Sunday, January 30, 2011

Blizzard Coming?


I'm so not looking forward to this...


WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 3 PM MONDAY TO 3 PM CST TUESDAY... ... BLIZZARD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON...

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 3 PM MONDAY TO 3 PM CST TUESDAY. A BLIZZARD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.

* TIMING... LAKE EFFECT SNOW POTENTIAL AND SYSTEM SNOWS INCREASE MONDAY AFTERNOON INTO MONDAY NIGHT. LAKE EFFECT POTENTIAL CONTINUES TUESDAY... WITH ANOTHER STRONGER LOW ARRIVING LATER TUESDAY THROUGH AT LEAST EARLY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS... 4 TO 7 INCHES OF ACCUMULATION MONDAY AFTERNOON INTO TUESDAY. ADDITIONAL 15 TO 21 INCHES TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY WITH STORM TOTALS AROUND 2 FEET IN SOME AREAS.

* WINDS... NORTHEAST WINDS 15 TO 30 MPH TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT GRADUALLY SHIFT NORTH WEDNESDAY. GUSTS OF 40 TO 60 MPH WITH HIGHEST WINDS IN OPEN AREAS AND NEAR LAKE MICHIGAN.

* IMPACTS... REDUCED VISIBILITIES TO 1/4 MILE OR LESS AT TIMES DUE TO SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW... RESULTING IN TREACHEROUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS. WORST CONDITIONS TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY WHEN NEAR ZERO WHITEOUT CONDITIONS AND DRIFTS OF 5 TO 10 FEET POSSIBLE. POTENTIAL FOR PARALYZING BLIZZARD.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW WILL CAUSE PRIMARILY TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SNOW COVERED ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES... AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.

A BLIZZARD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR FALLING AND/OR BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS AND EXTREMELY POOR VISIBILITIES. THIS CAN LEAD TO WHITEOUT CONDITIONS AND MAKE TRAVEL VERY DANGEROUS.

&&

More Information

... BLIZZARD LIKELY TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...

.THREE DIFFERENT WEATHER FEATURES WILL COMBINE TO BRING EXTREME SNOW TOTALS TO SOUTHERN WISCONSIN. A FAVORABLE SETUP FOR LAKE EFFECT SNOWS BEGINS EARLY MONDAY MORNING OVER SHEBOYGAN COUNTY AND OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE LAKE COUNTIES MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT. IT THEN PERSISTS INTO WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. A WEATHER DISTURBANCE WILL AFFECT THE AREA ON MONDAY INTO TUESDAY BRINGING 4 TO 6 INCHES OF SNOW WITH UP TO 8 INCHES NEAR LAKE MICHIGAN.

A STRONGER LOW PRESSURE CENTER WILL GATHER STRENGTH AND MOISTURE AND MOVE NORTHEAST FROM THE MID MISSISSIPPI VALLEY TUESDAY. BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE FROM THE SHEBOYGAN AND JANESVILLE AREAS ON EAST. A LARGE AREA OF 6 TO 12 INCHES IS EXPECTED SOUTH OF A LINE FROM THE WISCONSIN DELLS TO FOND DU LAC. 12 TO 18 INCHES ARE FORECAST SOUTH OF A LINE FROM JANESVILLE TO PORT WASHINGTON... WITH ABOUT 18 INCHES IN RACINE AND KENOSHA COUNTIES.

STORM TOTALS FROM BOTH SYSTEMS COULD BE IN THE 18 TO 24 INCH RANGE IN FAR SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN. SIGNIFICANT BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW AND BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE. THIS STORM IS SIMILAR TO THE EARLY JANUARY 1999 BLIZZARD... WHICH PRODUCED 14 TO 18 INCHES OF SNOW IN SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN WITH 4 TO 8 FOOT DRIFTS EAST OF A LINE FROM FOND DU LAC TO JANESVILLE.

NEEDLESS TO SAY THIS COULD BE A HISTORIC BLIZZARD CAPABLE OF PARALYZING PARTS OF SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN...

