When you think of driving songs, you think of things like Steppenwolf's "Born To Be Wild," Commander Cody's "Hot Rod Lincoln," or Golden Earring's "Radar Love." Right?
They all have a driving theme to them.
That's not exactly the case in a new Top 25 list from Paste Magazine, who not only chooses good driving songs, but takes it another step and says when and where they are good for driving. Rather specific isn't it?
The number one song? The Beach Boys "Wouldn't It Be Nice." Picked #1 for driving to work while sipping the morning coffee.
Also on the list: Otis Redding's (Sittin' on) The Dock Of The Bay. They say it's good for driving at any time. I'd say anytime or anyplace.
I do recall studying a whole semester in college about the vast importance of successful communication. It basically came down to the fact that if the other person doesn't understand what you're trying to say, you've failed. it's a key component in almost everything we do from ordering off the menu to negotiating your work contract.
All that time studying, and all I could have done was look at this video of a talking sheep. It not only shows effective communication, but also inflection, tone and appropriate response. That at the sheep makes a really funny noise.
I would really be freaked out if my parents were spying on my Facebook page. Then again, I'm a grown adult, and that would be weird anyway.
Some new research says it's not that uncommon though. AVG Technologies says they asked parents of kids 14 to 17 in eleven different countries about thier snooping habits.
They found that 60 percent of U.S. parents of teenagers seem okay looking in their kids' social accounts without their knowledge. And moms are most likely to be the ones doing the spying. Globally, only 44 percent of all parents said they spy on their teens' Facebook accounts.
Spying, trolling or whatever you want to call it. Do you think it's right?
I'd say as long as the parent isn't hacking into their kids account, I don't think checking someone elses Facebook page is much of a crime. That's what Facebook is for anyway,.
Sort of. The Beatles' first full concert in the United States at the Washington Coliseum in Washington, D.C. on February 11th, 1964 will be screened in movie theaters next month.
The Beatles: The Lost Concertwill be shown in a limited engagement which means we're most likely not going to get it in Madison.
I will keep an eye out to see if there are any showings and report back.
You know how some people say they have a “good side” for taking photographs?
Me, I think neither is all that great.
Turns out it’s the left side. A Wake Forest University research study says people prefer showing their left side, with most people believing that their left cheek shows a greater intensity of emotion. Whatever that means?
Looks like they think it's connected to Left-Right side brain dominance. They say that you should turn your face to the right, to show off more left cheek.
Of the multitudes of movies that I caught over the weekend at the Wisconsin Film Festival, there is one that Green Bay Packer fans must see.
Last Day At Lambeau is a documentary that chronicles the divorce between the Packers and Brett Favre. It is a great example of how to make a successful doc.
I won't spoil whether the film takes sides, but even without a new actual interview with Brett Favre, the filmmakers do manage to provide several perspectives on the situation. There is still a unsettled feeling amongst fans about what went down, and this film cuts to the heart of that feeling.
There is also an important focus on the fan perspective of the breakup, something that was missing while it was actually happening. The Packer adoration is enough for any fan or semi-fan to enjoy, but it's not that easy to see it.
Last Day At Lambeau has only been screened at the WI. Film Fest so far. Wisconsin Public Television is working on picking the film up, but hasn't been successful yet. They say there has to be a demand for it, so I highly suggest you contact them and make a request. This one is of NFL films caliber, and is if anything, a good recount of how great things were.
That scene from Cast Away where Tom Hanks' character breaks down when his volleyball "Wilson" drifts away in the ocean, still chokes me up.
Call me emotional, but it's a well performed scene.
There was a report over the weekend that reminded me of the shot from "Cast Away," where a soccer ball washed up on an Alaska shoreline. They believe the soccer ball was from the tsunami that hit Japan more than a year ago. That means it traveled more than 3,000 miles across the water to reach Alaska. It had Japanese charcters on it that tied it to a school that was hit in the area affected by the tsunami.
When you think of the depth of that story, for me, it kind of choked me up like that scene from Cast Away did.
Sounds like they're in the process of returning the ball back to Japan, so there may be a satisfying ending to this story too.
Today marks the beginning of the 2012 Wisconsin Film Festival and probably the 12th in a row that I've attended.
