Random Thoughts on Friday: Music Clubs

 I heard on the radio that Columbia House was finally going out of business.  I honestly wasn't aware that they were still in business.  If you told me they folded 10 years ago, or 20 years ago, I would have believed you.

Most people remember their deal- you could get something like a dozen albums, tapes or CDs for a penny, but you had to agree to buy a few more later at regular price plus shipping.    BMG had a similar club/deal.

Most people got the initial batch of albums then quickly forgot about the club and ignored future mailings.

I remember one kid in middle school saying that he had some albums sent to the address of a vacant home on his street, which he claimed when they were delivered.

I joined these clubs several times and completed my membership honestly each time.  Even if you were honest, it was a great deal back in the day.  Also, if you referred a friend, you got an extra 4 or so albums.  I literally referred myself and got the extra albums more than once.

Even for those of us who have always loved physical media, there was a point where this stopped being a good deal.

When I moved to Cleveland in the late 90s, I found used CD shops everywhere.  EVERYWHERE.  Of course, the big hit albums that everyone had were plentiful, and they were marked down quickly.  For several years, rarely did I pay more than a couple of bucks for a standard CD.  It was great.

It still kind of is.  

I still scavenge used book and music stores for CDs, but I have most of what I want.

Those days of getting excited about your box full of CDs from Columbia House are long gone.

I will occasionally pay up for a CD or album, if I am buying it directly from an artist, or if there is something special about it.

Random Thoughts on Friday: Bootleg concert shirts

 I saw an article the other day about counterfeit t-shirts at concerts.  It was a discussion about the value of knock off shirts, often sold in the parking lot at bigger venue shows.

These days I rarely go to concerts, but there was a time in my life when it wasn't uncommon for me to go to multiple in a week.  I have had a lot of concert shirts in my time.  

A few I have saved, though I have passed many on to some of the kids of friends when they have asked for them.

Probably the first few shirts (legit and counterfeit/fan made) were Grateful Dead ones.  The band, and the fans were great about making cool, colorful shirts.  I had a ton at one time.  I remember buying several around venues before and after shows.

I remember buying a cool Tori Amos shirt from a guy after a show in 1998.  Literally, right after I bought it, security chased the guy off.

Probably the same year, I bought a beautiful tie-dyed long sleeve shirt after leaving a Bob Dylan show.  I felt no guilt whatsoever about not buying an official one- Dylan's performance was terrible that night, and I thought he owed me anyway.

On my was to see the Eagles on their first reunion tour, a guy was holding up some really cool shirts he made right at the exit off the interstate.  He probably sold at least one to every other car, including mine.

After a Kiss show on their first original line up reunion tour I crossed paths with a guy selling very cool shirts in the parking lot.  The design was a bit off (right year, wrong tour dates, etc) but they were still very cool.  He was looking to unload quick, and I bought several from him for less than $10 each.  Several friends got one for Christmas that year.

I would love to hear from others who bought unlicensed shirts at concerts.

Random Thoughts on Friday- What If

 I was at an event the other night with my wife, and another couple.  We started talking, and I mentioned to them the story of when I flipped a four-wheeler upside down when I was a teenager.  I walked away unscathed, but it was a miracle.

We all joked about it..... what if things hadn't worked out so well.

With a bit of dark humor, the REAL possibility of my getting hurt permanently (or worse) was talked about.

We joked about the 3 of them hanging out that night, without me.....  just a fourth, empty seat.

It was a bit sad, and I did spend a moment thinking about...  "what if".

I wouldn't have gone to college and met my future wife.  She (and I) would have never met our friends.

Then,you have to take that next step when considering such things.

I'm sure there are holes in my life where friends I could have made died or had life altering moments before I had the opportunity to meet them.

Random Thoughts on Friday: More thoughts on lower level sports

I have always been a fan of minor league sports, especially baseball.  It is always fun attending games at the smaller parks, watching the young guys with something to prove.

It's cheaper being a fan at the lower levels.  It is more rewarding too.  The last couple of major league games I went to were pushing the $100 mark for an OK ticket.

A couple of minor league teams I follow charge $15 for their nicer seat.  You can get $5 tickets, and buy one get one tickets too.

