Flipping through some videos put up on the Youtube this morning, what did my bleary eyes spy? Why Chris Daughtry – you know that rocker guy everyone yammers on about who ’should have won’ the 2006 season of American Idol instead of that gray haired guy – in a video from the Country Music Awards. The Country Music Award Show, you read that right ! I had completely forgotten the CMA’s were on this week since I don’t watch award shows, but there were apparently a few video worthy moments from the show put up on the Youtube.

I have to ask, is it not enough that Daughtry has received loads of attention for being one of the top selling artists on the Billboard charts, that he outsold Taylor Hicks (the guy who really won Idol that year) by like a gazillion copies on his first record out of the Idol chopping block? That I hear Daughtry every single day at some point on the radio on various channels and that he’s definitely one of the most tweet-friendliest celebrity artists hanging out almost daily on Twitter? No apparently not, as it seems from his performance last night on the CMA’s he quite likely looks perched to make a run at Country music as well. My question is, Daughtry, really is this your next direction? It is a nicely done song exhibiting versatility as an artist but is this a ‘new’ Daughtry or just a one night stand – with Vince Gill?

“Tennessee Line”

The other Youtube worthy moment came when Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley gave a poke at Kanye West, I’m sure you’ve seen it, if not, here it is:

“Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Kanye” I liked this video as it gives that down home sort of vibe. Like when I was a kiddo and the folks would subject me to the horrors of syndicated episodes of “Hee Haw”.

That’s about it for me regarding the Country music genre this morning. Wait almost forgot, I was speaking about that gray haired ol guy from Idol earlier, and well it seems he’s thinking along the C&W lines as well. Sadly it looks like Daughtry may beat him to the punch – again. You know Taylor Hicks is a bit tied up at the moment with riding up and down in that plastic ice cream cone in the travelling road show version of “Grease”.

“Nineteen” Taylor Hicks

(Now really wouldn’t that have fit into the CMAs?)

Twin contestants, John and Edward Grimes, known as “JedWard”, off the UK show, “X-Factor” are apparently fascinating much of the United Kingdom’s viewers on the country’s version of American Idol. Fascinating being the key word. Certainly these boys do not possess the singing abilities of what is defined in the Pop star world, but they are making quite good television.

What more could you, the viewer, want for a break in the humdrum land of Karaoke reality television? JedWard presented, this past week, the “Ghostbusters” theme-song complete with a cardboard prop of the vehicle from the movie, stage prancing monsters, a flying lady ghost and the ‘possessed’ lady dressed in red screamer; I really can’t think of a thing. Top that, the choreography was actually quite good.

Obviously these kids, a pair of good looking boys with an obvious sense of humor are not really destined for massive radio hits on the Pop charts; I could see them with their own, say thirty minute, variety show – possibly. Simon Cowell’s really sort of spot on with his observation of the performance being fascinating to kids of about one and a half year old, really the boys do have sort of that feel of fitting into children’s television. Either as a sort of “Wiggles” act or perhaps like those mind-numbing twinset stars, Zack and Cody whom my daughter watches on the Disney Channel.

VFTW, with their always spot-on instinct for finding the comedy gold in these sort of reality shows has been pushing the support for JedWard. Smarterthanpickler writes, “While this destroys the show’s, Simon’s (and probably the entire UK’s) credibility, Euro-Worsters will have to vote even harder next week in order to keep the twins on and make Simon rue the day he saved them. VFTW Victory!”.

British on-line celebrity site, Anglophenia mirrors this sentiment and gives the VFTW crowd kudos in likely helping keep these two intrepid singers (read) comedians in the running. They also acknowledge keeping the boys on the show has been merely an intelligent business decision, a ratings ploy rather than a search for a really good singer:

“Sometimes it’s the awful contestants on TV talent shows that make viewers come back each week. So maybe Simon Cowell was making a smart business decision when he put the vocally-challenged John and Edward, a.k.a. Jedward, through to the next round on his UK “singing competition,” X Factor.”

I have no idea when people are going to wake up and take note, these shows, American Idol and X-Factor are not designed in mind to really find that next super-star of the sound waves; it’s television. Scripted, manipulated televison, that draws in enormous interest and ratings and therefore hefty volumes of cash, not much more. Sure, some of the contestants have emerged from the shows winding up making a nice career for themselves, but considering the volume of the people and the Big Picture, this is merely a money making enterprise. Realizing that I have no issue with seeing two lads such as JedWard getting up on stage and presenting “Ghostbusters”.

JedWard do “Ghostbusters”

Okay maybe that’s not the best lead in for this story since, well “Sympathy for the Devil” a Rolling Stones tune. Apparently that was the case, though, regarding Mr. Tyler and his long-time bandmates that has seemingly lead to his quitting Aerosmith. Ever since his painful mishap at the Sturgis, SD concert it seems the band and he have not been getting on that well. This has lead to Steven Tyler opting out of the band.

