There's no rest for the weary as we kick off Season XV of the MCHL Ironclad. When looking for a theme for tonight, one of the most shocking songs in their official playlist made the choice absurdly simple! :)
Pink Floyd's 13th studio album was released on this date in 1987 and represented the first album from the band since the departure of Roger Waters. "A Momentary Lapse of Reason" bears Pink Floyd's name and has most of the members playing on it, it is most certainly a David Gilmour project in all the ways that truly matter.
For most bands, releasing a single album is a labour of months if not years. On this date in 1991, Guns N' Roses dropped both Use Your Illusion I and II simultaneously... :)
Many bands can carry on with the departure of a key band member as Anika Nilles is proving on tour with Rush when she took on the monumental task of following in Neil Peart's footsteps. With the untimely passing of drummer John Bonham on this date in 1980, Led Zeppelin was one band that couldn't overcome his loss but their legacy and legend was undeniable!
Guilty until you're proved innocent with a heaping helping of lousy attitudes from the checkout clerk in the self-checkout bullpen and his manager! Welcome to another wonderful experience at the Mos Eisley adjacent Food Lion! :(
1985 was certainly the year for benefit concerts. Everyone remembers the mega-concert "Live Aid" but equally as star-studded and important was the "Farm Aid" concert that was held at the University of Illinois Memorial Stadium in Champaign-Urbana, IL a couple of months later. Today, Farm Aid is the longest running benefit concert series in America benefiting our farmers who need the help now more than ever!
All I wish for is a rocking theme and some tracks to bring it to life. When Meat Loaf's "Bat Out Of Hell" dropped on this date in 1977, the choice that ticked all of the boxes was crystal clear! :)
Most of the time, there is a theme to the show. And then there's those nights where you're just feeling a vibe and that vibe is cracking open the Mystery Crate and seeing what comes of it! :) This is one of those nights! ;)
Our second night of playoffs in the Helios Division sports a theme that comes from an album so appropriately named for what we're doing, there's no way I could ignore it! :)
The start of the MCHL playoffs isn't just a revelation, it's an a-ha moment as well! :)
The 25th anniversary of the attacks on 11 Sep 2001 seems a good time to remember what the motto of this country truly means and really embrace Benjamin Franklin's famous admonition at the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This theme is meant to speak to both America and the notion of coming together in common cause.
I have visited the site where the Twin Towers once stood several times and have never failed to be awed by the experience. This picture goes to prove that it's not necessarily what you're looking at to find something even greater that is so profoundly and emotionally seismic that you are forever changed. The true surprise is that it's taken me this long to actually write down the experience I've shared with those closest to me through the years.
The hockey world lost a true legend whose greatest coaching success was leading the Los Angeles Kings and Wayne Gretzky to a Stanley Cup Final in 1993. Even though the Kings would fall to the last Canadian team to hoist the Cup that year, he'd achieve even greater fame as an analyst on "The Deuce" who helped make the coolest game on earth relevant to American audiences outside of the northeast. The man, the mullet, the legend...Barry Melrose has passed away at the age of 70. :(
Six years ago today, we lost Ronald Bell who was one of the founding members of Kool & The Gang. When you've got a lot more time to play with because no one is on the ice when arriving at the rink, it's a seriously kool extended set! But I can assure you that I've not forgotten my fellow nerds as to the other anniversary for today... ;)
Common sense would have strongly suggested that door-to-door solicitation on *LABOUR DAY* is a really poor life choice. But when you're completely rude and disrespectful when you're called on *YOUR* exceptionally poor choices and the litter you put on the door is returned to you, you absolutely deserve everything karma suggests will be coming your way!
We're #1! We're #1! And this album and these tracks most certainly were on this day of the year... :)
Three years ago, Jimmy Buffett left us for that Conch Republic in the sky and life hasn't been the same ever since. This theme celebrates not only the most awesome ambassador of the Keys ever but one of my favourite cousins who has forgotten more about music than I'll likely ever know! :)
After a harrowing couple of hours on the phones with imbeciles at the gas company and then reading the runes for a theme for tonight's game...there was one clear winner that was instantly obvious! :)
We seem to be in the season of big companies replacing their payment processing systems in favour of an “improved customer experience”. I have yet to “experience” one that was actually handled competently…
You can’t find anything in the chaos, the price tags are small and extremely hard to read and the self-checkout kiosk user interface completely sucks! And this is at a Walmart that isn’t the Mos Eisley Walmart near me! The customer experience got even worse! Who knew?
It’s rare that I reuse a theme but Dolly Parton’s life certainly justified sharing that set with the Bendis division. But losing Tim Curry on the same day as Dolly…well, we have a special way of celebrating his most famous role! :)
She said only days ago that she still had so much more to accomplish. When you consider Dolly Parton's achievements, it's hard to imagine what more she could possibly do to make the world a better place than she already had and her foundation will ensure that good work continues for a long time to come! :)
Tonight's theme comes to us courtesy of an idea from Michael Gisser of the Gargoyles in the MCHL's Bendis division (who sadly won't hear the set that he inspired). His idea was such a wonderful one that I couldn't exactly let it go with at least three major concerts in Raleigh this weekend... :)
You'd think that paying off a credit card balance on time and as promised would be considered a good thing to be rewarded by a bank. Enter another aspiring "Bank of Evil" in the form of Synchrony Bank which bought the Lowe's credit card portfolio and promptly pivoted to some of the most diabolical policies I've ever seen.
Just when you thought you'd seen it all from those wretched buggers who come round to disturb you so they can flog their scams or wares, the latest ding-dong of a door-to-door Bozo truly reached epic levels of stupidity!
