Baseball Season

Baseball season is about to start this year just like spring and with it a newness and rebirth of optimism for the season ahead. This season actually kicks off this Sunday with the Yankees - Red Sox rivalry.
Pretty much everyone who reads this knows I am a huge NY Mets fan and after their terrible year last season I am really hoping for a bounce back in 2010 due to the lower expectations. They may not be able to top the Phillies but I think they can make a run at them if they stay healthy.
I was kind of wondering who your favorite baseball team is? Who do you pull for? I know not everyone is a sports fan but everyone should at least have a team they identify with a little bit. Give me your thoughts on this baseball season and how you think your team will do.

-Doc

Our Most Influential Albums

Last week I went to my two best friends and blog contributors AbsolutGator and Mt. Cat and gave a little assignment. Each of us was to come up with a list of our Top 10 most influential albums. Each of us is a huge music fan and although we have some similar tastes we also have very different tastes as well. The rules to the list are that this is not a "favorite" list but the music that has influenced us. Also it must be a studio album and not a compilation or Greatest Hits collection or a Live performance. It's interesting to see how there are some parallels because none of us knew what the other was listing. Here goes so give a read and Tell us what you think:

Here is the AbsolutGator's list of influential albums. I made this list based on the album influencing me personally to not only listen to the band, but open my musical tastes to listen to other bands like them. These are not in any particular order:
Metallica: Master of Puppets - This is the best of Metallica and, arguably, the best metal album of all time. RIP - Cliff Burton
Jimmy Buffett: Fruitcakes - I always liked Brother Jimmy, but this was the album that got me to really become a fan.
Guns N' Roses: Appetite for Destruction - In the late '80s, you didn't go out after the Friday night football game without listening to this! Playing Def Leopard's Hysteria before GN'R was considered bad form.
The Clash: London Calling - This album hit on all types of genres and made punk something worth listening to.
AC/DC: Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap - C'mon, what 3rd grade boy isn't gonna love singing about his balls?
Motley Crue: Shout at the Devil - Glam rock that kicked major ass.
Eagles: One of These Nights - The first album I can ever remember listening to as a kid with my Dad using the Aiwa reel-to-reel.
The Cure: Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me - I knew a girl in high school that said she did interesting things when Shiver and Shake would play. Unfortunately, I could only dream as she dated a friend of mine.
Beastie Boys: Licensed to Ill - Rap w/ classic rock riffs...that I can get into.
Jane's Addiction: Nothing's Shocking - This was the album that got me interested in and started alt-rock to me, making Grunge possible.

The next ten:
Herb Albert - Rise
Van Halen - Diver Down
Depeche Mode: Music for the Masses
RHCP - Freaky Styley
Huey Lewis & The News - Sports
Green Day - Dookie
John Cougar (Mellencamp) - My 1st CD!
The Police - Zenyatta Mondatta
The Smiths - Meat Is Murder
Social Distortion - Social Distortion

Here is the Mt. Cat's list. Below are my top ten. A few on the list can be higher or lower depending on my mood. Also, I listed about 45 other big albums in my life. Surprise by any of them? - TMC


1. Dark Side of the Moon – Pink Floyd (I think I listened to the album more than any other. Their Wish You Were Here album isn't far behind either).
2. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road – Elton John (Greatest pop-rock album of all-time).
3. Led Zeppelin I - Led Zeppelin (Greatest raw hard rock album ever made).
4. Thriller – Michael Jackson (The King of Pop got me into music as a ten year old [insert Jesus Juice joke here]. Who is not influenced by the album??)
5. Who’s Next – The Who (This album as well as Quadrophenia are mind-blowing. Keith Moon makes the hair on my arms stand up).
6. The Stranger - Billy Joel (This album sweats the five boroughs of NYC).
7. Violator - Depeche Mode (I never liked them before this album. I've been mesmerized ever since. Their 2009 Sounds of the Universe album is equally great).
8. Invisible Touch – Genesis (My theme album for my grammar school graduation).
9. Play - Moby (First big album of the new millennium for me and when first I became a proud, successful Manhattanite).
10. The Fat of the Land - Prodigy (A disturbing album to listen to but it reminds me how strong I've become from hard times in my life).