If you are taking a wife and kids to a game, that is a pretty substantial savings.  

You know who is going to have just as much fun (probably more) at a lower-level game?  Your kid.

Let's take any 4-year-old.  They don't know the difference between single A, college level or MLB ball.  A major league game might be chaotic for them.  Don't expect an autograph either.

Take that 4-year-old to a single A game and they can get several autographs, probably some fist bumps too.

In my opinion, its just more fun following those guys and those local teams.

What are the chances of getting the star player from your nearest MLB team to visit a kid in the hospital?  Nil.  Sure, they do it every so often, with camera crew following, but it's not common.  Ask the guys from your local minor league team to see kids in the hospital, and they will probably be flattered.

Random Thoughts on Friday: Playbills

 I have talked a lot about my love of books.  If you are like me, they do become a bit of an obsession.  An addiction even.  The rule around my house is "if you buy it you read it"- I'm pretty religious about that too, though there is the occasional book that I have to abandon after a bit.  That's rare though.

Books are special, and I love a unique book too.  I love signed books, and books with a little something more to them.  I have a few books signed by the author, and I have books signed by people mentioned in the volume or associated with it.  A particular favorite of mine is a signed Meatloaf biography- I keep the photo of me with him as he signed it in the book.

I have some special magazines too.  Some signed, some about a family member or friend....  

I also have some nice programs and Playbills from here and there.

As a packrat, I save just about everything.  I have programs with event tickets, signed by athletes and actors.  They all mostly have little financial value, but they have a lot of sentimental value to me.

Recently, at a favorite used bookstore, I found several nice Broadway Playbills for a buck each.  I looked inside, and some even had the event tickets tucked away.  

I greedily bought most, as they were plays that I like, or have some interest in anyway.

BUT, I thought of the person who accumulated the nice collection.  I hate to say it, but I pretty much assume that they probably passed away, and a family member sold this nice collection to the bookstore, probably in an effort to downsize and move on.

If they did pass away, I hope they know that I appreciate their leftover souvenirs.  

Random Thoughts on Friday: Low level Athletes.

The player walked on the field like he owned the place...  and he looked like he did.  He looked more like a pro wrestler than anything else.  I would assume some steroids were involved at some point.  He was probably a good 6 and a half feet tall too.

This was his second year playing pro sports, and he was playing at...  well a low level.  A very low level.

I have always enjoyed lower level pro sports.  There is something more scrappy about it.  More errors are made.  There is more hunger.  I'll take a single A baseball game any day of the week over an MLB one.

I've been pretty close to managers and coaches on some teams too over the years.  We have had season and partial season tickets for multiple teams.  A few coaches have talked very openly about some of the players.

This guy had the look though.  You instantly asked, "why is he playing at this level?"

The program magazine revealed that this player had played for a MAJOR college program.  

Now, he was playing for a couple hundred people, in a very small town.  The local paper probably wouldn't even mention the game tomorrow.

His college games were watched by tens of thousands of fans.  Sports Illustrated would mention his team often.  In college, his team was often on national TV.

So what happened?

The guy was a total jerk.

The guy was always complaining.  If management didn't give him what he wanted, he would give them a cussing that wouldn't believe.  No four-letter word was off limits.  I had heard about a particular verbal assault on a female staff member that was pure evil.

And, we all know that, if you are a superstar player, teams will still sign you.  I think this guy was just talented enough for him to be on some scouts' radars, but his general mediocrity plus his attitude kept him down.

Random Thoughts on Friday

 My best pal Jimmy is a pretty smart guy, who has worked his way up from literally nothing.  He has his own company.  He is solid.

Well, he told me a story about when he was a teenager, and his getting involved with a mall modeling agency.

It's something he is embarrassed about now, and I am sure that, as an adult, he wouldn't fall for the scheme again.  In all honesty, it was his mom who fell for it.

I don't recall anything like this in the mall I grew up in, but I have seen retro 80s TV shows making fun of the whole thing.  Some sales guy at a mall convinced Jimmy's mom that Jimmy had "It" and could be a model.