I'm hoping work would get canceled till this is over. I really don't want to travel in this...

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Draw the Line

Renting out an abandoned convent on the outskirts of New York City to record the follow-up to the hellacious Rocks may not have been the best idea, but 1977's Draw the Line still managed to be another down-and-dirty Aerosmith release. While not as ass kicking as their previous two, Aerosmith pulls out some great shit here.

The recording process was a long and tedious one. Fueled by excessive living, drugs, in-band fighting and ego clashes Aerosmith still managed to catch fire. Toxic Twins Joe Perry and Steven Tyler often holed themselves up for days getting smacked on heroin, leaving the rhythm section of Brad Whitford, Tom Hamilton and Joey Kramer to fend for themselves. Basically this created the the backbone for the album. Tunes like "Critical Mass" and "The Hands That Feed" are prime examples of that.

Whenever Perry or Tyler ever came around, the results were explosive! The title track, "Draw the Line", has a kick ass slide from Perry and vocal work from Tyler that'll knock the socks off of anybody! "Kings and Queens" brings "The Lord of the Rings" to the surface of my heart. "Milk Cow Blues" is a bluesy anthem that has gotten me on my knees begging for more!

This my not be the best Aerosmith album ever, it is certainly is not the worst...It is more a straight forward rock album than the previous two. Less experimentation here. It could be its just the beginning of the end. From here, Aerosmith would fall deeper into the drug induced abyss, eventually breaking up. Only to have that fire re-ignited....

Monday, January 24, 2011

New Chicago Bears Quarterback?


Oh Hell no....

Perish the thought. Weather this may be or may not be true, what comes to mind who's idea was this? I saw it on Facebook and found it too rich to pass up....:P

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Packer Week # 20 NFC Championship Game

The Green Bay Packers beat the Chicago Bears 21-14 and won the right to go to the Super Bowl this afternoon.

Here are my thoughts of the game....

Quite honestly, I didn't think either team would make it this far...
The Packers played an excellent first half!
Bears lost QB Jay Cutler in the 3rd quarter due to knee injury.
Their second string QB, Todd Collins was ineffective.
Admittedly, I was starting to get worried when their third string QB, Caleb Hanie was playing rather well.
Both defenses played great! Yet, the Packers prevailed in the end!

More on the game here.

The winner of the Pittsburgh/New York Jets play against the Packers in Super Bowl XXXXV on February 6

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Packer Fever

With just one more set of games before the Superbowl and Packer Fever is sweeping the state like wildfire...All I see is a sea of green and gold (along with some blue and orange). The talk is on the streets, on the taverns, in workplaces, in the supermarkets-it's everywhere! The hype is just as contagious if not more since football icon Brett Farve took the boys to Superbowl XXXI in 1997.

Quite honestly, I never expected the Packers to make it this far. I knew that they were good, not this great! After completing a season with a 10-6 record, they plowed over the Philadelphia Eagles and the Atlanta Falcons with a surprising ease.

What a team this is! The bone crunching defense, led by Pro-Bowlers Matthew Clay and Charles Woodson has virtually wrecked havoc on teams everywhere. The once untouchable quarterbacks are now have thrown down on the turf! My hats is off to defensive coordinator Dom Capers for making this happen!

On the offensive side of the ball. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has thrown with pin point accuracy to various receivers. Never know which will get the ball. Could be Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, James Jones, Donald Lee, or Andrew Quarless. The once defunct running game is now alive thanks the rookie James Starks.

Give it two thumbs up to Mike McCarthy for keeping on injury riddled team alive!

And the blue and orange? Oh yeah, I haven't forgotten about them. The Chicago Bears. Well, they too has exceeded my expectations. Their defense is a force to be recognized with. The modern day Monsters of the Midway led by Brian Urlacher has shut down teams across the league. Quarterback Jay Cutler has shown some amazing plays. Special team Devin Hester is a dare devil on the gridiron type kick off returner. Gotta watch out for him!

