within one. As the third quarter ended, the Trojans still trailed 37-38.
The fourth quarter began with Beloit fouling Sacred Heart. After making both of their free throws, Sacred Heart drew another foul and went back to the line. Making both of the ensuing free throws, Sacred Heart led by three 39-42.
As Beloit passed the ball back down to their basket, Pingel drew a foul and went to the charity stripe. Pingel made both of his shots and the Trojans stood within one point of the Knights.
Desperately trying to gain some distance on the hard charging Trojans, the Knights scored again regaining their three point lead. Beloit fought right back as Brown drove hard through Sacred Heart defenders and made a basket. Back within one, confusion exploded on the court.
Trojans and Knights hit the floor as the ball went wild. Referees blew their whistles and coaches began yelling. The crowd screamed and no one seemed to know what happened. Soon the refs calmed both coaches down only to have Sacred Hearts coach explode as he was told of the decision. Sacred Heart's Tyler Burnett lept into the air and screamed at the refs as he untucked his shirt and slammed his hands on the floor. The refs established order and sent Kruse to the line all alone.
With both teams standing standing at half court Kruse effortlessly made both of his shots.Next Brown was sent to the line as not one but two fouls had been committed against Beloit. Like Kruse, Brown easily made both of his shots. Beloit now lead 47-44 with 2:21 left in the game.
Sacred Heart brought the ball in and returned it to their side of the court. Quickly scoring a basket they tried to hold Beloit from adding to their lead.
Beloit returned the favor making a basket of their own and sending Sacred Heart back down the court. With :46 seconds left Pingel was pushed to the ground by the Knights Dane Simoneau and sent to the line.
As the teams made their way to free throw line, Brown looked away from the game and flashed an excited smile as a victory against this tough Sacred Heart team was on the horizon. Pingel made both of his shots and was fouled again. The score now was Beloit 51 Sacred Heart 46.
"No fouls, no fouls," yelled Coach Darrell Kelley as Pingel made not one but two free throws.
"No reaching over, no reaching over!" screamed Assistant Coach Ryan Eilert.
With seconds left in the game Sacred Heart tried to move the ball down the court, Dunstan got a steal and the buzzer sounded. Beloit was victorious 53-46.
Beloit was led in scoring by Grant Brown and Anthony Pingel. Both of whom had 18 points. T.J. Duntz had nine, all from three pointers, both Kruse and Dunstan had four.
Beloit travels to the Colby tournament next weekend and will face Montbello of Denver, Colorado.
Beloit
Brown 8-0 4-2 18
Pingel 6-0 8-6 18
Duntz 0-3 0-0 9
Kruse 1-0 2-2 4
Dunstan 2-0 0-0 4
Sacred Heart
B Martin 8-0 0-0 16
C Martin 3-2 2-2 14
Burnett 1-0 3-2 4
Walker 2-0 1-0 4
Simoneau0-1 2-1 4
Wedel 1-0 2-2 4

