Sec. 127. Row 10

Thanks to Jamie being on the ball this morning, I am one of the lucky 72,000 people who will be attending the U2 360 tour when it comes into Gillette Stadium on Sept 20.

According to Ticketmaster, the show sold out in hours and prompted a second show to be added the next night. So, while there will be more than 140,000 people seeing U2 over those two nights, (almost 5 times the population of Torrington) I still consider myself lucky to be in the mix.

The band’s stadium performances will be “in the round,” with a custom-made four-legged structure holding up the speakers, lighting and a large cylindrical screen, supposedly offering “an unobstructed view” to audiences.

There is a model of the setup HERE.

Y’all know U2 is my band and their concerts do not disappoint. Even non-diehards who have experienced the shows over the years (Ads, Jay, Keely, Jewett and even Cooter) have admitted they are a sight to behold.

The band always puts together a great setlist, sprinkling tunes from the new albums with classic hits and the occasional Beatles or Doors cover thrown in for good measure.

I’m super duper excited to hear songs from U2’s new album played out live. The album is the best thing the band’s put out since 1992’s Achtung Baby, and that certainly says a lot.

The show is still six months away, typing this now, that seems like an eternity to wait.  A whole other lifetime, perhaps. But that’s okay, anticipation is half the fun….actually, I take that back. Waiting sux. I want to go now!!

TOP FIVE SONGS I’ve seen U2 play in concert:

1. Sunday Bloody Sunday – Elevation Tour, Hartford Civic Center, June 2001.

2. Where The Streets Have No Name – Elevation Tour, Hartford Civic Center, June 2001.

3. ELEVATION-Vertigo Tour, Hartford Civic Center, Dec. 2005.

4. PRIDE – Popmart Tour, Foxboro Stadium, July 1997.

5. Staring at The Sun– Popmart Tour, Foxboro Stadium, July 1997.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

How excited I was Monday when I learned that one of my favorite shows, Friday Night Lights, was not only picked up for a fourth season, but a fifth season as well. Go Panthers!!

I find it my obligation to let people know when a TV show is worthy of an hour’s time each week. (LOST, BREAKING BAD, etc).  Friday Night Lights is def one of those shows.

Based on a best selling novel of the same name, FNL tells the story of the Dillon High School Panthers football team and their newly hired coach, Eric Taylor.

Friday Night Lights displays the stress that the town gives the high school players to win, and the hope that the team gives to a small town, and how a team has its low points, its high points, and how they come together as a team on their way to victory.

Season’s 1 & 2 are currently available on DVD, while season three is heading toward it’s season finale, Fridays (duh) on NBC.

And for those who need that extra nudge, the show is full of EYE CANDY. For the boys (as if a TV show about football isn’t enough) Minka Kelly (currently dating Derek Jeter) plays the girl next door beauty Lyla Garrity, while for the ladies, Taylor Kitsch (Gambit in the upcoming Wolverine movie and the rumored second choice to play Edward Cullen) plays the town’s resident bad boy Tim Riggins.

Extra Extra incentive? The star of the show, Kyle Chandler, who plays Coach Taylor, was last seen on network TV playing a member of the bomb squad on Greys Anatomy way back in the day…….yes, he’s the one that got blown to pieces…..now reassembled on Friday Night Lights, coaching the Dillon Panthers, and having sex with his smoking hot MILF wife, Julie Tammy.

“Clear Eyes. Full Hearts!”

21 Top Fives

MOVIES

1. The Shawshank Redemption

2. Forrest Gump

3. Rocky

4. The Empire Strikes Back

5.  Dances With Wolves

ACTORS

1. Tom Hanks

2. Daniel Day Lewis

3. Clint Eastwood

4. Johnny Depp

5. Jack Nichols0n

BANDS

1. U2

2. The Beatles

3. Toad The Wet Sprocket

4. Pearl Jam

5. The Samples

ALBUMS

1. The Joshua Tree

2. Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band

3. Dulcinea

4. Automatic For The People

5. Ten

TV SHOWS (still on)

1. LOST

2. Rescue Me

3. Breaking Bad

4. Friday Night Lights

5. Entourage

TV SHOWS (off the air)

1. The Sopranos

2. Six Feet Under

3. Buffy The Vampire Slayer

4. Battlestar Galactica

5. The Shield

HOLLYWOOD HOTTIES

1. Summer Glau

2. Minka Kelly

3. Katie Sackhoff

4. Natalie Portman

5. Kristin Bell

YANKEES

1. Paul O’Neil

2. Bernie Williams

3. Mariano Rivera

4. Derek Jeter

5. Don Mattingly

UCONN HUSKIES

1. Ray Allen

2. Ben Gordon

3. Scott Burrell

4. Emeka Okafor

5. Hasheem Thabeet

TEACHERS

1. Mr. Geci

2. Mr. Berubi

3. Mr Voigt

4. Mrs Grella

5.  Mr Bucklin (before he went nuts)

SONGS

1. Solsberry Hill

2. Graceland

3. Billie Jean

4. Pride

5. Walk On The Ocean

CONCERTS

1. U2 @ Hartford Civic Center (elevation tour)

2. U2 @ Foxboro Stadium (popmart tour)

3. Pearl Jam @ Meadows (yield tour)

4. U2 @ Hartford Civic Center (vertigo tour)

5. U2 @ Providence Civic Center (Halloween Night, elevation  tour)

NEW YORK YANKEE PLAYOFF MOMENTS

1. Aaron Boone homerun 2003 ALCS Game 7

2. Scott Brosious homerun 2001 World Series Game 5

3. Tino Martinez homerun 2001 World Series Game 4

4. The Flip

5. Jim Leyritz ’96 World Series game 4. “At the track, at the wall, we are tied!”

STAR WARS CHRACTERS

1. Darth Vader

2. Han Salo

3. Luke Skywalker

4. Obi Wan Kenobi

5. Yoda

CARD GAMES

1. Setback

2. 9/5

3. Texas Hold-em

4. King Pete

5. Rummy 500

DOG BREEDS

1. Golden Retriever

2. Lab

3. Puggle

4. German Shepherd

5. Beagle

SIMPSONS EPISODES

1. Lisa’s Future ( where she marries the British guy)

2. Last Exit to Springfield ( where Homer becomes head of the Union. )

3. Cape Fear ( where the simpsons hideout from Sideshow Bob on a boat )

4. Saturdays of Thunder ( Homer helps Bart build a soapbox racer )

5. Boy Scouts in the Hood ( Bart joins the junior campers)

WRESTLERS

1. Hulk Hogan

2. Bret Hart

3. Sean Michaels

4. Stone Cold Steve Austin

5. Ricky The Dragon Steamboat

8Os TV SHOWS

1. Little House on The Prairie

2. Macgyver

3. The Golden Girls

4. Different Strokes

5. Growing Pains

PARTY BANDS

1. Pandemonium

2. The Zoo

3. Derek & The Funbags

4. Kick

5. The Dave Matthews Band

TWILIGHT CHARACTERS

1. Jacob Black

2. Carlisle Cullen

3. Alice Cullen

4. Edward Cullen

5. Chief Charlie Swan

LOST: Now what’s going on exactly?

So here’s what we know for sure:

– Sawyer, Juliet, Miles, Jack, Kate, Hurley, and Sayid are in Dharma camp circa 1977. Farady, according to Sawyer, is missing, and young Ben Linus is walking about.

– Locke, Sun, Lapidus, Adult Ben Linus, and the survivors of the most recent crash are on the island circa 2007, according to Jack’s dad, who Sun and Lapidus met up with in a distinctly altered Dharma Camp.

-Apparently, whatever happened in 1977, whatever the Losties did, changed the future somehow and by the way that camp looks, burning and in shambles, I’m not sure if it was for the better.

According to a preview for tonight’s episode, Sayid is heard uttering the line, “I know why I am here.” I can only guess it’s to kill young Ben before he grows up to be powerful, scary, lying Ben.

Lots of questions to be answered. With so much going on these days it’s easy to lose track. If you find yourself (ahem) Lost, I recomend checking out the two study guides below:

An in-depth analysis of last weeks episode, “Namaste” can by found by clicking HERE.

And, a more visual recap can be seen below:

Mamma Say Mamma Sa Ma Cu Sa

I briefly glanced at yet another one of the FACEBOOK lists a few weeks back, asking members to list “The 15 Albums That Changed Your Life”.

I remember thinking, “yeah, I gotta steal that”.

I wouldn’t say the list below consists of albums that “changed my life”, but they are 15 that I listened too, ad naseum growing up. Most of them I still dust  off today.

None of these are more important than the others as far as this list is concerned. Instead I decided to group them in the order I remember discovering them.

1. MICHAEL JACKSON: Thriller

I didn’t have the cd, I had the little grey cassette tape. I remember playing it in my room on my black “Boom-Box”.  Back then, “Beat it” rocked my world, but today, I’ve realized that Billy Jean is the real gem on that classic album.

Best Song: Billy Jean

2. BON JOVI: Slippery When Wet

Once again, a little grey tape, blaring Living On A Prayer from the boom box in my room. I knew all the words to that rock anthem before I reached double digits in age.

BEST SONG: Living On A Prayer

3. POISON:Open Up And Say Ahh.

They looked like Women! Scary Women! But those cheesy danceable tunes from Bret, Bobby, Rikki and CC,  sounded so good and all the girls loved ’em, so it gave you something to talk about with your crushes in school.

BEST SONG: Nothing But A Good Time

4. GUNS N ROSES: Appetite For Destruction.

Simply put, one of the greatest rock albums ever. And what adolescent male didn’t study the tape insert depicting the slutty woman being assaulted by a robot. My sister and I used to laugh our asses off watching Bob Berglewicz mimic Axl Rose, strapped to the chair in the Welcome To The Jungle video.

Best Song: Sweet Child O Mine

5. DEF LEPPARD: Hysteria.

Pour Some Sugar On Me….nuff said.

6. AEROSMITH: Pump.

I knew every word, to every song on this album. Aerosmith was the first concert I ever saw, touring in support of this album.

Best Song: Love in an Elevator

7. PEARL JAM: Ten.

I liked the song Alive and truth be told, I thought the pink album cover was really cool so I bought it. Little did I know how influential this album would be. More than any other record I’d purchased up to that point, Ten made other albums, by Poison, Def Leppard and Bon Jovi seem really, really cheesy.

Best Song: Release

8. REM: Automatic For The People.

I bought the record because I dug the tune Drive. Every song on the album turned out to be gold. Except for maybe Everybody Hurts.

Best Song: Nightswimming

9. TOAD THE WET SPROCKET: Dulcinea.

This album became the soundtrack to my high school life. I’ll always associate it with my senior year and all my friends.

Best Song: Crowing

10. THE COUNTING CROWS: August and Everything After.

This album still makes it into my cd player on occasion. Though I always skip over Mr. Jones. A once great tune, ruined by radio.

Best Song: Rain King

11. LIVE: Throwing Copper.

One oddball, vague, ambiguous, yet catchy tune after another, make up this 90s classic.

Best Song: Selling The Drama

12. U2:The Joshua Tree & Achtung Baby.

I really dug the tunes Mysterious Ways and One, so I bought Achtung Baby.  The guy at Strawberries said it was their best album ever, besides of course, The Joshua Tree. So, while in the store, I bought that one too. Listening to the two albums non-stop for weeks began my love affair with the band. To this day, they are still my favorite band and the only musicians whose albums I still buy.

Best Song: I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For (Joshua Tree) and Trying To Throw Your Arms Around The World (Achtung Baby)

13. DAVE MATTHEWS BAND: Under The Table and Dreaming. The album is great. The concerts at The Meadows were better.

Best Song: Warehouse

14. THE SAMPLES: (The Checkered Album).

A band I discovered at Keene State College. The best album by “the best band in the world that you’ve never heard of”. Seeing them each year at Toad’s Place became a tradition.

Best Song: Birth of Words

15.  THE BEATLES: Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Yes, I discovered the best band ever mad late in my music listening career. I now own basically ALL their albums, but this one is my favorite.

Best Song: A Day in the Life

Breaking into A Million Little Pieces

I’ve been feeling a bit blue lately. Nothing helps me up when I’m down more than taking solace in the troubles of others. It helps when you see others who have it worse off than you do. For me, even when those “others” are fictional characters, it still seems to do the trick.

