My 2014 in review

It happens every year. You see it on almost every news station and in many magazines. It’s time for the end of the year review. 2013 was a real stinker for me. How did 2014 compare? Let’s first look at my thoughts on 2014 when I wrote my review of 2013:

I’m hoping 2014 is much better. I don’t seem to do too bad in years that end in “4”, but in a couple of those years, 1994 and 2004, big changes came to my life. I left home and moved to this area in 1994 and I bought my home here in Wadena in 2004. I really could use a good 2014 after the shitty 2013 I had.

Was 2014 better? Why yes. Yes it was. However, it wasn’t without some bad stuff too.

First off, let me comment on the winter of 2013-2014. It was brutal. I don’t want to go through another. Spring never wanted to arrive.

On March 22^nd, we had a get together here at the house to remember Grandpa Kane’s passing exactly one year earlier. Uncle Bill, Aunt Kate, and my mother came up and we had a very nice visit. We all had a drink to toast Grandpa’s life.

Brandi was having troubles in her life which stretched back into 2013 and spilled over and came to a head in 2014. On March 25^th,  Brandi came to live with us here, but not without a lot of fighting and stress. This stress took a big toll on me. I’m pleased to say that legally, Brandi lives here with me now. It took all year to get this done.

Just weeks before Brandi decided to come live here, KinDee and I felt compelled to replace our old 1982 Chevy full sized van for a minivan. We found an ’03 for a decent price and we took on another auto loan despite my saying that I wanted to get out of debt in 2014. It was lucky that we did buy it as Brandi needed a lot of running around for a lot of doctor appointments. I can’t imagine being able to do that in the old Chevy. It just got terrible gas mileage. I do miss the old van though. It’s in Oelwein now and it’s still being driven around. The guy who now owns it is fixing it up. I’m thankful for that.

We noticed chunks of our shingle in the yard this spring. That caused a lot of stress, but thankfully, we were able to finance a new steel roof through the Fayette County Housing Trust Fund. That finally got put on here a few weeks ago. We pray it out-lasts us!

We had a nice surprise this past spring when my old friend, Sean Monaghan, showed up here in Wadena for a visit. He brought his beautiful family and we got to meet his wife Christina, daughter Cecilia, and son Nathaniel. Little could have anyone known that Nathaniel would be diagnosed with Leukemia just a few short months later. We have spent the rest of 2014 praying for him and his family.

Our garden didn’t do well at all. It’s too shaded where it’s at. As the trees have grown, the shadows now cover the garden in the middle of the day. Our neighbor parks his boat on the property line and that too casts shade in the afternoon. Truthfully, it was never a really good spot for a garden. I’m not sure if we’re going to go through all the effort of moving the garden. KinDee doesn’t enjoy gardening and I can’t get out to take care of one anymore.

We didn’t get much wood cut this year. I found it too difficult to get out into the pickup to go into the woods this year. In fact, I don’t think I even went to the woods this year. KinDee and Tyler cut less than 6 loads. We need 20 per year. We are currently burning up our wood reserve. We’ll have to cut wood this upcoming year or else we’ll be in serious trouble. While cutting wood this year, KinDee had an accident and slid our pickup into a tree. Thankfully nobody was hurt, but that pickup which I love, is banged up pretty good. It broke my heart. I guess that’s what happens when you cut wood. Things get banged up.

My health has gotten far worse this year. Even though the year was cooler than past years, the lymphedema in my legs has gotten to a point where it’s really hard to get around. I have a major fear of falling. In fact, as I write this on the 31^st of December, I actually fell in the bathroom this morning. I’m banged up pretty good. Thankfully it wasn’t worse. However, it is very difficult for me to not be able to get outside and enjoy the outdoors. I feel like I’m 90 years old and I’m watching my life slip away. I’m losing the ability to do many things and I can relate to my Grandpa Kane’s final years when the same happened to him. It’s very frustrating. Who knows what 2015 will bring. I’m hoping for a miracle.

I’m still homeschooling the kids, but it’s not as easy to do as it was last year. My failing health is one of the reasons. I am tired all the time anymore and it’s getting harder for me to concentrate. I find that my patience with people has grown very thin. I’m getting ornery and not very pleasant. I don’t even try much anymore.

Christmas was stressful, but not as much as last year, but stressful nonetheless. I don’t even enjoy the holiday anymore. I feel bad that I don’t and I think often about my kids. I try to make it special for them like my grandparents and parents made it for me. I feel like I fail every year. I remember my mother once mentioning that Christmas became less enjoyable for her as she got older as well.

I’m surprised that I’ve lived another year. I’ll be surprised if I live one more. I thank God for every day that he gives me. I enjoy watching my kids grow older. The last two years have done much to turn me very pessimistic.

Time for Chris Slade's return....

 

I am 39 years old and here I am writing about a band member. I feel foolish for writing about something as silly as who will or who will not play drums for AC/DC. Then, I think about people half again as old as me getting all lathered up over politics, and then I tell myself that I’m not so silly after all!

Phil Rudd has been a mess for some time. When he came back to the band in the mid 1990’s, I at first thought it was cool, until I listened to their “Ballbreaker” album. Other than a few tracks, that album stunk. They tried their hand at some blues, which AC/DC did well with on “Powerage”, but there was something missing this time around. It didn’t take me long to figure it out. It was the drums. Phil’s drumming style has progressively become lazier. If you listen to albums from the 1970’s and listen to the “Ballbreaker” album, tell me that you can’t hear a difference in drums compared to “The Razor’s Edge”.

Drums are the salt of the song. They can either make the song bland and sometimes they can overpower it. And just like salt, the drums are often the most under-appreciated and misunderstood ingredient in music. Just as in cooking, finding the right balance is essential. My palate says Phil Rudd has gone stale, and Chris Slade is a tad salty, but I prefer a tad extra salt over blandness.

“Stiff Upper Lip” wasn’t much better. I didn’t like that album at all. It was more than just drumming that was flat on that album.

“Black Ice” was better. Phil only sounded alive on the song “War Machine”. Other than that, it still had a flat, lazy sound at drums.

I must admit that Phil sounded better on “Rock or Bust”. However, he still has a loose sound that I don’t like. Contrast his drumming on “Rock or Bust” with his drumming in the 1970’s, and he sounds tired today. When you see Phil on video, he looks tired. He isn’t smiling. He looks like he ashing his cigarette all over his snare drum head. Hell, he’s starting to look like a crumpled cigarette butt himself. I have read where some people say that it doesn’t matter what he looks like. Wrong. Ask any performer who is anybody, and they’ll tell you that stage presence is very important. There are articles written on the issue. Why should Phil be exempt?

One of the things AC/DC has loved to point out is that in the beginning, they’d get better response from the crowd than bands who were billed higher than them, because as opposed to just standing still and playing, you had Angus running all over the place, and of course, Bon just seethed personality. AC/DC put on a better show than other bands partly based upon the visual aspect of the show. KISS knows this too. That’s why KISS puts on such a visual show. If you have the music and the visual show both kicking ass, it’s hard to go wrong.

One area where AC/DC have been faltering is in the visual part of the show. Bells, trains, cannons, and blow up dolls aside, it’s only Angus that provides the show anymore. Sure, Brian is an excellent front man. He isn’t Bon Scott when it comes to stage presence. Cliff and Malcolm, now Stevie, do their part by taking their positions at drums right and left, then coming out in unison for the chorus, and returning in unison when they’re done singing. They could just as easily put the microphones where they stand, but even the subtlety of their taking a few steps forward and back adds to the stage theatrics.

Then there are the drums. Look at the old footage of Phil Rudd. While he’s always used what I call a closed drum set, meaning that he surrounds himself with drums and cymbals to the point that he’s hard to see, on video, he used to smile and get into the music. He looked happy. That’s not to say that he’s not happy today playing drums, but his stage presence today is abysmal. I don’t give a damn if he is the greatest drummer in the world. He puts on a terrible show visually. Why go to a concert if not for the visual aspect of the show? You could just sit to home and enjoy the band audibly or just wait for another live album if you like the crowd noise and expanded solos. If you want to be around other people enjoying the music at the same time you are, you could go to a bar on a Friday or Saturday night and drop your dollars in the jukebox or just have a party and play the albums. You go to a concert for a whole range of experiences, and Phil looks like shit. He doesn’t add to the visual experience. Sure, there are lots of lights, a big bell, a blow up doll, and other effects, but that’s like using a dildo to satisfy your wife because you can’t cut the mustard anymore.

Contrast this with Chris Slade. “The Razor’s Edge” was the biggest album sales wise for AC/DC since “For Those About to Rock”. It is critically the best received album since as well. Chris Slade made that album sound tight. Some complained that he played too fast. At last check, AC/DC are a rock and roll band. Rock and Roll is supposed to be fast. Do you want a waltz? With the exception of “Love Song” “Crabsody in Blue” and “Ride On”, where is the slow drumming on the older albums? Phil used to keep a fast tempo. Phil used to have a tight sound. When Phil came back from his 12 year absence, he wasn’t the same guy.

Chris has top notch stage presence. In fact, with the loss of Bon Scott, Chris helps add where Brian falls short. Chris uses what I call an open drum set. He sets it up in such a way that you can easily see him while he plays. When Chris plays, he smiles. That’s very important. He gets into the music. He looks like he’s having the best time of his life. He adds tremendously to stage presence. If you watch “Live at Donington”, you’ll see where Chris and Angus play off of each other and make for one hell of a show. I haven’t seen Angus do this with Phil.

Chris is a better drummer than Phil. Some say that Phil is the best drummer for AC/DC. Do you mean a lazy drummer fits AC/DC the best? Some people say nobody hits the drums as hard as Phil. How can you tell the difference in an album? I think people say this cliché stuff because it sounds good, not because it really means anything. When Jimmy Page put together a band called The Firm, who did he turn to? Chris Slade. Think about that for a moment - Jimmy Page, the man who played with arguably one of the best drummers to ever assault a kit, John Bonham, wanted none other than Chris Slade. Chris had even committed to another job that would prevent him from joining The Firm and Jimmy Page decided that he wanted Chris enough that he chose to wait a whole year, just so that he could have Chris Slade play drums for him. That’s how good Chris is. Chris Slade has played with more A-list bands and musicians than Rudd could ever dream of. Not to detract from Rudd’s years with AC/DC, which does account for something – Chris has played with countless musicians and played many different styles. Chris has a deeper repertoire. Chris understands everything about stage presence. When you see Chris playing, whether for The Firm, Manfred Mann, or AC/DC, he puts on a show. Visually, he’s a stunning drummer. Elvis even wanted Chris Slade to play for him. That’s a fact! You don’t get picked by Jimmy Page and Elvis unless you are a top shelf drummer. Chris is a world class drummer. They don't come any better qualified.

Some have complained that Chris has been relegated to playing in a cover band lately. Bullshit. The Chris Slade Timeline isn’t a cover band because Chris isn’t playing covers. He’s playing songs that he has been involved with personally over the course of his 50 year career. Instead of sitting on his ass and flying helicopters or herding sheep, Chris decided to spend his time continuing his love of music and playing drums.

If Phil honestly is so great, then why didn’t anyone come looking for Phil to come play for them when he left AC/DC in 1983? The only band who obviously wanted him was AC/DC. Chris Slade, on the other hand, frequently plays with other bands. Hell, even Simon Wright has no problem playing with other bands.