I'm looking forward to two films in particular:
A shot by shot remake of Raiders Of The Lost Ark
A documentary about Brett Favre's final game at Lambeau Field
I do recommend checking out the Film Fest if you've never been. Despite an early ticket system glitch, there are still tickets available to a number of films.
With so many choices, it might seem a little overwhelming picking the ones you want to see. Don't make it that hard. Each and every film has been screened by a film junkie like me, so you know there is something of value to each one. They wouldn't be here unless there's a redeeming factor.
With that, I say pick anything and try it out.
I like to think ot each movie as a bite of my favorite candy. You always get something good, and if you put a lot of them together and you're always satisfied.
With the start of the Festival today, there are no more online ticket sales. You just go to the venue of the show you want to see and purchase tickets at the door.
Happy watching. I'm off Thursday and Friday to make the most of it.
It's Tax Day. You deserve something for free, or at least at a discounted rate.
Here's some of the freebies that I've tracked down:
Arby's will have a coupon for free value curly fries on April 17. Visit the Arby's Facebook page to get a coupon and enter its sweepstakes to win $5,000 in tax relief.
Boston Market will get a free individual meal with the purchase of an individual meal and fountain drink with this coupon.
Bruegger's will offer its Big Bagel Bundle for just $10.40 -- a savings of up to $5 -- April 14 through April 17. The Big Bagel Bundle includes a baker’s dozen of Bruegger’s 15-plus bagel varieties and two tubs of Bruegger’s cold-packed cream cheese, available in more than ten varieties. You'll need a coupon, which you can download from Bruegger’s Facebook page.
Chili's has a coupon for a free appetizer or dessert with the purchase of an adult entree April 16 through April 18. You can print the coupon or show it to your server via smart phone.
Cinnabon will offer two free Classic Cinnabon Bites on April 17 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at participating locations as part of its Tax Day Bites promotion.
Office Depot is letting customers make 25 single-sided black and white copies and offering up to 5 pounds of shredding for free through April 16. No coupon is necessary, and the offer is valid in stores nationwide.
Panda Express will give a free single serving of its new Shanghai Angus Steak at participating locations April 17. To get this free offer, you'll need to download a coupon by "liking" Panda Express on Facebook starting April 11.
P.F. Chang's is offering a 15% discount at restaurants nationwide on dine-in and carry-out orders April 17 (alcohol and happy hour items excluded).
Buy-one-get-one meal at Boston Market
SONIC restaurants are having "Happy Hour All Day on Tax Day." During SONIC's Happy Hour, which usually runs from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. daily, fountain drinks and slushes are at half price.
Prom is supposed to be this major rite of passage. I don't buy it. I went to my junior prom, but I didn't feel that it was a life changing event. All I got out of prom is grounded for a few days because I stayed out so late.
Maybe the experience was lost on me. For some it's a the equivalent of a major life event.
Here's what a report in USA Today said:
The average family with a teenager is expected to plunk down a whopping $1,078 on prom this year. Analysts say teens see prom as a "red-carpet" moment and "want to dress to impress."
Marry that with a report out of Wausau today that says students and parents are being told that they need to sign a "No Dirty Dancing" pledge. While a code of conduct at a school sponsored event is a good idea, this just reaffirms my thoughts about prom. You're definitley going home broke and people will be watching everything you do. That doesn't sound like a barrel of monkeys to me.
Just ask any beer drinker and they will most likely tell you it's true.
A new study suggests a little beer actually improves your brain skills. Researchers at the University of Illinois in Chicago got a group of 40 men to compete in a bar game in which they were given three words, and asked to come up with a fourth that fit the pattern. Half were given two pints of beer, the other half were sober.
Amazingly, the tipsy team won, solving 40% more problems and faster too. They think low blood alcohol levels make people worse at memory tasks, but my increase creative problem solving skill.
They think it has something to do with alcohol lowering inhibitions, allowing people to blurt things out faster.
Then again, if you look at it from Steven Colbert's perspective...
I've been up to some home remodeling projects lately.
New countertops and remodeling my bathroom to create some more space. Calculating square feet is one of the importatnt first steps and I've been doing a bunch of that lately.