Beloit High School Girls versus Riley County

2007-02-15T17:19:00.000-08:00

RILEY COUNTY- The Lady Trojans of Beloit couldn't get a win over Riley County here Tuesday night.
The game started with Riley County running the board on Beloit and holding the ladies to two points. Those points came from Lindsey Shamburg making two free throw shots.
Riley County posted 10 points before Beloit was finally able to make a two point jumper.
Beloit seemed to regain their composure as they slowly crawled back against Riley County. With 1:11 to go in the first quarter, Kallie Kruse hit a two point shot bringing Beloit within two. The score now was Riley County 13 and Beloit 11.
As the first quarter came to end the Falcons led 17-11.
The second quarter started with Riley County drilling a three point shot. Beloit got two free throws from Ann Winkell accounting for Beloits first and only points for almost five minutes into the quarter.
Beloit would manage to score only three more baskets but allowed the Falcons to score 13 points. The buzzer sounded sending both teams to the locker rooms with Riley County leading 30-19.
The Trojans shot 43 percent from the field to Riley County's 35 percent in the first half.
Beloit entered the third quarter facing their biggest deficit all year. The Trojans scored quickly with RyAnn Stillwell dropping a bucket and pulling the team within nine points. Riley County answered right back with a two pointer.
Beloit made another two point shot but gave up another three pointer to the Katie Henry of the Falcons. With 2:57 left in the third quarter.
Beloit would outscore Riley County by one in the last three minutes of the third quarter but could only close the gap to nine points. The Falcons now led 42-31.
As the fourth quarter started Seniors Lauren Eck and Shamburg found themselves in foul trouble. Eck would eventually foul out and Shamburg would play less aggressive the rest of the game.
The Falcons began to fly away from the Trojans as they started the fourth quarter with a 5-1 run. Beloits only point was from a Shamburg free throw.
Kyllie Miller would hit a three pointer bringing Beloit within 15 points with 3:21 left to play in the game. Beloit would only score five more points with Winkell hitting both of her free throws and Kallie Kruse dropping a three pointer. With the final buzzer ringing out across the gym, Beloit fell to Riley County 55-40.
The defense held Beloits leading scorer Lindsey Shamburg to 10 points and Lauren Eck to only four.
Kyllie Miller made two well aimed three point shots bringing her total points to six.
Freshman Kallie Kruse nailed a three point shot as well as two field goals making her total seven on the day.
Ann Winkell shot 100 percent from the charity stripe and grabbed a bucket of her own makeing her total points six.
RyAnn Stillwell showed amazing skill rebounding the ball and also added four points to the teams score.
Taylor Miller was able to add another two points to the score sheet.
Brittney Berndt nabbed one point off a free throw shot.
The Lady Trojans will return home this Friday

Beloit High School boys Versus Ellsworth

2007-02-15T17:06:00.000-08:00

ELLSWORTH- The Beloit Trojans improved to 5-2 in league play Tuesday night by beating the Bearcats of Ellsworth 59-46.
Beloit got the tip off and Brown picked up where he left off last Friday as he drove to the basket and hit a two pointer and drew a foul.
Brown hit his free throw and the Trojans jumped out to a quick three to nothing lead.
The Bearcats dropped two baskets to take a lead on the Trojans but could not stop the powerhouse Brown from driving hard into the paint and scoring.
Brown posted up seven points before the Trojans decided to show their depth and Jase Sporleder hit a long three point shot.
Kole Cruse made a quick lay up and Preston Fuller slammed home a three pointer to give the Trojans a nine point lead 15-6.
Brown dove hard to save a loose ball and gave the fans a good scare as he needed some time to regain his composure before hitting another hook shot.
The Bearcats put up another three points on their total but Anthony Pingel and Preston Fuller both got in on the scoring. Pingel hit a two pointer while Fuller dropped a three.
As the first quarter came to a close the Trojans lead by nine, 20-11.
The second quarter opened with Pingel slipping through the defense and dropping the ball into the bucket.
Brown followed suit with a two pointer of his own, but the Bearcats forced a foul and hit both of their free throws.
Beloits one two punch of Pingel and Brown scored another four points and Kruse made it a trifecta.
Pingel came right back down the court as Ellsworth scored and dropped another basket and Beloit led by 18, 33-15.
The Bearcats drew another foul and hit both free throws agaon but could not slow the onslaught of the Trojan offense. as the first half ended, the Trojans led 33-19.
The Trojans outscored the Bearcats by nine in the first quarter and five in the second.
The Trojans came hard out of the locker room with Sporleder, Pingel and Brown adding another eight points to their total before the Bearcats finally managed to hit a shot.
Anthonmy Pingel brought the ball back into the paint and scored for the Trojans with 4:12 left in the third.
The Bearcats mustered up some offense against the Trojans as they scored 12 points in the third quarter.
Unfortunetly for them they forgot to stop Grant Brown from scoring. Brown was able to add another six points to the Trojans total as the third quarter came to an end.
The Trojans led 49-31.
Neither team could score for almost two minutes into the fourth quarter but the Bearcats broke the stale mate with a quick break away lay up.
The Bearcats scored seven points and Brown came out of the game for a break.
Ellsworth prepared to attack Beloit now that Brown was gone but once again they forgot about something pretty important, Anthony Pingel dropped four quick points on the Bearcats before he was relieved from the game as well.
The Trojans continued to draw fouls and Todd Dunstan, Sporleder and Fuller all added more points to the Trojans total.
The Bearcats managed another seven points but could not keep pace with the assault from the Trojans. As the buzzer sounded the Trojans won 59-46.
The Trojans were led in scoring by the current NCAA point leader Grant Brown with 23, Anthony Pingel was close with 18, Sporleder hit 7, Fuller and Kruse both had four and Dunstan had three.
The Trojans will be in action against first place Sacred Heart in Salina on Friday.

Beloit High School Girls Basketball 2-2-07

2007-02-15T17:05:00.000-08:00

SALINA-The Beloit Lady Trojans battled Sacred Heart to three over times but could not hold on to the win, losing here Friday night 44-49.
Sacred Heart dominated the Trojans early and was able to draw two fouls on Beloits leading scorer Lindsey Shamburg in the first minute of the game.
Coach Dallas Cox could not risk having Shamburg foul out of the game so early so he put her on the bench for the whole first half of the game.
The Trojans struggled to get their rythm but managed to keep the game within eight by the end of the half.
Kallie Kruse filled in for Shamburg and managed to post up eight points in the Seniors absence. Brittany Berndt and Kylie Miller added more points to Beloits total but it was a total team effort by the Knights to maintain the lead at the half.
Sacred Heart led 19-27.
The Trojans did a very good job of stopping the Knights from running away with the score. Tough played defense and pure heart kept this game close.
"I am really proud of the effort these girls put out," said Coach Dallas Cox.
With the second half underway, the Trojans got Shamburg back into the game.
Shamburg made here presence known right away by scoring a couple of baskets and helped to reinforce the teams resolve.
Kruse demonstrated her abilities to hit baskets outside of the arch as well as in as she added three more points to her totals..
The Trojans mounted a come back and tied the game with 13 seconds left.
Sacred Heart drove the ball back down the court but could not make it sink and Shamburg broke away with the rebound.
As Shamburg ran down the court with time slipping away, her feet got tangled up with a Sacred Heart player and went flying across the floor. No shot was made and the buzzer signaled the end of regulation play. The game was tied at 43.
The first overtime quarter saw a mighty defensive struggled with neither team getting to the basket.
The biggest thing for Beloit was losing Shamburg as she fouled out of the game in the last minute of the first overtime quarter.
The second overtime showed both Sacred Heart and Beloit making one free each and neither able to get any separation.
As the third and final overtime started, Beloit was tied with Sacred Heart at 44.
The Trojans began to rush their plays and play a bit more aggressive in the third overtime.
"We didn't take very good care of the ball in the third. We were rushing and we didnt need to. I am still very proud of them," said Coach Cox.
Beloit gave up five points in the third overtime off of fouls and could not get the ball to sink.
The Trojans were led in scoring by Lindsey Shamburg with 14, Kallie Kruse had 11, Ann Winkel had 5, RyAnn Stillwell, Kylie Miller and Brittany Berndt had four.
The Trojans will take on the Bearcats of Ellsworth Tuesday night at home.