Considering the man is 61 years old, he had to have suffered a great deal from his bad tumble off the stage during the Sturgis concert and at his age, falling and breaking bones is difficult to overcome. Topping off that bit of painful embarrassment, his bandmates were not in the mood to send him any Hallmark “get well soon” cards. No, instead, they were quite put off with him. Granted his fall off the stage seems to be largely due in part to his wild and wooly partying, but, really people, Steven Tyler is a Rock Star and what kind of Rock Star would he be if he neglected to properly get his Party-On prior to the show? Exactly.

In an interview with Classic Rock Magazine Mr. Tyler informed, “I don’t know what I’m doing yet, but it’s definitely going to be something Steven Tyler: working on the brand of myself – Brand Tyler.”

It never fails to amuse me hearing folks refer to themselves in third person format. Sort of gives one insight into how they really feel about themselves and how they think the public considers them. In the future I must start referring to anything I do as Brand Sunny, or Team Sun or some such moniker… I’ll work it out.

I do have sympathy for Mr. Tyler and his bit of disgrace at Sturgis. Since our little homegrown band sprung up like those weeds you find lurking between your pansies in the garden, I’ve experienced first-hand how a person can get tangled up in all those cords that get strewn across the stage and catapault off-stage. I experienced an unfortunate incident myself a short time back at the local Main Street Pub during a little party we played. Thankfully I did not break anything; no my Jack Daniels powered acrobatic skills allowed me to leap right back up; grabbing the microphone stand helped slow my fall. Seriously, what was Steven Tyler thinking not utilizing a mic stand? Not only can you lean on it as a third limb of sorts, you can utilize it like a cane to help slow your fall and help you to get up. You know what they say about old dogs, though.

Thankfully this weekend we had a protected stage area with a nifty surround that prevented anyone shootiing off as if headed for a 1990’s Mosh Pit. Here’s a snap of the band warming up. Big John, Mark, Sharon, Rob, TheDMan and Lamendolla. Drummer Don in the far back.

Well good luck to Steven Tyler and Brand Tyler, or Brand Steven or whatever he settles for and lest he or anyone else forgets, Falling In Love (Is Hard On The Knees). Or, in his case, hard on the shoulder.

Remember to visit your local animal shelter.

If you’re having a problem this year thinking up a new costume, check out this video, they have all the monsters you can think of as well as a mighty big walking penis. Ahha, never thought of that one have you? Well, maybe you have.

Well wouldn’t my friend Stuart Heritage enjoy this piece? I think I’ll send it his way. I am that thoughtful.

Ooo it’s almost Halloween.

It’s October and to risk sounding like my friend Tyler, no it’s not state the obvious day. This has to be my favorite month of the year for a few reasons, one being it is the month my favorite holiday falls within and two, it’s the month, that here in Texas, heralds in the few months of cool weather we get to enjoy.

Outside right now it’s raining, has all night long, it’s cool and raining; I love this weather. Yesterday we began prepping for Halloween by hauling some of the decorations out of the storage facility but did not make much progress as the rain started moving in. Today looks like a literal wash as well regarding setting up the graveyard, etc but that’s okay, there’s a Cowboy game on later that I have to watch with TheDMan.

I’ve decided on the costume for this year; last year and year previous I was a vampyre -yeah I know, how original… but this year I’ll go Pirate.

Here’s a photo of one part of our display from last year: it’s a real casket that Bro-in-Law bartered for – usually we have one of our festively inebriated friends dress up and play zombie or awakened corpse. It’s a bit intense for the smaller trick or treaters so we try and limit the pop out of the coffin ploy for the bigger ‘kids’ benefit.

I hate to say how much in the way of candy and small toys we hand out every year but with the exhibit as we refer to it now, drawing carloads of happy Halloweenies to our door, by time the night rolls around we have an entire trunk of stuff to hand out. Out of the seven years we’ve done this little event we had rain only once so I hope that holds again for this year. We’ve people who have returned since the first year we did this who tell us this is their traditional start of the Holiday season, coming to our place to trick or treat. We’re seeing their kiddoes grow up each year. Very cool to think that what initially began in our three collective 12 year old minds’ view of Halloween has meant so much to so many folks we do not know and those whom we’ve come to see only on Halloween.

We had eight features in the exhibit last year with Sis usually the witch stirring a black kettle full of water and dry ice; she greets the peeps near the entrance of the wrought iron gates cackling madly and handing out slimy creatures or gummy bugs, worms. Bro or I man the door, taking turns. I also run beverages to any of our friends wandering the yard as Frankenstein, the Mummy or Count Dracula. We must keep the monsters happy and festive.

So now my favorite celebrity basher blogger is taking up a new vocation. He once taught Kindergarten and now is progressing to try and tackle the serious and challenging endeavor of sex education. It seems Stuart Heritage has joined a Task Force geared toward trying to inform the sexually active irresponsible youths running amuck in the United Kingdom. The UK apparently has a huge problem with unplanned pregnancies and someone has to do something about it. Being the kindly and concerned individual that he really is; our personal issues aside, he spoke last weekend from a studio in Germany accompanied by other young adults from various countries also concerned with the topic at hand.

In this video which I found with a simple google switch, Mr. Heritage introduces himself and explains why he’s interested in helping out the ill-advised and sexually uneducated youth of his country: Heritage on Task Force.

