DudeAsInCool

:good job:

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

:good job: :rotfl:

Well, its only 11 oclock on the West Coast...its not even close to beditime here...and IM AWAKE NOW!

Welcome to BK, Pryme... :strumma:

Busted - Just took a nap zzzzzzzzz

Lol. How right you are :good job:

I think Shawn posted this not too long ago under a different title. But its worth revisiting. Pathetic isnt it

Exactly. You are truly welcome here... :strumma:

Mr. Jips comments were out of line--sorry none of the admins were here to catch them. Further, the comments are not reflective of the spirit of the site, or the admins or the mods and we apologize. It wont happen again... Make yourself at home, Holy Liaison...

Thanx for the review, Holy Liaison.

I agree, Mr. Jip - the new stuff is where its happening..but the 70s stuff still holds up today...

Natalia Wavelength Van Morrison

Goodbye Cicadas, Hello Rats! Health officials in Montgomery and Fairfax counties are recording an unusual increase in complaints about rats, which are feasting on the carcasses of cicadas. The Montgomery County Health Department fields about 100 complaints about rats each June but has already logged 136 such calls this month, said Stephen Haynes, an environmental health specialist for the county. The Fairfax County Health Department received 43 rodent complaints in May 2003 but recorded 74 last month, said spokeswoman Kimberly Cordero. "I've been working here for 16-plus years, and we're getting [rats] in places we've never gotten before," Mr. Haynes said. "The only thing we can attribute it to is the cicada population." Mr. Haynes said he and co-worker Richard Lefebure concluded that cicadas are behind a spike in the rat population after they observed the rodents munching on the red-eyed bugs and found half-eaten cicada carcasses near rat holes. But Ms. Cordero said there is insufficient evidence to prove cicadas are responsible for the increase in rat sightings. "We don't want to necessarily make a connection with cicadas," she said, "but it is very interesting to see the spike." Officials in other jurisdictions said they have not seen an unusual increase in complaints about rats but could not provide figures about the number of calls they had received. Officials in Anne Arundel and Prince George's counties and Alexandria said rat complaints typically increase during late spring and summer, when warm weather and fresh food sources — such as berries and picnic scraps — lure rats from their lairs. Even in the District, where rat infestations in 2002 prompted Mayor Anthony A. Williams to declare war on the rodents, complaints have remained at a normal volume, said spokeswoman Vera Jackson of the city health department. Mr. Haynes speculated that other jurisdictions have not noticed an unusual rise in rat complaints because their health specialists do not make house calls or track calls, as do officials in Fairfax and Montgomery counties. He also said the rats apparently have gathered in the suburbs for good reason: Where there are more trees, there are more cicadas. The Brood X cicadas burrow near tree roots, only to emerge by the millions every 17 years to mature, mate, lay eggs and die over several weeks in areas in the Eastern United States. Over the past few weeks, the thumb-sized, winged insects have reached the peak of their emergence and have been dying off. Their decaying husks have produced a distinctive odor in some parts of the metropolitan area while providing food for dogs, fish, birds — and now rats. "Rats are going to go where the food is," Mr. Haynes said. "And just like any insects, there's a food value in [cicadas]." Silver Spring resident Laura Barriere, 46, said she had lived in Northeast near Catholic University for 11 years without ever having a rat problem and was shocked that her first encounter with the varmints happened outside the Beltway. "You just think of the suburbs as being cleaner," said Ms. Barriere, a senior manager at Fannie Mae Corp. "Rats are a thing you find in the city." She said she has not seen any rats devouring cicadas but has seen them lurking amid the carcasses in the garden in her front yard. Ms. Barriere's next-door neighbor, John Moyer, had lived in his home 40 years without ever spotting a rat — until his wife, Barbara, found eight of the critters scurrying around their lawn last week. At first, the couple was "mystified" by the sudden invasion, he said. But after closer inspection, they had a clue about the source. "They were eating all the cicadas down under our maple tree," said Mr. Moyer, a retired satellite engineer for NASA. "Oh sure, they were having a picnic. We had had nothing out there to attract them. Mother Nature put the stuff out there to attract them." A few days later the Moyers placed packets of rat poison in the network of holes in their back yard. As of yesterday, the couple had not seen any rats in six days. "We don't like Mother Nature playing tricks on us like that," Mr. Moyer said. http://www.washingtontimes.com/metro/20040...02503-9663r.htm