He even jokes now about how they would go on and on about how he had the look, and the attitude.  Jimmy's mom paid a lot of money, to this company, for pictures and for him to be at model events.

Even though I don't remember any businesses like this when I was a kid- I can say that I once worked next to a similar modeling agency.

My company at the time and the modeling agency were in a very run-down old building.  I'll just say that mostly shady businesses were run out of the place.  That didn't keep the parents from bringing their perfect, model quality children into the building for the modeling business.

It was mostly moms and their kids too.  The moms were the ones I noticed mostly walking out with their attitude, and their noses in the air.  Moms love to hear how great and perfect their kids are.  Moms will pay lots of money to a modeling business that goes on an don about how perfect their little kid is.

At this dilapidated building, there was a bin under a stairwell in a rarely used area.  It was off to the side, where the offices were vacant...  Only a few people who worked in the building ever used these stairs.

The bin was huge.  I'm not sure why it was there, but a couple of businesses, including the modeling agency, started to put their trash in the bin, instaed of taking it to the outside dumpsters.

Well, one day we noticed that the modeling agency had put a ton of "publicity photos" in the bin.  When I say a ton, I mean that somewhat literally.  There were thousands of these photos, I am sure weighing in at close to a thousand pounds.  I assume these were unpurchased pictures that they tried to sell to those moms with perfect children.

We looked at the pics....  I don't recall any standing out.

My friend Jimmy, by the way, said that he threw away all of those photos his mom bought years ago.

Random Thoughts on Friday: Covid masks

 I was going through a drawer the other day, doing some downsizing.  I came across some covid masks that we had.

My mother-in-law made a ton of them- for us, for friends.  A half dozen would have been plenty, but she probably made 50 or more for everyone she knew.

We had a few masks that we picked up in our travels.  There was a cool free one that was given away at a Tennessee visitor center.  I remember they were giving everyone a bag with some travel brochures, a mask (with the 3 starred flag on it) and some hand sanitizer.  I also had a Similar one from Indiana that I can't recall how I acquired.  There were a couple of others too.

I feel bad about throwing them out, because, again, my mother-in-law made them.....  but I am so gla we are done with all of that.

Random Thoughts on Friday

 I have been watching the great youtube channel, "FatalBreakdown" lately.  Check it out when you have a moment.  They do very well-done video reconstructions of situations where people get trapped in caves.

The stories involve a lot of getting trapped in tight spaces, water, not being prepared for an adventure in a wild cave, etc.

I do love caves.  You know, mostly the well-developed, tourist type stops with a ticket office and gift shop.

Being trapped in a tight squeeze passage is a legitimate fear.  

I watched a video of four young people swimming through a wild underwater cave.  It involved swimming through a small passage to get to a cave.  All four ended up drowning.

I mentioned Floyd Collins in my book, and if you are not aware of the strange story of Floyd, look it up.  He was searching for a cave to develop and hopefully make money on- opening it up for tourists.  Different sources have different measurements, but he was at least 60 feet underground, and probably 150 feet plus from the opening.

Floyd got trapped and died a slow death underground.  When I tell people about Floyd I stress that, he wasn't in a nice, spacious cave that most of us think of (again, ticket booth and gift shop).  He was pretty much crawling and wiggling through a hole underground.

Getting trapped like that, to me, is the ultimate stuff of nightmares.

Random Thoughts on Friday: Bank Robbery in Berea

 Yesterday, there was a bank robbery in Berea Kentucky.  I have had a lot to say about the great small town, and the college, half an hour south of Lexington.  I spent several years of my life there.  I still go there frequently- in fact, I was there just a couple of weeks ago having a beverage at Just Love Coffee which is a few steps from the bank that was robbed.

AND, two people were murdered during the robbery.

I was glad to hear that a man is in custody, but what an absolute tragedy for Berea and those two families.

Random Thoughts on Friday

 We took a little road trip recently, as we often do...  And I realized at several moments, someone gave me something just to be nice.  It really made me feel special, and made me appreciate people, and the world a bit more again.

On our trip, we stopped by a museum.  It was a nice visit, and I talked to a nice lady there a bit about the museum and our travels.  I bought a couple of books, and I noticed she put a really nice museum pin in my bag too!  I love that sort of thing!

We stopped at a great BBQ restaurant and ordered a couple of meals.  A nice young lady working there was pleasant, and told us all about the meats, sides etc.  I asked about a couple of sides I wasn't familiar with and she answered our questions.  When we got our food, I realized that she included several sides I had asked about for free.  Maybe they made a lot, and she knew they wouldn't sell all of it, but I sure thought the gesture of the free sides was very kind.

Then, when we got home, I received a package from legendary Vermont author Joseph Citro.  I have mentioned Joe on this blog before, but if you enjoy ghost stories and folklore, especially relating to New England, Joe is the guy.  A couple of his books are absolute classics.  Anyway, I have ordered books directly from him before, and I ordered one from him again before leaving on our trip.  When I got home, I had a package from him with the book I ordered, AND a bonus book, just because Joe is a nice guy.

It was just a nice feeling experiencing such generosity.

Random Thoughts on Friday: Rereading a book from my youth

I briefly brought this up the other day.  Back during my elementary school years, I remember my teacher, Mr. Tanner giving everyone in the class a book.  I remember thinking that was such a kind gesture.  He didn't have to do that.  A book was perfect though.

That was years (oh heck, multiple decades) ago.  I remembered reading the book, and a couple of small details, but I could never really remember the book.

I had tried to google the book before, with the detail or two I sort of remembered, but I could never get it.

I am not a fan of AI, BUT, AI WAS very helpful figuring this one out, and for that I am grateful.

Anyway, I tracked down a (signed!) copy of William Sleator's "Into the Dream" which I had not read in a very long time.  I did this some years ago with another book I read as a kid, "The Indian in the Cupboard" AND I found and read all of the sequels to that one too.

Characters and scenes I had forgotten came back into my mind.  It is still a good book that holds up!

Reading it again was a nice link back to my old (now gone) school and my childhood.

 

Random Thoughts on Friday

 I mentioned the other day that we have come very far with technology.  Cell phones, social media, etc have given us a certain security that even a few decades ago would have been inconceivable.

I appreciate that, but I also miss the basic mystery and danger of the years of my youth.

Growing up in rural western Kentucky, my cousins, grandparents and many friends lived close.  By close, I mean within a few miles.  I could walk through a field, to my grandparents' house in 20 minutes.  I could walk on the road too, but that would be longer.

These days a kid making a walk like that could call their parents on a cell phone and talk the entire way on their walk to feel safe.  Back then, there was a horrific thrill about walking or running through that field, late at night.  hearing various animals (or whatever my imagination thought about) stalking me.

The mysteries of the world were still a mystery.  Books at your school library about ghosts and bigfoot were such a fun treat.  It was pure joy reading about so much of the unknown.

Now, you can google about those topics or ask AI and get answers and explanations instantly- including the skeptics perspectives.

I miss the thrill of the unknown from the 80s and 90s.

Random Thoughts on Friday

 When the weather changes drastically, as it has recently, its not uncommon for me to get sick.  I found myself in that situation resting and watching TV recently.

I found that there is a channel that just plays the old "Unsolved Mysteries"!  I watched a lot of that over those couple of days.  I forgot how interesting the shows were.

There were several segments of people looking for others in their life that they had lost- mostly lost loves, or people that had helped them in the past.

There were several missing people segments too.

Its so strange how now, with cameras everywhere and social media, its nearly impossible to lose track of someone....  not like before anyway.

I'm not pointing anything out new, but we have really come very far, very fast.

Random Thoughts on Friday

 I was reading a clickbait article recently (I have to quit doing that).  It was a list put together of the most disappointing signature foods by state (I was surprised the Hot Brown didn't make the list).  Anyway, Nebraska's Runza was number 4.

Have you had a Runza?  They ARE big in Nebraska.  Its ground beef, onions, cabbage, and kraut baked inside of bread.  

I can't remember if I ever mentioned the story of spending my 21st birthday in Nebraska....  I probably have mentioned it, and I will likely mention it again....  but I spent a cold January in Nebraska during my college days.  That month a pretty big deal to the timeline of my life, and I enjoyed it very much.

Anyway, there was a Runza restaurant about half a mile from the dorm where I was staying (Midland Lutheran College, now Midland Lutheran University).  I walked there a few evenings for dinner.  They had a special where if you bought fries and a drink, you got a Runza for the price of the temperature at noon.  I don't think I ever paid more than a quarter for the Runza at that time.

Being away from home (at the time, it was the farthest away from home I had ever been by a lot), somewhat isolated, and in a cold environment- well its easy to get inside of your own mind and think about things.

On a couple of our trips out west we have stopped by that Runza.  I look forward to it.

We occasionally make Runzas at our house now and then...  but I think of Runza very fondly.

Runza deserves more love.

Random Thoughts on Friday

 I have mentioned the old elementary school I went to when I was little before- Utica Elementary in Utica Kentucky.  It folded back in 2009.  My time there was...  well, a few decades before that.

You can still see part of it from the road.  It was mostly demolished but the huge section that housed the gym is still there.  Farming equipment is usually around it; the property now being utilized for farming.

A couple of years before it closed, I got to go inside with a friend whose daughter was at that time a student.  The school that was massive in my memory wasn't as big as I remembered.  I notice small chairs and low to the ground sinks.  I remembered hundreds of kids in the cafeteria.  Looking at it years later I realized it couldn't have ever been that crowded.

My memories there are mostly of pure joy.  Sure, there were frustrating moments and all, but I always felt lucky to have come up in such a nice, small, community school.

One memory that sticks out involved leaving before Christmas break one year.  Our teacher, Mr. Tanner had gotten all of the students a copy of a book.  I do remember a few moans from the class, but I remember feeling very moved by the kind gesture.  I also remember making a point to read the book, since I really enjoyed reading then, like I do now.

I hunted down a copy of that book and plan to read it again.

Random Thoughts on Friday

Oh Canada!  I have never been ashamed of my patriotism.....  I love America....  But, I am a huge fan of Canada too.

I think it started in the early 90s.  Growing up in very rural Kentucky, we couldn't get cable.  It wasn't available in our area.  Well, we found out we could get a satellite dish that would offer more channels!

The dishes were huge.  It reminded me of the big dishes seen in Empire Strike Back on Hoth.  Also, if people were in our backyard, we would check before changing channels- the dish moving around COULD hurt someone.

We couldn't get MTV, BUT we COULD get MuchMusic out of Canada.  Close enough.  Of course, Canadian Music is SLIGHTLY different from what Americans are used to.

Big rock and pop stars in the US are pretty much always big in Canada too, but the reverse isn't always true.  

The Guess Who, Rush, and the Barenaked Ladies found success in the US, among others.  Some great bands, however, never could get that same momentum.

You could maybe assume that some bands are just too Canadian.  Excessive references to hockey, and towns totally unfamiliar to Americans might explain some of that.

Watching MuchMusic back in the 90s...  well, I thought The Northern Pikes and Jane Siberry (two of my favorite Canadian artists) would take over America.  I thought Barenaked Ladies were too goofy for their southern neighbors and would never make it.  A Paula Abdul knock off singer in Canada going by "Alanis" repackaged her act and Alanis Morissette would be one of the biggest acts in the world.

Quick, without thinking- name the greatest band from Canada.  I can almost guarantee you, that Canadians and Americans will have different answers.

Americans will likely answer Rush, thought the Band, or one of the other bands I mentioned earlier might come up.

If you are Canadian, there is really only one answer- The Tragically Hip.  If you are American, you likely are totally unfamiliar with that one.

I'm not even going to try to explain that here, but the Tragically Hip are very important to Canada and the death of their irreplaceable lead singer in 2017 was a national tragedy.  Their last concert, broadcast on many platforms, we estimated to have been watched by a third of the population of the country.  The Prime Minister had a press conference on the day he died.

I have told people that I feel like Canadians put more into their music.  The lyrics are more poetic and emotional, in my opinion.

I have found that I love Canadian TV shows a lot too.  Heartland (a show about a family and horses, in a very brief nutshell) has a big following worldwide.  The scenery on the show is always beautiful.  The Murdoch Mysteries is a detective show set in the 1890s that is crafty and smart.  I love their vintage postcard like settings.  Co-star of the Murdoch Files, Jonny Harris has his own show, Still Standing, which showcases the wonderful small communities of Canada.

Those are about my three most favorite shows, all Canadian.

Random Thoughts on Friday

 I was reminded of a funny (and weird) story by a friend recently....

Many years ago, I was working for a company that had about 200 employees.  It was a nice job, and I am still friends with a lot of people from that time.  Other details of the job are unimportant for this story.

SO, a new guy started at this job.  He seemed very nice and pleasant.  Normal, for the most part.

I should say here though, he was...  well, nerdy, but that was OK.  Most of us at this job were that way.  This guy kind of dressed like Pee Wee Herman though.  He kind of went out of his way to be conspicuously nerdy.

Some of my coworkers kind of approached me and said there was something off about the guy.  At first, I thought maybe they were being mean, and just didn't like the guy (they weren't like that though).  A couple of coworkers said he gave them "the creeps."

Maybe those coworkers were just messing with me about the new guy.  I would defend the guy each time- telling them that he seemed pleasant and professional.

WELL...

Something happened as things tend to do at companies.  Someone made a formal sexual harassment complaint.

The complaint did not involve anyone I knew, and the new guy was not involved either.  Still, there was a big company meeting featuring an expected and appropriate lecture from the company's president.

The president made it very clear that there would be zero tolerance for any jokes, innuendoes, or other comments that could be offensive.

If you have ever been through one of these meetings in your career, you know that the best thing to do is just to sit there and listen.  No need for questions or commentary.

Well, during the president's speech the Pee Wee Herman lookalike aggressively raised his hand.  The president tried to ignore him for a minute or two, but the guy was waving his hand like a 2nd grader needing to go to the bathroom.

Raising his hand was strange on its own.  My coworkers literally looked over at me.  One silently mouthed "WE TOLD YOU!"

The president finally asked the guy what was so important.

The new coworker then asked a strange question, making it clear that he thought a zero-tolerance policy was harsh.  He said something like, "well what if it is just a little joke?  I have been at other places where someone gets all bent out of shape about a dirty joke and I don't think that's right...."

The guy would have gone on longer, but the president firmly cut him off.

I had to admit to my friends that they were obviously correct about the guy.  Literally trying to make an argument that dirty jokes should be tolerated during a companywide meeting like that did not go well for the new hire.

I did distance myself from the guy after that.  I don't know exactly what happened, but he was out of the company shortly after.

Random Thoughts on Friday

 Well, I honestly don't have a lot to say at the moment.  It has been a crazy week here in Kentucky, and in much of the country.  Snow around my car turned to ice, and my car was literally frozen to my driveway for several days!

That's OK though, since I pretty much work from home all the time now.  Still, it was nice getting out the last couple of days, now that the snow is melting.

It was getting to me though.

On a different note- for some reason I can't upload my youtube videos to blogger the same way anymore.  I can add the link, but not visual like before.

AND, if you have watched my videos (thank you!) I HAVE picked up some nicer equipment, including a GoPro!  

I am experimenting with audio again, after many years too.  I picked up a Tascam recorder which is going to be fun.  It can tape for hours with no problem, and the quality is great.  I used to record on minidiscs years ago.  I still have old recording that I haven't transferred.  Any other audio fans out there?

Random Thoughts on Friday: Taking Vacations with Friends

 Last year, we went to Arizona with our friends and their kids.  WE have had these friends for years.  I think I brought it up before that we were in Arizona almost 2 decades earlier with the same couple, before they had their 1st daughter.

These friends are great and we have a lot of fun with them.  Their 2 kids are great too; they are sweet, appreciative, and still amazed by history and national parks.  They haven't been brought up glued to a phone or TV.

Still, I thought my pal Nate was joking when he texted asking where we were going on vacation this year.  

I sent him a message about some trips and times we had been considering.  Within a few hours, we had another trip planned with the same friends for this year.

We move a lot at the same speed.  We like to get up early and get going.  We like parks and taking our time.  We agree on a lot of stuff.

I am glad that we have a lot of friends that are compatible for road trips.