Finally, Chris Slade is a gentleman. He has been a tremendous ambassador for AC/DC. He never speaks ill of them. He only builds them up in interviews. His love for AC/DC is evident. I don’t think it has anything to do with money. Phil, on the other hand, has this entitlement mentality when it comes to the band. He brags about how much money he spends on cars and hookers. I can see why he needs to tour and make money. His lifestyle means he needs huge influxes of cash. He put out a solo album and complained that he had to do something because the band wasn’t putting out an album. It doesn’t sound like he consulted with Angus or Malcolm on this. I could be wrong, but that’s the impression I get. Phil is stuck on himself. He’s an asshole to others, including his employees. Unlike every other band member, Phil Rudd isn’t humble. He has obviously been upset that he has had to stay quiet in the band because in interviews he mentions that people think he’s stupid because he doesn’t speak. Geeze, Cliff Williams hasn’t said much either, yet nobody claims that Cliff is stupid. In fact, in the band’s off time, rather than being a dickhead to employees and fornicating with prostitutes, Cliff and Brian did the “Classic Rock Cares” tour in 2007. If you really look at it, Chris Slade’s personality fits better with the other members of AC/DC than Phil Rudd’s. What Phil Rudd has that Chris Slade doesn’t is tenure. Chris Slade admits that the guys in AC/DC are extremely loyal. It sounds like they are loyal to a fault. Truthfully, I think Phil Rudd has done more harm to AC/DC than good these past 20 years.

I don’t know what AC/DC is going to do when it comes to drums. One thing that I do not like about AC/DC is their secretive nature. They’re like the dictatorship of North Korea in that regard. They are so tight lipped about things that it leaves everyone to speculate and be frustrated. That’s not to say that they should air all their dirty laundry out, but obviously, there’s a code in the band that you don’t say anything publicly without permission, and whoever grants that permission is really stingy on what they allow to be said. Even right now, the day after Christmas, Chris Slade on his “Chris Slade Timeline” Facebook page is mum about AC/DC. He doesn't seem to want to touch the subject with a 10 foot pole. He won’t even say if he’s spoken to anyone in the band regarding the situation. It’s uncanny.

They may not even go with Slade. Whatever the case may be, it appears that they’re going to try and make the change as quietly as possible. Guess what? That’s pretty difficult when you’re one of the top bands in the world. That’s like having a top level change in the United States government quietly. People are bound to notice.

Instead, rumors are running rampant on the internet about what the band is going to do about their drumming position. They say they care about the fans, yet they choose to leave them in the dark. Bands like Metallica have perfected the art of keeping their fans informed on what is going on regarding the band. AC/DC could stand to take some notes. This isn’t the 1970’s, 1980’s, or 1990’s anymore. People are connected like never before. People don’t get their information from a month old magazine sitting on a store shelf. Now, people get, and expect their information in near real time. AC/DC must know this, but they don't seem to like it. AC/DC acts like someone who sticks with cassette tapes because they don’t want to switch to CDs. They were one of the last holdouts when it came to selling their music digitally.

This isn’t even a situation like Malcolm’s dementia. While Phil’s battle with whatever it is that’s messing him up may be personal, he has made it public. The previous two paragraphs detail why. In today’s day and age, it doesn’t take much to get yourself in the news, especially if you’re famous. Phil doesn’t seem to have a good grasp of this reality. Chris Slade seems to understand this. I haven’t found any scandals, past or present, surrounding Chris Slade.

The question now becomes, who will be AC/DC’s next drummer? When will the band choose to announce it? Will the change be permanent or temporary?

Phil quit being AC/DC’s best drummer back in the 1980’s. When he came back, he was never the same. Like the fat incarnation Elvis, he has almost been a mockery of his former self. Chris Slade on the other hand has never quit loving the band. He has the right mindset and works as hard as anyone on drums. I’d be surprised if Chris ever did anything to damage the band’s reputation. In 50 years, he hasn't done anything to damage the reputation of any band that he's been in. He is a true professional, and he's humble. While it’s true that he’s no Phil Rudd, even the old, top notch Phil - that doesn't mean that he's subpar to Phil. He's just different. Just as Brian Johnson and Bon Scott are two different people, giving the band two different sounds, AC/DC with Chris Slade at the drum set is every bit as good, albeit different, from the band with Phil at drums. He’s certainly better than Phil in his current condition. Chris has publicly stated in interviews that he loves to tour. Phil has had troubles showing up for recording and promotion. You can't have a concert schedule with someone who you cannot count on to be there. Chris wins over Phil hands down in this respect. If AC/DC were to choose Chris, they wouldn't have to worry about their drummer any more. Reliability has to account for something.

This essay is only valid until AC/DC announces their next drummer. Their choice may even be someone not on the radar today. As of right now, Chris Slade is my first pick as their drummer. It remains to be seen who Angus picks.

It’s time that Angus put Slade back behind the drum kit and leave him there. Even if Phil cleans himself up, he twice put the band in a pinch. Slade has never done that. Slade has been as loyal to AC/DC as AC/DC have been to Phil. It would be refreshing to see AC/DC do right by Slade for all he has done for them over the years.


 

My review of AC/DC’s Rock or Bust

                I am an AC/DC fan going back to 1987 when I first discovered them. I love AC/DC and their style of rock and roll. I also love Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, The Rolling Stones, and other similar styles of music. For the record, I also like bluegrass, C&W, heavy metal, and just about anything other than opera.

                I am now old enough that I’m not enamored by AC/DC, meaning that I won’t say that something is good just because it came from a group I like. It’s either good or it’s shit.  Every dog has it’s day, and the question is; Does AC/DC still have it?

                I have long felt that AC/DC have been going downhill since The Razor’s Edge. They weren’t so hot before that album either. I have long felt that Chris Slade was the reason for The Razor’s Edge success. He had a tight sound which helped the aging rockers sound younger and fresher. I love Phil Rudd, but only his earlier work, not his latter. He was really good up through Flick of the Switch, but these modern albums of his are sloppy. It’s also partly visual aesthetics. Phil sits back there and looks lazy on the drums with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, ashing all over his snare drum head. Chris Slade had an open kit where the crowd could see him, and he looked like he was alive – having a wonderful time!

                I purchased Ballbreaker, Stiff Upper Lip, Black Ice, and now Rock or Bust as soon as I could get my hands on them. In fact, I am still waiting for Rock or Bust to get here, but thanks to the internet, I have heard the new tracks and I am able to write this review.

                Also for the record, my favorite AC/DC albums are their Australian T.N.T, Australian Dirty Deeds, and Powerage. Back in Black is about #6 or #7 on my list and Stiff Upper Lip, Ballbreaker, and Fly on the Wall are at the bottom.

                I will rate the songs on a five star basis.

                1 star songs are songs that are almost unlistenable. These are songs that make you want to flip the record or hit Fast Forward. Rock in Peace off of the Australian Dirty Deeds is a 1 star song. Cyberspace is an example of a 1 star song.

                2 star songs are filler. They aren’t worthy of playing at a party. They’re songs that you sit through until you get to the next good song. “Love Hungry Man” is a 2 star song. I feel a lot of “Fly on the Wall” and some of the tracks on Stiff Upper Lip and Ballbreaker fall into this category. There aren’t too many 2 star songs on the older albums.

                3 stars will be average. It’s a good AC/DC song and isn’t really filler. It doesn’t have much depth though. It’s just good old AC/DC. “Sink the Pink” would be a 3 star song in my book. So would “Shake a Leg” from Back in Black.

                4 star songs will be great AC/DC songs that have more depth to them. There’s something about the song that makes it a little extra special. “Mistress for Christmas” would be 4 star. Why? It has Christmas Bells and is a memorable song, and it’s a damned good song to boot. A lot of the Razor’s Edge and Powerage albums are 4 star songs.

                5 star songs are top shelf AC/DC. These are songs that are unforgettable. “Thunderstruck” is a 5 star song. It’s intro is emulated by almost every rock and roll oriented teenager starting out on guitar. It the same story with “Hells Bells” and “Highway to Hell”. These are songs that people play when they pick up a guitar in a guitar store.

                That being said, I will now rate Rock or Bust;

1.           Rock or Bust (3 stars - barely). Not a stellar song. It’s par for the course. I almost give this song 2 ½ stars. I’m not sure why they picked this song as the second single other than the title. If the rest of the album were of this quality, I wouldn’t be very happy. Thankfully, this is about as bad as it gets on this album.

2.           Play Ball (3 ½ stars) It has a little more depth than the average AC/DC song in that it has radio airplay written all over it. It’s catchy and I catch myself singing the lyrics from time to time which tells me it’s not too shabby.

3.           Rock the Blues Away (4 stars) Really catchy intro. Brian’s voice fits really well with this song. The lyrics aren’t stellar, but the melody is. The chorus is different than any other AC/DC. It has an 80’s vibe to it. This song must have been sitting on their shelf for some time. I’m glad they dusted it off.  I can see this song being a sleeper that grows on me with time.

4.           Miss Adventure (3 stars) The only thing keeping this song from being less than 3 stars is that it has a nice little guitar breakdown part way through and the chanting and chorus can be a tad catchy, but not much. If it weren’t for the little aforementioned flourishes to the song, it would be 2 star for sure.

5.           Dogs of War (5 stars) I debated on whether to give this song 4 ½ or 5 stars. Already there are people on YouTube emulating this song. It is catchy as hell and is full of depth. It’s a song that won’t be forgotten. I cannot believe they didn’t release this song as a single. This too must have been a song sitting on the shelf since the late 1970’s through 1980’s. This song could actually blend in with anything on Back in Black or For Those About to Rock. The song starts off with a fade in, something relatively rare in modern rock and roll. It reeks of 1970’s rock and roll from the get go. After the intro which has a haunting sound, we’re greeted with a micro-second of silence before the guitar comes in. It starts off simple and mellow, setting the stage for the rest of the song. It is the foundation that this great song will be built upon. The chanting comes in and helps set the mood. It’s not even part of the chorus at this point. Just as the thunder in “Thunderstruck” sets the mood, so does the chanting in “Dogs of War”. The lyrics are stellar. On paper they don’t look the greatest, but they fit the song wonderfully. The riff is terribly catchy. The lyrics and Brian Johnson’s singing are at their best. The chorus is as good as any AC/DC song ever made. In fact, it’s hard to believe that they made this song in 2014. I can only imagine this song taking the place of “Shake a Leg” on Back in Black. This is probably one of my favorite AC/DC songs. The solo is simple and to the point, very much like the Back in Black era. The song also fades out in a manner not heard in many other AC/DC songs. It’s just a kick ass song all around. If nothing else, it feels like it’s shorter than it should be. It leaves you wishing for more. This song could have easily been stretched out to 7 minutes and turned into an epic song without making it go stale. Top notch stuff here. Definitely not like anything they have put out in the past 20 years.

6.           Got Some Rock & Roll Thunder (3 stars) Good song with a catchy riff. Brian does pretty good singing this song. The chorus has an 80’s feel to it again. It’s straight forward AC/DC, with a little extra depth – but not much. I can see this song having been written around the same time as The Razor’s Edge. The only thing holding this song back is Phil Rudd’s sloppy drumming. If Chris Slade were to tighten the song up, it could easily be 4 star. It also fades out at the end which I say again, is something that you just don’t hear much on songs being released today.

7.           Hard Times (3 stars) Another run of the mill AC/DC song. The lyrics aren’t stellar, but the chorus is catchy. Another song that could have been put on The Razor’s Edge. It is a little more bluesy, Stiff Upper Lip style, but I don’t think it’s that modern.

8.           Baptism by Fire (3 ½ stars) It starts off with the same sound that you’d find on Powerage. However, once the song kicks in, it’s apparent that this isn’t your standard AC/DC song. In fact, it has a Sammy Hagar/ZZ Top twist. This song may grow on me. The pace is fast and instead of the staccato sound that AC/DC has adopted in these later years, you’re delivered a “wall of sound” which is refreshing for AC/DC. I don’t think the VU meters move a whole hell of a lot during the course of the song. This is another song that could grow on me. Brian did a really good job on this song. Again, the drums sound sloppy to me. Too much cymbal that just lingers. It should have been a lot crisper.

9.           Rock the House (4 stars) Solid 4 stars at that. At first listen, I didn’t like this song, but I listened to it again and realized that this is AC/DC with an infusion of Led Zeppelin. The riff is right out of Led Zeppelin’s playbook. The cadence of the lyrics is very “Robert Plant”. The chorus isn’t all that catchy, but the main verses are. The guitar work is top notch. If Led Zeppelin and AC/DC had a baby, this would be the offspring.

10.       Sweet Candy (4 stars) Is Jimi Hendrix in the house? The song starts off with a little Hendrix sounding intro. The rest of the song is just very catchy. It seems plain when you look at the individual parts, but when put together, it makes for a song that will stick in your head. It has some guitar play that is simple, but very catchy. I’m not sure what is keeping this from 5 stars other than it’s drumming again is all cymbals that never seem to end.

11.       Emission Control (3 ½ stars) It’s a fairly catchy tune and I’m not sure why. I don’t particularly like the lyrics. The double entendre here isn’t as good as many other AC/DC songs, but it’s not a wash out. The main riff is very simple and if played any number of ways, it could sound like anything coming from Led Zeppelin to Black Sabbath. The melody is simple and the chorus is as well. I’m still not sure why I give this the extra half a star, but my gut tells me to.

                Conclusion: This album was reportedly made using material that Angus Young and his brother Malcolm had accumulated over the years. It’s apparent in listening to the album that it strays from the direction that AC/DC has been heading since The Razor’s Edge. A lot of the material on this album has 70’s and 80’s rock smeared all over it. The engineering that went into the album complemented the music wonderfully. The fades in and out on some of the songs were a nice change compared to modern techniques in song recording. Again, it harkens back to the age of vinyl and 8-Tracks. Overall, I give this album 4 stars. It has one song of 5 star caliber and one 4 star song that could have been a 5. There were no 2 star songs on this album. Rock or Bust is their weakest track. They released it to the public and the public ate it up. If you like that track, you should love the entire album.

                Finally, while we miss having Malcolm in the band, it’s only in spirit. To our ears, Stevie Young delivers the AC/DC sound perfectly. The videos for “Play Ball” and “Rock or Bust” even show him using a Gretsch guitar with the neck pickup removed like Malcolm. All he needed to do was stuff a sock in there like his uncle! All in all, if you didn’t know any better, you wouldn’t even know there was a switch at rhythm guitar. The drums are sloppy and I’m not sure how much of that is Phil Rudd or poor decision making on the part of Brendan O’Brien. The cymbals are too flourishy and they linger too long. It’s distracting. The snare should have been more pronounced and the sound could have, and should have been tighter. Cliff Williams was the stalwart that he always has been and Angus’s guitar has that old sound back. I read somewhere that Angus use a wireless device that is a replica of one that he used in making Back in Black and that had the effect of giving his guitar that old sound back. Whatever it was, it worked. As for Brian Johnson, he did really good on this album. I assume the band stayed tuned down on this album. It’s hard for me to hear the difference, I’m just taking a wild guess as Brian’s voice doesn’t hit those really high shrill notes he once hit. I for one, however, like it when he sings lower in the range. He really impressed me on this album. It’s an album quite worthy of owning and adding to your collection.

Voter ID

   

         I am not opposed to having to produce identification in order to vote. It ensures that only those who are legally allowed to vote do so. It helps prevent voter fraud.

            The best form of voter ID would be to make those people who want to vote go get a license to vote. There would be no more registering on election day. You would have a waiting period to get your license in order to give officials time to confirm your eligibility to vote. You would have to produce your license at the polling place, or in the case of absentee ballot, you would have to send a copy of your license and the ballot would have to be mailed to the address listed on the license.

            Of course, there would be rules for those who are in the military as they cannot be home to vote. Those who are living abroad will have to make arrangements to have their ballots sent from their home address to wherever they are, and then ensure that they get those ballots back to the proper place in time. If you want to vote, you have to make sure you are in a position where you are able to. Between absentee balloting and the traditional polls, that provides ample opportunity for anyone who is legally allowed to vote, the ability to exercise their right.

            You may think these measures are extreme and prevent the poor and minorities from exercising their right to vote. Well, these measures aren’t all that extreme. They are some of the same measures used to ensure that people in a different class of citizens are who they say they are, and are legally permitted to exercise their rights;

            Gun Owners

            That’s right. Gun owners have to jump through a lot of hoops in order to exercise their right to keep and bear arms. Many of the very same people who cry foul when it comes to voter ID laws don’t feel the same about placing such restrictions on gun owners.

            Now, I can see where they place their logic. They say that if one person votes who isn’t supposed to, “What’s the harm?”, whereas if the wrong person gets possession of a gun, the potential damage is much greater.

            Well, the fact of the matter is, a right is a right. Both rights are enshrined in the constitution although many gun opponents try to deny that.

            What’s good for the goose is good for the gander. If licensing and proper registration is proper for ensuring that only those lawfully permitted can own firearms, then the same can be said of requiring similar measures to ensure that only those lawfully permitted are allowed to vote.

            One further measure would help protect against voter fraud. I have seen video of elections in many countries where a person’s finger is dipped in ink after they vote. This is so they cannot go elsewhere and vote because the ink stains the skin to the point that it is not easily washed off.

            Similar measures can be used here in our country, but there is an easier solution. Fingerprints. It’s not out of the realm of reality to use a fingerprint scanner at voting and polling places to further ensure that a person is who they say they are. When I lived in Georgia and got my Georgia driver’s license, they made me place my finger on a fingerprint reader and they took a scan of it. For those who absentee ballot, a little card can be sent with the ballot to have a person put their fingerprint, much like those little kits that you can purchase for your kids.

            As far as intrusion into privacy, which is a real concern, we would say that the information gathered not be treated any different than the fingerprint scans are used in Georgia. Actually, if you think of it, here in Iowa, your photo is digitally stored and used by government agencies all the time. This is why they won’t allow you to smile when taking your driver’s license photo these days. It’s because their computer program needs you to be straight faced in order for them to read your face and put it in a database. How is giving your fingerprint any different than giving your face’s digital identification?

            In the end, I’m sure I’m over-simplifying the solution to the problem. This is where putting great minds together would most likely come up with a better solution than I can present here. However, what I am presenting here is the direction our government should be heading to ensure that only those who are legally able to are the ones who are participating in our elections.

 

Related Story: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/18/supreme-court-voter-id_n_6007300.html

Doctor Who "Deep Breath" – Not so Spoilery Review

            Everyone seems to have a different idea of what a spoiler is. I think of spoilers as anything that is meant to be a secret until you watch it. A spoiler reveals a fact or detail about a storyline that is meant to catch you off guard. Otherwise, it’s an appetizer. I am going to give a review of the first full episode with Peter Capaldi as the Doctor. I will not give out information on the few items in the episode that are meant to be a surprise. I will deal with other aspects of the episode.

            I want to start off stating that I half heartedly suspect that this “leak” was intentional. I think Steven Moffat is so excited about this new series himself that he somehow allowed this “leak” to happen. Why else will they be screening the new episode so far in advance in Wales? Do they actually believe that those people will stay silent about what they have seen? If they want to keep it secret, they can do so and they know how to do so. They kept the 50^th anniversary on the low down and that plays into my suspicion here.

            I also want to say that this episode played beautifully in black and white, and that also plays a little into my suspicion that this was intentional. It’s one way to present the episode in black and white without much complaining. This episode, in black and white, had a Patrick Troughton, early Jon Pertwee vibe to it. I haven’t enjoyed a black in white episode in a very long time. I do hope that when the DVD comes out, it comes with the option to play it in black and white.

            So, for the review; I loved the episode. Peter Capaldi on his first outing did amazing. I am not a fan of “regeneration jitters” like some people are. I rather preferred the approach taken with Troughton and Pertwee after regeneration. Tom Baker started the tradition of bizarre behavior following regeneration and they went all out with Peter Davison. Colin Baker tried to kill his companion following his regeneration and Sylvester McCoy was so goofy and off the wall that it sadly turned me off to the rest of his tenure.

            Capaldi is a blend of all of the above. I was overall impressed with his first foray as the Doctor. What I was not a fan of was Strax, Jenny, and Vastra. They’re in the episode and painfully so. I really am not a fan of their characters. There is a dinosaur in the episode, for part of it anyhow. I thought at first that it was “Invasion of the Dinosaurs” version II, but that wasn’t the case here. I like the Doctor’s reactions towards the beast. It made for good material.

            The enemy is a really neat looking robot ~slash~ humanoid type being that has a speaking style that is almost without emotion. I like it. The Doctor really has wonderful dialogue with this being and we see a much darker Doctor emerge, especially in regards to how he handles “enemies”. There’s one point in the episode, and this may be considered a little bit spoilery, but the Doctor actually abandons Clara and leaves her with the monster. It makes the Doctor look very selfish and I love how they play it out. It was a surprise to me. It all works out in the end, but that’s part of the fun that I’ll leave to you watching the episode.

            After they dispatch the enemy (or so they think), the Doctor takes the Tardis out for a new refit. I’d love to see how it looks in color, but it looks pretty good in black and white. He returns for Clara and we see the Doctor has a new piece of furniture in the Tardis. It reminds me of a piece of furniture that Sylvester McCoy had for a little while in his Tardis, although I’m sure it’s not the same one. It does make the Doctor seem older and more thoughtful when we see him use this item. The last five minutes of the episode or so are well worth the price of admission. This episode is about the change in the Doctor and Clara’s relationship. They point out Clara’s pettiness. That is one of the few good scenes with Vastra. I’ll give her that. In fact, there is a sequence between Vastra and Clara that explains the last 9 years of Doctor Who and why the Doctor appeared so young while actually being so old. It was a brilliant explanation.

            The Doctor seems comfortable in his skin during the last five minutes and yes, there’s a much talked about cameo during this time. I’ve heard people say, especially those who have read the scripts, while not seeing the show, that they think it’s tacky. It certainly didn’t come across as tacky to me. I thought it was pretty good. I’m a Doctor Who fan from a long time ago and it really was nice to see.

            The ending of the episode sets up a story arc that is looks very promising. We see our old foe isn’t down and out as we have been led to believe. There’s a new lady in town who thinks she’s the Doctor’s girlfriend, and in this episode, the Doctor starts to realize that there’s someone out there, going back into last season, who is influencing chains of events in his life. I think his interest is piqued.

            Listen, if you want to know more, then go watch the episode. You certainly won’t regret it. I didn’t. I still plan on watching it in August. It’ll be interesting seeing how this looks in color, but again, it looked and played great in black and white. If nothing else, it has got me more excited for the new series of the show. I think that was the whole reason behind the supposed “leak”.

            I see there has been some complaining online from people who are saying that the new Doctor picks on Clara a lot. Listen, go back and watch Hartnell’s episodes. He picked on his assistants too, especially Ian Chesterton. Many times he couldn’t even get his name right! I’m glad to see Capaldi returning to this approach towards his companions. For far too long we’ve seen the Doctor be too cushy with his assistants, even kissing them. This Doctor isn’t the hugging type! I’m very excited to see where Doctor Who goes now. I’m afraid that they are going to lose some of the audience who tunes in to see a soap opera version of the show, but for old die hards like me, it’s a very promising start!

An Observation

            I am slowly coming to realize that those who succeed in life are those who are well adapted for the society that they live in. I sit here and dwell on the “days of yore” and think to myself that I’d only be happy if things were the way they used to be. Well, they’re not. The ones who did well during the time period that I long for were forerunners in their time. I’m sure there were people back then who like me, weren’t happy with the way things were and they longed for the “days of yore” as well. The "days of yore" to them was their "yesterday". No matter the generation, there's always “yesterday”. In every generation, you will always have those who wish for yesterday. I’m one of them. Then there are those who adapt and do well in the time that they live. Someday, 50 years from now, there’ll be someone out there who will lament for the “days of yore” and it’ll be today that they long for.

Obesity is the New Leprosy

            As I have suffered from whatever it is that has caused my health to fail, and for me to gain unprecedented weight, I have come to realize that obesity is the new leprosy.

            Back during biblical times, if you had leprosy, it was thought that you had it because something that you did. In other words, you caused your leprosy because you did something bad or sinful.

            Today, obesity is seen as something that is self inflicted as well. It’s seen as being just as disgusting as leprosy. I have had people who have treated me no better than lepers were treated in biblical times.

            I have an endocrinologist who has finally done enough testing to see that my hormones aren’t where they need to be. My testosterone is in the tank and I have elevated prolactin. My thyroid has also been causing me trouble. I also suffer from anemia and the blood doctor said my red blood cells don’t look right. They wanted me to do a bone marrow biopsy and I declined because having bone marrow aspirated is extremely distressing and painful. It involves a giant needle and shoving it through your hip bone.
             
             I turned to doctors as soon as I started feeling ill and they all told me that it was just a virus or bug and that it would pass. It never did. Now, my endocrinologist says that they need an MRI on me and I am too big for even an open MRI at this point. This stuff should have been handled a long time ago. I may have never gotten to this point.

            One good thing has come out of this. I see people for who they truly are. The German poet and statesman Johann Wolfgang von Goethe is quoted as saying, “You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.” Another quote widely attributed to him is, “The way you see people is how you treat them, and the way you treat them is what they become.”

            Like I said, I am a modern day leper. I am the lowest of low on today’s totem pole. However, it has allowed me to see people for who they truly are. I see people out there who make themselves out to be pillars of the community, yet they spit on me. I have also seen people who are also looked upon with disdain by these "worldy people" and they have in many cases treated me with compassion. By me being this way, I get to see people’s true hearts in ways that I never have before. I was once normal. I have lived the normal life. Some people who are like me have been this way their entire life. This has given me a unique perspective as I know both worlds. God is great. In my time of suffering, I thank him for this gift.

Is it really insurance?

            Health insurance isn't really insurance after all, is it? Insurance is something that you purchase to mitigate the effects of a potential loss that you could not otherwise protect yourself from financially. When it comes to health care, we all will suffer an expense at some point. Some more than others. For some people, they are sick their entire lives. Others, they will only need it for checkups, exams, and possibly at the tail end of their lives. How can that be insurance then when you are almost guaranteed to collect something on your policy?

            This is why we should treat healthcare like we do education. We see to it that everyone pitches in and supports the schools. I have neighbors with no children and yet they pay taxes that go support the school system. I have long felt that we need to do the same when it comes to our healthcare. I would like to see us all pitch in and support a public health system that provides healthcare to all. For those who can afford it, they can purchase private insurance or go to a private doctor/hospital. Still, we all pay for the basic safety net for all – a service that every human being will need at one point in their life. Even though I homeschool my children, I still have to pay taxes to the public school. I have a right to run for school board and we do have some local control over our school. That’s how I’d like to see healthcare. It’s not a perfect system, but it’s better than what we have had or have now.

            Obama’s Obamacare attempted to create a system like this, but instead of being a public system like our schools, it’s quasi private. It forces everyone to pitch in financially by purchasing a policy from a private company, whether you feel your health dictates that you need "insurance" or not. You either pitch in and pool your money or pay a penalty. How is it that much different that the system that I am advocating?  Here's the difference; Insurance companies and other corporations are allowed to make a profit off of us under this system. We are a captive audience. How would you like to own a business that in effect has the backing of the United States Government forcing the general public to consume your product? Also keep in mind that a profit is money that is above and beyond the actual cost of operating. Our Obamacare premiums are going towards profit for fat cats sitting in leather chairs content that they have customers forced to purchase their product.

            Even though people screamed about it, Obama had it right when he ran for office the first time. We should not use a private system for healthcare. It should be public. It should allow people the freedom to seek services outside of the public side, yet require everyone to pitch in, the same as we do for schools. Healthcare should be controlled locally like schools are. Until we have this, healthcare will be a mess.

Not sold on Jimmy Fallon

            I must admit that last night was the first time I was able to stomach a full episode of Jimmy Fallon. My morbid curiosity got the better of me and I watched his show. When he mentioned that it may be the first time certain people may have tuned into watch him, I was one of those he was speaking about. I have caught bits and pieces of his show before, but most of what I’ve seen was too “hipster” for me. I couldn’t change the channel fast enough. The music leans more hip hop than I like. His brand of humor seems too sophomoric for me. Craig Ferguson and Jimmy Kimmel suffer from the same thing, but not as bad. I’m sure Jimmy Fallon is a really nice guy. He hit the nail on the head when he pondered how he ever came to host the Tonight Show.

            It was a fluke. Conan O’Brien was supposed to take over the Tonight Show and odds are, Conan would have had a 15 to 20 year run. During this time, Jimmy Fallon would have paid his dues on Late Night. Older people tend to go to bed earlier. Late Night is the perfect time slot for a young guy like Jimmy. Go watch early Conan episodes from Late Night and you’ll notice how Conan grew up and matured in his Late Night slot. Due to the Leno/O’Brien debacle, Leno got back in, Conan got out, and Jimmy sat there in the successor chair.

            NBC for some reason wasn’t happy with Jay Leno. He was #1 for his time slot and consistently so, but he must have unsettled somebody’s stomach there in management. The decision was made to force Jay Leno into retirement (technically firing an old person) and Voila! Jimmy Fallon, all green and unprepared, fell into the Tonight Show chair.

            It shows. Last night’s episode was certainly aimed at a much younger crowd. Even I felt old watching it. Yes, I grew up with U2 and Will Smith, but that lame ass bit about hip hop dancing? Come on! I tried to imagine my parents watching that and finding any entertainment in it. I doubt many people over my age bracket enjoyed it. It was so “Saturday Night Live”. I don’t think he’ll retain the older crowd that Leno held, you know, the ones who had the money to purchase Mercedes Benzes and other fine items whose advertisers paid big money to flaunt their wares during the Tonight Show. We’ll probably see more commercials for Cheerios and Crest toothpaste during Fallon’s tenure. Oh well, as long as it pays NBC’s bills.

            I saw an article that said that NBC wasn’t too worried about losing the older crowd because Jimmy Kimmel is a young guy as well and David Letterman won’t be around long. How nice. That’s like admitting that your guy sucks, and you don’t care because your viewers have nowhere else to go. Guess what? I’m willing to bet those older people will watch the news, drink their Geritol, and decide to turn in early. They won’t watch any of the garbage. I sure won’t.   

           

Weston Meat Grinder Review

Weston Meat Grinder Review:

Grinder with grey protective covering on yet.

Model # 08-2201-W
Number 22 Commercial Meat Grinder 1HP

Manufacturer: Weston
Country of Manufacture: China

Material: Stainless. The auger and head unit appear to be cast iron but I have been since told otherwise. 

110V/750 Watt

Retailer: One Stop Jerky Shop

onestopjerkyshop.com

Date of Purchase: 2/06/2014

Purchase Price: $549.99 ($544.99 after $5 discount)
Method Shipped: UPS Ground
Shipping Cost: Included

The Lowdown: My wife and I started grinding our own meat a year or two ago. We purchase meat from Sam's Club by the case and save money over our supermarket chain. Plus, the meat we grind tastes so much better than the ground meat that comes from the store. We also have the added benefit of knowing that only one or two animals are in our ground meat as opposed to hundreds, and we can visually inspect the meat that goes into our grind. The risk of contamination is also much lower.

A friend of mine loaned me his grinder a few years back. He drives semi and isn't home a lot, so he said I could hang onto it and take care of it while he was out trucking. It's called a Super Grinder and it's also Chinese made. It's a #12 in size, but the throat is really small and it takes forever to grind meat. It's ground a lot of meat for me the past year or so, but I've spent a lot of time with it doing so. You also have to cut the meat very small to go through the machine and grinding it a second time is a real pain.

We decided to make an investment in a real heavy duty grinder that would grind quickly and allow us to spend more time enjoying life instead of pushing meat through a grinder. After a lot of research, I chose this model of Weston. The price was right and it came with stuffing horns. The gentleman at One Stop Jerky Shop is a really nice and helpful guy. When you buy from him, you're buying from a real person with a real business. He told me that he keeps all his items in stock and doesn't drop ship. I had a problem with my payment. PayPal kept rejecting the sale. I was getting errors on his site and I sent him screenshots and he got it all figured out. He took the time to even call me and we visited on the phone for a little while. I highly recommend purchasing from him. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

The Review: Well, right off the bat, the 40 mm stuffing tube was cracked lengthwise right out of the box. This should have been caught by QA at the factory. The machine was packaged wonderfully. Out of the box, the body of the machine has a grey protective film on it covering the stainless steel. When you see some sales photos of this machine and the body looks a dull grey, that is why. The grinding plates and the cutting blade are stainless steel. The power switch is on the back of the unit and has a forward and reverse. Reverse doesn't stay in reverse, but springs right back, like it should. Turning it on, you twist the switch and it stays on until you twist it back. Off position is in between forward and reverse. There is a pop out breaker next to the switch.

This grinder is heavy - very heavy. It's not just the power unit that's heavy. The head and auger are very heavy as well. The auger and head unit are both cast stainless. They appear to be cast iron but I have been told that they indeed are stainless. It's the first time I've ever dealt with unfinished stainless like this. The casting on my head unit had some spots inside of it where the metal didn't cast well and left a couple of little pockets. I will have to keep that in mind when cleaning it as that's a good place for meat to hide and bacteria to grow. The unit assembles easily. The metal pan that sits on top of the unit is stainless steel and is much thinner than I would have expected. They even make slight bends in the metal to help strengthen it. Why wouldn't you just go with a heavier guage steel in the first place and be done with it? The ring where the pan sits atop the head unit is sharp. The edges around the pan are also sharper than I'd like. I plan on taking some emery cloth to it and dulling it down some. There are also a couple of sharp areas on the body, at the front of the unit above the feet. Hopefully I can do a video later and show this.

We washed the machine up. It smelled of household oil which we assume they spray the parts with to keep them from rusting while in storage and transit. After we cleaned it up, we ran a little over 20# of pork Boston butt through the machine. The speed at which this machine grinds is amazing. We used the medium grind plate and ran the meat through twice. It took less than 15 minutes to double grind this amount of meat.You'll spend more time cutting and cleaning than you will grinding, which is why we bought this in the first place.

Just a minute or two into the second grind, the machine started making a tremendous rattling noise. I contacted Weston about this and they are currently looking into it. They are also sending out a replacement stuffer to replace the cracked one. When you open the box, you see a big red piece of paper that tells you that if you have any problems, not to contact the seller, but Weston directly. When you call the number, you get an American who speaks English on the other end of the line. You get a name and contact information for this person too. It's not often that you find customer service like this today. From what I've read, Weston stands behind their products and I assume they'll make it right in this case too, or I'll write about it if they don't! I'm not even sure if that rattle is normal or not. It didn't rattle like that out of the box. I'm hoping it's something simple. Otherwise, the machine is quiet.

The Good: It grinds fast. It's a very heavy machine. It seems well built for a Chinese made item. One Stop Jerky Shop is an excellent seller. Weston has a good responsive customer service department and they seem to stand behind their product.

The Bad: The 40MM stuffing funnel was cracked right out of the box. Nothing in the box moved or shifted. It was in the center of the box so it's impossible that it was damaged in transit. It should have been caught at the factory. The motor started rattling just minutes into the grind. The pan that sits on top of the grinder is too thin. The sharp edges need to be sanded more.

Would I recommend it? Yes.