The Chicago Tribure I read it just panned it. So I put up this review instead from Zip2it.com - (its too easy to dismiss stuff these days): By Hanh Nguyen, Zap2it.com Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (Starring Ben Stiller) "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story" is a pleasant surprise for a hackneyed plot: A ragtag group of friends overcome financial, physical and social difficulties to beat the shiny, privileged bullies at their own game. The twist here is that the game is dodgeball, an underdog sport in itself, which frees the film from any obligations of having a redeeming value other than pure entertainment. Writer and director Rawson Thurber gleefully takes advantage of this latitude to trot out outrageous, silly dialogue and scenes that showcase the comedic talents of an ensemble cast that's game for anything -- even getting hit by flying wrenches -- for a laugh. The script's humor is more hit than miss, although it does, on occasion, stoop to the requisite fat jokes and other C-grade standbys. The film's strength, however, is the utter absurdity of lines such as "If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball." You just can't argue with spotty logic like that. Thurber makes the silliness even more digestible with numerous tongue-in-cheek references to conventions found in underdog sports films. In essence, he acknowledges the ridiculous plot devices necessary to advance the story, even including a cash-filled treasure chest labeled "Deus Ex Machina." Leading man Vince Vaughn as Average Joe's gym owner and all-around layabout is passable. His dry delivery isn't quite up to par with Bill Murray's sardonic turns in "Stripes" or "Ghostbusters," which is what is intended, but works as a foil for Ben Stiller's over-the-top egoist White Goodman. Playing the owner of the rival health club chain Globo Gym, Stiller is at his best: blustering and intense. Although this is Stiller's fourth film this year -- remember "Envy"? -- "Dodgeball" makes up for the other three and will win back fans jaded by his overexposure. In contrast to his character, Stiller is ego-less, willing to appear foolish in a bouffant mullet, handlebar mustache and revealing spandex outfits. The rest of the underdog dodgeball team is a joyful bunch of losers, if somewhat typical. Stephen Root's pathetic Gordon is a weaker version of "Office Space's" myopic, muttering Milton, while Justin Long and Joel David Moore are interchangeable as pale and meek young men. Fans of Joss Whedon's "Firefly" will be happy to see Alan Tudyk strutting around in kerchief and jewelry as the team's resident pirate dreaming of the day he finds his "tray-zhur." "Dodgeball" might require a regression to frat-boy mentality to be fully appreciated, but the sheer volume of jokes bouncing around ensures that, on some level, this childhood pastime doesn't have to be a pain. http://www.zap2it.com/movies/movies/review...--21908,00.html

I feel the same way, Umma. Yet, some of the songs have endured- I think Make It With You has turne into a classic song. For Pop baladeers, they were pretty good...

Music sounds pretty good from the sample I heard decent songwriting. Here's a pic of the band...

World music, then?

This band had alot of hits on the radio, and although they were sort of a pop band, you couldnt really dismiss them either - they wrote very good songs. Coincidentally, I met one of the founders Robb Royer on a film project, who has since gone on to tear up the country music charts with his latest compositions. Royer and Griffins won an Academy Award for their song For All we Know for the movie Lovers and Other Strangers; Royer wrote the Billboard radio song of the year "Sold" in 1995; Mary Chapin Carpenter's first top five hit "Quittin' Time"; and has written for Ray Charles, The Band and Randy Travis. Here is some info on Bread: In addition to Robb, Bread was comprised of three otehr session musicians - David Gates, James Griffin, and later, drummer Michael Botts and keyboardist Larry Knechtel. Gates produced the first single for avant-gardist Captain Beefheart) and was once considered a member of the transplanted ''Oklahoma Mafia'' that also spawned the career of Leon Russell. The group's first album, Bread, was released in 1969 with hits "It Don't Matter to Me," "Dismal Day." Soft rock hits became the band's trademark and made them legends. Rhino has recently released a compiliation of their work--bascially all the following songs were big sellers: Tracks: Make It With You Everything I Own Diary Baby I'm-A Want You It Don't Matter to Me If Mother Freedom Down on My Knees Too Much Love Let Your Love Go Look What You've Done Truckin' Guitar Man Aubrey Last Time Sweet Surrender He's a Good Lad Daughter Friends and Lovers Lost Without Your Love

Im told this is very, very good. Anyone give it a listen yet?

They seem to eclectic to categorize - how about bluegrass/country/folk?

:good job:

Here was another headliner at the Wiltern that I didnt know anything about. The musicians sound serious, fun and eclectic, all wrapped in one. Anyone up on their stuff? Here's a recent review from from Switchmagazine.com on one of their shows: Flogging Molly Guess what? I saw a great live show the other night. Imagine that it's 2000, the decade of the cheesy boy bands yet hidden in the recesses of these United States, and you can still findmusical talent. When you are really lucky, that talent is coupled with a kickin' live show. See Flogging Molly and get lucky. As soon as Flogging Molly hits the stage you're like "Fiddles, mandolins, accordions...this could get interesting!" What happens next is well beyond interesting. From the first note, aside from playing well this band plays with PASSION . What the hell is passion you might ask? That's when you do something you love and you do it with everything you've got. Flogging Molly IS passion. The group plays in such a way it forces even the most diehard corner-standers to bob and move as they take notice. The band creates something best described as melodic frenzy. Bringing the music to the crowd seems to be what Flogging Molly is all about, "To us CD's are a vehicle,shows are where it's going," says Dave King who fronts the band. "Music gotta go back to the pulpits". King, a transplanted Dubliner (that's in Ireland for you less fortunate) leads the group with fire on his head and fire in his voice. He pulls from his troubled youth the material for his music. To King, though the group may play both upbeat and distressing tunes, Flogging Molly is a "celebration of life". Flogging Molly is currently on tour. Check out thier site at Flogging Molly Matt Hensley Flogging Molly's accordian guru You might not know it, but Matt Hensley and a few others helped usher in modern skateboarding. By "modern", I mean the style of street skating that did not exist until the late '80s (you guys are lucky we are not still doing ho-ho's and early grabs). Hensley, who rode for H-street before a stint as a billiards player and finally ending up as the accordion player for Flogging Mollym considers himself a full time accordionist. "Skateboarding is my background, but music is what I do!" chimes Hensley. Hensley still skates and still looks back fondly on his pro years. "I did good for a while," he says. Matt still counts such skate heros as Natas, Steve Clair, Neil Blender, Tony Alva and even a pre-jail Gator as influences in his skate career. He also gives props to current legends including Musca while saying "No one will ever do a better 360 flip than Jason Lee". All and all, Hensley, whether skating, playing billiards or the accordion blames his successes on one thing -- PRACTICE.

I recently drove past the Wiltern in LA and saw a headline for this band. Here's a description from Yahoo: "Using his trusty banjo to make genre busting music that has rarely been heard coming from that instrument, virtuoso Bela Fleck is considered one of the most impressive instrumentalists in the world of bluegrass-folk-fusion jazz." Now that's an interesting combination. Anyone else heard of these guys - what do you think? **** Here's their website: http://www.flecktones.com ... And here's a free tune to listen to - it sounds like rock to me.. http://www.flecktones.com/downloads/BFFT_Poindexter.mp3

I'm a fan.. :strumma: :good job: