Thursday Thirteen --- 05/31/07

Hello everyone :) Welcome to my latest edition of the Thursday 13. A prelude before my TT13 thought.

I have had a 2-week hiatus mainly because of some issues I am dealing with. Part of which is what I am going to write about. For those who have been reading for awhile, you know that there have been a couple writings over the years dealing with personal issues, depression, weight problems. Recent events in my life had led me down these same paths, and the last couple of days I have felt like that giant run-away bowling ball, with nothing stopping it. Hence the hiatus two weeks ago. Last week, I just got busy with work and stuff...just didnt get a chance to do anything. It was probably a good thing. Working took my mind away from what has been on my mind. But it leads me to the avoidance piece. Avoid it long enough, maybe it will go away....it doesnt, but it was worth a shot.

So here are 13 things I would like to change (or are attempting to change) about myself - in no particular order:

1. My weight is still a struggle -- it comes and it goes and then it comes back again. This is not a new struggle. Just a struggle I cant seem to conquer.


2. My "everything is OK" facade -- There are days when everything is NOT OK...and I need to deal with those and stop acting like everything IS OK


3. My CD collection is all out of sorts. I started to organize them, and now I just need to finish that and get my collection on my server. I made a dent - I have about 20% (over 9000 songs) on there, tagged, and organized....I am getting there :)


4. DVD Collection -- see above, just nowhere NEAR 9000...more like 90 but I need to catalog and organize it


5. Let go of the past - Its over and done with -- move on!


6. Express true feelings without inhibition. Sometimes, I dont go as far as I would like to when I write. I stop mid-feeling...maybe from an inhibition or fear of rejection from my peers? who knows :)


7. Exercise - See #1 -- I need to get into a regiment of exercise regularly. I start then I stop then I start again, then I stop again


8. You have to love yourself before you can love anyone else. I need to find how to love myself again. To quote the great Righteous Brothers, I lost that loving feeling.


9. Since moving to Wisconsin I have also not found a church...I miss going to church.


10. Explore Wisconsin. There are so many parts of this state I have never seen.


11. Relax - I need to find some "ME" time. If you dont take time for yourself, you really should!


12. Some friends have asked for some music - I am actually going to get around to sending them out :) So its been since Christmas - I'm getting there!


13. Complete closet cleaning -- time to empty them out and redo them

Have a great week everyone!

J-Dawg

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The purpose of this is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things.

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Thoroughly Disgusted

After listening to ESPN Radio on the way home, I came to hear that my Orioles had blown a 5 run lead in the 9th to lose for the 2nd day in a row to the Boston Red Sox (I know Dawn is just LOVING that one!). How do you play 8 great innings of baseball and forget to show up in the 9th inning. I still dont understand this!

FUNDAMENTALS!!!

That is what is wrong with baseball today! Players have lost the art of fundamentals. They make their millions, and just expect that they will be ok on the field without focusing on their fundamentals. It is sickening to the core. Chris Ray has blown his 3rd save of the season. This included an error on Ray which allowed the winning run to score. FUNDAMENTALS!

I guess there is still a ray of light even with 2 back-2-back losses to Boston...we are still ahead of the Spank-me's, I mean, Yankees! As long as we keep finishing ahead of them, I am a happy camper.

Perlozzo needs to corral this team, and bring them back to the baseball they were playing in the first couple weeks of April...hard nosed, tough, fundamental baseball.

We have 3 at Toronto, an off day, then 3 at Washington. Hopefully we can come out of this with 4 wins (can I hope for 6?) before we start our 7 game homestand against Toronto and Oakland.

J-Dawg

Thursday 13 -- 05/10/07

Hello everyone! Welcome to another edition of the Thursday Thirteen. This week, I thought I would touch on 13 CDs that I say you just GOTTA own. And just so you know, I am trying to make sure all links on my site are setup to open in a new window for you!