I believe Lisa Simpson once accused  Homer of this behavior after he seemed delighted that Ned Flanders was depressed after the Leftorium faced bankruptcy.  She called it Schadenfreude.

Lately, I’ve been sucked in to the pain and misery that is Walter White, the main character in the AMC show Breaking Bad.

Breaking Bad follows  White (Bryan Cranston, the dad from Malcolm in the Middle), a chemistry teacher who lives in New Mexico with his wife (Anna Gunn) and teenage son (RJ Mitte) who has cerebral palsy. White is diagnosed with Stage III cancer and given a prognosis of two years left to live. With a new sense of fearlessness based on his medical prognosis, and a desire to secure his family’s financial security, White chooses to enter a dangerous world of drugs and crime and ascends to power in this world. The series explores how a fatal diagnosis such as White’s releases a typical man from the daily concerns and constraints of normal society and follows his transformation from mild family man to a kingpin of the crystal meth drug trade.

I’m completely enamored by this show. It only took two episodes to completely suck me in. Season one is available on DVD. Season two is currently two episodes deep on AMC and runs Sunday nights at 10 p.m. I highly, highly, recommend it.

……………….

I’ve also been reading A Million Little Pieces, the semi-autobiographical memoir from James Frey, a 22-year-old alcoholic and drug abuser, sent to rehab by his parents, where he is told if he uses drugs and alcohol again, he will, in all likely hood, die.

One chapter in the book deals with James in the dentist office, getting his teeth repaired and, because he is an addict, is not allowed anesthesia or pain killers. They have to strap him in to the chair as his gums are drilled and his teeth are torn out. James believes he deserves this torture because he is “An alcoholic. A drug additct. A criminal.” I honestly got nauseous reading it.

…………………

So if you’re looking for the next big thing on TV, pick up Breaking Bad  season one on DVD and if you’re looking for a book, I can’t speak any “higher” of A Million Little Pieces.

If you’re having a bad day, week, month, or life in general, the story of a dying meth dealer and a recovering crack addict will surely brighten your spirits and maybe you’ll think twice before complaining because the temperature outside isn’t just right.

NAMASTE

….that is the title of tonight’s all new Lost. Namaste….it’s always been one of my favorite words. That and Gravitas.

Season Five of LOST is at it’s halfway point and the gang is officially back together, albeit in 1974, smack in the middle of the Dharma Initiative.

Lost left us with an old fashion cliff hanger last week, as Jack, Kate, Sayid and Hurley were brought to Sawyer, thanks to Jin, who’s obviously been on the lookout. Sawyer and Kate made eye contact, having not seen each other in three years, and then…..credits rolled.

I’m looking forward to a lot of reunions besides Sawyer and Kate. Especially Jin and Sun.

Before too long, I’m betting the frozen donkey wheel will be turned and the castaways will eventually end up in the correct time period, but not before more fun happens in ’74. I mean, come on, young Benji Linus has not even arrived yet.

I’m told, young Ben gets a major story arc that will explain who he is and more importantly “why” he is. I’m thinking, if the Losties were smart, knowing what they know now, maybe one of them should just kill the kid.

I’m thinking a nice old fashion Iraqi leg choke from Sayid should do the trick.

Mmmmore FACEBOOK Mmmemories

Betchya taught I fo’got ’bout da Facebook memories. Nah…Just procrastinatin’ as usual.

And here…we …go:

KRISTA MODINE: While partying at Tai’s I confronted you and asked you why you hated me, after finding out from Tai earlier in the day that you “couldn’t stand me”. Your answer was a good one, basically telling me it’s because I was an asshole to you whenever we shared the same space. I’m glad you were able to overlook that unfortunate personality trait of mine, as we’ve become great friends over the years.

JAMIE NIVOLO:You told me in strict confidence about some guy you were “seeing” at UCONN. You swore me to secrecy. One night, while partying withthe guys, I blabbed your secret to the crew, who in turn, blabbed it to you a few days later. You drove to BLOCKBUSTER where I was working at the time. You spent about 5 minutes, all in one breath I believe, telling me what an asshole I was for betraying your trust. After you were done ranting you told me it was hard for you to stay mad at me and that you’ve forgiven me. I think I got off REAAAL easy. Thank You.