Yes, Mr. Heritage remains My Hero. I’m thinking over what sort of superhero outfit would be fitting for such a champion against the evils of wild and wanton, wandering sperm? Perhaps something along the lines of a flowing cape and a chest feature that looks rather like the golden Trojan emblem, add a trojan warrior headdress and perhaps a golden mask to compliment his rather golden complexion and I think it a go.

Mr. Heritage explains on his smashing Hecklerspray.com site what he did over the weekend to promote September 26 which was named World Contraception Day. In this article, WCD…Or What I Did On Holiday (Part Two)
Obviously he must have intuitively known what screenshot was my favorite and included it in his post. Yes, dear readers I actually sat through that little video event with all the solem proclamations to help educate our children. You know what they do around here in our schools? Why hand the little sexually active darlings condems, now to just get them to slip them on, that’s the key.

Go get ‘em Stu.

(I absolutely crack myself up.)

Certainly my birthday weekend hit well shy of the previously anticipated bash it was initially planned out to become but it was what it was. Instead of jetting off to party and have a great time in the beautiful state of Alabama I wound up being rather forceably hauled by The DMan to the local torture chamber referred to as a hospital last Friday.

Gone went plans to have a fun weekend of football, (Roll Tide!) and a nice little Taylor Hicks concert in B’Ham at one of the man’s fave stomping (whomping?) grounds. We had our flights set, tickets to the game, the concert and plans to stay with friends’ in T-Town and now this had to happen. Notably I’ve been completely discouraged and depressed about how things turned out.

I’d felt a flare up coming on for the past couple of weeks; the signs all lining up: fatigue, aches and pains, the fever. I’d hoped I would maintain that level; I can deal with the pain and fever but when it hits my lungs/heart I can’t overlook that aspect. My lungs began hurting last week, Tuesday-ish then the heart palpatations hit. Thursday I was cruising on some nice prescription pain medication; hydrocodone Bitartrate with acetaminophen. Really felt rather optimistic it would all work out. I’d just ingest the pain meds and still be able to travel and hit that BAMA game, visit our friends in T-Town and incredibly meet some of my on-line friends at the Workplay, Taylor Hicks concert.

It was to be a first for me to actually try and meet with some of the Hicks’ fans and I was looking forward to it so much. I was attending the show with Sis and our T-Town galpal but sadly none of this was able to be. Our friends sold the tickets easily for the BAMA game and gave the Taylor Hicks concert tickets to a couple of UA students interested in seeing Mr. Hicks for a first time.

It’s still setting badly and sadly for me. This disease, Lupus, is such a bastard. One can never tell when it might swoop in and hit, how long the duration of the flare up might last or how severe the flare up might be. Each time it is different. I get apprehensive to try and schedule anything or plan trips, anything far into the future because so often this black creature of a disease hits me, stopping what I am planning to try and do. The docs think it was stress that triggered it this time. I have been very busy with work, with the band, with planning this trip, my kiddo has had much going on in school; my system just went into revolt. Before I ever had this condition my Mother use to comment all the time how I ‘burnt the candle at both ends’ – I was always full on go, limitless energy, very active. It is hateful to me to not be able to burn that candle like I could before, to have to stop when what I want is to do and to go.

This time when the chest pains hit The DMan was certain I was going down with a heart attack. I knew it was not the case. I was experiencing chest pain along with the lung pain, and with lupus this occurs. The lining of the heart simply oddly becomes inflamed, causes shortness of breath as in a heart attack but it’s not the same thing, although some lupus sufferers even children, have experienced heart attacks and strokes.

It seems people of Asian, Native American, Black, Jewish and Scandinavian descent more prone to auto-immune diseases. I happen to have Native American, Jewish and Scandinavian heritage in my genetic gene pool. I was diagnosed with this disease shortly after my darling 11 year old was born; apparently in people of Scandinavian descent it is common for it to be a later onset regarding our genetic structure and hits between 30 and 40 on the average. Studies continue with how and why this occurs and my daughter is subjected to blood screens annually to track her condition as this auto-immune disease can be hereditary. I pray she never gets it. Lupus Foundation – symptoms Lupus information.

I felt so badly I wasn’t able to even look at the blogs or twitter until this morning. I was sent home from the hospital yesterday as the medication received kicked in rapidly lowering my inflammation. I’ve still got to take heavy doses of the anti-inflammamatory medication but at least I’m not strapped into a bed with IV’s.

There will be other Alabama football games and I’m sure other concerts but I really hate that I had to miss the past weekend. I felt like writing this down this morning as I’ve found it therapeutic, blogging what I’m thinking no matter how asinine or mundane. For a few days this weekend I was quite depressed but that is a big enemy with this condition. I can’t let it get me mentally or it will own me. I can’t be Lupus I’ve got to be me and if I let it take me over I will lose me and then what’s the point?
Kings of Leon – Closer
“She took my heart, I think she took my soul
With the moon I run
Far from the carnage of the fiery sun

Driven by the strangled vein
Showing no mercy I do it again”

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