1. Joe Satriani -- Surfing With The Alien (Click here for Website)
   This is a must own! Out of all of his CDs (I own them all but 1), this is by far his best. I rock this one like there is no tomorro!
2. Dream Theater -- Images and Words (Click here for Website)
   Although they received moderate success with one song off of this CD, this is by far their best effort to date. They do have a new CD out a couple weeks ago. I am still trying to get ahold of it.
3. Thunder -- Back Street Symphony (Click here for Website)
   A rock group that found minimal success in the US, but was HUGE in the UK. In New Mexico (of all places) it got a pretty good dose of airplay. I like this group for their melodic music -- its like being hard rock with harmony. Its like nothing else they play today.
4. Pantera -- Cowboys From Hell (Click here for Website)
   This one is probably the tightest record they ever did. I am a HUGE Pantera fan, so it was hard to narrow it down to just one, but this one is a solid 10 on the hard rock/heavy metal scene for sure.
5. Jazz For The Quiet Times (Click here for Website)
   This is probably one of the best jazz CD compellations I have ever found. This has everything from contemporary to smoothe to light jazz. I HIGHLY recommend this one!
6. Spyro Gyra -- Collection (Click here for Website)
   Everything Spyro Gyra is right here. You may be thinking to yourself "Who is the heck is Spyro Gyra?" Well, if you are, listen -- you might be surprised how many of these songs on this CD you may have heard before.
7. Evick -- Anachronism (Click here for Website)
   This is a band that a friend of mine from West Virginia (now North Carolina) plays in...Brad Puckett. He also has his own solo CD (rightfully a 7a) out. Evick is a band who has played with the likes of Jackyl, Poison (and The Brett Michaels Band) and others. Unless you are on the East Coast (mainly PA to FL) you probably have never heard of them. I really like their music. Word is, they are recording album #2 right now! A welcome addition to ANY CD colection. Show Pete some love and purchase their CD (or download from their site)
8. Brad Puckett -- Asynchronous (Click here for Website)
   Deserves a spot of his own :) This is his solo project and debut CD for Brad. He also has his songs available for download from his website.
9. The Alan Parsons Project -- The Instrumental Works (Click here for Website)
   For those who have never listened to this CD, its is the instrumental works of their hits over the years. This includes the song Hawkeye, which is a widely known song by most people, they just didnt know the actual name! :)
10. Styx -- Classics (Click here for Website)
    All the hits from the 70's and 80's from Styx -- all on one cd! You really can't go wrong!
11. Pink Floyd -- Echoes (Click here for Website)
    Every song you have ever heard from Pink Floyd in one collection. Again, how can you go wrong!
12. Metallica -- ...And Justice For All (Click here for Website)
    Again, I LOVE Metallica! I have all their albums, but this one to me was just a masterpiece from the open chords to the final fade.
13. Y&T -- Contagious (Click here for Website)
    A long lost band from the 80's that had a huge following even before there was a Metallica or Motley Crue...they set the stage along with AC/DC and Aerosmith. There is alot to be said for this band!

Don't fear!! These are not my top 13 of all time - these are just 13 I HIGHLY recommend you have in your CD collection...I hope you have enjoyed this little musical trip, and along the way, found some new music to load onto your MP3 player! Have a wonderful week!

J-Dawg

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of this is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things.

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Thursday Thirteen -- 05/03/07

Hello everyone - welcome to another edition of the TT13....I was debating on whether or not to do one this week. It has been a rough couple weeks for me...and to be perfectly honest I really wasnt inspired to write this week...but sitting here tonight trying to decide if I should write or not (first decision) then WHAT to write about (second dilema)...so I thought I would do another trip around the world, except this time I would see where Google sent me...so here we go -- 13 Random Locations, courtesy of Google®:

1. Random.ORG -- Yes, this is a legitimate website! Actually pretty cool!
2. Aloha.Com -- This was an "I'm Feeling Lucky" to sandy beaches
3. Sunrises -- This was an "I'm Feeling Lucky" to Sunrises
4. Electronic Piracy -- I was listening to Epic from Faith No More so that was my I'm lucky this time -- Epic
5. Kickball -- My buddy Bill was playing Kickball tonight so I thought what the heck!
6. For All my Dawg’s!! -- Kinda funny actually!
7. Crabs! -- This is my "I'm Feeling Lucky" for Crabs
8. Science -- My lucky button led me here!
9. Tall Buildings - The things you can find on the internet sometimes!
10. Youth revisited -- Hey, why not! :)
11. 11 Things You Dont Learn in School -- Yeah, not from Bill Gates, but dang funny!
12. Great American Gas-Out -- As much as I wish it worked......
13. A Real Sense of Humor -- Click on get directions ... get directions from New York NY to Paris, France...hit Get Directions, and read #24 and tell me SOMEONE at Google isnt laughing every time someone asks for these directions!

I hope you all had fun :) Enjoy your week!

J-Dawg

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of this is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things.

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants