David Gilmour "Take A Breath"

Just because it's awesome... Here's a live performance of David Gilmour's "Take A Breath". Enjoy!

We're almost there...

Quote of the Day

"Trying to explain LOST to someone who's never watched LOST is like trying to explain sushi to someone who's never eaten sushi." -Me

The Office Is Back Tonight!!!

...and yes, Pam is on "the list", too!!!

Like Ric Flair, I'm Stylin' (WOOO!!!) and Profilin'

I'm not bragging, but...

...I just bought three new suits and a sports coat for pennies on the dollar... literally!

A clothing store here in town (and statewide) is closing its doors after many many years and as a result they are selling off everything at 80% - 90% off. While I hate to think of all the employees who are losing their jobs, these kinds of discounts don't come around everyday. So I took advantage of the situation.

Now I just need to find a few weddings or other formal functions to attend so these new duds don't hang unworn in the closet!

TONIGHT!!!

U2 News... From Bono Himself

The following was originally posted at U2.com...

'We’ve hit a rich songwriting vein and we don’t want to stop.' Bono has been talking to U2.Com about how the songs are shaping up for the new record and plans for 2009 to be their year. ‘This is our chance for us to defy gravity once again, ‘ explains Bono, calling in from a break in recording sessions in the south of France. ‘We have what it takes, we have the songs, new rhythms and a guitar player who is not ready to re-enter earth's atmosphere until he's taken a slice of the moon!' It's been fun, it's been maddening... there have been injuries and recoveries, no babies born that I know of, but this one is nearly ready for the new year of 2009.'

The band have been writing and recording the follow-up to ‘How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb’ since last year, and the feeling is that they’ve hit a creative groove so there are no plans to stop. Everyone, he says, is excited about where the recording is taking them. ‘When we set out on this record it was Larry who came up with the plan not to have a plan. He put up this idea that wouldn’t it be great just to make music for its own sake, not for the purpose of a live show or on album but just to see what we’re capable of…’ It’s an idea that’s paid off. Following sessions in Morocco, in Dublin and through the summer in France, the band have written ‘fifty or sixty’ tracks. And counting. ‘We’ve hit a rich songwriting vein,’ he explains. ‘It gets a bit dark down here but looks like we've found diamonds not coal. I thought a while back we might have the album wrapped by now, but why come up above ground now if there's more priceless stuff to be found?'

For now, they’re keeping a promise they made to themselves when they started writing: ‘We said to each other that if we got to the great place then we wouldn’t stop…’ So the writing and recording continues and while they now know what shape most of the album will take, they're not leaving the studio just yet. ‘We know we have to emerge soon but we also know that people don’t want another U2 album unless it is our best ever album. It has to be our most innovative, our most challenging… or what’s the point ?' They have no doubts that it will be as important a release for U2 as any. ‘It’s a brand new chapter for us, and everyone we’ve played the tracks to has said that musically it feels like another departure. The last two records were very personal, with a kind of three piece at their heart, the primary colours of rock - bass, guitars and drum. But what we’re about now is of the same order as the transition that took us from The Joshua Tree to Achtung Baby.’

He also mentions that the recording in Morocco was the first time the band have worked in a studio open to the sky: ‘On that track you can hear the sound of a swallows nest close to the building - it’s beautiful.’

Longtime collaborators Danny Lanois and Brian Eno have joined the band at different times, and, more recently, Steve Lillywhite – usually a tell-tale sign that a record is nearly done. ‘Steve has that ear for a top line melody and a good hook.’ But while Bono is itching to get the music out he says it’s going to be early 2009 when we first get to hear the songs. ‘I’m always the one who underestimates how easy it is to simply 'put out the songs now', if it was just up to me they’d be out already! But early next year people will be able to start hearing what we’ve been doing. We want 2009 to be our year, so we’re going to start making an impression very early on …'

The Colonel Just Made My Day!!

OK, so I've had a pretty crappy day. First off, it's Monday, which by default means it's a crappy day. Once I got to work, I found TWENTY-TWO analysis requests in my mailbox. Then, later in the day, I heard that Pink Floyd's Richard Wright had passed away. I've been fighting a steady headache all day long. On top of all that, my diamond shoes don't fit and all of my $100 bills won't fit in my wallet (OK, so I made that last part up!!)

But then I came home and started surfing the 'net. While reading Bret's (aka The Colonel's) blog, I learned that The Dame is re-opening!!!! They are moving to Main Street Live (formerly A1A, formerly Avio, formerly a hundred other names). This is great - and, in my opinion, it makes perfect sense to kinda merge the two venues. I can't wait!!

Thanks for the news, Colonel!!

R.I.P. Richard Wright

Richard Wright, one of the founding members of Pink Floyd, passed away today after a battle with cancer. He was 65.

One More Week!!!

HAPPY METALLICA DAY!!!!!!!

Money...

I've worked in a bank either on a part-time or full-time basis since the age of 16. You could say that banking is really all I know.

Anyway, before I started working in the banking industry I thought a million dollars was a lot of money, but in the grand scheme of things in this great country of ours, a million dollars really isn't that much money. Let me explain...

My job consists of analyzing large loans of $500,000 and above and basically telling the Bank the likelihood that the loan will or won't be paid back. I analyze personal and corporate financial statements, tax returns and credit reports and write a summary of the credit or credits to our loan committee, which consists of loan officers, market presidents and, of course, the owners of the Bank (my place of employment happens to be privately owned, hence owners rather than shareholders). It's a really great job for someone like me. I am overly analytical and I NEVER stop thinking. My brain never stops. In fact, I dream vividly almost every night, which I'm sure is due to my over-active brain. So you see, even when I'm SLEEPING my brain won't shut down! But I digress... (See what I mean?)

Today, I worked on an annual review of one of our biggest customers. The current balance on their five credit relationships is.....


Drumroll....


$13,526,894

I can't even begin to imagine having that much money, let alone owing that much money. It's insane! I mean, really, how much is enough? How many yachts can you water ski behind? How many private jets can you fly? How many homes can you live in? How many cars can you drive?

I guess that's why I haven't won the Powerball jackpot yet. The man upstairs really has my back, because if I had millions of dollars, my brain would probably explode!

Two More Weeks!!!

30 Seconds of Each Song from the New Metallica Album

I know that only Brad and Gordon will watch this, so this is for you guys!