And the rivalry? Oh my! The history between these teams go WAY back to earliest days of football. Since 1921, these teams have going at it! Chicago leads the all time series 97-95-6. This the first time they met in the playoffs since 1941.

Making things interesting, my Chicago born girlfriend, some of my friends and co-workers are Bear fans. There is a lot of trash talk, teasing, ribbing and other jocularity going on. I've heard all of this before, but nothing to this level. Admittedly, I'm having fun with this. I've got bets going on. Let's just say, if the Packers lose, I get to wear a Bears jersey for the Super Bowl game. I know...YIKES! I'm praying....

Anyways, this should be a great game! It's history in the making. After all ONE of us going to the Super Bowl! May the best team win!

Harley in the Snow

During a break in yesterday's snowstorm, I decided to take a video my dog playing the snow. Ain't she cute?


Monday, January 17, 2011

Happy MLK Day!

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.” I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slaveowners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Workshop of the Telescopes

Rarely ever I would give reviews on compilations, nor I ever go out of my way to get them. For two reasons. One, I'm a music collector. By the time the compilations come out, either I most of or all the tunes on it. So why waste my time and money on it? Two, most of the compilations focus ONLY on the greatest hits. Many of them fail to dig deep into the old chestnuts that capture the ESSENCE of the artist. Yet, Blue Oyster Cult's Workshop of the Telescopes breaks the rules.

Blue Oyster Cult has the tendency to be rather inconsistent when it comes to their albums. Often, they'll have four or five excellent tracks per album and the rest of it mediocre. Here on Workshops, it's all here, in one neat double disc package.

Disc one covers their first three studio albums and their first live one. A time when BOC may have been at their most creative peak. The power of their raw energy can be felt here. Rockers like "Stairway to the Stars" and "Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll", the psychedelic "Workshop of the Telescopes", the face melting guitar work of "7 Screaming Diz-Busters" can be heard here. Other favorites like the macabre "Harvester of Eyes" and "Flaming Telepaths" and the angelic "Astronomy" will sweep you away here.

The second disc takes on the more popular and glossier material from their more recent years. Kicking it off with the phenomenal (Don't Fear) the Reaper, showcased here are hits like "Godzilla", "Burnin' for You" and "Take Me Away". Although mainly focusing on their hit albums Agents of Fortune, Spectures and Fires from Unknown Origin , BOC covers tunes from lesser known albums like Mirrors , Cultosaurus Erectus and The Revolution by Night.

There is so much material here and the band covers it all-the good and the not so great. That's the way a great compilation should be-exposing the true essence what they're all about.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Packers Week #19 NFC Divisional Game

Holy cow! What a slaughter! The Green Bay Packers beat the Atlanta Falcons 48-21 in this divisional game.

Here are my thoughts of the game...

The Packers are smokin' hot now!
The Packers' defense completely shutdown Atlanta's famous running game.
Aaron Rodgers completed 31 of 36 passes for 366 yards
The Falcons made four turnovers
The only great action from Atlanta was Eric Weems' 102-yard return on an ensuing kickoff.

More on the game here.

The Packers play against the Seattle Seahawks or the Chicago Bears for the NFC Division Title next week.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

A Special Bulletin

Officials have discovered more mass bird deaths reported. The latest was found in Philadelphia. Officials found 53 dead eagles. They are now worried about a group of falcons located in Georgia, and have dispatched a team from Wisconsin to check on them.

Officials are expecting to find more destruction on Saturday night.

More on this story as it happens.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Working Overtime....


It's 2 AM and the radio is blasting Steve Miller's "Jungle Love". A hand reaches out from underneath the bed covers and turns the alarm clock off. Somehow, I regain enough consciousness to stumble to my computer chair for a cigarette. Rubbing my eyes, fighting off sleep I head for the shower to wake up enough to sleep walk though my day.

By 4 AM, I'm setting up my press to run some gazillion thousands of pieces. For the next ten hours, it's all the same-bend over, lift and feed. I've been doing this for about three weeks now. I'm tired. I ache. Half of the time, I'm running on caffeine induced adrenaline.

