SpringCon 2013

Jack, Maggie and I met the Jankovich's for the spring comic convention. We also met Mike D there. This is becoming a tradition and I like that.

At the MN State Fairgrounds

the Ghostbusters had Stark Industries gear

with Batgirl

Maggie holding her own against the competition for action figures

Ayreon - The Final Experiment

This album has been the center of my musical obsession all week. First I love the prog-rock elements. The metal is a guilty pleasure. Much of the music often reminds me of Mannheim Steamroller christmas music, over the top and sometimes cheesy. It's metal, but it still has that 1990's saccharin positiveness. Not that angry metal that's out now. Epic fantasy rock. Great stuff.

THIS IS THE VOICE OF MERLIN. LISTEN WELL,
FOR IT CONCERNS YOU. THIS CHRONICLE COMMENCES IN THE YEAR 2084 A.D.
MANKIND HAS VIRTUALLY DESTROYED ITSELF.
IT'S SURVIVAL DEPENDS ON 'THE FINAL EXPERIMENT'.
SCIENTISTS FROM THE 21ST CENTURY HAVE DEVELOPED
A NEW COMPUTERPROGRAM CALLED 'TIME TELEPATHY'.
BY USING THIS TECHNIQUE THEY HAVE SENT VISIONS OF HUMANITIES'
DECLINE BACK IN TIME. THESE TRANSMISSIONS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED BY THE MIND
OF A BLIND MINSTREL WHO LIVES IN 6TH CENTURY GREAT BRITAIN. HIS NAME ....
IS 'AYREON'.

The Final Experiment is the first album under Ayreon. Are the subsequent albums more visions the blind minstrel experiences and sings? Perhaps Ayreon overcame Merlin's curse!

Soundtrack of Now

It is spring and winter has [finally] stopped appearing. It's wearing-shorts-nice. School is ending just over the horizon. Trees are budding. It's lighter later.

This post is a snapshot of some of the music that has caught my interest on primarily 89.3 the Current. These are songs that I will either allow to play or actually turn up the volume on. Songs I enjoy and look forward to.

The soundtrack of this chapter, if you will.

Gentle Giant Octopus

Gentle Giant - Octopus

So my mind was blown a tiny bit yesterday. On my commute I opted to listen to Gentle Giant. The only album I have of this amazing and extremely prog-rock group is Octopus. The music is of a nature that might blow one's mind, on it's own. But then...

Later, as the kids are getting ready for bed, Jack shows me his latest favorite library book. Gentle Giant Octopus.

Took me a few seconds to figure out what was going on.

I had an ultrasound on my heart today as a follow up/check up to see if there was any damage from my time of apnea before CPAP treatment. The doctors said they'd be extremely surprised if there was a problem. It was an interesting experience.

Savage Bloggers Network

After posting a blog entry that took more effort than most- Star Wars for Savage Worlds I was submitted to the +Savage Bloggers Network. Oh my goodness! My site has never seen such a traffic spike! There have been some in the past and some of the posts that triggered them are still causing traffic, but nothing like this. Thank you Savage Blogger Network. I shall include more Savage Worlds stuff because of it.

so this happened...

SinFest

Sometimes SinFest is profound.

5 Reasons to Kill Christian Music

Here's an interesting article that I think is appropriate. There are very few Christian bands that are of much quality.

5 Reasons to Kill Christian Music

 Several years ago I had a moment to actually talk with Daniel Smith of the Danielson Famile and asked something about his influences and about being a Christian band. He replied along the lines that he doesn't consider himself a Christan band. They are just a band that make songs about things that are important to them.

I believe that is the healthiest philosophy for anything.

Recently having rediscovered the music from 2nd Chapter of Acts, I've been enjoying the tracks that aren't so overtly Christian the most.

There was a South Park episode that illustrates this point perfectly, actually (because, you know as awful as that show is, they are very honest).

Christian Rock Hard

Narnia

My kids are often requesting to listen to Narnia!

This is a huge personal win for me. This album, more than any other, influenced a great deal of my life as it is now.

Roar of Love by 2nd Chapter of Acts is a concept album telling the C.S. Lewis fantasy novel- The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe with fantastic '70s music with lots of synthesized effects and amazing harmonies. It is, in my opinion, the band's greatest album.

Listening to the music again, lately, I've discovered that this is most likely the source of much of the music I find passion in these days. This very record (and a few of 2nd Chapter of Act's others) where engraved on my brain from the start.

The 1970s had the best music.

On top of the great music the message is wondrous. Through the downs and ups of my spiritual walk, I have come to consider C.S. Lewis as my spiritual leader- come to realize that he is would probably be more accurate. The gospel message interlaced through the story is perfect.



And lastly, this is a fantasy story. Other worlds, witches, magic, swords and shields... you can't go wrong with that kind of world. All of the Chronicles of Narnia are wonderful and based on sound theology.

So when my kids want to hear Narnia, I consider it a victory every time.

2nd Chapter of Acts - Mansion Builder

2nd Chapter of Acts - Mansion Builder

Started listening to this on the way home from work this evening and wasn't expecting the impact it made on me.

I actually can't wait for my commute to work tomorrow morning!

The lyrical content has a whole different dimension for me now in this point of my walk.

The music strikes me over and over reminding me that this is a majority of the core that forms my everlasting interest of what I am passionate about in music. Especially the dynamic bass lines here.

The Mamas and the Papas - The Papas and the Mamas album

This is, in my opinion, their finest album. And I've misplaced my copy. But here it is:

The Papas and the Mamas

The Hobbit

Greg and I continued our Middle Earth film tradition and viewed The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Which was excellent. Very pleased with how the film turned out and our cinematic experience watching it. Just before the troll encounter the power went out in all the theaters for about ten minutes. But the film resumed with little problem.

The first one, Fellowship of the Ring, was viewed by us in St. Louis. We drove all night after work on a Wednesday. Met mom and dad as they were going to work. We slept for a few hours and then got up and went to the film. Completely blown away. We repeated this the next year. The third movie we watched in different circumstances. I suspect we'll be able to repeat this for the next two films as our boys will still be too young to watch these in the theater.

owl

I went to retrieve my phone from the car in the garage and for the first time in Willis East I heard an owl hooting from the darkness.

protect your heart - SinFest

WEEN Coffee Break on 89.3

89.3 The Current has a daily feature at 9:30 every morning. The Coffee Break is a half hour or so of songs based on a theme. Sometimes the theme is pre-determined based on a news headline, sometimes it's from a listener's suggestion. As soon as Jill Riley and Steve Seel define the theme there is no getting through the phone lines as people request appropriate songs in a flurry.

This week we've had WEEN appear TWICE!

Tuesday's theme was about medicine or medication. ZOLOFT came up as the 2nd pick...

In honor of last evening's Presidential debates where Big Bird was a topic for some reason, today's theme was songs featuring goofy voices. The first song out of the gates...

It's always a treat when ya hear WEEN on the radio.

rilly good

From that one kid who is usually goofing around more than the rest. And when they're quiet it's a bad sign. But this time...

Too Majestic - None Shall See Me And Live

Too Majestic - None Shall See Me And Live:

a Résumé is just a Character Sheet for real life

I just finished updating my résumé when I realized...



A résumé is just an RPG character sheet for real life...

just sayin...

Resume Jeffry Willis

CPAP and Beacon Light by WEEN

Strap on that Jammy Pack....

Fuel it up...

'Cause I'm gone...