Then, there's the story of a family that is living in a 168 Squre Foot house! They lost everything in the recession and built thier tiny house for about $12,000. Being a minimalist when it comes to my home, I'm quite impressed with the effort. Watching this video also made me thankful for what I do have.
That scenario probably isn't coming up anytime soon, but I did find a source that has compared every NFL Quarterback to a US President. Don't worry, it's not a partisan slam one way or the other. Some of the comparisions are thin at best, but what else are you going to do in the offseason?
Here's what the Bleacher Report.com says about Aaron Rodgers:
Aaron Rodgers had to bide his time before replacing the most popular player in Green Bay Packers' history, Brett Favre. Likewise, John Adams waited eight years as George Washington's Vice President before taking the big job himself.
Favre is in the conversation as one of the great quarterbacks of all time, and George Washington was one of the most influential men in American History. Both had pressure to preform and live up to the reputation of their predecessor.
Adams and Rodgers carved out their own niche in American/NFL history, and paved the way for a successful protege themselves.
We have Chocolate Bunnies, the Cadbury Creme Egg, Reeses Peanut Butter Eggs and a host of other Easter themed candy out there. But we don't have this yet.
I found this recipe for a Cheesecake Stuffed Chocolate Egg.Glamour.com claims that the treat can be made low fat and low sugar, but also says the chocolate egg shells are easy to make.
Sounds tasty, but it sounds like a lot of work too. I'll just take a Reeses Peanut Butter Egg, thanks.
Food services at Miller Park says they’ve got something new this year. A new “fry bar” on the field level, where people can get things usually reserved for the Wisconsin State Fair. Items will include deep fried bacon, deep fried cheesecake and funnel cake fries.
I've never had funnel cake fries, but I'm intrigued. Any chance you'll send some my way for a sampling Miller Park? No? I didn't think so.
Here's some of the food prices for Miller Park this year. Looks like tailgating in the parking lot is once again the afforgable option.
It's a simple request, but I think I'm game for hearing some music from the offspring of The Beatles. As reported by the BBC, James McCartney says Sean Lennon and Dhani Harrison have already said they're on board with idea of a Beatles 2.0. Ringo's kid Zak, he's not so sure yet, but Ringo's other kid Jason might be.
Here's what they look like. This is one of the few times that I've ever even seen James McCartney.
In the universe of all stupid movies that have ever been made (and there are a lot of them,) there are those that we attach to and those we can't bear to look at.
For me, Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniel's 1994 comedy Dumb and Dumber is a fantastic movie. On the surface, it is just at the title describes. If you peel away some layers, there are some fine comic elements throughout the film. If it makes sense, It reaches that level of where it's so dumb that it's genius. I'll jokingly often quote lines from it with friends and it leaves me with a warm fuzzy feeling.
I question the reasoning behind most sequels, but I was a bit excited when I heard that there are plans for Dumb & Dumber 2. It's been eight years since the first go round. So why not?
What are some of the moments of cinematic excellence that I speak of, and sometimes quote. Here's a pair:
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I would really be freaked out if my parents were spying on my Facebook page. Then again, I'm a grown adult, and that would be weird anyway.
The Beatles are making a new movie?
You know how some people say they have a “good side” for taking photographs? 
Of the multitudes of movies that I caught over the weekend at the Wisconsin Film Festival, there is one that Green Bay Packer fans must see.
That scene from Cast Away where Tom Hanks' character breaks down when his volleyball "Wilson" drifts away in the ocean, still chokes me up.
Today marks the beginning of the 
It's Tax Day. You deserve something for free, or at least at a discounted rate.
Prom is supposed to be this major rite of passage. I don't buy it. I went to my junior prom, but I didn't feel that it was a life changing event. All I got out of prom is grounded for a few days because I stayed out so late.
Just ask any beer drinker and they will most likely tell you it's true.
That scenario probably isn't coming up anytime soon, but I did find a source that has 
We have Chocolate Bunnies, the Cadbury Creme Egg, Reeses Peanut Butter Eggs and a host of other Easter themed candy out there. But we don't have this yet. 
Gotta love this Brewer fans.
In the universe of all stupid movies that have ever been made (and there are a lot of them,) there are those that we attach to and those we can't bear to look at.