By the time I get home, I'm looking for vertical relief. That is-on the couch with a remote-if I'm lucky. I pray for no phone calls from an ex-wife seeking me a get my son to get a haircut or whatever. I thank God for every moment my girlfriend cooking my up a meal and taking care of things while I'm gone at work. Her contribution is outstanding and beyond the call of duty.

I know things are busy at work and the money is nice. Money doesn't help the soul. I could use some relief and enjoy some of the finer things in life...

Guess what? More of the same tomorrow....

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Packers Week #18 NFC Wild Card Playoff

The Green Bay Packers beat the Philadelphia Eagles 21-16 in this playoff game.

Here are my thoughts of the game.

The Packers played an impressive defense, sacking Philly's QB Micheal Vick a couple of times.
QB Aaron Rodgers threw for three touchdowns.
The Pack finally had a running game-rookie James Starks ran for 101 yards.
Philly's kicker David Ackers missed two field goals.
All in all, I thought it was a great game, both teams played well.

Green Bay goes against top seeded Atlanta next week. Pray that the Packers win again...

More the the game here.

I wonder what Seano has to say about this game,,,


Happy Birthday Jimmy!

One of my rock and roll idols, Jimmy Page has his birthday today! He just turned 67. Happy Birthday Jimmy!

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Please Vote for My Top 10 Photos of 2010!

It's one of the few hobbies that I have, taking pictures. So, as you may have figured it out be now, many of the pictures on this blog I took.The early half of 2010, I snapped the pictures from my Sony DSC-H2 Cyber-shot Digital. It's a great (and expensive) toy, but awfully big and bulky to carry around. So, I invested into a much smaller Sony DSC-W350 Cyber-shot. I certainly wasn't about to try to sneak in a large camera into a concert. So therefore, later half of 2010 of pics were from this camera.

So I need a favor. I need your vote. Yes, your vote! I have compiled 10 of my best pictures from 2010 onto this blog post and could you please tell me your favorite? Thanks!




Wind Point Lighthouse in Winter
Wind Point, Wi 1/19/2010

Red Tailed Hawk at River Bend
Caledonia, WI 5/16/2010

Austin's Finished Mural
Gilmore Middle School
Racine, WI 6/7/2010

Harley on a North Woods Path
Pickerel, WI 6/12/2010

Rush in Concert
Marcus Amphitheater
Milwaukee, WI 7/3/2010

Rustic Picture
Doty, WI 7/17/2010


Flood at Horlick Dam
Racine, WI 7/25/2010

Autumn at Petrifying Springs
Kenosha, WI 10/9/2010


Sixth Street Bridge
Racine, WI 11/7/2010


Lily River
Pickerel, WI 11/27/2010

Winner to be announced soon...

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Little River Band Comes to Racine!

It's not too often a major name comes to Racine. At least not so since Harbor Fest folded up almost four years ago. (Being stuck between Milwaukee and Chicago doesn't help) It came to a surprise to me to find out Australian rockers Little River Band are coming to the Memorial Hall on Sunday, January 30, 2011. Tickets are $25. They are known for hits like "Reminiscing", "Lady", "Lonesome Loser", "Cool Change" and "The Night Owls"

That's just down the road from me. I may go.

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Packers Week # 17

The Green Bay Packers beat rivals Chicago Bears in this season ending game 10-3

Here are my thoughts of the game...

The defense on both sides of the ball played well, especially the Packers, who sacked Chicago's QB Jay Cutler 6 times.
The special teams kept all star kick returner Delvin Hester to a minimum.
The offense on either side of the ball didn't play to well...
All in all, it was a well played game both teams played with meaning.
The Packers are now in the playoffs with a 10-6 record.
The Packers go against the Philadelphia Eagles next Sunday at 3:15 CT.

More on the game here.

One more thing-To all of my great friends and family members that are Bear fans, especially to those who have heckled and teased me ALL season long.... I love you all, but BOO YA! See ya in the playoffs!