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Showing posts from January, 2008

Ramblings:-->Jonny Quest - Counting Crows & Queen Too

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"The fairy folk have gathered, round the new moon's shine... to see the feller crack a nut, at night's noon time. To swing his axe he swears, as he climbs he dares... to deliver...the master stroke." Queen The original episodes of one of the best cartoons ever... "Jonny Quest" ...are being shown nightly on the Boomerang Channel (12:30am Central). I strongly recommend setting up your DVR to record this exciting cartoon series. How long the originals will be shown is unknown...but the originals are definitely the best. "Jonny Quest" , created by legendary duo... Hanna-Barbera ran from 1964-1965 ...and then was sadly canceled. ( "Jonny Quest" was revived in the late '80s...but they were never quite as good as the original). The show revolved around five...well fleshed-out cartoon characters. Dr. Quest - a brilliant scientist savant and father to Jonny & Hadji. Jonny Quest - a young boy...athletic and smart. ( Tim Matheson p

Book Buzz:-->”I, The Jury” by Mickey Spillane (1947)

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"There's time to conceive in and time to expire, Though the time 'twixt the two tells the tale that transpires. So why must we continually disturb the universe... With decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse." Ambrosia NO SPOILERS: This is a fast-paced...tough as a $6 steak..."who-dun-it" revolving around one of our most famous American fictional characters...private eye, Mike Hammer. Created by Mickey Spillane ... Mike Hammer is loyal to his friends and quite nearly a "sockcucker" to anyone who ain't. He's quick to spill blood and quick to break bread...whichever best serves his purposes. He admires the dames...and is never too busy to satisfy his needs...so long as they don't interfere with his chances of nabbing the no-good prick that is on his radar. And finally, Mike Hammer has many friends from all walks of life. Both rich and not so rich. And clean and not so clean. Much like Ferris Beuler ... "He's v

Ramblings:-->"Comanche Moon" - Brownsville Station - An Urban Legend Experiment

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"You can always count on about one hundred to five hundred people... down at the very front row screaming one word at the top of their lungs...BOOGIE!!!" Brownsville Station NO SPOILERS: Just finished watching "Comanche Moon" and...having read the book ...I was pleased. Good westerns are few and far between...so if you missed this three night mini-series...saddle-up and go get it. The story, written by Larry McMurtry , takes place in the 1850's...when Gus McCrae (Steve Zahn) and Woodrow Call (Karl Urban) were Texas Rangers . Gus and Woodrow are soon commissioned as Captains by the Governor of Texas and forced to take on one dangerous mission after another. Good stuff. To be perfectly clear... Texas Rangers were oft-times a motley crew of tough, loyal, whiskey drinking and woman poking cowboys. And, because Rangering was such a dangerous and much-needed occupation to fill in the West...their sometimes wilder extra-curriculum were more easily forgivable.

Track 4:-->"Violation" - Starz - Violation (1977)

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"Empty pockets, empty bed. Empty bottles, empty head. The committee says shape up... Or they'll fix me quick enough." Starz This week... Track 4 is the title track, "Violation" from the sometimes forgotten band from New Jersey... Starz. The song "Violation" is about a future vision of morality police taking over the country...with methods of correcting "bad" behavior. Terrific song...and not too far from reality. Starz was a five piece band who looked a bit like Aerosmith and sounded a bit like Kiss. And rocked like Kissosmith or Aerokiss. Lead by a great RnR vocalist, Michael Lee Smith ...the band, Starz straddled the fence between hard rock and power pop. And deserved much better than the fates allowed. Richie Ranno: guitars, Joe Dube: drums, Michael Lee Smith: vocals, Brenden Harkin: guitars, Peter Sweval: guitars "Violation" (their 2nd album) was loaded with catchy party jams and anthems ...and how the golden ring slipp

Book Buzz:-->"Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer (1997)

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"Those pictures you said were strange... Out of tune. Out of key. It's such a shame but you never quite see." Be-Bop Deluxe NO SPOILERS: "Above 8,000 meters is not a place where people can afford morality." An explanation one climber offers when asked how someone could possibly leave another mountain climber behind. "Into Thin Air" (378 pages) is a thrilling true-life story about a group of variously skilled climbers attempting to tackle the "Mother of all Mountains" - Mt. Everest . In March 1996 , author Jon Krakauer joined an expedition to climb Mt. Everest for the purpose of a writing assignment for Outside Magazine . What unfolded is a first-person account of ordinary people...faced with extremely difficult challenges...and the tragedy that unfolded before the author's eyes. We quickly learn that prolonged exposure to unbearably cold weather and the tremendous effort to overcome high altitudes with l ow oxygen can contribute

Classic Pick:-->"Point Blank" - Point Blank (1976)

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"Listen darlin', I got myself a problem. You know I need a helping hand. I don't want to share my candy. I want my sugar handy. But don'tcha know you got to live according to the law." Point Blank Point Blank is one of those bands that…when you hear them for the first time…make you scratch your head and wonder why they didn’t break out big. Releasing their self-titled debut in 1976 , Point Blank sounded like they were ready for bear. Drawing quick similarities to the best of what ZZ Top had to offer. Point Blank also calls to mind some Hatchet…Skynyrd…and Outlaws . This time a dose of ballsy southern-rock from Texas. But this was ’76, and disco was beginning to strangle all other genres from being heard on the radio, so this album…for the most part…tanked before it even got into the water. Too bad…because this release begs to be re-discovered. A bona fide lost classic …filled with songs screaming to be heard on classic radio. Preferably…while taking a “l

Ramblings:-->Hacksaw Jim - Don McLean & We're Late For Class

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" Somewhere the dogs are barking and the children seem to know... That Jesus on the highway was a lost hobo." Don McLean Went to a "Big Boys Show" at Century II in Wichita ...(a place where motorcycles, electronic toys and bikini babes abound)...for the sake of meeting Hacksaw Jim Duggan. Hacksaw is primarily remembered as being one of the "good guys" of WWF...back when wrestling was fun. He won the New York St High School wrestling championship (unlimited weight class div). Hacksaw won the 1st WWF Royal Rumble in 1988. His signature move was the three-point stance tackle. In 1998, Jim Duggan was diagnosed with cancer, but has since made a full recovery. He had obviously lost some muscle mass from his illness...yet still looked like a pretty strong "hoss" to me. Didn't have my camera with me...however I was able to get a pretty clever autograph..displayed on a piece of 2x4. A trademark of Hacksaws'. AND ANOTHER THING: Walking the thin r

Book Buzz:-->"Deviant" by Harold Schecter (1989)

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"Nobody's gonna change my world. That's something too unreal. Nobody will change the way I feel." Black Sabbath NO SPOILERS: Truth is stranger than fiction crime writer... Harold Schecter ...has written a fascinating study of warped-minded Ed Gein ...a small and lonely nobody of a man from a small town...who committed some of the most sickening crimes imaginable. And though not quite what I would call a serial kille r...certainly a murderer of at least two people. And Gein , to this day, is suspected of committing others. "Deviant" (1989 / 256 pages) reads like a page-turning novel...with plenty of facts and theories about Ed Gein and his macabre deeds. And the observations of the small town life and the reactions of the good people of Plainfield, Wisconsin upon discovering these gruesome crimes are especially interesting. Ed Gein house of macabre. The little town of Plainfield was certainly put through hell during this stretch and easily warrants sympa

Track 4:-->"The King Will Come" - Wishbone Ash - Argus - (1972)

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"In the fire, the king will come. Thunder rolls, piper and drum. Evil sons, overrun. Count their sins - judgment comes." Wishbone Ash The album... "Argus" (Wishbone Ash) was heard often around the house while I was growing up. I enjoyed listening to the majestic aura each song projected while thinking about the fascinating cover. And though never admitted as a concept album... "Argus" always sounded like more than just random songs released to the public. Perhaps...a life-long warrior's conflict between his love for the battle and his struggle to find peace. Concept or not, Wishbone Ash delivered an often forgotten classic. Track 4 on this gem is "The King Will Come" ...a 7 minute blend of double-lead guitar spinning trips and runs to delight the listener. This double-lead guitar attack was a successful trademark of Wishbone Ash. Andy Powell and Ted Turner seem to communicate on a whole other level...ad libbing, as often as not. A