Beloit High School Boys 2-3-07

2007-02-15T17:02:00.000-08:00

SALINA- The Beloit Trojans lost a tough game to the Knights of Sacred Heart here Friday night 38-50.
The Trojans played solid ball in the first half of the game. Grant Brown conitnued to show his dominance on the inside of the paint, while Dunstan showed his skills from outside the arch.
The Trojans lead the Knights by one going into half time with the score 21-20.
Connor Martin came out hard against the Trojans in the opening of the second half of play and hit a three point shot to give Sacred Heart the lead by 2 points, 21-23.
Tyler Burnet hit another for Sacred Heart making the score 21-25.
Sacred Heart dominated the rest of the third quarter and only allowed the Trojans to add seven more points to their total. Making it nine points in the quarter for the Trojans while Sacred Heart tacked on 14.
The Trojans started the fourth like the Knights did in the third with T.J. Duntz hitting from 24 feet away. Brown scored from the inside and Anthony Pingel hit a free throw to get the Trojans within two.
Sacred Heart scored six points on the Trojans before Brown finally managed to hit a basket making the the score 38-44.
The Trojans could not score again against the Knights.
The Trojans turned the ball over in key moments of the quarter and could not capitalize Sacred Heart turnovers.
The Knights managed to put up 11 points on the Trojans of Beloit.
Post players Blaze Martin and Tyler Burnet combined for 34 points, 17 each against the Trojans defense.
As the final buzzer sounded, the Trojans fell to Sacred Heart 38-50.
The Trojans were led in scoring by Grant Brown with 19, Anthony Pingel had 7, Todd Dunstan had 6, T.J. Duntz and Jase Sporleder each had three.
The Trojans will continue on with league play as they take on Ellsworth Tuesday night in the Beloit Junior Senior High Gymnasium.
The Trojans were led in

Beloit High School Girls Basketball 2-9-07

2007-02-15T17:00:00.000-08:00

GYPSUM- Fans of Beloit High School girls basketball have become used to hanging on to the last second and getting their hearts check the next day ever since the Colby tournament.
It was no different Friday night as the lady Trojans defeated Southeast of Saline here 53-50. Beloit is now 12-5 on the year.
The girls met before in December and Southeast was dominated by the Orange and black of Beloit losing by almost 30 points. A couple of months later the were giving Beloit a run for their money.
The first quarter set the pace for what was to be a tight contest. Lindsey Shamburg and Lauren Eck both hit three pointers but the Trojans could not hold on to the lead.
Shayla Stine and Stephanie Frost slammed away on the boards against Beloit taking the lead by one in the first quarter, 15-16.
Southeast of Saline established their offense against the Trojans hitting basket after basket as Stine and Frost continued to wreak havoc on the Trojan defense.
Shamburg and Eck scored two baskets for Beloit before Southeast took off on a six to four run.
RyAnn Stillwell finally broke free to the basket yet Southeast still dropped ten points on the Trojans.
Kallie Kruse hit a two pointer as Beloit rounded out its scoring in the half with a two pointer from Stillwell. At the middle of the contest, the Trojans trailed by seven, 25-32.
The third quarter started with Stillwell hitting one of her trademark ten foot jumpers. She would hit another one before Shamburg posted up a two pointer and the Trojans trailed by five.
The Belkoit defense held the line for a few moments and Shamburg posted a two more baskets and gave Beloit the lead 38-37.
Frost took the ball back into the basket for southeast and regained the lead for her team.
The Trojans of Southeast got a little separation to close out the third 38-41.
Southeast continued to dominate in the start of the fourth quarter and pulled ahead by seven.
Shamburg and Eck combined for six points to get within three.
Taylor Miller and Stillwell both made baskets but Stillwell was able to draw a foul and tie the game with a free throw at 49.
Erica Stine drew a foul for Southeast and once again the rival Trojans took the lead.
As time ticked away, Shamburg drew a foul and tied the game with her first shot and got the lead with her second one.
With six seconds Kylie Miller and Shamburg tied up a southeast player at mid court and forced a travel.
As Beloit took the ball down the court, Eck was able to draw a foul and hit both of her free throws. Eck's free throws gave Beloit the lead and the win 53-50.
The Trojans continue with league play as they travel to Republic County to take on the Buffalo's.
Beloit was led in scoring by Shamurg with 21, Stillwell had 13, Eck followed with 12, T. Miller had 4, Kruse had 2 and Berndt got 1.
Southeast was led in scoring by Frost with 20, S. Stine had 17, E Stine had 6 and Brown had 4.