Almost made the list:
Quadrophenia – The Who Wish You Were Here – Pink Floyd Led Zeppelin II Led Zeppelin IV Physical Graffiti - Led Zeppelin Abby Road - The Beatles Sgt. Pepper - The Beatles Jagged Little Pill – Alanis Morissette So - Peter Gabriel No Jacket Required - Phil Collins Jimmy Buffett - Songs You Know By Heart The Doors – The Doors L.A. Woman - The Doors Joshua Tree - U2 Achtung Baby- U2 Metallica – Metallica Master of Puppets – Metallica Ride the Lightning – Metallica Sounds of the Universe - Depeche Mode Synchronicity – The Police Van Halen I – Van Halen For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge – Van Halen 1984 – Van Halen The Living Years – Mike + The Mechanics Ray of Light – Madonna London Calling - The Clash R - Queens of the Stone Age Hysteria – Def Leppard Hybrid Theory - Linkin Park (What's the Story) Morning Glory? – Oasis Purple Rain – Prince Empire – Queensrÿche Rage Against the Machine - Rage Against the Machine OK Computer – Radiohead Dr. Feelgood - Mötley Crüe Pretty Hate Machine – Nine Inch Nails You've Come a Long Way, Baby – Fat Boy Slim Meantime – Helmet Oranges & Lemons – XTC Throwing Copper – Live Dream of the Blue Turtles – Sting Please - The Pet Shop Boys Very – Pet Shop Boys Presto – Rush Moving Pictures - Rush Storm Front - Billy Joel Nevermind – Nirvana Back in Black – AC/DC

Here's Doc's Top 10 list. Mine was really hard to crop down so I also included some that almost made the list. I did mine in reverse order David Letterman style.

10. Everything to Everyone - Barenaked Ladies - One of the greatest albums of the last 10 years. A great listen beginning to end. Also gave me a new kind of hope during a difficult transition time in my life.
9. License to Ill - Beastie Boys - My soundtrack for 9th grade in my life. I moved to Charlotte from a smaller town and found this album about the same time. Listened to it every day on the hour long school bus ride to and from. Probably still know every word by heart. Funny thing is my least favorite song is the "hit" Fight for your Right.
8. Purple Rain - Prince - Wow talk about an eye opening album for a young almost teenager!
7. The Long Run - Eagles - Still a great listen and another one you can listen to from start to end. One of the first records I ever bought with my own money.
6. Synchronicity - The Police - When this album came along it marked my introduction to more complex lyrical music. Wow what is this? Imagery? You mean the words can mean something else? I wore out this cassette tape in a summer and had to buy another copy.
5. Cracked Rear View - Hootie and the Blowfish - Another transition album in my life. I really liked this album and then was given the opportunity to move to Columbia SC during it's heyday. I even ran into Darius Rucker right after I moved there and ended up attending the release party for their second album.

4. Sports - Huey Lewis and the News - Super Pop Rock album and the first CD I ever owned.
3. Automatic for the People - REM - An anthem album for me in college and after. I also picked it up again a few years ago after not listening for a decade and it still speaks to me just like it did back then.
2. Appetite For Destruction - Guns-n-Roses - Hard driving and my introduction to gritty tough Rock-n-Roll. Grabbed me from the opening note and never let go.
1. Slippery When Wet - Bon Jovi - Im my opinion the best Rock album of all time. Probably the album I have listened to the most times in my life. Great music and 2 separate and distinct parts to the album. Even though it served as a high school anthem the 1st part still rings true today. Timeless and I still listen from time to time.

Almost made the list: (no particular order)
1984 - Van Halen
Please - The Pet Shop Boys
Jagged Little Pill - Alanis Morisette
Thriller - Michael Jackson
Fruitcakes - Jimmy Buffett
Storm Front - Billy Joel
The Stranger - Billy Joel
Boston - Boston
Dark Side of the Moon - Pink Floyd

So there they are. We would love to hear what you think... Feel free to make a list of your own most influential albums and share it with us.

-Doc, Mt. Cat and Absolutgator

A few Monday thoughts

I hope everyone had a great weekend. We did, very busy with stuff all three nights. Last night we even had some severe weather and a tornado touched down in the next county but altogether a great weekend. A few notes:

-NCAA tournament updated standings to the right over there. Kimmeh continues to lead but can score no more points. Can anyone catch her?
-Later this week possibly tomorrow (if they get them to me) My two other blog brothers Mt. Cat and AbsolutGator and I will be posting our top 10 lists of most influential music albums of out life. Should be good stuff!
-The NASCAR race at Martinsville Virginia was rained out yesterday so I get the rare opportunity to listen to the race here at work on the radio... GREAT FUN on a Monday!
-I am here this week but will be leaving Friday night on vacation (Spring Break) up to New York (The NOFO) for the opening of NY Mets season and my brother in law's wedding the following weekend. I will basically be gone from the 3rd until the 13th and although I will have internet access but probably won't be able to post much so I have a request... Would a couple of you like to guest blog here on YJKOBT for me? A few posts about whatever you like? Random stuff or odd news? Let me know because I would love to have some guest bloggers to post next week. I will just add you on as a YJKOBT contributor.
-After this weekend I am less than 10 miles away from completing my goal to Walk to 100 miles so by the time I get back from New York I will have completed my goal ahead of time actually! It also seems that I have been losing some weight so I guess I am doing OK with my goal of living healthier.
-Why the cat with the lime on it's head? Because I like it and have never had a good excuse to post it here.

I hope everyone has a great week!

-Doc

Motivational Poster of the Week 3/27/10

-Enjoy your Weekend!

-Doc

Oops, This was Not A Good Idea

The playground pictured to the right is in a New York City's Bedford-Stuyvesant section in a public housing project. The jungle gym features bars and a door with a bright orange jail motif. It even says JAIL directly over the door. Now I want to know who thought it was a good idea to have kids playing in jail before they even had a chance to commit any crimes. This is a minority neighborhood and as you can imagine residents were upset. One lady even says that several times she painted over the Jail sign only to have it repainted by city workers repeatedly over a period of 8 years. It wasn't until a news article pointing out the inappropriateness of the children's playground that the city agreed to take it down.
I wanted to know if you all know of any other inappropriate things like this that were meant for children to play with? Tell me what you've got!

-Doc

I'm with Coco (The Colon that is)

From the blog that brought you the worst mascot ever Petey the Pee Cup I now present to you the best mascot ever Coco the Colon. I heard about Coco on the radio the other day when Sheri Lynch from 107.9 the Link was trying to do an on air commercial and could not keep from cracking up because the name Coco the Colon is just so funny. Well apparently Coco is coming to Charlotte to raise awareness about colon cancer. Coco is a 40 foot long representation of the human intestines that shows healthy and diseased guts and is used as a teaching tool. I actually think this is a great idea and while funny is a good for raising awareness. While I probably won't get to go visit Coco because we will be out of town on vacation I wanted to bring it to everyone's attention because it's such a great idea and the catchy name is easy to remember. Enjoy your time in Charlotte Coco!

-Doc

I hate when I worry about stuff I can't control

Sorry if I haven't been my usual fun self in the past day or so but I got some difficult news yesterday at work and for some reason I don't deal very well with things like this.
Some background, I have a great job that I like and I do well at. I am an outside vendor servicing a major insurance company. I'm sort of a local go between for two companies that have a quarter of a billion dollar yearly account. I enjoy what I do and think that I do it very well. My operation has been used as a model for others across the country. In fact my job was one of the few spared during the restructuring of our department during the recession. My point is this, I have a vested interest in making sure that my job stays the same and right where it is.
Yesterday I found out that my manager since 2004 took a different job in the company. I know that he had been looking at doing something but I was shocked that this seems to have been a demotion not a promotion. This creates the worry. I hate when this happens because I have this terrible internal worry mechanism that I can't seem to turn off that makes me run over all the worst case scenarios when something like this happens. I hate it and intellectually I know it's irrational but I still worry. Why would my manager take a demotion to move elsewhere? Why wouldn't he tell me? Is our department being disbanded? What will happen to me and my customers? What will happen to all I have built here? Why this? Why now? Why me? I can't control any of this but yet I worry.
I hate it but I just can't seem to stop it. Arrrrghhhh!

-Doc

What was Jesse James thinking?

So last week after I heard about the Jesse James and Sandra Bullock scandal where this motorcycle builder who is married to one of America's sweethearts has been accused of cheating on her I figured the woman he cheated on her with must be some sort of knockout. Then I heard her name was Michelle Bombshell McGee so that fits right? Then I heard she was a tattoo model and I went uh oh. A tattoo model? Then I saw pictures and I just had to post this. When they say tattoo model they aren't saying that this woman has a cute little tramp stamp or a bunny on her breast, she is flat out covered in the ink. She also looks kind of like a vampire or something. So without further adieu let me introduce you to Michelle Bombshell McGee: (for more pictures you can click here)
Now I know that the tat model refers to you as the Vanilla Gorilla and all that but I just cant see it my man. Sandra just reached the pinnacle of her career and won an Oscar. Jesse, buddy you had this at home and chose to screw around with that?

Of course maybe Jesse is just one of these guys who gets really turned on by the ink. I am not sure that Sandra Bullock has any and certainly not as much as Ms. Bombshell or Jesse's former squeeze (and porn star) Janine Lindemulder pictured below in a happy moment where she isn't in prison or waging a no holds barred custody battle with Jesse over their daughter.

So what do you think? Take the cheating issue out of it because of course that it wrong but is Jesse of his rocker (or chopper)? Who would you prefer the tattoo model or Sandra Bullock? I just can't believe that he was dumb enough to do this... but as Tiger Woods has shown us anything is possible.

-Doc

(Funny thing is there is actually a movie called Vanilla Gorilla coming out next year)