JOE NOZZILILLO:Senior year swim meet. It was the diving competition at the WinstedYMCA I believe.  Tyson Smith biffed his dive and back flopped. The whole crowd was silent, until your bellowing laugh cut through the silence like a knife, which in turn caused me to have a laughing fit. I still remember the looks we got from parents for laughing at the poor kid. I’m laughing right now.

DANIELLE O’DELL:In 7th grade I told TK Langston to ask you if you were interested in me. You said it wouldn’t be right because I had just dumped Mina Gavell and she was your friend. A few days later, while at a dance, I decided to go for broke. I asked you to dance. You said “Sure”. Then I asked you out. Again you said, “Sure”….Nov. 4 1989.

TAI PARIS: While playing video games at your house a certified letter arrived, informing you that you’d won the Nobel Prize in physics for your work on the laser-based precision spectroscopy, including the optical frequency comb technique. Saying the award was too commercial you refused and it was instead given to Roy J. Glauber for for his contribution to the quantum theory of optical coherence

ERIN PECK MAZIARZ:The first few times I met you I was scared to death to talk to you. I assumed you to be a stuck up priss and figured you assumed me to be a sarcastic jerk. The ice was broken one night after a 15 minute conversation at the bar about, what else, Beverly Hills 90210. While a lot of things may have crossed my mind during that conversation, the idea that I’d be in your wedding someday was not one of them.

AIMEE PELLETIER: Fifth grade, sitting in music class in a circle, we were passing around some instrument and instructed to play a little tune the teacher had just taught us. I think it was an xylophone. I was clueless. The thing was put in front of me after being used by you and, sensing the trouble in my eyes, you sweetly asked, “Do you know what to do Walt?” I did not and you proceeded to show me. Out of a simple act of kindness on your part, I developed my first real crush.

HEATHER LAMBERT PERREAULT: I met you at Brian Shafer’shouse. You were over visiting his sister Jenn. I spent about a half hour flirting withyou and eventually asked if you wanted to join me the next day for a run. You said yes, and totally kicked my ass. We stopped in the woods and you asked me to help you with your hair tie, though I think you were just being nice and really sensed that I was about to pass out.

MARK PFEFFER: A group of us had just dropped acid at Tai’s. For some reason, while tripping, you and I both shared the same horrible fear: Tai’s MOM, Kim. Whenever she would approach us during those moments, we couldn’t help but laugh in her face. Anyway, we were about a half hour into our adventure and things were just starting to move, when who should walk into the room but Tai’smom. I instantly scoured the room for the phone so I could pretend I was talking to someone, thus not having to make eye contact with her. The device was nowhere in site. I looked across the room, and there you were, one step ahead of me, phone in hand, having a fake conversation, obviously thinking the same thing I was.

COLIN PRATT: While Adam’s basement, setback, Joe and the Jack of Diamonds is legendary, I’ll go with sitting at your moms house dressed in Togas, playing Mario Kart. “Here we go!”

Mein Kampf

A video for football fans. More specifically for Bills fans. More specifically for  CHOP:

Strange Days

Can a lack of anything that would be tabbed as “exciting” or “news worthy” qualify as “Strange” as this post would suggest? I dunno. Maybe that’s not the right word, “Strange”, but I don’t feel like changing it now so I’ll simply tell you ’bout my weekend, and you can call it what you want.

I had a sense Friday night, as I sat in the back row of  a Winsted Board of Education meeting (for work mind you. i don’t just hang out at BOE meetings on Friday nights.) that my weekend might not amount to anything.  The meeting was boring and my mind was wandering.

I had the weekend off and no firm plans. Jay and Jamie were  away at a Phish Reunion Show with a bunch of smelly hippies. Brian and Mere were expecting their second born. Cooter, as he has been for almost a year now, was working for the weekend. Tai is in permanent hibernation and I had already taken in a midnight showing of Watchmen (great!) the night before. So yeah, the only thing I really had planned this weekend was NOT to work, and quite honestly, I was fine with that.

I got home from work Friday night around midnight. I was a bit revved up after sitting for 4 hours in that meeting. All I could think about was “education budgets”.

I took a shower. Poured a glass of wine, not my favorite alcoholic beverage in the world, but the only booze in the house, then plopped myself  on the couch in front of the tube.

I woke up on that same couch at 10:30 in the morning, Saturday.

I was looking forward to UCONN vs PITT in an hour and a half, so I decided to get some errands out of the way.  I drove to Walmart to purchase some new headphones for my ipod. While there, I impulsively bought Joe Torre’s “controversail” book, “The Yankee Years”. I really had been meaning to buy it, but I had not planned on it when I went to Walmart Saturday.

On the way home I stopped at Double D for my first iced coffee of the season. I dunno why but I’m always embarrased to order them in the winter months. But it was pushing 60 degrees on Saturday so why not.

I arrived home just in time for the UCONN game…and that’s all I have to say about that….those fuckers!!

After the game I did something I haven’t done in quite a while. I popped on my ipod and went for a walk throughout my neighborhood. I thought a lot on that wallk: About my friends, and wondered what they were doing. I thought about Aidan and how smart he is, and wondered at what age his intelligence will pass mine, if it hasn’t already.  I thought about my father and how in the course of  two years, since retiring, he really has turned into an “old man”. I thought about the summer and things I’m looking forward to, like the baseball season, picnics, warm weather, summer movies, etc.

When I arrived home, for the first time since I purchased it on Tuesday, I actually opened the new U2 cd and popped it in the player. I sat in my recliner with the front door propped open, music turned up and began reading “The Yankee Years”.

It’s fun to get lost in a book sometimes. People who don’t read have no idea what I’m talking about. You others do. Being so passionate about the yankees and having followed them since I was 11 years old, I enjoyed the read more than the just the casual baseball fan. I swear, as I sat there for two hours, breaking only to piss or smoke a cigarette, I really did feel like I was in the Yankee clubhouse. The book brought back great memories of the yankees who defined MY generation: The ’96 team, the ’98 team, The Subway World Series, The Aaron Boone Game and The Collapse  in 04. I wasn’t just remembering those years, reading that book I was right there, back in Jamie’s living room, watching Jay spill wine as Boone’s homerun sailed into the left field seats and sent the Yankees to the World Series.

About 250 pages in my eyes got tired so I stopped. I had a bite to eat and laid on the couch. Within 10 minutes I was asleep. Ten minutes later my cell phone was ringing. It was Keely, telling me there would be no “game night” at her and Chuck’s, as he wasn’t feeling well.

And I was fine with that. It was 7 p.m. Saturday and my mind and body told me that today was an alone day for me.

I drove to Stop and Shop and rented a movie out of  REDBOX. The Film was called ‘Henry Poole Was Here’. Luke Wilson stars as a dying man who moves into a house in California to live out his days when suddenly his crazy Mexican neighbor thinks she sees the face of Jesus in the form of a wet spot on the side of Henry’s house. From that point on the movie turns into a lesson if faith. My advice to you all:  Don’t rent this film. It sucked.

The movie ended and I picked up my Yankee book again and began reading. The last thing I read Saturday was about the yankees losing the 2003 world series to the Florida Marlins. The last digits I recall seeing on the clock Saturday night were 3:17 a.m.

Sunday, in fullfilling a promise I made to Aidan many months ago, I took him to see a movie that I can’t believe I saw and would bet all the money in my bank account that I will never EVER see again. And that’s all I have to say about that.

Sunday night was once again spent with the Yankees book and my new U2 cd, which I can’t recomend enough. I also watched bits and pieces of the Back to the Future Trilogy shown on Encore. And now, at 1:30 a.m., here I am on the computer.

So, as you can see, nothing memorable about the weekend. Just a lot of mundane stuff. But I actually enjoyed myself. Everyone needs time to do nothing and that’s pretty much how I spent the past few days.

As for next weekend, with a stag party that I may or may not go to Friday and game night expected to return Saturday, and a new horror flick opening, I’m sure I’ll return to the world of the living….or I may go to Walmart and buy another book.