End of the line...

Well, it has been quite a year, hasn't it? Besides the very serious and alarming economic collapse, there are some other not so serious things that have happened this past year. I won't bother talkig about the economy, as there are others out there with much more expertise in this area... and really, who needs one more person commenting on it and restating the obvious?

Anyway... this year has held some cool surprises, musically:

1. Sound Revolution releases its first LP. Ok, I know, shameless plug for the band... but seeing as how this is my blog, it is representing what is big to me ;-)

2. MetallicA - Death Magnetic is released. This is hands down the best album of the year, if not the century so far for me. This album saw MetallicA return to their roots... and it proves why they really are the best metal band out there. Ok, I know people will say, well what about this band or that band... well, again, this is my blog. ha ha.

3. Guns n' Roses - Chinese Democracy is released.

4. Billy Joel - Saw the last play at Shea with Paul McCartney ending the show... Amazing concert, and helped me rediscover a lot of Billy's songs. For those that knew me in Childhood, the Beatles and Billy Joel were two of my favourites, along with MetallicA.

There's more... but, since Im sure I've already bored my one reader, I'll stop.

Happy New Year!!!

Hope to see you all in 2009!

Miami 2017

Ok... So there it was in May that I said I would post more... and here it is the end of July... and this is my first post. 

Yes, I procrastinate.

But, in my defense... I have been quite busy.

The band's first album is coming along nicely, and we head to the studio today for our last day of mixing.

Oh, my wife and I went to see Billy Joel at Shea Stadium last week.  It was an incredible show... He played for over 3 hours, and the show ended with Paul McCartney playing.  As a Beatles fan, and Billy Joel fan, you can't ask for much more in a show.  It was the last concert every at Shea Stadium before they tear it down...  Sad to see it go, but as a Yankees fan and not a Mets fan, I am much sadder to see Yankee Stadium get torn down this year as well.

Time moves on, I guess? 

Anyway... Billy opened with the National Anthem, followed by the song Miami 2017, which subsequently I have not been able to get out of my head.

Take a listen if you get a chance... it's off of his album Turnstiles.  (Turnstiles was the first album he made after moving back to NY from LA... anyone take a guess as why I like it so much?)

I'll try to update more frequently... I won't promise this time though ;-)

I should post more

Ok, so my good friend over at Just Peachy told me that I should start posting more... So, I will try to do that.  

I'm very happy that it is Summer!  The winter really dragged on this year, and I am looking forward to many days of hanging out in the park and at the beach.

On a completely random note... I was back in LA last week, and I can't believe how much gas costs.  I have gotten used to not needing a car, and forgot that you can burn hundreds of dollars a week just on gas (if you have a long commute)!

Thankfully, we have a great mass transit system here in NYC!  Anyway... I'll leave you with a few pictures celebrating my love of our transit system here in NY.

Wednesday

...ever feel like it is never going to end?

Every week, it feels like it is always Wednesday... Basically, the week has already begun, but there is still so much to do before the weekend.

C'est la vie, I guess.

Oh, by the way, those of you on Facebook should check out Sound Revolution's new Facebook page.  Just search for Sound Revolution and you should be good to go!

Mission: MetallicA

Hey everyone... well, ok, once again, I know no one reads this.  But if I did have readers... anyway...

I am very excited about the upcoming MetallicA album.  From all reports, it should really be phenomenal!  They have created a new website, which will go live on May 12, which will allow us to listen to the album before it is done.

I can't wait!

A tout le monde

Hi Everyone!

Well, to update you all, since it has been over a year since my last post. My lovely wife and I have relocated to New York and have been living here for the past year. It has been great, and really has been very surreal living back here after all of these years.

I have been playing in a rock band again... actually, the same band I used to play in High School with. You should check us out sometime!

I'm working for a Media Company now, and man, it is a lot nicer than my last place of employment.

Still... it is getting colder, and it makes me nostalgic for my younger years for some reason... as well as making me a little melancholy. I guess it is the fact that it is getting darker and colder out. I must say, I do miss the L.A. weather.

I've been getting back into some metal again.... maybe it's being back in the city of my youth... If you feel like listening to a nice song... well, depressing, but nice, listen to A Tout Le Monde by Megadeth.

That's it for now... I'll try to write more soon!

Moonlight

Well, we are married!! It was a week ago, and it went off well. Although I was so nervous that I really don't remember the day well... Just bits and pieces.

I'm writing this from Cancun, where me and my wife are honeymooning. Actually, it is night time right now, and thanks to the kick ass wireless they have at this resort, I am sitting on the beach at night writing in my blog. Pretty damn cool. My wife loves to be next to the ocean, and wanted to be out here at night... and I thought it would be cool to write from the beach. So, voila! Here I am ;-)

We went scuba diving a few days ago. Well, I think that while it was a cool experience, it will be my last. My wife and I both decided that we are happier above the sea. Breathing underwater just doesn't feel... right. Anyway... we have video and pics to prove we did it, so that is good!

Ok, I know I used to be into Metal and all... but I'm listening to Crowded House right now. You know... that old song Don't Dream It's Over. Nice and relaxing music for a moonlight night by the ocean... Now we're listening to Radiohead. Creep. Great song!

I'm very excited to see what the future brings. We are starting out on a new journey... or, a quest even... the quest to see what's over the next hill =)

See you all soon!

Random... ramblin' while riding

On the train right now. I like taking the train... it gives me the pleasure of passing by all the traffic that I would normally be sitting in. Well, the wedding is now 3 weeks from Saturday... Coming quickly. I still feel like we have so much time,but it really is coming down to the wire.

We are moving to Hong Kong in August. Woohoo! A change of scenery will be nice. I've had enough of Los angeles for awhile... would still like to move back to civilization in NYC, but we'll see what the future holds now.

I heard a new MetallicA song today. Sounded very heavy, and Lars' drumming was awesome. They performed it live in Berlin... I'd love to go back to Germany to visit again. Maybe in a few years. Well... that's enough for now.

'nuff said.

Silk

We had to put our cat to sleep this morning. He was one of a kind, and had the funniest personality. He was only 8. I don't know when we will ever feel exactly right again, as he has been part of our life for a long time. He will be missed. I am dying inside.
I can't say anything else.

Sleeplesss again...

Ever have insomnia? I've been a sufferer of it for the past 15 years. It comes and goes in severity, but it is always in the background, threatening to come back. Argh. So annoying. As you may have guessed, I'm suffering from a bout of it right now. Which is why I'm writing to all my wonderful readers. Well, ok, no one really reads this, but still, if I *DID* have readers, I'd be writing to them. Anyway, I rant...

I've (once again) been listening to nostalgic music. This week it has been

*drum roll please*

Bob Dylan, among others... brings me back to being a kid. God, life was so simple when I was in my teens. It's very cliche to say but... "Youth is wasted on the young"

Well, getting back to Dylan. It's funny, I used to love the song "Like a Rolling Stone", when I was a kid. I felt like I was listening from Dylan's point of view... but, as time has progressed, I now feel like he's singing about me. Ok, ok, I know that (first of all) he's singing about a girl. But I think the whole meaning behind the song is... people who once knew everything, but are now humbled, and have sacrificed all of their ideals as life has gone on...

"How does it feel..." Well, bob, it feels like life to me. ;-)

On a much happier note... my wedding is now two months away. God, the past 11 years have gone quickly. Who would've known that 2006 would be the year we would tie the knot. I think it has been a good thing to wait all this time. We were so young when we started dating, and I really think we used to the time to get our 20s out of the way., and all the various crap you do in your 20s.

Well... that's it for my late night ramblings ;-)

Róisín Dubh

I love the phrase Róisín Dubh. I think it is very beautiful, and the phrase stirs some deep emotion in me, for some reason. So... I thought a beautiful Irish poem was in order today... and it happens to be called Róisín Dubh. (Some explanations and translations follow...)

A Róisín ná bíodh brón ort fár éirigh dhuit-
tá na bráithre ag dul ar sáile is iad ag triall ar muir,
tiocfaigh do phardún óa bPápa is ón Róimh anoir
is ní spáráilfear fíon Spáinneach ar mo Róisín Dubh.

Is fada an réim a lig mé léi ó inné do dtí inniu,
trasna sléibhte go ndeachas léi is mo sheólta ar muir;
An éirne scoithe sí de léim í cé gur mór é a sruth;
is mar cheól téad ar gach taobh di a bhíonn mo Róisín Dubh.

Mhearaigh tú mé, a bhradóg, is nár ba fearrde dhuit,
's go bhfuil m'anam istigh i ngean ort is ní inné ná inniu.
D'fhág tú lag anbhann mé i ngné is i gcruth;
ná feall orm is mé i gnean ort, a Róisín Dubh.

Shiúfainn féin an drúcht leat is fásaigh goirt
mar shúil go bhfaighinn rún uait nó páirt ded thoil;
a chraoibhín chumhra, gheallais damhsa go raibh grá agat dom,
is gurb í plúrscoth na Mumhan í mo Róisín Dubh.

Dá mbeadh seisreach agam threabhfainn in aghaidh na gcnoc
is dhéanfainn soiscéal i lár an Aifrinn do mo Róisín Dubh;
bhéarainn póg don chailín óg a bhéarfadh a hóighe dhom
is dhéanfainn cleas an leasa le mo Róisín Dubh.

Beidh an Éirne 'na tuilte tréana is réabfar cnoic,
beidh an fharraige 'na tonnta dearga is an spéir 'na fuil,
beidh gach gleann sléibhe ar fud éireann is móinte ar crith,
lá éigin sula n-éagfaidh mo Róisín Dubh.

In English, the name Róisín can be translated as Rosaleen. The name Róisín Dubh can be translated as Little Black Rose, or sometimes Dark Rose (or Dark Rosaleen). Some of you who are familiar with Thin Lizzy will note the name of one of their albums was Black Rose, and they also had a song called Róisín Dubh(Black Rose), where they (obviously) translated Róisín Dubh as Black Rose.

Here's a famous translation by James Clarence Mangan:

O MY dark Rosaleen,
Do not sigh, do not weep!
The priests are on the ocean green,
They march along the deep.
There's wine from the royal Pope,
Upon the ocean green;
And Spanish ale shall give you hope,
My dark Rosaleen!
My own Rosaleen!
Shall glad your heart, shall give you hope,
Shall give you health and help, and hope,
My Dark Rosaleen.

Over hills, and through dales,
Have I roamed for your sake;
All yesterday I sailed with sails
On river and on lake.
The Erne, at its highest flood,
I dashed across unseen,
For there was lightning in my blood,
My dark Rosaleen!
My own Rosaleen!
Oh! there was lightning in my blood,
Red lightning lightened through my blood,
My Dark Rosaleen!

All day long in unrest,
To and fro do I move,
The very soul within my breast
Is wasted for you, love!
The heart in my bosom faints
To think of you, my Queen,
My life of life, my saint of saints,
My dark Rosaleen!
My own Rosaleen!
To hear your sweet and sad complaints,
My life, my love, my saint of saints,
My Dark Rosaleen!

Woe and pain, pain and woe,
Are my lot, night and noon,
To see your bright face clouded so,
Like to the mournful moon.
But yet will I rear your throne
Again in golden sheen;
'Tis you shall reign, shall reign alone,
My dark Rosaleen!
My own Rosaleen!
'Tis you shall have the golden throne,
'Tis you shall reign, shall reign alone,
My Dark Rosaleen!

Over dews, over sands,
Will I fly for your weal:
Your holy, delicate white hands
Shall girdle me with steel.
At home in your emerald bowers,
From morning's dawn till e'en,
You'll pray for me, my flower of flowers,
My dark Rosaleen!
My fond Rosaleen!
You'll think of me through daylight's hours,
My virgin flower, my flower of flowers,
My Dark Rosaleen!

I could scale the blue air,
I could plough the high hills,
Oh, I could kneel all night in prayer,
To heal your many ills!
And one beamy smile from you
Would float like light between
My toils and me, my own, my true,
My dark Rosaleen!
My fond Rosaleen!
Would give me life and soul anew,
A second life, a soul anew,
My Dark Rosaleen!

O! the Erne shall run red
With redundance of blood,
The earth shall rock beneath our tread,
And flames wrap hill and wood,
And gun-peal, and slogan cry

Wake many a glen serene,
Ere you shall fade, ere you shall die,
My dark Rosaleen!
My own Rosaleen!
The Judgment Hour must first be nigh
Ere you can fade, ere you can die,
My Dark Rosaleen!

...a bit down...

Ever have those days/weeks/months/lives where you just are down in the dumps? I'm going through one of those phases now. Hopefully I will get out of the funk soon. Anyway... since I'm not feeling that creative or expressive today... Here's a song that I thought described me well, at least the first verse, when I was younger. I still listen to it when I'm down... (lyrics in italics are the ones that mean the most to me...)

Got To Give It Up - Thin Lizzy

I've got to give it up I've got to give it up
That stuff
I've got to give it up I've got to give it up
That stuff

Tell my mama and tell my pa
That their fine young son didn't get far
He made it to the end of a bottle
Sitting in a sleazy bar

He tried hard but his spirit broke
He tried until he nearly choked
In the end he lost his
Bottle drinking alcohol

I've got to give it up I've got to give it up
That stuff
I've got to give it up I've got to give it up
That stuff

Tell my brother I tried to write and
Put pen to paper but I was frightened
I couldn't seem to get the words out right
Right quite right

Tell my sister I'm sinking slow
Now and again I powder my nose
In the end I lost my bottle
It smashed in a casbah

I've got to give it up I've got to give it up
That stuff
I've got to give it up I've got to give it up
That stuff

I've got to give it up I've got to give it up
That stuff
I've got to give it up I've got to give it up
That stuff

I've been messing with the heavy stuff
For a time I couldn't get enough
But I'm waking up and it's wearing off
Junk don't take you far

Tell my Mama I'm coming home
In my youth I'm getting older
And I think it's lost control
Mama I'm coming home

I've got to give it up I've got to give it up
That stuff
I've got to give it up I've got to give it up
That stuff

Class reunions

Contrary to what people may think, me having been a metalhead in High School... I actually enjoyed my last two years. The first two sucked big time, but, the last two more than made up for it. My 10 year reunion is happening, and I really am looking forward to it. One thing though, it is a pain in the ass trying track people down. Some people don't write back, and most of the email addresses I have don't work anymore.

Well, in other news... we're settling, finally, on a venue for our wedding, which will take place next year. I keep getting asked why it has taken us over 10 years to decide to get married... well, time flies, and we just figured we'd take the next big step! In all honestly, time has gone by so quickly, it doesn't feel like 10 years.

Is it Friday yet? I need to sleep.

Rock n' Roll Ain't Noise Pollution

Ever sit back and wonder what happened to people you once knew? It's becomes easy to lose track of old friends after a few years... Sorta depressing. Anyway... onto brighter subjects. Ah, screw it.. I've had this song stuck in my head again all day, and I think I'll just post the lyrics, because I'm feeling Nostalgic and I used to love this song when I was growing up... it's by AC/DC... Here 'ya go!

AC/DC
Rock and Roll Ain't Noise Pollution
Written by - Young, Young & Johnson
From - Back In Black

Alright
Hey there all you middle men
Throw away your fancy clothes
And why you out there sittin' on a fence
So get off your arse and come down here
Cause rock 'n' roll ain't no riddle man
To me it makes good good sense
Good sense let's go

Heavy decibels are playing on my guitar
We got vibrations comin' up from the floor
We're just listenin' to the rock
That's givin' too much noise
Are you deaf you wanna hear some more

We'll just talk about the future
Forget about the past
It'll always be with us
It's never gonna die
Never gonna die

Rock 'n' roll ain't noise pollution
Rock 'n' roll ain't gonna die
Rock 'n' roll ain't noise pollution
Rock 'n' roll it will survive
Yes it will

I took a look inside your bedroom door
You looked so good lyin' on your bed
Well I asked you if you wanted any rhythm and love
You said you wanna rock 'n' roll instead

We'll just talk about the future
Forget about the past
It'll always be with us
It's never gonna die
Never gonna die

Rock 'n' roll ain't noise pollution
Rock 'n' roll ain't gonna die
Rock 'n' roll ain't no pollution
Rock 'n' roll is just rock 'n' roll
Rock 'n' roll ain't noise pollution
Rock 'n' roll ain't gonna die
Rock 'n' roll ain't no pollution
Rock 'n' rolling will survive
Rock 'n' roll ain't no pollution
Rock 'n' roll will never die
Rock 'n' roll ain't no pollution
Rock 'n' roll
Ah rock 'n' roll
Is just rock 'n' roll, yeah
©1980 - J. Albert & Son, Pty.

Later!

RaVeN

Monday.

...Enough said...

...All roads lead to home?!

Well... another week is done. Sometimes I feel as if the energy has been sucked out of me. But, weekend is here. It's sort of sad though that so many of us base our whole lives around weekends, or days off. Shouldn't we be allowed to have a career that is just as enjoyable as our time off is? I know, I know, I'm complaining. But seriously, when did we let our dreams die, and just settle for convienence?

Ok... this is all leading somewhere...

I think that it is possible to move back to New York. I'm not holding my breath, because I've been disappointed before. But, I think I may be able to find some work back there that will be a little more satisfying AND will enable me to be back with my family. We shall see, however... As I said, I'm not holding my breath.

Well... I'll leave you with a quote: "Everytime I'm falling down, all alone I fall to pieces"

Níl aon tintéan mar do thintéan féin.

Níl aon tintéan mar do thintéan féin.
There's no place like home.

I'm going home to New York City tomorrow... No matter how far I have stayed away, or how long I have lived elsewhere, nowhere feels as familiar and comfortable as New York. It's funny, but people don't realize how much New York is part of a person, if they were born and raised there. There's a certain attitude and pride that never really leaves a person. In fact, when people ask me where I live, I automatically say "I'm live in L.A., but I'm from New York". I guess the point is that, like Dorothy said in the Wizard of Oz, "There's no place like home", or Níl aon tintéan mar do thintéan féin.

I have been going through some of my old music recently... I guess talking about the whole generational thing got me thinking, and I've been listening to some of my old AC/DC albums... Well, ok, I had ripped them all awhile back to play on my MP3 player, but I hadn't thrown any on in some time. Anyway, one song that has been stuck in my head for a few days now is "Rock n Roll Ain't Noise Pollution" off of Back In Black... it's weird, listening to it brings me back to being a pissed off 16 year old... I can almost close my eyes and remember that time as if it were still in the present.

Ah, but I digress.

Anyway, for those of you who are yearning for a trip down memory lane, I suggest throwing in some old music, closing your eyes, and letting yourself be taken back.

Sláinte chugat
Good health to you!

Ramblin' man

Maidin mhaith!

For those of you who don't speak Irish, that is Good Morning! I'm trying to learn Irish... being an Irish citizen, I thought it would be proper to learn the official language ;-)

I've been thinking more about the whole Generational classification issue that I was going on about yesterday. It seems that while I am lumped into Gen X, that is actually more appropriate, because musically, my age-group still liked rock-n-roll, whereas the next Generation were way more into Rap and Hip-hop. lol, I remember someone trying to coin the phrase in the early 90's "Generation Grunge". I think that definition is more appropriate for the time period, then the whole generation...

On a completely different note... my brother is getting married in April, and I am really looking forward to it. He is marrying a wonderful woman, and I am looking forward to the wedding and receptions... that's right, receptions. There will be one in NYC and one in Singapore. Should be a blast!

I've been listening to XM radio a lot on the way into work... I have decided that I can probably not go back to regular radio, as I am sick of hearing 2 or three songs and then 5 minutes of commercials (all the station seem to have commercials at the same time). It's nice also, to hear different songs instead o the same ones, over and over again. Anyway, I will post more later... for now, back to life.

Catch 'ya on the flip side!

Life...

I woke up a few days ago and realized my 20's were ending, and I was in a career I don't like. It's refreshing though, because I'm looking at my life with a renewed interest and am very excited to find out exactly who I am. I think a lot of us, in our 20s, and especially in our late 20s, went into computers because that is the thing to do.

Talk about identity crisis.

Here we are, the tail end of the gen X generation, but not really Gen X, and definitely not Gen Y. We are lost in a sea of dead-end careers and missed memories. Lest we not think that I always float around on gloomy subjects...

Rock-n-roll finally seems to be picking up! The late 90s was awash with bland music, and it carried over into this century. Some of the new bands coming out are blowing me away. Especially those whose members are made up of old bands that I already like ;-)