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! :)
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!
Monkeying around with the version of PHP employed by this website sounded like such a good idea at the time. Ideas like that on only three hours sleep usually do. Ideas like that are also often catastrophically wrong like today's boo boo that delayed last night's MCHL track listing because the site's database was royally buggered to the point of having to engage technical support...
Just when you think you've got the theme that you know the Ironclad players will absolutely love, real life has a way of throwing a spanner in the works in a big way. Fortunately, the theme survived pretty much intact with a special tribute bookending the show! :)
"Tommy" was an amazing album from The Who and one could be forgiven for wondering if they'd ever top that achievement. On this date in 1971, The Who made it very clear that they definitely had accepted that challenge with the release of "Who's Next" which is arguably their best album if not one of the best albums of all time. Midway through the third period of game 2, all three ladies playing in the game had recorded an assist and Miss Kristina had an awesome idea to celebrate that achievement... :)
When today is the day that I'm officially sans teenaged children, there's really no choice at all when it comes to the theme of the night... ;)
Tonight's theme features Madison Square Garden's longest tenured resident and proud New Yorker from the Island as we celebrate his ninth studio album "An Innocent Man" which was released on 08 Aug 2026 with a wee bit of temporal stretching to avoid opening up the Mystery Crate! :)
This album knocked an iconic LP from it's perch at the top of the Billboard Hot 200 Albums chart in 1984. Then it stayed there for the next 24 weeks...
Several silly postal geese managed to collaborate in today's playing of America's favourite game when unsolicited goods arrives at your post box! :)
James Taylor and Carole King collaborated on so many songs but there is one that stands above them all and that's the one she wrote and both of them recorded for their respective albums in early 1971. That tune is "You've Got a Friend" and for James, it topped the Billboard Hot 100 on this date in 1971 and would eventually go on to win Grammys for both JT and Carole in 1972. :)
Just when you thought your days of mending a blown bulb by the stupidest route possible in the wheel well was over, the Camry had other ideas! Any engineer who thinks that is an acceptable way to mend bulbs needs to be drawn-and-quartered and his head put on a pike above the walls as a warning to others... :(
45 years ago yesterday, the most successful solo album by any member of Fleetwood Mac was released. That album was "Bella Donna" by Stevie Nicks (with some help from Tom Petty and Don Henley) and to say it's a legendary one is a grand understatement!
Tonight's showcase game between the MCHL and the NC Autism Hockey League bringing attention to adaptive hockey has a very special playlist...every song played from the Zamboni to the final horn is by an artist/member of band/composer/subject of song that is neurodivergent. That six hour playlist contains some very famous and successful artists that might well surprise even the most dedicated listeners! :)
Imagine you're given a deadline that you comply with about halfway through the time a bank graciously allotted you only to find some AI agent summarily dismissed the case literally hours after you put the "Dispute Form" in the post? Yeah, the evil that "Green Dot Bank" is capable of apparently knows no bounds... :(
