Who? The Matrix?

Everyone has that hidden geek inside them. Mine is this: I have always been a fan of the series Doctor Who. Loved it since college. Yeah, it's campy and the older series definitely had the cheesy special effects. Yet, I, along with a large audience, still loved the show. I also like other sci-fi stuff like Star Trek and The Matrix. So, I see a rerun of the first Matrix movie the other day. I went online to check out something about one premise about the movie. Something was familiar that I hadn't realized earlier. Well, turns out our Matrix creators were definitely Doctor Who fans. There was like a 3 part series to the show back in 1976. Here is the description from Wikipedia:

the similarity of the film's central concept to a device in the long running series Doctor Who has also been noted. As in the film, the Matrix of that series (introduced in the 1976 serial The Deadly Assassin) is a massive computer system which one enters using a device connecting to the head, allowing users to see representations of the real world and change its laws of physics; but if killed there, they will die in reality.

Probably none of you care but I thought that was interesting. Not all of the Matrix was original.

Now I can sleep easier...

ONE WAY 1/19/2008

Not bad considering it was filmed on a camera phone! This one was on Saturday night the 19th at the CAC. Thanks to the Wylie kids for this one and the one after this!

Revolutionary Love

This one was at Highpoint on Sunday morning, the 20th

Mouse In the House

We had a mouse in the house today. It's gone now. However, here is the rundown:

• Mary wanted it out
• Katrina thought it was cute
• One of our cats ran away
• The other was nowhere to be found
• Our dog ran away too
• The mouse is gone now: to the great cold world of The Outside
• Maybe our cats saw too much of "Itchy and Scratchy"

And I missed all of it. Lucky me....

Latin Worship

Got to play at our Pilsen campus. I love it there. Totally cool to see how it all works there and everyone's total commitment to pulling it off.

I also don't mind all the local Mexican eating establishments.

mmm, good

Incredible Sign Update

No, not an Oak Lawn sign but, this was something I just saw in Lockport on Route 7 at the Will County Loan Office (I kid you not):

"Woman in the Kitchen
not the Oval Office"

I had to do a double take to read that right. Gee, I wonder how business is doing for them. Ladies, sounds like someplace you would want to go to, right? I mean, I'm no Hillary fan either but don't you think that kind of insults all women in creating a stereotype that harkens back to a 1950's mentality?

I wonder what will happen first: the sign changes or a broken window...

What? Who am I?

2 things today that might have myself re-evaluate who I am:

Finally saw myself in a video at CCC. When it is up on You Tube I will show. Let's just say it isn't heavy metal. Wondering? The kids will love it. Stay tuned...

Worked a little on our "New Giver's" song for next Saturday. I can't reveal it yet....shhhh. But when you find out, well, let's just say I will need to recover by playing several Rush and Rage Against the Machine songs back to back. Wondering? Stay tuned...

Guess what?

I watched American Idol yesterday.

That is amazing news in itself.

That's all, can't top that...

PING!

Football and Wiggles

No car available today. Just watching two playoff football games. A rare quiet day. The morning was even a bit easy for music: only three easy songs to play and all at the top of the service!

Nice.

By the way, yesterday morning I had my first shot at "acting" in a video! We were filming for a Generosity Conference video that will be shown next week. It was quite silly and quite fun. I was one of four "Wiggles" being part of the "group" singing the Generosity conference song. We filmed at the Enchanted Castle. There were many b-roll shots of us on the rides: roller coaster, flying airplane ride, and the monkeys (just like the tilt-a-whirl) plus playing some of the games. It was an entertaining couple hours. I will let you know when it is on You Tube.

I can't explain why today I have been walking in a haze. I mean, I had enough sleep last night. I think I have been eating well lately. I am on a 3-4 days/week excersize routine. I guess one could say it is the cold outside but I don't think so. Maybe tomorrow will be better. I know that there has been much on my mind as of late. It has been hard sometimes to concentrate. Let's see how tomorrow goes.

Also, as a little tidbit, my eyes and ears have been drawn to 1 Corinthians 13 - most of y'all would know it as the one about love: "Love is patient, love is kind...". Just thought I would share that with you. Have a nice day!

Man, it is cold outside.

New Laptop

Got a new laptop today. Exchanging it for the other one I had. Hopefully it will work better with media stuff. After all, my profession is in the Arts!

Yeah, I know this isn't exactly exciting news but it's all I have today!

Flying V Ukelele

Yes my friends, it arrived. Katrina's ukelele. Here is the proud owner

<=

Maybe I'll be a ukelele hero:

Oak Lawn Stop Sign Update

Monte Montgomery: Little Wing acoustic instrumental

Here is this acoustic guitar player, Monte Montgomery. first heard of him today from my good friend (and great guitar player too) John Boda. This guy is amazing. Check out this version of Little Wing. I know there are a number of guitar versions out there of this song, but this one is one of my favorites. There are others songs you can check out on You Tube. I just thought this one would be one to enjoy.

Guitar Talk

Sometimes it is good to go back and revisit some old guitar songs that I have done. What is always interesting is how I discover how I played many parts wrong. Today, since I heard it on the radio today, I went went back to Joe Satriani's "Satch Boogie". Found some parts that I missed. In the words of Yoda: I had to unlearn what I had learned. Now, I am going to get it right again. Next is Cliffs of Dover - should be cool.

I haven't heard of any Satriani songs in any of the Guitar Hero games? What? How in the world could they miss his stuff?

Our dog is weird

Mega-disaster trivia

Today I learned that if a double-neutron star collided somewhere in our galaxy, it could destroy most life as we know it today by pummeling us with intense gamma-ray radiation. It happened 450 million years ago and could happen again - about a 1 in a mega-million chance.

I'm smart...

Good Quote

Saw this on the back of a magazine that we get from Lifetime Fitness. Thought it was worth sharing:

"The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change"
- Carl Rogers

nice....

I like warm days near 60 degrees in January....

Chicago Sports rap

Sports in Chicago is down now, isn't it? The Bulls have to be one of the biggest disappointments in a long time (i.e., they suck). The Hawks are definitely a team with the arrow pointing up but they still are a year or two away from being really good. Right now, they are either really good or really bad (which is better than the last number of years where they were just really bad). The Bears, well, do we really need to talk about them? Nah. Sorry Sox fans, no talk of them on this blog. I am looking forward to the Cubs season. They are the only winning team in this city right now. Yeah, I have seen this movie of hope before (there has been 100 years of it) but, being a baseball fan, I still get into it.

It is going to almost feel like spring weather in the next couple days: 57deg on Monday? That's nuts!

Music Thought for the Day

So I was thinking and talking about this today: Q101 (the alternative music station) was running the top 101 songs of each of the years since they started this format in 1993. For the last 14 days of December they would devote one day to the best of a year until New Years Eve when they arrived at the best of 2007. Everyone then would vote on the best of the years and they would play that year's best on New Year's Day. I thought for sure it would be one of the more recent years, considering the demographic that they target. Guess what year wins? 1994 - the year of grunge (Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Smashing Pumpkins, etc.). I was a bit surprised by this. But then again, the age group of my son (+/- 13 years old) has favorite bands like Motley Crue, AC/DC, Rush, etc. Kids have so much to draw from and have an easier ability to access that music.

Of course, Guitar Hero III and Rock Band video games don't hurt either.

Revolution

Going over playing the Beatles' Revolution today. Man, that is some ugly sounding 60's distortion! Heard it a million times but it still is ugly! One of my favorite Beatles songs though!

Robbie Maddison HQ New Year's 2008 Motorcycle Jump Attempt

I remember as a kid building these makeshift ramps and doing jumps on my bike - trying to be like Evel Knievel. So, when I saw this, I thought it was real cool. The announcers are real bad but it is worth seeing. He ends up doing it twice! He literally jumps the length of a football field!

Merry New Year!

Merry New Year everyone! I stayed in last night. Alec and I watched Casino Royale then saw Collective Soul in concert on tv before ushering in the new year. Mary was tired from a lot of hard work she did with Stuff for the Poor earlier in the day and was out at around 10 (good for her!). Kat stayed at a friend's house. Today I do a bit of jamming at home then off to see my family at 3pm (my brother and his wife are in from Atlanta).

Enjoy your 2008!